HDH auction at Spiaggia

Chicago, IL
Tasted Friday, June 22, 2018 - Saturday, June 23, 2018 by acyso with 648 views

Flight 1 (10 Notes)

  • NV Ruinart Champagne Brut Rosé 85 Points

    France, Champagne

    (6/22/2018)

    Relatively bright colour. The nose shows a bit of toast and brioche, as well as a slight bit of plummy fruit. Alas, the nose is better than the palate, which shows a relatively heightened bit of astringency, as well as some relatively high-toned, aldehydic notes. A slight bit bitter on the finish, too. I'm more inclined to say that the recent variations in scores of this from me is due more to variations in me than the wine.

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  • 2015 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 88 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

    (6/22/2018)

    I haven't had a Ramonet in a while, but the nose here seems to evoke a bit of Ramonet for me, with its gentle oak in the form of a little bit of sweet egg custard. The palate, though, comes off with a little more headiness than I like and there's a bit of astringency and bitterness on the back end that I don't like. But the nose and attack here are lovely and really speak of that gentle, light style to me.

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  • 1999 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 88 Points

    USA, Washington

    (6/22/2018)

    Served double blind. The nose is clearly cabernet, but there was a nice dried herbal quality here that drove me to guess Super Tuscan. The palate clearly shows its age, and I guessed this was probably around 15 years old. Some slight cough syrup on the palate, with a heightened hit of alcohol on the back end. Certainly nothing like the heinous joke of a wine that is the 2001.

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  • 2010 Château Branaire-Ducru 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    (6/22/2018)

    At the end of the day, this is a pretty large-scaled, if a bit nondescript bottle of Bordeaux. Still shows some sweet oak and blue fruit, but not very much that's of interest here. Monolithic and just hard to approach right now. Seems to be reasonably classical, but just a bit tough for evaluation. Not something I'd bother opening at this point in time.

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  • 2001 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese 95 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    (6/22/2018)

    #07-02, 8% abv. A brilliant bottle of Spaetlese -- probably my best experience with this wine so far. The nose is brilliant, with some lovely herbal tones and some floral elements as well. The palate is intense, with a dense slatey minerality, coupled with just the right amount of sweetness to balance the acidity. Again, I can only praise the hand of Hans-Leo in making such a stunning wine.

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  • 2013 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (6/22/2018)

    One of the more reduced iterations of Allemand that I've experienced, in that there's more than a slight bit of stinkiness on the nose. But there's no missing that this is northern Rhone at all -- it's got that lovely, silky black fruit on the nose (under the stank) that is classic Allemand. The palate is on the relatively thinner side, with heightened acidity, but this is still a more than solid bottle of Cornas. The tannins are still fairly coarse and this is clearly a wine that will need time to resolve, though less time than the best vintages.

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  • 1996 Château Pontet-Canet 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    (6/22/2018)

    A fairly rustic Bordeaux, with a modest touch of brett here. There's also some nice red fruit, as well as a slight bit of leather and more woody elements. The palate shows a lot of structure and this seems to be thinning out now. Good, but probably ready to go. A little bit of air probably helps this unfurl as well.

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  • 2015 Domaine Nicolas Faure Nuits St. Georges Les Herbues 85 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges

    (6/22/2018)

    There's a slight hint of that natural wine/carbonic smell on the nose here. There's a really nice dose of red fruit here, as well as some bright florals. A little crunchy on the nose as well. The palate is very light, and there's an almost passetoutgrains kind of flavour on the palate. Lots of juicy red fruit, but it's too Beaujolais-like for me.

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  • 2002 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

    France, Champagne

    (6/22/2018)

    From magnum. Not quite as exciting as my taste of this on release. Mind you, it's still a brilliant champagne, but it's a really brilliant example of chardonnay nonetheless. There was a bit of white grape flavour here that seems a little odd -- I'd have expected something less sweet and overtly grapey. But there's still so much intensity and brilliance in this wine; coincidentally I had pulled a bottle of this recently to celebrate a friend's mention in Breitbart, so I'll be thrilled to revisit this soon.

