France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Served double blind to guests (single blind to me) in a flight of 09 Burg/Cali/Oregon. Clearly the class of the flight. Beautiful nose that starts with mineral and adds crisp apples and sweet pear. The palate is crisp and fresh, while still bringing good richness and depth. Precise. In a very good spot now and one to drink in the near/medium term.
Served double blind to guests (single blind to me) in a flight of 09 Burg/Cali/Oregon. The nose is pretty closed in with fairly heavy reduction obscuring underlying orchard fruit. The palate is very acid driven with lean and crisp orchard fruit, sea shell and some of that lingering reductive note in the background. Probably the group's 2nd favorite after the white burg, but some had it third. I think this wines needs 5+ years to open up and shed it's reduction. Upside from here.
Served double blind to guests (single blind to me) in a flight of 09 Burg/Cali/Oregon. The nose here is full or rich, round tropical and orchard fruit. Fat and ripe in style with just enough acidity to carry the fruit. Pretty disappointing relative to a non-blind bottle that I had 6 months ago, which seemed less fat. The group was guessing Cali on this one.
Served double blind. The aromas and taste clearly suggest that this wine has some age. Waxy fruit with just a touch of oxidation. Still fresh but no longer racy. I was guessing white Rioja. The group was correctly in white Bordeaux. Pretty impressive at 35 years old. Interesting for a glass, but more than that isn't necessary.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Served double blind in a pair. The nose here is mineral driven and subtle with citrus accents. The palate is lighter bodied with leaner fruit in a bright and lifted package. Loads of citrusy acids. Taut finish. I thought this was a pair of St. Aubin wines, got this one right and the second wrong. Very nice wine and everything I enjoy about St. Aubin.
Served double blind in a pair. The nose here is a bit more generous and big relative to the first wine, but still has a similar signature of minerals, leaner white fruits and citrus accents. The palate is once again just a touch richer and rounder, but still lean and taut on an absolute basis. Really loaded with mineral qualities throughout, but especially in the finish. I was guessing St. Aubin -- surprised and impressed on reveal. A wine to seek out.
Served double blind. Big nose of exotic white fruits -- dragonfruit, lychee, etc. with spice notes. Took me to Alsace and Gewurtz. The palate has rich, oily fruit with moderate freshness. Some apple and honey notes. A curious wine, but not something I'd reach for. Surprised upon reveal to see this is a Sauv Blanc.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Served double blind. Pretty clearly a white burg with some age - question is, how much age? And is this naturally oxidizing or pre-mox? The nose has rich mature white fruit, light honey notes and roasted nuts. Mature, but still appealing and attractive. I really enjoyed the complexity and richness of the palate. Almost decadent with layers of the aged, dense white fruit while still having freshness and verve. A terrific mature white burg. At 20 years old, I'll go ahead and say this isn't pre-mox and showing nicely given vintage, producer and vineyard.
Served double blind. Terrific nose is classic Chablis -- stony, mineral, sea shells, white flowers, lemon and lemon peel. The palate has excellent concentration with loads of mineral throughout. Mouthwatering acidity combined with dense fruit. Loved this, and a reminder that others beside Dauvissat and Raveneau make world class Chablis. So tasty now. Will seek out more Moreau.
Served double blind. Nose has lots of mineral with some orchard fruit and mineral along with a hint of petrol. The fruit is round and rich with a hint of sugar, which takes me to Riesling. Good freshness. Kind of nondescript and tough to place this in Germany, Austria, Alsace or elsewhere.
Served double blind. Exceptionally light easy going nose of cherry and red berries. Very light bodied and easy drinking. Pretty nondescript. Not all that impressive. I revisited 2-3 hours later and this had picked up some weight and intensity, but it was still quite simple. No flaws but very basic and easy drinking. Stick to the whites with Coche, I guess.
Served double blind after ~2 hours in a decanter. Medium nose of lighter black fruit, meat, herbs, pepper, smoked meat and some florals. The palate shows moderate weight with good herbal and smoke character. Clearly old world syrah in a lighter, elegant style. A bit surprised on reveal as I would have expected a bit more intensity and polish from Allemand. Good, but not up to Allemand's high expectations ... perhaps not wholly unexpected given the lighter vintage. As a post-script, my impression of the wine is much closer to KenK than ACYSO.
Served double blind. Huge, primary nose of blackberry, black pepper, herbs and violets. On the palate you get a lot of youthful, rich fruit that is well-balanced with the structural elements. I revisited a glass later in the night, and again on the next day and not much had changed -- intense and stuffed to the gills with fruit and structure. This should age glacially ... if you have patience, put it away and revisit in 15 years.
