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New Year's Week 2008/9
Northwoods
Tasted December 28, 2008 - January 4, 2009 by vanpe003 with 1,212 views
Introduction
A New Year's tradition in the great Northwoods of Wisconsin. Some skiing, relaxing, a lot of good food and wine with FBM's clan. I know there are more than a few wines that I've forgotten in these notes. There were too many poured to keep up with. Thanks to FBM for offering up so many fantastic wines....!!!
Flight 1 - Champagnes (9 notes)
Of this bunch, the 1996 Henri Giraud was the standout. Quite an accomplishment given the presence of both vintage and non-vintage Krugs in the mix. The 1995 Nicolas Feuillatte wasn't far behind. In general, the champagnes were the strongest wines served over the course of the week. The most memorable are from the Dethune on down the list.
White - Sparkling
1998 Deutz Champagne Blanc de Blancs
91 points
A good champagne, but suffered next to some of the others opened this week.
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Cuvée Rosé Brut
A nice bottle, but didn't have the richness of many roses (e.g. the 2000 VC from a couple days later). Perhaps needed more time to smooth out?
White - Sparkling
1998 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé
91 points
Always interesting to taste champagnes from smaller producers. This one "hung in there", but didn't have the complexity of some of the "heavy hitters" opened. A very nice wine that on any other occasion would have been a perfect treat. More depth and complexity this time around than a couple of years ago. Drinking well now, and should continue to hold for a couple of years.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
I normally enjoy this wine more, but thought that the Dethune was the better bottle this evening. I'm not sure about disgorgement date, but my impression of this bottle was that it "drank young". Very focused and tight, and perfect for fans of that style. For me, another couple of years of bottle age would have been nice, but hard to tell what to do with NV stuff in terms of aging.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Paul Dethune Champagne Grand Cru Brut Cuvée à l'Ancienne
An excellent bottle. Probably not up to the 1996 Henri Giraud, but a very strong showing nevertheless. For my tastes, another couple years of bottle age would serve this well.
White - Sparkling
1990 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame
94 points
Similar to prior note. This was the most "aged" on the palate of the champagnes opened this week, and for my palate one of the more enjoyable.
White - Sparkling
1995 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Palmes d'Or
94 points
One of my favorites opened over New Year's. Very well balanced, long finish.
White - Sparkling
1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
94 points
An outstanding wine, and certainly one of the best Champagnes served. Much younger in its demeanor than the '90 Grande Dame served the night before. Probably a toss-up for me between this and the '95 Nicolas F. for #2 Champagne of the week. The '96 Henri Giraud was the top wine for me.
White - Sparkling
1996 Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Aÿ Fût De Chêne Brut
97 points
Best champagne of the week. I'm absolutely haunted by this wine, particularly since I can't find any easily available in the States. This is probably the best champagne I've ever had. I really enjoy the honey tones on the palate which give just a tinge of sweetness that makes this all the more alluring.
Flight 2 - Whites (3 notes)
Surprisingly, there weren't a lot of whites opened over the course of the week. Probably because of the wealth of champagnes that took front and center. Of the whites, the "aged" Jakoby-Mathy, left over from Thanksgiving, took 1st place as "biggest surprise". The '02 Tablas Creek was the WOTF.
White - Off-dry
2004 Jakoby-Mathy Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese
A great experiment. FBM opened one of these tonight, and had a bottle from Thanksgiving that had been sitting in the fridge for a month or so. The latter bottle was surprisingly the better of the two. More resolved, less overt acidity, a pleasure to drink.
White
2005 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
91 points
Probably sacrilege, but I thought the 2002 Tablas Esprit Blanc from yesterday was better. In comparison, this was tighter and more restrained.
White
2002 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc
93 points
Last bottle. Drinking perfectly, rich and balanced.
Flight 3 - Aged Bordeaux Blends (8 notes)
A tough group to score. In general, the 1989 Bordeauxs were relatively nondescript as compared to others in the group. Standouts were the 96 Opus, 89 Anderson's Conn Valley, 73 Mayacamas, and 74 Inglenook. A nice batch of wines.
Red
1973 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma
This one seemed to be over the hill, and wasn't particularly pleasant to drink (a bit muddy, ashes, not a lot of fruit, etc.)
Red
1989 Château Lalande-Borie
87 points
Nothing very special, and didn't really shine among the rest of the wines opened.
Red
1989 Château Meyney
88 points
The better of the two '89 Bordeaux opened, but still relatively ordinary.
Red
1974 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Cask
An interesting wine, and a nice example of aged Napa Cab. Probably not up to the caliber of the '73 Mayacamas, but quite a treat nevertheless.
Red
1994 Liparita Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
90 points
Somewhat tight on opening. Medium bodied with more brightness to the fruit than I expected. Not in the category of "rich and elegant", but very pleasant.
Red
1989 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve
92 points
Almost floral on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate. G's favorite red of the night.
Red
1996 Opus One
Excellent bottle from FBM. Drank relatively young in terms of palate. One of the few cabs to be emptied on this evening.
Red
1973 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Mountain
Another great bottle, and the last one. Excellent balance, with fruit and oak in perfect harmony.
Flight 4 - New World Reds (5 notes)
Served over multiple evenings, there wasn't a "dud" in this group. The '02 Firebreak was outstanding. The only "average" bottle was the JK Carriere.
Red
2002 J. K. Carriere Pinot Noir
89 points
Similar notes to prior tasting, though this one opened up almost immediately in the glass. The stems turn into a bit of dish soap on the nose, keeping the score down a notch. The palate finishes with some pretty overt tannins.
