Escape from the Cold
Sunny & Warm Florida (Del Ray Beach, Jupiter)
Tasted February 12, 2016 - February 15, 2016 by MC2 Wines with 651 views
Introduction
We opted to skip the massive cold front that ran through NYC and instead head for warmer environs to share some good wine and food with good company. Many many many thanks to the generosity of our fellow CTers for opening up their homes and their cellars to us. It is a weekend to remember.
Flight 1 - Friday night (2 notes)
We took it easy on Friday night given every one had had a long week and we needed to rest up for the rest of the weekend. In addition to the wines mentioned there was a Montrachet, but I don't really do those justice and just had a quick sip. The Eric Bordelet is one of my favorite easy sippers and just a great wine. The Colgin always holds a special place for me. While we didn't have quantity, the quality was excellent.
Fruit/Vegetable Wine
2014 Eric Bordelet Poiré Granit
France, Normandy
These are always just awesome. Our first experience was a few years ago on a particularly sweltering French summer afternoon with some crepes. Since then we've been quick to pick them up when we've found them. It's lightly sparkling, slightly complex from the different varieties, and very satisfying. Great way to start a wine weekend.
Red
1995 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb
USA, California, Napa Valley
Not quite as brilliant as the one we had the week before this was nevertheless a lovely wine (and perhaps the gap was more due to the lack of an extended decant). Opened and the cork crumbled, but was able to strain it out into the decanter. At first it was quiet, but as it opened up there was that lovely herbal character and some cinnamon and a touch of red fruit and then some darker ones. Very nice.
Flight 2 - Bonus bottle with caviar (1 note)
As the caviar didn't make it out on Friday evening we decided to have a 'light lunch' of it on Saturday before heading down to Brad's. Paired with a MV Krug which is still one of my favorite all purpose bubbles. The toast and the salt and bubbly were an excellent combination.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
Bonus bubbles. This was just a split and we spilt it 4 ways so was a very respectable pairing with our caviar lunch. One of my favorite bubbles still, it's got that great toast that I associate with Krug and a nice complexity to it. Always a favorite.
Flight 3 - Saturday dinner @ Brad's place (10 notes)
Ok - so this was maybe one of the most amazing wine dinners I've ever attended. Actually, scratch that, this was the most amazing wine dinner. Brad and Leslie were phenomenal hosts putting together a homemade ceviche, stone crabs with mustard sauce, pork loin stuffed with chorizo (phenomenal - so juicy!), a bonus steak for the person in our group who doesn't eat pork (also tasty), some salad, and a chocolate torte that went quite wonderfully with the port. And I haven't even spoken about the wine yet! For a California big wine loving person, this was the pinnacle. Candidates for WOTN are '99 Screaming Eagle and '97 SQN Syrah. I might give the Screagle the edge based on that last sip towards the end of the night when it had really had time to open up. Other favorites include a '84 Grange, '07 Sloan, and '07 Levy & McClellan all of which could easily have won a WOTN on their own. Spectacular.
White - Sparkling
1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque
France, Champagne
Our warm-up to the evening. Drank with some delicious stone crab/mustard sauce and ceviche. Particularly great pairing with the mustard sauce and stone crab. There was a nice light toastiness to it and very refined feel.
Red
1999 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
My very first Screagle and it did not disappoint. Opened and poured directly into glasses. It was pretty closed and one dimensional on first pouring. Ended up hiding my glass and coming back to it many hours later and man am I happy I did that. The extra time gave the wine a chance to unleash all of those amazing flavors. Black cherry and spice and leather and pure deliciousness. It was evident from the first sniff afterwards that this is a special wine. If drinking, recommend a nice long decant to let it show it's stuff.
Red
2007 Sloan
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Our first Sloan and trying this has me excited that we just picked up a case of the '08s. Pnp'ed and it certainly needed some time. A bit of hotness at the beginning, but that blew off fairly quickly. More of the pepper and spices with fruit there, but not overly dominant. Came back to it later in the night and it was singing, but still seemed to suggest there was more potential. This was built to last so needs a good decant or some more years.
Red
2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
For some people this was the best of the wines not named Screagle or SQN. I liked it, but prob preferred the Sloan and the Levy & McClellan a bit more. Was a lot more fruit dominant - blackberry heavy. Some brambles in there. A little more heavy than the others - just a touch less acidity. Very decadent.
Red
2007 Levy & McClellan Red
USA, California, Napa Valley
Opened this one and gave it a bit of time before we poured. After the first pours it went into the decanter and that helped it along quite a bit. This was our first time with this wine and I was quite impressed. Total baby and needs quite a bit more time, but liked the balance of pepper and oak and leather with the fruit. Unfortunately didn't take very detailed notes, but one of my favorites of the evening.