Served double blind. This wine brings the funk -- dirty/savory cherry fruit with earth, funk, old leather. Someone said it smells like the 'Queen's poop', which works well for me. The palate is youthful with lifted red cherry in a lighter, leaner style. Cleaner on the palate, but still has some of that underlying funk. Good, but a bit too much of the funk for my tastes to merit at a 90+ score.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Served double blind. Moderate nose of cherry, clay and earth tones. The palate has very good concentration of mature earthy, cherry fruit. Lighter in the finish. Tasty, yes ... but lacks a bit of complexity and specialness for a Grand Cru from a strong vintage.
Served double blind. Attractive nose of herby black cherry and plum with prominent bell pepper notes. The palate is leaner with bright plum with earth and more bell pepper. Good freshness. A bit lean and light on the back palate.
This is a very good Rioja from a modern producer. You get a bit more polish and less rusticity than the traditionalists, and of course none of the American Oak accents. The aromas are lots of cherry, earth and some mushroom. The polish has semi-sweet red cherry with lots of earth tones adding complexity. Nice polish and good fresh structure. Nicely done and in a good spot right now. A glass tasted 1-2 hours after opening was even better with excellent intensity -- it was late at night, but I noted that glass was 93-95 points.
Served double blind and rather late in the night, and following a slew of old world, traditional wines. With one sniff (and actually just by holding the bottle) you knew this was new world A.F. Big rich dense plum fruit with oak spice and some cedar, tobacco accents lurking beneath the huge fruit. The palate is rich, thick and dense with chewy tannins to match the fruit. Bottle was opened a good 8+ hours before tasting. Extraordinarily big relative to what I usually drink -- fans of the style could probably add 5-7 points to my score.
Served blind to friends with an '07 Clusel-Roch Les Grandes Places. This was clearly the bigger and new world wine, but not by miles. Tons of black pepper, spice and smoke layered into the black fruit. The palate is rich and polished but quite light on its feet. Excellent poise and balance.
Served blind to guests paired with the '07 SQN Labels Syrah. This clearly showed old world next to the SQN but the two wines shared a ton in common. Loads of black pepper and smoke intermixed in the black fruit. The palate here is poised with medium bodied black fruit. Polished, but not to the extent of the SQN (obviously). Good intensity of flavor and richness. Really nice wine and my first C-R with any meaningful age.
2009 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Served double blind to guests (single blind to me) in a flight of 09 Burg/Cali/Oregon. Clearly the class of the flight. Beautiful nose that starts with mineral and adds crisp apples and sweet pear. The palate is crisp and fresh, while still bringing good richness and depth. Precise. In a very good spot now and one to drink in the near/medium term.
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2009 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Served double blind to guests (single blind to me) in a flight of 09 Burg/Cali/Oregon. The nose is pretty closed in with fairly heavy reduction obscuring underlying orchard fruit. The palate is very acid driven with lean and crisp orchard fruit, sea shell and some of that lingering reductive note in the background. Probably the group's 2nd favorite after the white burg, but some had it third. I think this wines needs 5+ years to open up and shed it's reduction. Upside from here.
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2009 Arterberry Maresh Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard 87 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Served double blind to guests (single blind to me) in a flight of 09 Burg/Cali/Oregon. The nose here is full or rich, round tropical and orchard fruit. Fat and ripe in style with just enough acidity to carry the fruit. Pretty disappointing relative to a non-blind bottle that I had 6 months ago, which seemed less fat. The group was guessing Cali on this one.
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1982 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Served double blind. The aromas and taste clearly suggest that this wine has some age. Waxy fruit with just a touch of oxidation. Still fresh but no longer racy. I was guessing white Rioja. The group was correctly in white Bordeaux. Pretty impressive at 35 years old. Interesting for a glass, but more than that isn't necessary.
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2014 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Served double blind in a pair. The nose here is mineral driven and subtle with citrus accents. The palate is lighter bodied with leaner fruit in a bright and lifted package. Loads of citrusy acids. Taut finish. I thought this was a pair of St. Aubin wines, got this one right and the second wrong. Very nice wine and everything I enjoy about St. Aubin.
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2014 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill 93 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu
Served double blind in a pair. The nose here is a bit more generous and big relative to the first wine, but still has a similar signature of minerals, leaner white fruits and citrus accents. The palate is once again just a touch richer and rounder, but still lean and taut on an absolute basis. Really loaded with mineral qualities throughout, but especially in the finish. I was guessing St. Aubin -- surprised and impressed on reveal. A wine to seek out.
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2009 F.X. Pichler Sauvignon Blanc Smaragd 87 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Served double blind. Big nose of exotic white fruits -- dragonfruit, lychee, etc. with spice notes. Took me to Alsace and Gewurtz. The palate has rich, oily fruit with moderate freshness. Some apple and honey notes. A curious wine, but not something I'd reach for. Surprised upon reveal to see this is a Sauv Blanc.