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  • 2015 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Classique Ampodium 88 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (6/22/2018)

    A very feral nose that reminds me a bit more of Cornas than Cote-Rotie. It's got a bit of blood, some mild iodine, and more than its fair share of black fruit. The palate is very ripe and rich, and there's plenty of fruit as well. It doesn't quite have the meatiness that I like, and there's a slight thinness on the midpalate that doesn't work well with the heavy, heavy tannins -- it's the middle that just falls out.

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Flight 2 (21 Notes)

  • 2009 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club Brut 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (6/23/2018)

    Slightly saline nose, with a very mild hint of nuttiness. The palate shows some very nice acidity and minerality, and the generally fleshier vintage works incredibly well with the high-acid style. It's relatively broader thanks to the riper fruit, but the expected cut and minerality are all still there. Some sweet green apples and a little bit of stone fruit as well. Really nice.

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  • 2015 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

    (6/23/2018)

    From a bottle opened the night before. The nose here shows pretty stereotypically Roulot, with its light hand, and that classic dose of minerality. The ripeness shows here on the back end with the fruit quite fleshy, but this doesn't come off as hot like so many other 2015 whites I've had. Maybe I made a slight mistake not hunting these down with more concerted effort.

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  • 2015 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (6/23/2018)

    From a bottle opened the night before. Sheer brilliance. This is gentle and refined, with an incredible amount of stuffing and minerality. I love the density and power in this, but it's not an excessively broad and massive wine -- it has more drive than anything. Love the linearity and purity here. (As a slightly morbid remark -- I do really love Niellon, so long as they don't pox!)

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  • 2013 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    (6/23/2018)

    From a bottle opened the night before. This was probably my least favourite of the three little tastes I got to sneak in. There's but a mild hint of the stereotypical popcorn, and while there's plenty of minerality and acidity, this seems a little flat and not as exciting as many of the other Coche wines I've had. I'm certainly cognizant that this isn't the freshest of bottles, but the other two held up much better...

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  • 2015 Domaine Dujac Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Monts-Luisants Blanc 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

    (6/23/2018)

    Hm. One of the better 2015 whites for sure. The nose has a fair bit of reduction -- honestly, I'd have guessed this was Boillot if I had tasted it blind. The palate is racy, with brilliant acidity, and the oak is very nicely integrated. Gentle, without any hint of overripeness, and the acidity here is just stunning. Lovely.

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  • 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (6/23/2018)

    Amber in colour. The nose shows a fair bit of bread, as well as a fairly good amount of fruit. Certainly, at this point, this shows a its age, and it's at the tail end of freshness for me. A bready, ripe, and rich profile, with a nice amount of acidity on the back end. It's not as linear and fresh as I'd like, but this is still a very good champagne. (A little sad it isn't as good as I remembered it being from seven years ago, though that taste came from a recent release from magnum.)

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  • 2015 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph 88 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

    (6/23/2018)

    Very intense and plummy, with lots of black pepper on the nose. Where is the meat and olives and brine? The palate is similarly plush, fruity, and fleshy, without the syrah elements that I really like. I don't think the vintage worked well for this wine; and honestly, I think this bottling has struck out enough that I'm done with ever buying it (it was the brilliant 2011 that prompted it).

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  • 2010 Cecile Tremblay Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

    (6/23/2018)

    Really crunchy and stemmy on the nose. The palate is quite lean and shows lots of acid. Relatively speaking, this feels a little bit too lean for my taste. The red fruit is really thin, and there's lots and lots of acid. Despite all that, I still find this a fairly nice wine, but I do wish it was filled out a little bit more. At least this isn't stinkily reduced like the 2008.

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  • 2015 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Porrets St. Georges 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

    (6/23/2018)

    Far, far better than the old Gouges wines. Very nice spice, with brilliant red fruit and lovely, lifted aromatics. The palate shows very lovely acidity, surprisingly heightened for the vintage, but so much nice red fruit here. The earth tones are slightly attenuated, but there's really lovely crunchiness on this wine here.

