| | GreenDrazi came up to NC to pick up his Kosta Browne shipment and we organized a little offline to welcome our special visitor. Much thanks to Todd for his connections and a wonderful choice for dinner. In attendance: GreenDrazi, Todd McGowan, Andrew K., Jason and Rebecca S. and myself. Bubbly - N.V. Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Rubis - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Popped and poured. This wine exhibited a salmon pink color with aromas of strawberries lined with floral accents. On the palate, light strawberry flavors were detectable along with hints of yeast. Not overly complex. HS88 (88 pts.)
Whites - 2004 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Les Romains - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
Popped and poured. This wine exhibited a pale gold color with nice citrus aromas coming from the glass leading to hints of lotus blossoms and minerality. On the palate, rich, ripe lemon flavors were complemented with herbal elements leading to a clean, balanced mineral finish. Nice complement to the seafood platter. HS91 (91 pts.)
- 2004 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Popped and poured. This wine exhibited a light straw yellow color with aromas of citrus and herbs. On the palate, citrus elements were supported with floral and mineral elements that were amplified when paired with oysters. Before the pairing, the wine seemed a bit boring, but the pairing definitely brought forth the potential of this Chablis. HS88 (88 pts.)
- 2005 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Popped and poured. This wine exhibited a golden yellow color with a bit of cloudiness. On the nose, aromas of golden and Granny Smith apples, pears and hints of vanilla. Oak was present but not overbearing... definitely just an accent mark to the aromas present. On the palate, similar to the nose with apples, pears and citrus elements supported by hints of vanilla and hazelnut leading to a clean finish. Nicely crafted and in retrospect, I should have tried more. HS94 (94 pts.)
Reds - 2005 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Decanted for 2 hrs. This wine exhibited a dark ruby color. On the nose, aromas of plums and black cherries were predominant with hints of earthiness. On the palate, light berry flavors with a bit of spice leading to a somewhat disappointing finish. I don't know if it's due to overaeration but a little disappointed. See a theme? HS88 (88 pts.)
- 2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Decanted for 2.5 hr. This wine exhibited a dark ruby color with a nose filled with aromas of black cherry, strawberry, and hints of pomegranate, earth and spice. There was a little bit of heat on the nose. The palate was a bit disjointed, but the flavors that I could extract included black cherries and earth. At this point in time I would rate this an 88... but there is a lot of room for improvement and I think time will tell how much better this wine will get. HS88 (88 pts.)
- 2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Decanted for 2.5 hours. This wine exhibited a garnet color with nice aromatics consisting of Bing cherries, pomegranate and hints of orange rind and spices. On the palate, flavors of plums, bing cherries, blackberries, and hints of earthiness leading to an exotic spice filled finish. Great mouthfeel. This wine needed a little bit of time to come together, but when it did, was it good! HS93 (93 pts.)
- 2002 Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
Decanted for 1 hr. This wine exhibited a rich dark garnet/purple color. On the nose, aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, and hints of chocolate leaped forth. On the palate, rich ripe flavors of dark cherries, candied plums, blackberries were quickly followed by hints of oak and spice on the nice lengthy finish. Well packaged Cabernet. HS93 (93 pts.)
- 2004 Robert Foley Claret - USA, California, Napa Valley
Sigh... I'm still not over how poorly this showed. I want to taste what everyone else is ranting and raving about! (FLAWED)
- 2005 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Decanted for 8.5 hrs. This wine exhibited an inky purple color. On the nose, aromas of blueberries, blackberries, and plum with hints of chocolate and cloves. On the palate, blackberries and blueberries were prominent followed by hints of chocolate and coffee. Still finishes quite big. The wine as a whole was not as complex this time around and was a bit more "tame". HS92 (92 pts.)
More Bubbly! After stating to Todd that I wasn't thoroughly impressed with Cristal and that I didn't feel it warranted it's price tag. He pulls this on me... cause well... that's how he rolls! - 1999 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
Popped and poured. This wine exhibited a pale golden color. On the crisp nose, citrus and nutty elements were present. On the palate, golden apples were joined by yeasty flavors with a touch of nuttiness. Nice bubbly... but not anything WOW-inspiring. Sorry! HS90 (90 pts.)
Despite my disappointing Robert Foley Claret, I had a great time with great company, food and wine. Who can ask for more? Well besides a non-flawed bottle of Foley Claret.... ok... I'll stop my b*tching now. |