Red
2007 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
This wine was drunk in a line-up of giants and it just wasn't there. Opened and decanted and then poured. It was just a bit more one dimensional than I would have liked to see. Didn't really give it time to open up and so perhaps could have developed a bit more, but it didn't have the backbone of the other wines.
Red
1997 Sine Qua Non Impostor McCoy
USA, California, Central Coast
Clear candidate for WOTN and maybe one of the best wines I've ever had ever. This was meat and berries and blood and wood and so many many more things. I could have spent the whole night just smelling it, but tasting it was pretty good too. Wow. Just wow. As mentioned in a previous note, this is still young with years left to go, but it was drinking pretty perfectly. Had side by side with a Grange and the similarities surprised me (although they are absolutely different wines as you might expect). Just fabulous. A wine to remember.
Red
1984 Penfolds Grange
Australia, South Australia
Well aged Grange deserves a special place in heaven. This was drunk side by side with a '97 SQN Syrah and it was interesting to see some of the similarities (I didn't expect). Both fantastic wines. For some reason having it next to the SQN pulled out more of the meat characteristics for me. Fruit has mellowed. Still nice spices. And that Grange nose that I'd be quite happy if they made a perfume out of. Excellent.
Red - Fortified
1945 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Drank side by side with a 1955 which was kindof an embarrassment of riches. This had been opened and decanted for probably close to 6 hours when we finally got to it. Deep red color (interesting because the '55 was a tawny beauty). Still very young. Wonderful wine.
Red - Fortified
1955 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Truly stunning port. Drank next to a 1945. This wine poured a lovely golden color. Decanted through a coffee filter and then let it sit for probably three to four hours before pouring. It was just beautiful. Seemed to be in an awesome spot right now although there are many more years ahead for it. Another wow wine.
Flight 4 - Sunday dinner @ Scott's place (11 notes)
We went a bit more old world for the second night of a our wine weekend. Scott and Pam put together a menu that could rival most top chefs and the pairings were just about perfect. Great company and excellent wine. I think the D'Yquem was my winner for the night (I just love those) but lots of great wines were shared.
Warmup/Bonus Bottles
1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
1997 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia Sassicaia
1985 Château Léoville Las Cases
Fins and Feathers
Gougères
1992 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
Swordfish
Poached in Olive Oil
Fennel/Saffron/Blood Orange Oil
2005 Domaine Gauby Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Coume Gineste
2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
Yellowtail Snapper
Pan Fried
Lobster and Scallop Quenelles/Sauce Nantua/ Preserved Lemon/Chervil
2004 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets
Duck Breast
Brined in Sweet Tea and Spices, then Seared
Farro/Swiss Chard/Roasted Garlic/Game Bird Demi Glace
1985 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets
Chicken Thighs
Braised in Nebbiolo
Charleston Gold Risotto Cakes/Sage
1985 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva
Assorted Cheeses, Fresh and Refined
Microwave Cake
Black Pepper/Grapefruit Sabayon/Dried Fruit Compote/Mint
1998 Cellier des Templiers Banyuls Grand Cru Cuvée Président Henry Vidal
1986 Château d'Yquem
Red
1997 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia
Nicely aged wine that has reached its potential and might even be heading a bit more downhill. Opened and poured. Needed a bit of time to open up - the second pour was better than the first. Red currant and saddle leather. Enjoyable wine.
White
2004 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
I am not the best appreciator of white burgundy, but this was very popular with the table. Unfortunately got a bit overshadowed I think by the reds.
Red
1985 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
This is your classic aged Burgundy. Very earthy and tobacco. Fruit was mostly gone at this point. Could taste the age in it, but not in a bad way. Went well with the duck breast.
Red
1985 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Opened two bottles of this and I was amazed at the variation. One was still a deep dark red where the other was a lot more brickish in nature. This was right in the drinking window. Again, more of a leather flavor profile. Low fruit. Had this side by side with the Leoville Las Cases and the La Mouline and I didn't think it was quite at the same level as those.
Red
1985 Château Léoville Las Cases
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Nice aged Bordeaux, still drinking relatively young, was surprised at how much power there was to this wine, but might have been because we were coming off an old aged Burgundy. Very earthy.
Red
1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
My favorite red of the night. These are just great wines. This needed some time to open up and show itself. First pour was a bit tighter. Smokiness on the initial sip. Over the course of the night it developed a bit more cigar and then with some time a bit of red fruit poked through. Really like this.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1986 Château d'Yquem
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
This wine is just spectacular. My WOTN. It's orange blossom and honey and caramel and that wonderful balance that D'Yquem always gets where the flavor lasts forever and yet it feels light on its feet. Delicious.
Closing
What a really wonderful weekend with good company, good wine, and good food. My WOTW was probably the Screagle which I thought really did live up to the hype. The '97 SQN was pretty memorable as well. And the group of '07 Napa was a real treat. Food was delicious across the board. And enjoyed getting to spend some more time with good winos and good people.
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