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  • 2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (6/23/2018)

    I had bought a six pack of this based solely on faith that the greatest extant Hermitage producer would render an incredible wine in this so-called "off" vintage. The feeling of vindication is immense. This is a stunning bottle of syrah, and hits me as exactly what I am looking for when I open a bottle of syrah. It's elegant, with just enough red fruit to balance the structural elements. There's salinity and earth too, and acidity to balance it.

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  • 2010 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Charmes-Chambertin 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

    (6/23/2018)

    Not the most exciting Burgundy, but a fairly solid, if four-square wine. Good red fruit, and a nice density, with some earthy, mineral tones.

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  • 2014 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vigne 85 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

    (6/23/2018)

    The nose on this is pretty nice, even if there's a sense that this seems a little Gamayey. Clearly a Burgundy that's on the crunchy side. Really light and perfumed -- pretty nice honestly. The palate is a little thin and gentle, and this is far too stylized for my taste. It's too light and doesn't have the heft I want. Anorexic and weak.

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  • 2013 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (6/23/2018)

    So nice to be able to check in on this without opening one of my own. I love the nose here -- it's got a very slight hint of volatility, but there's an intensity that is quite special here. I love the mix of fruit as well. The palate, however, isn't as good as the nose. It's thinned out a little on the palate but I think this will fill out with some more time. Not touching mine for a while yet, no thank you!

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  • 2011 Jaffurs Syrah Verna's 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    (6/23/2018)

    Served double blind. Nailed the grape at least. Thought it was a northern Rhone from a lesser vintage -- it's showing the spice but a little more blue fruit than I would expect (perhaps that was the new world giveaway). The palate has really heightened acidity, which made me think that this was the 2013 vintage. Quite nice.

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  • 2014 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 1er Cru Beauregard 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

    (6/23/2018)

    I know this is low sulphur, but it's pretty stanky and smells like, well, sulphur. I love the palate here -- far more than the nose. The palate is mineral and lemon, and it's pretty much classic, steely chablis. A nice hint of fruit to balance the acidity, and the texture here is lean, but absolutely correct for chablis. Great stuff -- I should probably pick up a few of these now and again.

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  • 2010 Arnaud Ente Bourgogne Blanc 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

    (6/23/2018)

    Really interesting green tinge colour-wise. The nose is clearly intensely reductive, pretty much to a fault. The palate isn't wholly there -- it's just super lean, coiled up, and tight. A bit more acid than I want -- seems like it's just too taut for my palate. It did relax a little bit with air, but it's just a really dense and powerful chardonnay. A little under the bottom for me (as opposed to over the top) -- needs time.

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  • 1987 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 90 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (6/23/2018)

    I love the light touch here -- maybe it wasn't initially a light touch but it certainly has become that. There's a really lovely earthiness here, with lots of really lovely salinity. A hint of olives as well here. It's an immensely spicy wine, showing tons of acidity, if a bit light (especially next to the 1994).

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  • 1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (6/23/2018)

    Just a brilliant nose and palate -- better than my last experience of this. There's great power and intensity here, with tons of sweet fruit. It is black fruited and shows tons of spice. Not too much brine and olive, but the earth, mineral, and black fruit are all there. This has always been one of my favourite northern Rhone vintages, and this bottle is yet another example of why.

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  • 1987 Château Mouton Rothschild 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    (6/23/2018)

    I'm guessing that the rumours were probably true. This is hardly as weak and thin as I would have expected from the vintage. There's a really nice bit of graphite and green pepper on the nose here. A slight bit of earthiness and leather on the palate, this is clearly fully mature. It's quite classic cabernet, if hardly outstanding.

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  • 1995 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc de Lynch-Bages Flawed

    France, Bordeaux

    (6/23/2018)

    Probably not entirely sound. Quite oxidized and some chemically flavours on the nose. I didn't bother drinking it.

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  • 2013 Vincent Dancer Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

    (6/23/2018)

    I thought this was actually quite nice. Certainly more than a little reduced but not to the extent of the Ente. The palate had good fruit to help balance the acidity too. This is clearly a step up from the Corbins, which can come off as too emaciated.

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