5 Guys and a Gal!

Joe & Khem hosted the first "Guys" get-together of 2024, and it started with a bang! As always, great food, great friends and, of course, great wines! I can't help but to reflect at what a privileged life I lead every time we get together! While most reading this story have likely tasted many of these wines, just think how many have not, nor ever will, have that pleasure.

It is always fun to hear other's perspectives on wines! Plus, it always fun tasting some older wines (yes, "old" is relative!) For me, this was a great tasting because many of the wines were in my ideal wheelhouse, which is a balance between fruit and tertiary flavors. Hope you enjoy the story even a fraction of how much I enjoyed the "research!"

• 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  This was excellent! One of the best Rose Champagnes I have tasted! I am a big fan of the vintage (although I own very few) and a fan of this producer for Rose! I don't know why I don't have more of this producer in my cellar.
  
  Nose showed lots of brioche, yeast, white flower and citrus. Palate was full of raspberry, with notes of cedar, citrus, chalk and apple.
  
  Easy 94 for my palate!

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• 2011 Jean et Sébastien Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Saint-Pierre Cuvée St. Pierre 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  This bottle was gifted to me by Mr. Dauvissat on a recent trip to Burgundy! I was curious how these Chablis age, and this wine shows you don't need an expensive Grand Cru to produce a very nice Chablis! This is a nice Chablis that shows acidity and minerality, coupled with rounded pear and apple notes with hints of citrus and spice. An awesome value in Chablis...too bad I cannot find it here! Sells for about $45, but would likely be around $90 in the US. Easy 91-92 for my palate!

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• 2018 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Is it young? Yes! Is it good? No.....it's great! This wine should sit for years, but that will be difficult as it is pretty darn tasty right now! Nose is perfumed with lots of cherry and cherry blossom, plus some cedar and spice. Palate is predominantly cherry and tree bark, with a streak of minerality featuring lots of iron and graphite, with some mushroom, forest floor, spice and some signature black pepper. A nice balance between fruit and tertiary flavors, leaning toward the fruit side of the spectrum. As much as this is in my wheelhouse now, I can't help but feel how much better it will be with a few more years of bottle age and additional complexities emerge! 94 to 94+ now, could gain a point or two with additional bottle age!

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• 1984 Dominus Estate 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  See Rocknroller's notes for bottle treatment.
  
  Let me start by saying this is the best bottle of this vintage Dominus I have tasted (and I have had this wine at least 3 times). This wine is (not surprisingly) dominated by tertiary flavors. However, there was a streak of red and black fruit (cherry and cassis) that even my palate could detect (which was a huge plus!)
  
  Nose and show some cherry and lots of earthy notes, leather and tobacco. Palate follows suit with the addition of some cassis, tar and a streak of menthol. This was a very nice wine that I enjoyed (but I think others enjoyed even more than I?
  94 points for me! Loved this bottle....a testament to the adage there are only good bottles of older wines, and this was a good one!

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• 1986 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Live and learn! I admittedly didn't even know that Phelps had a wine designated from this vineyard! This was quite a treat, and my WOTN!
  
  This was a great pairing with the 84 Dominus. Like the Dominus, this showed plenty of tertiary character and flavors. Unlike the Dominus, it showed only dark fruit (no red fruit), and more importantly (at least to my palate), it showed more fruit!
  
  The flavor profile was a fair amount dark fruit wrapped in a heavy cloak of leather, earth, sweet oak, tobacco and notes of coffee and dried herbs.
  
  94+ points easily and so delicious! Drink or hold, but if your palate is like mine, this is peaking right now!

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• 1986 Château Rausan-Ségla 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Decanted right before serving.
  
  It's been a couple years since I last tasted this wine, and it seems to have improved! A good amount of red fruit (red currant), with some black fruit (blackberry and black cherry) serving as a wingman, both on the nose and palate, with the nose showing some additional sweet violets. Also, as expected for its age, the palate reveals quite a few tertiary flavors, including old leather, forest floor, earthy mushroom, and some tobacco, pencil and bramble, with some spice showing late mid-palate and carrying through to the finish. A solid 94 now, and in a great spot! No hurry, but no reason to wait either, as I see a plateau for a while and then a slow descent.

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• 2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Treatment: 1 1/2 hour decant.
  
  Nose showed sweet aromatics, with perfumed purple flowers, cherry notes, and birch. Palate showed dark and red fruit, bramble, bark, tar and spice with some anise. Nice! This is drinking quite well right now.. Very smooth and a nice balance between fruit and tertiary flavors. This is in a nice spot for my palate, but those who prefer hedonistic wines, this may be on the downhill slope....for those who prefer more tertiary flavors, this is still young, but hitting its stride. I prefer it the way it is drinking now, and I suspect it will remain here for some time. Solid 93 for my palate!

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• 2003 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Treatment: 2 hour decant, back in the bottle for another hour of slo-O.
  
  This wine gave pause when first opened, as it showed a nice perfumed nose and plenty of fruit and secondary flavors, but finished with some stewed fruit notes. Fortunately, the stewed fruit disappeared with time in the decanter.
  
  Nose showed cherry blossom, violets anise and spice (predominantly cardamom). Palates was marked with red fruit (cherry and red currant) and dark fruit (cassis), along with tar, leather and spice. There was also a slight alcohol note (without the heat) on the finish. This wine needs either a longer decant (I would go 4 hours) or a few more years in the cellar (probably 3 more years). 92 now, but should improve.

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• 2003 Château Climens 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  PnP - A great ending to a great tasting! Climens is well balanced, always. The consistency of Climens is only bested by Yquem. Although Climens is 100% Semillon (rather than a blend with Sauvignon Blanc), it still has enough acidity to balance the sugar in a very sweet vintage (2003). Classic!
  
  Nose showed orange blossom, honeysuckle and some stone fruit, petrol and honeycomb. Palate showed orange marmalade, apricot, peach, honeycomb and burnt sugar with some vanilla notes. Delicious! One of the best bottles to date and a solid 94 for tonight!

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Another night of fun festivities! Always fun opening these wines and enjoying them with good company! Wine is meant to be shared, and these get-togethers remind me why!

Cheers, until next time!