Holiday Party

Thanks to James/Chris/Marc for hosting us. Another great party!

• N.V. Savart Champagne Calliope - France, Champagne
  Another outstanding bottle. Love its earthy/truffle-y/funky element. Definitely it's this aspect of the wine that distinguishes it from a lot of other champagnes out there. You get all the bright fruit and acidity that you'd expect, but there's an exotic element here that's more rare in the category. Loved it. (94 pts.)
• 2010 Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines - France, Champagne
  Another killer bottle. Everything is in the right place with this wine. Textbook champagne to me. (95 pts.)
• 2011 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Bouchères - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
  Delicious wine. Flinty aromas wrap around lemons and limes to produce a beautiful perfumed nose. The palate was crystalline and pure with tones of beautiful acid and juicy fruit. I don't think I've ever had a disappointing wine from Roulot. (95 pts.)
• 1964 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva Especial - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
  Dried fruit, some tobacco, and dusty/earthy notes on the nose. The palate still has a lot of sappy fruit - mostly cherries/cranberries - with some really nice floral notes. (91 pts.)
• 2001 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  When this is on, it's a great CdP. Sadly, this bottle wasn't on. Usually, I love some brett in my wine, but this was just too much for me. Is this a flaw? Guess that's up for interpretation.
• 1978 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Filled with light red berry tones, some beef broth notes, and wet earth. I don't drink all that much CdP these days, but it's bottles like these that make me rethink the genre. I can't say I know much about Mont-Redon's current wine making style, but I loved everything about this wine. (93 pts.)
• 2012 Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Néore - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
  Big, juicy and powerful. This is Sauvignon Blanc on steroids. Grassy, and herbal with pronounced lemon and lime tones throughout. Alcohol peaks through a bit, but I've found that to be the case with very young Vatan wines. Time should even that out. Nice racy acidity keeps this balanced. This will need some time. (92 pts.)
• 2010 Maison Ilan Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
  Some oaky notes to the nose (i say this knowing full well that little-to-no new oak is used...) with lots of cherry/cranberry tones, too. Palate wasn't incredibly interesting...had some high-toned red fruit notes, with some prickly heat at times. Others didn't like this, I was more in the "this is decent, but boring" camp. (85 pts.)
• 2004 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
  Really liked the floral elements of this one. Roses and violets particularly...while the florals were really nice, the body of the wine was a bit hollow. (85 pts.)
• 2012 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Gorgeous. Bright, floral, and juicy with big lime and tart apple flavors. This goes down far too easily. (92 pts.)