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25th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective
Lyon Down Inn
Tasted November 4, 2023 by Grinner with 129 views
Introduction
Once again we delve into 10 year old wines with even older friends. These bottles were all double decanted at least 3 hours before the first taste. The Spottswoode and a Mt Eden cork broke (that was OFF). Otherwise they looked good! Wines were double blinded with multiple folks involved in a "shell game" once bagged. Everyone had a list so guessing got easier after unbagging each flight as we went!
Flight 1 - The Openers (3 notes)
The sparklers were served with Tete de Moine en girolle with strawberry lavender jelly in croissant.
The Envy served as the "First Ice Skater" once we were seated
White - Sparkling
2013 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club Brut
94 points
Ooooh! This is "Special"! White citrus, yellow apple, marzipan and brioche float on "Tiny Bubbles" (in Hawaii / Don Ho). Kills the Cali bubbles in this comparo.
White - Sparkling
2013 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée Brut - Late Disgorged
91 points
Very pleasant opener for this tasting of 2013 wines from (mostly) California. Green apple, unripe pear, and chalk rule the day.
Red
2013 Envy Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
91 points
Double decanted 3 hrs in advance. Served non-blind to set the bar for wines to come. Nice mix of black and red fruit, loam and mint. Tiny bitter edge and slightly hot. Improved overnight! Day 1 = 90. Day 2 = 91+
Flight 2 - Red Flight One (6 notes)
Red
2013 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
flawed
4/18 purchase $69. On its side, temp controlled x 5+ years. The cork broke like it was dried! The wine? No nose, no taste, no joy, typical of light TCA. Replaced in this tasting by the Behrens.
Red
2013 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
93 points
Black and blue berries with some plum and stone notes. 90 on day 2.
Red
2013 Orin Swift Papillon
91 points
My notes is this blind tasting read, "hot, heavy, and a hoot! Who put a big Aussie in this tasting?"
My last note:
5/21/2016 rated 91 points: PHMG WAG: 2013 Napa Reds (Lyon Valley): This bottle was a beast! I felt like I needed a whip and a small chair to handle this wine. Those aren't hands on the label, they're claws! Hot, coarse, rustic, and tannic with deep dark fruit reminiscent of a hypothetical Oz/Washington blend containing some Zin. Fun but (palate) tiring. If you only have a couple I'd wait a year. (4553 views)
It HAS settled down a bit and a bit more on day 2 = 90.
My last note:
5/21/2016 rated 91 points: PHMG WAG: 2013 Napa Reds (Lyon Valley): This bottle was a beast! I felt like I needed a whip and a small chair to handle this wine. Those aren't hands on the label, they're claws! Hot, coarse, rustic, and tannic with deep dark fruit reminiscent of a hypothetical Oz/Washington blend containing some Zin. Fun but (palate) tiring. If you only have a couple I'd wait a year. (4553 views)
It HAS settled down a bit and a bit more on day 2 = 90.
Red
2013 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
92 points
Glycerin laden palate giving it a very smooth velvety feel. Dense blackberry and currant fruit with limited complexity and resolved tannins. Denise's WOTN. 90 on day 2 with acid being more obvious. Only a brave soul would save this beyond 2028.
Red
2013 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Millennium MM Vineyard
94 points
Ahhh, back to a wine of structure! Valley fruit with some creme de cassis leading the way, supported by spice, mint, and loam. 94 on day 2. Great wine!
Red
2013 Chalk Hill Estate Red
93 points
Nice mix of red and black fruit supported by iron/mineral and herbal notes. Structure more obvious on day 2 =92pts.
Flight 3 - Red Flight Two (5 notes)
Red
2013 Dominus Napanook Red
93 points
Blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry backed by some espresso, licorice and oak. Still very supple and loamy on day 2, 92pts.
Red
2013 Ridge Monte Bello
96 points
My #3, this screams mountain grown fruit that is deep and mineral laden. The density, balance and length are phenomenal! "Youngest" of these 2013's tonight. Nothing left to try on day 2. Best 2025-2050!
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Red
2013 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
94 points
94+ with "bigger" jammier black fruit than the Monte Bello right before it. Mocha, herbs and graphite wave their pom-poms from the sideline. I could not decide if this was mountain vs. valley fruit during this blind tasting. 93 on day 2.
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Red
2013 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Signature
94 points
Great open nose! this is all about black fruits, mocha, spice, and oak. Notable balance and integration. 93 on day 2.
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Red
2013 DeLille Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Ciel
95 points
SO smooth for a big wine! Blackberry, cassis, plum, licorice, and cocoa sitting on a big oak barrel. I guessed Leonetti. 95 on day 2, wow!
4 years ago:
1/18/2019 rated 96 points: Lyon and Woodward Frenzy (Woodyville): On a previous trip to the Carriage house, this was a bonus pour and I was so impressed I asked for 2 (not knowing the $ details!). The guy comes back with a 3 pack in OWC, "you gotta have this!" Then Joe elbows me in the ribs and says, "check the price!" Whoa! Back to one bottle... Now this wine 'tis the coup de grace for the club tasting this day and it's smokin'! Massive crème de cassis, blackberry, spice, mocha and leather go on and on! I'm saving mine for 2023 or 2033! (1686 views)
4 years ago:
1/18/2019 rated 96 points: Lyon and Woodward Frenzy (Woodyville): On a previous trip to the Carriage house, this was a bonus pour and I was so impressed I asked for 2 (not knowing the $ details!). The guy comes back with a 3 pack in OWC, "you gotta have this!" Then Joe elbows me in the ribs and says, "check the price!" Whoa! Back to one bottle... Now this wine 'tis the coup de grace for the club tasting this day and it's smokin'! Massive crème de cassis, blackberry, spice, mocha and leather go on and on! I'm saving mine for 2023 or 2033! (1686 views)
Flight 4 - Red Flight Three (5 notes)
Red
2013 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley
93 points
93+, this bottle and score suffered a little from a tight nose. The palate made up for it with a blast of blackberry jam, black cherry, Andes chocolate mints, and charcoal/oak. 93 on day 2, both etoh and glycerin more obvious.
