2009 LVMH Tasting at Elway's Cherry Creek
Denver, CO
Tasted Thursday, May 7, 2009 by Tim Heaton with 936 views
Introduction
Trade tasting of current releases
Denver, CO
Tasted Thursday, May 7, 2009 by Tim Heaton with 936 views
Trade tasting of current releases
NV Moët & Chandon Champagne White Star
France, Champagne
Ripe apple, spice, a hint of peach and warm nuts, this is everything you want a sub $40 Champagne to be. Pinot Meunier 45-50% with 35-40% Pinot Noir and ~ 12% Chard; this has approx 30% vins de reserve. Attractive golden colour and solid persistence for the price.
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2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne
France, Champagne
Very lively nose of minerals, chalk, stone fruits, some ginger and citrus elements, too. Really tight on the palate which is to be expected, but this does not have anywhere near the structure of say the '96. I was hoping for a bit more of the lees effect on the nose. The assemblage was a bit off, I thought. Drink thru 2018+.
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NV Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne
Apples, pine nuts, cashews and lightly buttered toast lead into a creamy, well balanced wine of great purity and focus. For an N.V. wine, this was terrific and showed a lot more balance than the Dom. A broad mid-palate and a creamy, leesy finish that lingers for quite some time. Terrific value
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
A horizontal blend of grapes and vineyards, as well as vintages, this current release is thoroughly enjoyable and almost sultry. This is comfort food for the brain that makes you forget the troubles of the day. Brioche toast, warm nuts, and vanilla crème give way to a creamy texture of dried fruits, and some spice. Focused, crisp and refreshing, I look forward to enjoying a bottle of this in the near future. Drink...often
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NV Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Imperial Rosé
France, Champagne
Pink with a copperish hue, this shows a nose of fresh strawberries, and wildflowers. Fairly well balanced, this is dry and firm on the finish thanks to the heavy concentration of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Nothing spectacular, but kinda fun.
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NV Ruinart Champagne Brut Rosé
France, Champagne
45% Char/55% Pinot, this shows bright cherries, toast, some burnt vanilla and has a focused, crisp attack. Refreshing and lively, this has a long, satisfying finish and begs for hors d'oeuvres and oysters. The fruit is not as bright as years past, but still, this is still a solid value.
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2007 Château de Sancerre Sancerre
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
Limestone, kiwi, some starfruit, acacia, fresh cut grass just a hint of sweetness on the nose. Thankfully the sweetness does not carry through on the nicely balanced palate. The lively acidity and long finish are nice touches.
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2008 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Gooseberry, mango, freshly cut grass and some peach on the nose. This saw about 2 months of lees contact and it shows in the texture and body. Not my favorite, but an acceptable SB.
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2006 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Te Koko
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Pineapple, sage, thyme, a hint of buttery mango and fresh ginger on the nose, and, of course, the smoky oak. The native yeasts really help to carry this wine from the mundane to the enjoyable. This sees 100% malo and 18 mos in the barrel.
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2007 Livio Felluga Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Colli Orientali
An unremarkable wine with thin fruit and a medium(-) body.
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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2007 Livio Felluga Friuli Colli Orientali Friulano
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Colli Orientali
A spicy nose and a medium + finish, but ultimately short on character and balance. The low acidity was a bit surprising. Simple.
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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2006 Livio Felluga Terre Alte
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Colli Orientali
Bingo! This is nothing like the previous two Felluga which felt like they were off an assembly line. This blend of Sau Blac, Friulano and Pinot Bianco is focused and refreshing. On the nose, marzipan, lime peel, and freshly cut white flowers. A solid acid backbone delivers a fresh, crisp medium body with character and complexity showing in the long finish. Just a hint of bitterness adds to the overall complexity of the wine and is a nice touch. recommended
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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2006 Domaine Chandon Chardonnay Un-Oaked
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Some Meyer lemon, Gala apple and pineapple juice on the nose, with a medium body of mostly tropical fruits. The Monterey acidity I enjoy so much was not quite there, and at the end of the day the wine didn't show much character at all.
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2006 Domaine Chandon Chardonnay
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
So close to its physiological ripeness, but not quite there; the low acidity really holds this back. On the nose, fig paste, quince, some applie pie and orange marmalade. The palate is a fairly well-balanced; a medium body of apples, and some pear tart. This saw 25% malo and 10 months on wood, 30% of which was new. That Carneros acidity I was expecting really could have made the difference for this value-priced bottle.
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2007 Newton Chardonnay Red Label
USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma
An unremarkable, disjointed and imbalanced wine. Yes, it's young, but it shows no structure or quality of fruit from which it may otherwise be able to turn around.