Red
2006 Javelina Leap Zinfandel
91 points
A bit hotter than prior btls, perhaps a tad less fruit. Update: after a day or two open, this rounded out and was every bit the wine that earlier bottles were.
Red
2002 Shafer Firebreak
93 points
Full-bodied Sangiovese, with a rich chocolatey mouthfeel. Long and smooth finish. This was one of my favorite reds of the week.
Red
2000 de Trafford Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
This bottle was a bit new world in styling. Rich, full bodied. Drinking well now.
Red
2002 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel
92 points
A very good bottle that is starting to come into its own. Drinking very well, and one of the better reds opened.
Flight 5 - Italian / Spanish (7 notes)
The biggest surprise for me of this bunch was the '04 Genium, which was surprisingly smooth and balanced given its relative youth. The underperformer in this group was the '98 Fontodi Flaccianello which was not as good as either of the Poggio Anticos. Both the '97 nebbiolos were excellent after a few hours open.
Red
1998 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
89 points
Nothing at all wrong with this wine, but nothing that really reaches out and grabs me. Opened for about 6 hours, no decant. The nose is the highlight of this, a mature fruit and sweaty oak. The palate for me is a bit thinner than I care for. On the plus side, none of the overt tarriness exhibited in a brunello from the night before. A minerality on the finish is slightly distracting. Some fine tannins remain. This seems on the whole to be a rather feminine rendition.
Red
1990 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
92 points
An interesting experiment. Initially, on the pop/pour, this was several points lower than the 1988. After an hour, they were going in different directions. The '88 losing a bit, while the '90 gains a bit while it loses some acidity. This still carries a fair amount of tannin, which would suggest better with food than as a sipper.
Red
1988 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
93 points
A much better bottle than the last outing, and a shade better than the 1990 also opened this evening. Light spices and cedar on the nose. Unlike the last bottle, there is nothing heavy or muddy about this. Very nicely resolved on the palate, but still with a bit of acidity and fine tannins. However, this does not gain any further depth or balance with time in the glass. In fsct for ms, this loses fruit adtsr an houd or two. May be time to drink up.
Red
1997 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Spuntali
93 points
A very well made wine. Strong hints of tar that I didn't pick out the last time I had this a couple of years ago. These diminished after some time open. I would recommend decanting this one for an hour or two prior to serving based on this bottle. A full bodied, masculine style.
Red
1997 Marcarini Barolo Brunate
91 points
A bit more masculine than the Vietti also opened tonight, with some tar on the palate. Finishes with fine tannins. Seems too early. Will try to wait a few years until the next one.
Red
1997 Vietti Barbaresco Masseria
92 points
Struck me as fairly feminine in style. Aromatic. On the palate starting to integrate nicely, though I think a few more years will serve this well.
Red
2004 Genium Celler Priorat Costers Vi de Guarda
93 points
From FBM. Didn't show much early on. After an hour or so, this really came into its own. Nicely balanced on both nose and palate. I was surprised at how well this was drinking in its relative youth. Struck me as more modern than some other Priorats I've had (less meaty / game, slightly sweeter).
Flight 6 - Dessert Wines (2 notes)
The '78 Mayacamas doesn't quite fit the bill for a "dessert wine", as it's a bit lighter and more zin-like than it is a pure-form dessert wine.
Red - Sweet/Dessert
1978 Mayacamas Vineyards Zinfandel Late Harvest
90 points
Lighter than I expected, and not as sweet. Quite peppery on the palate. Relatively low alcohol content.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1986 Château Rieussec
91 points
No detailed notes. Relative dark golden in color. Was better after some time open. Nice depth, but not to the level of some top Sauternes.
Flight 7 - Back at Home" Addendum (6 notes)
A few wines upon the return home, opened at home and at Domincin's on a snowy Saturday night and on Sunday in advance of the Viking's playoff appearance.
Red
1995 Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva
88 points
A different bottle than the one we had a month or so ago. Similar impressions on the nose, but on the palate, a note of dill that I didn't detect last time around. A note that I found a bit distracting.
Red
2004 Argyle Pinot Noir Reserve
90 points
Popped/poured. Spicy sweetness on the nose. The palate is a bit more tart than I normally care for and for me doesn't match the promise of the nose. Still a very nice wine on balance. Does better as it opens up and comes to temperature.
Red
1998 Malvira' Langhe Barbera San Guglielmo
91 points
Much better than in the past. More forward on both the nose and palate. A glass pour at Domincin's, this marries well with many of the menu items.
White - Sparkling
2000 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
91 points
Opened this after hearing from Alecs that he hated it. I wouldn't go that far, but it's certainly not the best champagne I've had recently, nor the liveliest. Quite full on the palate, and acidic on the finish. The polar opposite to the NV Krug on New Year's Eve, which was razor sharp. Something in between would be nice. I think this is one to put away and forget about for awhile, hoping that some of the acidity will dissipate and that the wine will gain some complexity, at which point it might start to merit the pricing premium. This is really best at this point with food, and is in fact a stunning pairing with blue cheese, which serves to neutralize the acidity.
Red
2001 Warwick Estate Three Cape Ladies Cape Blend
91 points
Perhaps the best bottle I've had of this so far. Started out with the same tinge of green I noticed in a prior bottle. That faded away, leaving chocolate and smoky fruit on the nose, carrying to a medium-full bodied wine on the palate, where the smoke and chocolate flavors are somewhat reminiscent of the spices in a dark, Tex-Mex bean soup. Fully resolved, it's probably time to find the rest of these and drink them up.
Rosé - Sparkling
2000 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé Vintage
92 points
Also at Domincin's...seemed to have more depth than the last time around.