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1996 Verget Bâtard-Montrachet 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Served double blind. Pretty clearly a white burg with some age - question is, how much age? And is this naturally oxidizing or pre-mox? The nose has rich mature white fruit, light honey notes and roasted nuts. Mature, but still appealing and attractive. I really enjoyed the complexity and richness of the palate. Almost decadent with layers of the aged, dense white fruit while still having freshness and verve. A terrific mature white burg. At 20 years old, I'll go ahead and say this isn't pre-mox and showing nicely given vintage, producer and vineyard.
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2013 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Served double blind. Terrific nose is classic Chablis -- stony, mineral, sea shells, white flowers, lemon and lemon peel. The palate has excellent concentration with loads of mineral throughout. Mouthwatering acidity combined with dense fruit. Loved this, and a reminder that others beside Dauvissat and Raveneau make world class Chablis. So tasty now. Will seek out more Moreau.
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2009 Hugel Riesling Jubilee 88 Points
France, Alsace
Served double blind. Nose has lots of mineral with some orchard fruit and mineral along with a hint of petrol. The fruit is round and rich with a hint of sugar, which takes me to Riesling. Good freshness. Kind of nondescript and tough to place this in Germany, Austria, Alsace or elsewhere.
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2009 Coche-Dury Bourgogne 85 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Served double blind. Exceptionally light easy going nose of cherry and red berries. Very light bodied and easy drinking. Pretty nondescript. Not all that impressive. I revisited 2-3 hours later and this had picked up some weight and intensity, but it was still quite simple. No flaws but very basic and easy drinking. Stick to the whites with Coche, I guess.
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2011 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Served double blind after ~2 hours in a decanter. Medium nose of lighter black fruit, meat, herbs, pepper, smoked meat and some florals. The palate shows moderate weight with good herbal and smoke character. Clearly old world syrah in a lighter, elegant style. A bit surprised on reveal as I would have expected a bit more intensity and polish from Allemand. Good, but not up to Allemand's high expectations ... perhaps not wholly unexpected given the lighter vintage. As a post-script, my impression of the wine is much closer to KenK than ACYSO.
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2015 Franck Balthazar Cornas Chaillot 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Served double blind. Huge, primary nose of blackberry, black pepper, herbs and violets. On the palate you get a lot of youthful, rich fruit that is well-balanced with the structural elements. I revisited a glass later in the night, and again on the next day and not much had changed -- intense and stuffed to the gills with fruit and structure. This should age glacially ... if you have patience, put it away and revisit in 15 years.
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2002 Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chêne Vert 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Served double blind. This wine brings the funk -- dirty/savory cherry fruit with earth, funk, old leather. Someone said it smells like the 'Queen's poop', which works well for me. The palate is youthful with lifted red cherry in a lighter, leaner style. Cleaner on the palate, but still has some of that underlying funk. Good, but a bit too much of the funk for my tastes to merit at a 90+ score.
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1999 Lucien Le Moine Bonnes Mares 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Served double blind. Moderate nose of cherry, clay and earth tones. The palate has very good concentration of mature earthy, cherry fruit. Lighter in the finish. Tasty, yes ... but lacks a bit of complexity and specialness for a Grand Cru from a strong vintage.
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2001 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l'Echo 88 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Served double blind. Attractive nose of herby black cherry and plum with prominent bell pepper notes. The palate is leaner with bright plum with earth and more bell pepper. Good freshness. A bit lean and light on the back palate.
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1998 Fernando Remírez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva 92 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
This is a very good Rioja from a modern producer. You get a bit more polish and less rusticity than the traditionalists, and of course none of the American Oak accents. The aromas are lots of cherry, earth and some mushroom. The polish has semi-sweet red cherry with lots of earth tones adding complexity. Nice polish and good fresh structure. Nicely done and in a good spot right now. A glass tasted 1-2 hours after opening was even better with excellent intensity -- it was late at night, but I noted that glass was 93-95 points.
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2009 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Monsieur Étain 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Served double blind and rather late in the night, and following a slew of old world, traditional wines. With one sniff (and actually just by holding the bottle) you knew this was new world A.F. Big rich dense plum fruit with oak spice and some cedar, tobacco accents lurking beneath the huge fruit. The palate is rich, thick and dense with chewy tannins to match the fruit. Bottle was opened a good 8+ hours before tasting. Extraordinarily big relative to what I usually drink -- fans of the style could probably add 5-7 points to my score.
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2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Labels 92 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
Served blind to friends with an '07 Clusel-Roch Les Grandes Places. This was clearly the bigger and new world wine, but not by miles. Tons of black pepper, spice and smoke layered into the black fruit. The palate is rich and polished but quite light on its feet. Excellent poise and balance.
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2007 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Served blind to guests paired with the '07 SQN Labels Syrah. This clearly showed old world next to the SQN but the two wines shared a ton in common. Loads of black pepper and smoke intermixed in the black fruit. The palate here is poised with medium bodied black fruit. Polished, but not to the extent of the SQN (obviously). Good intensity of flavor and richness. Really nice wine and my first C-R with any meaningful age.
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