| | We had a very enjoyable Tuesday night dinner with great food and a few exceptional bottles. Champagne to Start - 2004 Louise Brison Champagne Cuvée Tendresse - France, Champagne
Nose is loaded with toast, lemon, very complex classic aromas. Very expressive. Palate is full and round with perfectly measured dosage for my palate. Acid refreshes nicely on the finish as it should. All in all a very nicely made and exceptionally balanced champagne. (93 pts.)
A Single Sauternes with Seared Foie Gras - 2003 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Wow! The nose on this wine hits you in the face immediately after you pop the cork. It's really spectacular. Loaded with vanilla, custard, creme brûlée, apricots, marzipan, coconut, honey. tons of botrytis. Huge complexity. Palate doesn't quite live up to the nose. It's is very sweet and maybe just a bit heavy and the acid doesn't refresh quite as much as you'd like. Perhaps this will make this wine an earlier drinker but the nose alone is worth it on this stunner. (95 pts.)
A Couple of Chards Single Blind served with Lobster Ceviche and a Seared Scallop - 2009 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers des Dents de Chien Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This wine never really opened up into anything all that nice. Muted nose and eventually showed a little citrus and melon, touches of butter came through. Palate is moderate in length and has moderate acid. Not great, but perfectly serviceable. (89 pts.)
- 2010 Ceritas Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
A great chard. Really nice expressive aromatics this time around. Light butterscotch, lemon, very balanced, lots of minerals, a little sawdust. Long finish. It vastly outperformed the St-Aubin is was pour against blind. (93 pts.)
Two Single Blind Pinots served with Braised Beef Cheeks - 2009 Rhys Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County
This is the third bottle of this wine I have tasted. First two had no brett. This one was definitely from the bretty batch. I have a very old world palate and having some brett is a huge plus in my books. When you add that to all of the other complexities of this wine it's really stellar. Nose is of incense, seaweed, red currants, cranberry, cherry, tobacco, leather, ash, coffee. Palate is excellent, enters sweet, mid palate is light, and finish is harmonious with acid refreshing, just enough tannin, and incense repeats on the long finish. What a great wine. Very well done Kevin Harvey! I'll take all the returned bretty bottles! (95 pts.)
- 2009 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Cent-Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
I can see how some may like this, but I don't think its for me. Nose is of red licorice and I found it a touch medicinal. Palate is better, with plenty of lush fruit and a pleasant finish. Didn't stand up to the Rhys served next to it. (90 pts.)
A few Closing wines served with Cheese. - 1989 Château Meyney - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Good showing for this bottle. Popped and poured. Sat in the glass 20 minutes before tasting. Classic old St. Estephe nose of asphalt, leather, tobacco, baked clay. The dark fruit was very intact on this pristine bottle; blackberry and black currants. Excellent palate that is fairly integrated and finish is a nice length. All you could want out of this wine. (91 pts.)
- 1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
First bottle was corked. (FLAWED)
- 1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Decanted for sediment and poured shortly after. Smelled pleasant in the decanter, but out of the glass felt a bit simple. Fruit is solidly in the stewed spectrum, which I don't particularly care for. Having said that it has started to develop a few secondary characteristics which are pleasant. Some cured meat and spice were nice. Palate is round and ripe but sadly repeats the stewed elements. This bottle was perfectly drinkable but didn't live up to expectations on this night. (89 pts.)
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