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A Holiday Weekend BBQ (or "How I milked my birthday an extra few days")
Rancho de Los Olivos
Tasted May 27, 2013 by JonnyG with 700 views
Introduction
50 of our closest came by to celebrate and relax a few days after my actual birthday. The sundowner winds lightened up just in time, and we were blessed with a postcard-perfect evening. I always find it a bit challenging to select wine for so many people and still dip into rewarding bottles. I decided to err on the side of over-indulging this time, and the guests responded with perceptive and appreciative enjoyment.
Flight 1 - Whites by the Pool (4 notes)
Rosé
2012 Liquid Farm Mourvèdre Rosé Vogelzang Vineyard
89 points
Two mags of this stellar rose made from mourvedre were a perfect way to assure a festive start to the party, and man did they go fast. Great minerality and acidity, featuring notes of strawberry and a touch of citrus.
White
2008 La Fenêtre Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard
93 points
This bottle rewarded us with a perfectly mature and luscious example of restrained and elegant chardonnay, more Burgundian than Central Coast, with silky notes of apple, stone fruit, herbs and citrus, through to a long and lush finish.
White
2011 Maze Sauvignon Blanc Blau Vineyard
89 points
Summer in a glass, with an enticing floral nose and bright citrus notes on the palate and green apple emerging on the lengthy finish. Very fresh with impressive acidity. Much better than prior bottles for some reason.
White
2008 Qupé Roussanne Hillside Estate Bien Nacido Vineyard
93 points
Even better than my first bottle from a 4-pack. Perfectly in balance. Beautiful aromatics, ever evolving, with an enticing mouthful of honeysuckle and ambergris, plenty of acidity and a satisfying medium finish.
Flight 2 - Appetizer Reds (3 notes)
Crispy Tortilla Strips With Salsa And Guacamole
Caramel Bacon Popcorn
Truffle Parmesan Popcorn
Pita Chips With Hummus And Baba Ganoush
Vegetable Crudités from Our Farm
Red
2005 Sportoletti Umbria Rosso Villa Fidelia
92 points
More balanced than bold, as was the case with bottles consumed about two years ago. Dark fruits on the nose along with notes of leather and espresso. Intense berries and a touch of earth on the palate, with a touch of anise on the medium finish. The tannins are integrating well and rounding out here. No hurry.
Red
2004 Maculan Fratta
95 points
Spot-on with other bottles I've enjoyed, which is a very good thing. Rich and lush, with beautifully integrated oak and sweet tannins accenting the ripeness of the fruit. As I have said in the past, the bouquet alone could comprise a full course of a memorable meal. Notes of blueberry and intoxicating mocha, with a fabulous, lengthy finish. Just love this stuff (in case that wasn't apparent).
Red
2009 Louis Latour Corton Domaine Latour
90 points
A bit shut-down relative to past bottles from the case. The fruit is quite restrained on the nose. I like the meaty notes on the robust palate of red fruits and some bacony smoke. Somewhat ungiving on the finish. To be revisited in 2+ years.
Flight 3 - A Mixed Flight with Dinner (3 notes)
The Buffet:
Grilled Angus Sirloin With Salsa Pebre And Charred Tomato
Grilled Sausages With Garlic Baguette, Peppers And Onions
Salad Of Tuscan Kale With Pecorino, Almonds And Lemon
Olive Oil Poached New Potatoes With French Feta And Mint
Grilled Market Vegetables With Balsamic And Pecorino
Classic Caesar Salad With Grana Padana Parmesan And Farm Egg
Cornbread
Desserts:
Caramel Flan With Cinnamon-Ginger Cookie
Flourless Chocolate Cake With Vanilla Crème Anglaise
Blueberry Crumble Pie With Whipped Cream
Red
2009 Tenuta San Guido Le Difese Toscana IGT
91 points
This drank really well, though 2 of the 8 bottles served were clearly corked. The nose is a mix of dark cherry, tobacco and leather. Whereas past bottles took a long time to open and blossom, tonight our first sips were greeted with dark berry tannins, some herbal accents and a touch of mocha. As noted in the past, there is a suprising amount of structure, and the cabernet emerges on the mid-palate to steal the show. A really generous wine, and incredible value even after writing off the corked bottles.
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Red
2009 Château Lilian Ladouys
90 points
Somewhat New World in style, and definitely among the more approachable '09's I have had. Deep and dark in the glass. Dusty dark fruit and soil notes on the nose along with some muted spice and tar. Rich fruit on the palate, with the merlot leading the charge, but a distracting tartness is present and may dissipate as the tannins integrate over time.
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White
2009 Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet
91 points
A big upgrade from the other bottle I tried from the case sometime ago. Served as we sat for dinner, and it was hard to turn to the reds even with my grilled steak. Lovely to gaze at: straw, sun and shimmer. Honeysuckle and citrus on the nose. Lighter in style but still quite lush, with lovely minerality and all of the classic Puligny elements of green apple, citrus and stone.
Flight 4 - The Night Continues (2 notes)
Red
2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
93 points
Truth be told, I was focused on another bottle when I asked my friend to open the magnum of '95 Caymus SS I had just taken out of the cellar, not knowing that a generous guest had brought me a mag of the '08 as a gift and left it on the tasting table. Naturally the latter was popped, oh well. Too much oak on the palate for my taste at this stage, but should bloom into a stellar wine. Black currants, espresso and sweet tannins. Very full bodied and robust.
Red
1994 Château Léoville Poyferré
93 points
Some stalwarts joined me for post-BBQ indulgences in the wine room. Rather than move to some sweet wines I had set aside, I gave in to a groundswell of interest in more reds, and was happy to honor a request for a magnum of '94 to get us going. Expecting a tannic and perhaps thin wine, I was instead dazzled by this baby: intense and elegant, richly textured with dark fruits, cedar and a bit of leather. A velvety finish. Well balanced and very impressive -- where did this come from?!
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Closing
I plan to revisit some of the leftover bottles this afternoon and will edit notes with any merited updates.