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A Thank-You Cellar Raid to Help Nudge 2020 Out of Here
Los Olivos, CA
Tasted November 23, 2020 by JonnyG with 143 views
Introduction
2020's version of our annual thank-you to our local winemakers, who never turn down a steady stream of charitable requests in our community, took the form of a loosely structured cellar raid, held on our outdoor patio (thank goodness for heaters). Apart from the bubbly, I set up the next three flights, then opened it up to the guests to pull a bottle of their choosing.
Flight 1 (1 note)
White - Sparkling
2015 Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast
90 points
A touch musty, full-bodied, with brioche and citrus notes. A bit too heavy for my palate. Others found it clunky and wondered how to explain the tariff (2x+ Pierre Peters, for example), but in fairness I think a decant would have helped.
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Flight 2 (2 notes)
White
1990 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Chevalières
flawed
The saturated, spongy cork had me worried, though it turns out I was heading down the wrong rabbit hole as a slight but definitive trace of TCA soon emerged. Oddly, two of us detected it on the finish, one on the mid-palate only and one only on the nose. The taint was faint enough to let us get some pleasure from the wine, which otherwise was in fine form ("how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"), with notes of flint, saline, grilled bread, hazelnut and baked apple. Incredible tension too.
White
2005 Coche-Dury Meursault
94 points
In stellar shape, and favorably evolving throughout the evening as the wine warmed and took on air. Very youthful, with upside I think. Fruit and acid in harmony. Orange, lemon and lime notes, some chalkiness and tremendous acidity.
Flight 3 (2 notes)
Red
2017 Azienda Agricola Bricco Ernesto di Vezza Renato Roero Vino Rosso
93 points
Easily my best wine discovery of 2020, though I'm really just the beneficiary of a welcome steer from a friend to grab a case of this. I let it sit for a week after receiving it, then was thrilled to slot it into a lineup where I hope it would show well. Expectations were exceeded. A fresh and energetic style of Nebbiolo, with tangy raspberry notes that were complemented in time by some cherry flavors too. The tannins are juicy and polished. Clean, pure and super fun to drink.
Red
2003 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia
91 points
A meaty Nebbiolo, with leather and blood notes rather than a floral or fruit-driven profile. A bit raisiny too, presumably reflecting the vintage. Firm tannins. I found this wine to be a bit clumsy, lacking in refinement or elegance. Despite a 6-hour decant, it showed best after a few additional hours in the glass. Served blind to my colleagues, a few mistook it for Burgundy (I know my notes don't make it sound that way, I just think it was hard to peg as Barolo).
Flight 4 (2 notes)
Red
1996 Georges Lignier et Fils Clos de la Roche
flawed
Slow ox'ed for about four hours. Despite a firmly stuck and dried our cork which virtually exploded, I was thrilled by this wine's aromatics. Gorgeous berry and floral scents, some tea and spice, unmistakably a Burg. Unfortunately, the wine was marred by an astringency that masked any fruit. Not sure what to make of that.
Red
2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant
97 points
Slow ox'ed for about four hours. An extraordinary showing. The aromatics alone were irresistible, very spice-driven but also revealing a depth of fruit which was echoed on the palate. A youthful wine, with impressive concentration. The oak treatment was very evident, though never distracting, with vanilla and spice elements that also derived from stem inclusion, we figured. Confected red fruit, some espresso, clove and a fine minerality. This has a great future ahead of it too.
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Flight 5 (5 notes)
White
2008 Domaine Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d'Âne
flawed
Another oxidized bottle from a well-stored case that has been split roughly 50-50 between sublime and spoiled bottles...
Red
1990 Château Certan de May
flawed
Excessive barnyard and VA notes made this wine hard to enjoy, burying the fruit altogether.
Red
2012 Château de Reignac Balthus
92 points
Polished and hedonistic, fruit-driven, concentrated, powerful and juicy. A bit hard to appreciate alongside a stellar lineup of refined, more subtle bottles, but a strong showing for this Merlot.
Red
1988 Château Lafleur
97 points
My WOTN despite the pop and pour treatment, with everything I look for from a Lafleur on display. Concentrated fruit, mostly black, with earthy and mineral notes interwoven seamlessly. Some tobacco and tea notes as well. Tremendous density despite being medium-bodied. No signs of aging at all. Oh do I ever love Lafleur!
Red
2000 Clos Erasmus Priorat
91 points
Just a so-so showing tonight. Whereas I recently raved about another bottle of this (purchased at the same time), this one lacked concentration and had a bit of a metallic taste. not flawed, I think, just didn't show all that well.
Closing
Looking back on this, I shouldn't be surprised to see so many flawed bottles, as the evening was full or gratitude, not regret. Now can we get onto 2021 already, please?