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2006 Newton Chardonnay Unfiltered
USA, California, North Coast, Napa County
Medium gold in the glass with a nose of creme brulee, honey, some apricot and baking spices. On the palate, good acidity helps to move the viscous palate of ripe apple, pineapple and buttered toast along. The native yeasts really make a nice difference in this wine, I just wish they would cut back on the 12 mos of French oak to let the fruit really have a fighting chance. recommended
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2006 Green Point Chardonnay Reserve
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Attractive light straw colour with a finely balanced medium body. On the nose, this presents white peach, melon, some baking spice and interesting minerality. The palate is well-balanced, and shows the generosity and depth of the fruit quite well; the acids are lively. Enjoyably complex and well structured for food pairing. I see this getting noticeably better with some bottle age.
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2007 Lapostolle Chardonnay Cuvée Alexandre Atalayas Vineyard
Chile, Casablanca Valley
36% of the must was barrel fermented and aged for 8 months in 11% new and 25% used French oak, with lees stirring 2x/month - the balance was in S/S tanks. Medium gold with a complex nose including lightly buttered toast, fig paste, pineapple juice and a hint of vanilla. The acids are lively and the overall structure is solid given the price point.
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2005 Château de Sancerre Sancerre Rouge
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge
Whole cluster fermented and 100% Pinot Noir, 35% saw malo in vats, whist the remainder saw a year in oak. Some cigar pipe, dark cherry and minerals on the nose with medium body of red berries, a hint of cola and light tannins.
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2006 Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Generally thin and lacking and depth or personality. I was hoping for a bit more acidity and structure, given the AVA. A simple table wine that many will find acceptable.
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2007 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Anise, spices, fresh plum and dark cherries on the nose with smoky licorice and a few layers of red berries on the palate. Really quite unremarkable. Give this another 6 months in the bottle to see if the edges have smoothed out a bit.
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2006 Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir La Riviere
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
This Russian River bottling shows some nice black cherry, a hint of cola, sassafras and fresh sage. The palate seems a bit muddled at this time so I'd suggest leaving it in the bottle for another 6 months or more. The acids are kind of low and the finish is average.
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2006 Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
An interesting wine with a bit of panache. The fruit aromas & the bouquet are fairly vivid: raspberry preserves, brown spices, some dried herbs and ripe black cherries. On the palate, the wine continues to hold the attention of the taster and blends a nice mid-palate experience with dark berries, anise and some allspice. Certainly worth trying a bottle.
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2006 Lapostolle Merlot Cuvée Alexandre Apalta Vineyard
Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley
I sure wish they would tone down the oak profiles on this Alexandre lineup. 85% Merlot with the balance Carmenere, this saw 11 mos in 40% new French oak. A dark ruby core with espresso roast, black and blue fruits and some cream. Fairly tannic right now, it's worth revisiting in a year to see if it's integrated some.
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2006 Clos Apalta
Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley, Apalta
43% Carmenere, 30% Merlot, 21% Cabernet and the rest Petit Verdot. This is dark purple in the glass with nice smoky tones skirting the ripe black and blue fruits. Nice minerality and some dried herbs are hidden in the glass. Give this some time and the structure promises an enjoyable experience.
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2005 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
This shows in a more modern style, but is nonetheless well balanced and enjoyable. Fermented in S/S followed by 18 mos in 1-yr old French oak barrique. An engaging nose and a smooth, med+ body with a quality finish. Good potential. recommended+
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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2001 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
This was nothing short of elegant. A classic Chianti nose with very soft tannins and a smooth, lingering finish. A superb example of the region and Sangiovese. The 2/3 new French oak and additional time in the bottle (12 mos) before release really round this out nicely. Be sure to decant for 1 hour. This has at least a decade of superb drinking ahead of it, probably more. highly recommended
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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2004 Castello di Monsanto Nemo Vigneto Il Mulino Toscana IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
This needs at least 2 more years in the bottle. The use of 100% Cab and 15 months in 100% new French oak really give this grip and stuffing for another 15 years - maybe more. A nice example of the varietal with some regional characteristics thrown in. Even after a few more years in the bottle, this will really need some food to show its stuff. Good effort.
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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1999 Château Cheval Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
A superb showing for the vintage. An exotic nose of cocoa powder, damp earth, dark spices, ripe black fruits, some coconut and vanilla. I would recommend at least 3 hours in a decanter for full effect. Firm fine-grained tannins and a long finish round this out nicely. 61% Merlot, 38% Cab Franc and 1% Cabernet. This will probably hit its sweet spot in 4-5 years and drink well for another decade after that.
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1995 Château d'Yquem
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Not as compact a frame as I was expecting, but nonetheless very enjoyable. A rich, honeyed nose with toffee bits, white flowers and spices. 80% Semillon, 20% Sau Blanc. I really enjoyed the spiciness that seemed to shift every 5 minutes or so and allowed the wine to kind of re-invent itself; just lovely.
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