Last time:
1/20/2018 rated 95 points: PHMG WAG: Cabs of Hall (The Lyon Hall): My WOTN, this bottle had some spice notes overlying the "blackberry jam on toast", black cherry, cocoa, mint, and loam. Layers and layers to find your way through. New World extremism that I wouldn't want often but when the mood hits, hit back and tilt a glass! Now-2028. (4866 views)
Last time:
1/20/2018 rated 95 points: PHMG WAG: Cabs of Hall (The Lyon Hall): My WOTN, this bottle had some spice notes overlying the "blackberry jam on toast", black cherry, cocoa, mint, and loam. Layers and layers to find your way through. New World extremism that I wouldn't want often but when the mood hits, hit back and tilt a glass! Now-2028. (4866 views)
Red
2013 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
94 points
Back to a beautiful open nose! Creme de cassis and black berries and cherries. Loam, oak and tannins are formidable goalkeepers, might want to wait a year to take this slapshot. 94 on day 2, structure and berries still fighting it out!
Red
2013 Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Jayson Napa Valley
92 points
During this tasting the structure was winning over the black and red fruit. Nice cinnamon and plum jam notes. 93 on day 2, better balance!
Red
2013 Entre Nous Cabernet Sauvignon
flawed
"Entre NO", this bottle was subtly off and nowhere near as good as a bottle this past summer. I gave it 88pts in my tasting notes as the black fruit, olive note and tannins left an impression. But the VA was more obvious on day 2.
Red
2013 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
94 points
Back to a big stone/mineral driven Cab in this tasting! Currants, black plum, fig, and spice riding the tannin wave. 94 on day 2 with glycerin more obvious-- smooth!
Flight 5 - Red Flight Four (5 notes)
Red
2013 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
94 points
My scribbles in this blind tasting read just like a previous bottle unblinded:
2/18/2017 rated 94 points: PHMG WAG Blind Pairs: Quality vs. Price (The Lyon's Downed Tree House): This is a dark brooding wine with black fruit, espresso, stone, and oak notes. The tannins are substantial without being coarse. 94+ on day 2. Drink 2018-2030. (4019 views)
I'm gonna roll with that!
2/18/2017 rated 94 points: PHMG WAG Blind Pairs: Quality vs. Price (The Lyon's Downed Tree House): This is a dark brooding wine with black fruit, espresso, stone, and oak notes. The tannins are substantial without being coarse. 94+ on day 2. Drink 2018-2030. (4019 views)
I'm gonna roll with that!
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Red
2013 Cayuse Flying Pig
93 points
First and only wine where everyone had it pegged before I could even sit down from pouring! Cayuse funk overlying the plummy fruit, smoke, herbs, and violets. 92 on day 2, the funk mellowed substantially.
Red
2013 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Jack's Masterpiece
95 points
95+, this bottle would not surprise anyone who likes Hall Cabs. Big, dense and long with currants, blueberries, spice, earth and oak. 95 on day 2, with even better balance (despite the tiny fruit fade). 2024-2030.
Red
2013 Robert Mondavi Winery BDX
94 points
This punched above its weight in this blind tasting. Did the smidge of To Kalon fruit prop it up at this age? The complexity from the blend was obvious. Velvety texture with dusty valley fruit and florals. 93 on day 2.
Red
2013 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
96 points
96+ and my WOTN by a stave over the Darioush. My notes in this tasting are usually very short by now but not for this bottle! An open nose of black plum, creme de cassis, fig jam, black cherry, minerals/iron, and stone are reflected on the palate. You can just hear Chris Berman, "It. Could. Go. All. The. WAY!" 96 on day 2 with the glycerin being a hair more obvious while you wax poetic on the balance.
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Flight 6 - Red Flight Five (5 notes)
Red
2013 Behrens Family Winery The Collector
93 points
93+, this one earned its score through its impeccable balance and smooth texture. Probably the lightest of the bunch with red = to black fruit supported by earth and spice notes. 91 on day 2.
Red
2013 Merryvale Profile 30th Anniversary
95 points
95+ in this tasting, it just took everything up a notch from the Behrens before it. My notes are getting cryptic: "Lovely" "smooth" "integrated" "blend?" "now and later!" "Merryvale?" 94 on day 2.
Red
2013 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Darius II
96 points
My #2, this was "big" "bold" "balanced" "a notch above". All about blackberry jam and Italian black plum, spice, pencil, and loam. Wow! Second of 2 bottles emptied along with the Monte Bello.
Red
2013 Achával-Ferrer Malbec Finca Bella Vista
93 points
Deeply black fruited with stone and olive hits that made it stand out. Hints of plum and tobacco. Fell off a fair amount on day 2 = 90pts. Now-2025.
Red
2013 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label
96 points
Another big wine tied for the top 5 honors. Deep, dark, structured and long. The black fruit is pushing Earth like Sisyphus. Great balance on day 2 = 96! Wow!
Flight 7 - Dessert (1 note)
Foie gras, thumbprint cookies, or macaron anyone?
White - Sweet/Dessert
2013 Château Climens
95 points
What a great finish! Both to the wine and the tasting! Orange marmalade, dried apricot, honey, tropical fruits, and caramelized nuts are poised like a jockey on the galloping acidity. Now-2040+.
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Closing
With few exceptions, these were great wines that have 5-10 years left. Great day, great people, so see you for the '14 OPN's in 11/24!