1st wine of the tasting, bottle provided by WaitinginManassas. 100% sparking Zinfandel, 12% abv, disgorged April 2014 according to the bottle. I found this too earthy, bitter, and seemingly double secret extra Brut level dryness. There are sone hints of strawberry on the nose and IMO could use a bit of dosage to help with balance. Overall: B- (82).

2nd wine of the tasting, leading off the flight of Pinots for the evening, courtesy of da'Knurd's cellar. I splash decanted through a filter then back into the bottle and let slow aerate for about 2 hours before tasting. Beautiful bright red cherries and hints of funk on the nose; classic Burgundy. The bright red cherries carry over on the palate with some sour cherry, tobacco, and toasty oak notes. Nice development in the glass and surprising tanninc structure; we agreed this still had some time left for development. Great length and surprising brightness on the finish as well. Unfortunately my only bottle. Overall: A- (92).

Second Pinot of the night (IMO) and 3rd overall wine of the night, but I am a sucker for old world Pinot.

2nd wine of the Pinot flight provided by Phredd. 13.5% avb. Decanted before I arrived, not sure how long, but it was absolutely singing by the time we tasted. Vibrant black cherries with currants, persimmon, barnyard funk, leather, toast, baking spices and floral-herbal elements all sprinkled in for good measure. Much darker profile than the AF Gros tasted previously. Plenty of acidity and the right amount of tannins to keep the finish strong. Incredible development as well; more and more notes started coming out as it sat in the decanter. I really enjoyed it on its own but a perfect compliment to the smoked salmon filets from Chez Phredd. Overall: A (95).

We all agreed this was Pinot of the night but was also my wine of the night.

3rd wine of the Pinot flight, a cellar selection from ikkaariainen. Decanted for at least the 2.5 hour trip, probably closer to 4 hours by the time we tasted. 13.9% abv. Earthy red nose, cherries predominant and I could sense the heat on my nasal passages; definitely not as bright as the previous two Burgundies we tasted. Palate was much bigger and tanninc than I expected- more of the dark cherries and earth up front but I found it hot oaky, and extracted, especially on the finish. I can't fathom the "Burgundian" label but I will admit clear bias- extracted, high abv "bold" new world Pinot is just not my thing. IMO pinot works better built as a swimmer or marathon runner, not a powerlifter or linebacker. Ok enough ranting. Check ikkaariainen's 6/25/26 note if you like this style, for me this is a B- (83).

4th Pinot of the flight provided by RHudak. Not pleasant- grape jelly, funk, some sour cherries, blue fruit pie filling, some pepper and smoke, rounded out with a bitter finish. RHudak gave this one every chance but I doubt the bottle was finished. Lacks any varietal typicity IMO.

Final Pinot entry before we moved on to the "big reds", courtesy of WaitinginManassas. Jammy red fruit with some synthetic rubber hints which combined with the abv (14.5%) was harsh on my nasal passages. Cherry and raspberry pie filling with detectable glycerol giving sweetness and body but overall was sour and astringent on the finish. Its about as "Burgundian" as I am. Overall evaluation: B-.

First of the "big reds" flight, first in flight, and my overall 2nd wine of the night, graciously proffered by our newest guest ikkaariainen. Was decanted upon arrival, I am guessing around 1.5 - 2 hours before we tasted. Great tertiary bouquet- tobacco and black tea, with black currants, plum, fig, and hints of spice and perfume. Very savory. The tertiary notes carry over to the palate, especially the earthy black tea, but with more black fruit and hints of mushroomy-umami, pepper, spice and cacao on the very smooth finish. Elegant and well balanced but plenty of depth and complexity. Personally I do not think they make CdP like this anymore. Has definitely handled the aging process like a champ. Style & Quality: A+ (97).

2nd wine of the "big red" flight provided by yours truly, but unfortunately did not show well at the tasting. I splash decanted back into the bottle before heading to the tasting but by the time we were ready, the wine was closed for business. Not until the next day did I start to get any of the familiar cherry-floral notes one expects from Nebbiolo. C'est la vie!

Next up for the "big reds", a $65+ 14.9% bordeaux blend from the Red Mountain and RHudak's cellar. Tarry and earthy; I found it very dark and bitter with the excessive tannins and alcohol. I fully admit not being a fan of the high alcohol high extract wines but this doesn't have much more going for it. Agree with RHudak on the price tag. Overall Evaluation: B- (80).

Provided by RHudak for the "big reds" flight. Jammy black and red fruits with hints of smoke and tons of oak vanilla and ashy tannin. Bitter and astringent, tannins and alcohol dominate and every bit as hot as the 15.2% indicates. More winemaker than grape IMO. Overall evaluation: B- (80).

Last bottle in the "big reds" flight. It was big and it was red; it was also a hot mess. To quote Ismo, "all of the alcohol is on display". I couldn't agree more.

First desert wine, provided by Phredd. Solid molleux- apricot, orange blossom, pineapple, berries, some earthy / waxy hints, and a citrus-pith finish. Nice balance between tropical and citrus notes. Acidity keeps it on the lighter side. Would want to see more depth and concentration for a higher eval. Overall evaluation: A- (90).

Final wine of the night courtesy of WaitinginManassas. Nice ruddy complexion with noticeable tartrate crystals floating in the bottle. Primarily botrytis and aged notes- waxy honeycomb, bit-o-honey, and toffee layered over hints of citrus, pineapple, figs, orange blossom and marzipan. A slightly bitter finish. Was expecting something more youthful, not sure why as it's a 15 year old 375 mL. Still pretty enjoyable, a fitting end to the evening. Overall evaluation: A- (92).