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New Years Eve Celebration

Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)

Tasted December 31, 2022 by rocknroller with 114 views

Introduction

This was our annual NYE celebration. It's always a great time getting together and reflecting on the past year while envisioning better days yet to come in the new year (KB/VB,RF/CF,JP,JG/KG,JP). Thanks to everyone for sharing you friendship, wines and culinary talents.

Flight 1 (10 notes)

Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé France, Champagne
92 points
Light pink color. Drank a glass over an hour plus. Drank this with the 2007 Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon. The NV does win hands down for the value. As always it is one of the top NV Rose Champagne's, though consistently exceed by the Rose king Laurent-Perrier. This was filled with strawberry, yeast, minerals, peach, sea air, and well placed spice notes. The palate adds some tart citrus and bready character to the vibrant, refined character. 92+pts.
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White - Sparkling
2011 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut France, Champagne
94 points
Light golden color. Drank a glass over an hour. First bottle of the 2011 and it showed quite well. Marzipan, sea breeze, lemon, melon, refined and very minerality, nicely toasted, stone. Classic CdC elegance and weightlessness. Bodes well, drink or hold.
White
2016 Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay White Stones Adrianna Vineyard Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Gualtallary
92 points
Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Cedarbox, pear, and ripe melon, pineapple, seaspray, and Meyer lemon on the nose. The palate round and supple, Meyer lemon, pear, quite tangy showing a full body though not overly weighty; the back end shows more lemon zest and some grapefruit. Very nice, 92+pts.
Rosé - Sparkling
2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon France, Champagne
93 points
Pale pink color. Drank a glass over an hour. Drank with the NV version. The wine starts off quite subtle in glass, very elegant and what I would describe as quite delicate. The nose shows strawberry, cinnamon and nutmeg spices are well delineated, more distinct chalk vs the NV. Like most vintage Rose Champagne, this comes at a healthy premium over the NV and many other vintage Rose Champaagnes for that matter. Very gradually as this warms there is more complexity that is revealed and the pedigree shows itself. The step up in quality is not always readily evident, though it eventually does edge ahead. There is a subtlety that you have to look for. I've yet to be really wowed by a B-S CES. It does seem like they require more time, so I keep waiting and hoping. I've found the Taitinger Comte Champagne Rose and Bollinger Grand Annee Rose superior and usually at a better tariff.
Red
2010 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
94 points
Medium red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Just lovely, as expected. Beautuful Oregon pinot nose filled with a perfume of spiced raspberry and Christmas spices, cherry and earth. The palate is elegant, medium plus bodeid, red berries and cherry, Christmas spice, earth, pomagranate, iron and mineral notes. Loved it, in a beautiful place. Should go for some time.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
91 points
Medium red color with a 12mm bricked edge. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. Ripe cherry, black raspberry, loads of spiciness, baking spices, bramble and twigs. The palate shows ripe cherry, black raspberry, coarse tobacco, very spicy and medium bodied. There is a little sense of heat on the palate, though it is the spice that really stands out. My sense would be that this has seen its best days. 91 to 91+pts.
Red
1994 Château Léoville Barton France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
93 points
Very dark red color. Double decanted and poured 5 hours later. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. This was showing well, big tobacco notes with more tobacco leaf, saddle leather abounds, more subtle dark fruits, as it opens there is a nice perfumed quality with violets and crushed blackberries. Very good, no danger here. 93+pts.
Red
2003 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
flawed
Same bottle as galeskj. Winebid bottle, definitely not right, appears heat damaged.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Doisy-Daëne France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
94 points
Medium gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. Interestingly we had this exactly 3 years ago here on NYE. I loved it then, and I have to say it was even better now. I agree with galeskj's comments. Toasted coconut, orange and pinapple, spiced orange, caramelized, lovely spices and balance to the spices, orange panna cotta, a touch savory, honey, great vibrancy and energetic lift here. Reminds me of the trajectory of the '05 Rieussec.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Cuvée Prestige Blanc de Blancs France, Champagne
93 points
Light plus gold color., shimmering. Three years of additional cellar time. Drank a glass at midnight to usher in 2023. I wasn't taking notes at this point, but I remember thinking, damn, these are really good and I need to seek out more. Excellent QPR, these have pretty much everything I'm looking for. Sophisticated, sea air, clean chalk, yeast, good toast, lemon, brioche, very crisp. Drank the rest several days later and it was still really good. 92+ to 93pts.
1 person found this helpful Comment
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