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Double Blind 1990 Bordeaux with a Big Infusion of Show Stealing Old Napa
Jason and Tracy's, Mpls, MN
Tasted November 13, 2016 by rocknroller with 605 views
Introduction
What an incredible and much needed evening this turned out to be. Jason and Tracy hosted this themed event and cooked up some fantastic steaks and hors d'oeuvres for pairing. The theme was 1990 Bordeaux, but that expanded to include a Red Burg flight and some show stopping old Napa Cabs that were just great. Steve brought the '91 Montelena that got things rolling and Jason kept upping the ante with his cellar gems. The 87 Mondavi was glorious. All the wines were outstanding, including the highlight Bordeaux; but on this night, Napa came to play. Thanks to everyone for your wines, apps, and sides. And lest I forget, Jason sabered a bottle of Champagne perfectly to start the evening. A night to remember!
Flight 1 - Champagne and Whites (4 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Jose Dhondt Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
92 points
Medium gold color. From a sabered bottle (FWIW), disgorged 2006. Very good, nice depth, autolytic, lemon, pear, almond, some citrus, toasted. This showed some nice depth with the additional bottle age. 92+pts.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Claude Genet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut
92 points
Light golden color. Small pour over 15 minutes. Consistent with previous notes, a style I very much enjoy, very pure, elegant, clean with nice pear and freshness with just the right amount of chalk on the mineral profile.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Varnier-Fanniere Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée St-Denis
91 points
Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 15 minutes. Very mineral driven, lemon, lemon spice cake. On the palate chalk based minerality, lemon, spice, almond paste, medium plus weight. Nice finish.
White - Off-dry
1990 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese Nr. 13
93 points
Light medium gold color. PNP, drank a small glass over 20 minutes. Great bottle, in wonderful shape, just a touch of petrol now, white peach, apple, apple blossom, mineral. The palate has a touch of sweetness, plenty of acid to buoy this, petrol, apple, baked dutch apple pie, white peach, hints of pineapple and honeysuckle with such lovely minerality. Excellent.
Flight 2 - Red Burg Flight (2 notes)
Red
1999 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart
90 points
Dark red color. This was tight and a bit reductive at the start, gradually shows cedar, red fruits and spices. The palate is a bit vegetal, cedar, cherry, sour cherry, with nice spicebox, got better over the evening. 90(+?)pts.
Red
2006 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Corton-Rognet Vieilles Vignes
92 points
Medium dark clear ruby red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Very aromatic, wonderful spice and cinnamon notes, dried flowers, red raspberry, smoke. The palate delivers nice purity, red fruits of cherry and red berries, will spiced, cinnamon and clove, good minerality, some nice tannins with a little bite, medium plus length. Very good showing. 92 to 92+pts.
Flight 3 - Napa Ringers - Not blind (4 notes)
Red
1987 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
97 points
Dark red color with no bricking and a 3mm transitional margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Simply stunning, a flat out amazing bottle that defies its age with grace and beauty. Almost 30 years old and drinks like a sophisticated teenager that could knock out an aria, follow it up with a stellar athletic performance and then go win a debate, all the while being the approachable and likeable kid everyone wants to hang with. Very complex nose of perfume, leather, black fruits, stone, dried earth, fine tobacco. The palate is at once powerful but graceful and polished. Black and blue fruits, with such purity , length, and velvety tannins. This seemed like it would go on forever.
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Red
1973 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
93 points
Dark red color with an 8-10mm bricked margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over 30-40 minutes. I love these old Inglenook wines, this one was in particularly good condition. There's a lot of mint up front, red fruits, dried berries, leather, earth and a rose petals. Mature and integrated with fine balance and pretty red fruits, dried leaves, florals, and red plum. This had a scrumptious nose and the palate was absolutely no slouch either. Great bottle at 43 years old.
Red
1991 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate
95 points
Very dark red color, 3mm transitional margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. This just has a stunning fruit profile, gorgeous black and blue fruits, fresh and incredibly lively and brilliantly youthful, the cassis, blueberry and boysenberry fruits are marvelous. The tarriness and creosote notes remind me a Pessac Leognan here. There is great depth with concentration and layering, velvety texture and silky tannins. Will this ever fade? A real pleasure from a great time in Napa.
Flight 4 - 1990 Bordeaux Blind Flight 1 (3 notes)
Red
1990 Château Léoville Poyferré
95 points
Very dark red/purple color. Double decanted for 20 minutes. Drank 1 glass blind (initially) over 90 minutes. Wow, this has a huge nose with big pencil lead and lush perfumed berry fruits; cassis, red raspberry, and black raspberry, horse, saddle leather, deeply earthy. The palate is full bodied and concentrated, with nicely layered red and darker fruits, pencil, leather, earth, tart berries, raspberry, very long, with supple round tannins. I wish I would have decanted this for a good hour. I had a small bit leftover that was even better on day 2. 95pts day one, 96pts day two.
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Red
1990 Château Lynch-Bages
93 points
Very dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass blind (initally) over 90 minutes. This felt more closed initially, needing some significant air to open up, very youthful, vanilla, dark fruits, gradually shows nice crme de cassis. This was more brooding on the palate, big and full bodied, earth and graphite, oak, medium finish. This changed markedly over the hour. Steve felt this bottle might be off, thinking there was a lot of nail polish, but I just never got that myself. I thought this was good and tracking on the upside. 93+pts.
Red
1990 Château Léoville Las Cases
92 points
Very dark red color. Double decanted for 3 hours. Drank 1 glass blind (initially) over 90 minutes. Very nice nose with wood, wood spice, more spice, red fruits, and dried earth. The palate was full bodied, red fruits with some darker fruit in the background, wood, spice, medium plus length. This seemed rather open for a Las Cases out of '90, and the air made a big difference. There was some thought that there might be some subtle cork taint on the palate and I suspect that was correct.
Flight 5 - 1990 Bordeaux Blind Flight 2 (3 notes)
Red
1990 Château L'Evangile
94 points
Very dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass blind (initially) over an hour. Wow, really nice nose, everything in its place, well integrated, and seamless, plum, cassis, horse barn, earth, pencil, pomegranate, cherry and a long finish. This was lovely, wine of the flight.
Red
1992 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
92 points
Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank 1 glass blind (initially) over an hour. Tight nose at first, then wood and scorched earth, blackberry compote, . The palate is full bodied, but restrained and shows finesse. Blackberry, black currant, wood, scorched earth, anise, tart berry, medium plus finish. Very good. 92+pts.
Flight 6 - Dessert Wines (3 notes)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2002 Alois Kracher Noble Wine #12 Zwischen den Seen
90 points
Drank a small pour from 375ml. 80% Scheurebe and 20% Welscherieslings. This is a handful, lovely nose of syrupy, apricots, pineapple, orange, burnt sugar, spiced apple. The palate is very dense, syrupy and candied, there seems to be acid, but this just goes over the top for me. A little will go a long way. 89+ to 90pts.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2002 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Eiswein
94 points
Small pour for 375ml. Gorgeous, orange blossoms, white flowers, peach and apricot, tangerine, crisp and lively, very fresh and long. Would have liked to spend more time with this.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Rieussec
92 points
Very small taste from 375ml. Still in that in between phase for me. Orange, orange peel,vanilla, peach, good body, solid acids, a touch heat gives an edge at the moment. Not quite as complex as it was in its youth. Waiting for this to come out of its shell.
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Closing
WOTN highlights: 87 Mondavi, 91 Montelena, 90 Poyferre, 90 L'Evangile, 73 Inglenook