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Monthly goup Holiday Tasting 2016

I Nonni

Tasted December 10, 2016 by galewskj with 365 views

Introduction

This tasting was a blast at I Nonni. Way too many wines and I did not write notes for a lot of them.

Flight 1 (6 notes)

White - Sparkling
2002 Philippe Prié Champagne Tradition Brut France, Champagne
90 points
Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. Mostly energetic with acid and citrus. There was a bit of yeast in it to give body.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Varnier-Fanniere Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée St-Denis France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
90 points
Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. The nose is quite bold, while the palate is dry, minerally and bright. This went better with food than by itself.
White - Sparkling
2002 Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage France, Champagne
92 points
Drank a small glass over about an hour. This is big and bold for a champagne. Yeast, oak, toast and nuts are evident. It really smoothed out over time. This was better by itself than with food.
3 people found this helpful Comment
White
2014 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
92 points
Drank a small glass at a tasting. This was ponderous and also had nice golden fruit. The semillon shined through here. This is the kind of wine I should be buying.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2008 Jean et Sébastien Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Vieilles Vignes France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
92 points
Drank a small glass at a tasting. This chablis is more full-bodied than most, while still having the saline and minerality that is the hallmark of the region. Golden yellow fruit, light oak and a slightly rich mouthfeel that offsets the minerals and acid. This wine stood up to a 2013 Kistler Kistler vineyard, which is saying something.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2013 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
92 points
Drank a small pour at a tasting. This is classic Kistler, perhaps a bit too young today, but still a joy to drink. Full-bodied while managing to not push the boundary.

Flight 2 (8 notes)

Red
2003 Château Branaire-Ducru France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
90 points
From a magnum that was only slow o'd for a short time, the nose on this wine was initially very mature Bordeaux. The palate was smooth without giving much. After a couple hours in glass, the nose managed to dissapear with the palate, and we were left with a smooth rather nondescript red. The quality was still evident, so a 90, but this wine was likely in a dumb phase.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1995 Château Le Bon Pasteur France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
94 points
Slow o'd a couple hours. This bordeaux is fully mature, but to me it is in a perfect spot right now. Secondary and tertiary Bordeaux components. If you want more fruit, you should have drank it sooner, but the complexity here is killer.
Red
2004 Pieve Santa Restituta (Gaja) Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
93 points
Drank a small pour at a tasting. This wine has a rich vibrant nose, mouth-coating flavors of chocolate, plum, cherry, earth and leather. It ends with silky tannins. I suspect this wine is at peak right now.
Red
2010 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
92 points
I believe this was slow o'd for only a couple hours. This wine was definitely young, but it actually seemed accessible and it was fun to drink. For Italy, this is certainly a modern style, with flashy fruit and grippy tannins.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2000 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
93 points
Drank a small pour at a tasting over about 1.5 hours. Initially, this was very Napa, such that it had a similar profile to a Myriad drank alongside it. However, after about an hour in the glass, this became more classic Napa, with some funk, earth and leather. Much better after an hour.
Red
2008 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
92 points
Only slow O'd for about 3 hours. This wine was still relatively open to drink. Textbook Myriad and cocktail Napa cab. Perfume, spice, massive fruit, with enough acidity to make it drinkable.
Red
2004 Arcadian Syrah Hommage à Max USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
93 points
Slow o'd for 3 hours. More fruit than I was expecting, but could structure as well. In a good place right now, no rush.
Red
2010 Saxum James Berry Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Likely decanted but I didn't hear the treatment. This wine is BIG. I believe it needs more acid or time in bottle. It drank more like a port. Massive fruit that needs some structure to go with it.
1 person found this helpful Comment
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