Rocknroller has a special birthday

This was my first time in a restaurant since March 2020. The food was pretty good, great wines and excellent friends. I'd have to give the WOTN to 1961 Cos Estournel but the Raveneau and the 2 champagnes were pretty good too.

• NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  I love the balance here of minerality, a touch of bitterness, and deep toasty, yeasty oak.

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• 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  This was drinking better than 3 years ago. Fresh, elegant vibrant. This is in a great place right now.

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• 2004 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année Rosé 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Fresh, ripe, nice light yet distinct strawberry, with a creamy finish. This was also drinking well, with the acidity in check.

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• 2012 François Raveneau Chablis 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  Super mineral-driven with some animal musk, tons of sea shells. This seems to be all about the minerality and saline, but there is some stone fruit in there. This is a very distinctive Chablis, and obviously chablis. I started with 95 for this wine and ended with 96.

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• 2011 Chateau Montelena 40th Chardonnay Vintage 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This was clearly in the vein of chablis. Crisp, acid and mineral-driven with a touch of oak, pear, lean pineapple and meyer lemon.

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• 2013 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen Kistler Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  Rich, round, good viscosity, nice tropical fruit, If I were drinking this blind, California would not be my first guess. What I liked most about it was the complexity and smells and flavors that seemed to change over time.

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• 2002 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  For a pinot, this is bold. There is cherry and a meat component. There is poise and elegance, yet the finish ends in a rocky, tar and forest floor taste without seeming heavy.

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• 2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 93 Points

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

  This wine had striking gravelly almost dusty minerals. The palate has some components reminiscent of old bordeaux such as leather and tar. But it also remains fresh and has a structure that is clearly a burgundy with some age.

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• 1961 Château Cos d'Estournel 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Dried flowers stand out the most. This wine improved over the 2 hours it was in front of me, it was a bit odd and lean initially but it rounded out very well, with tons of complexity underscored by leather and violets.

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• 1976 Château Trotanoy 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Earth, a little cherry, iron, metallic, mushroom, damp earth and zinc. My only complaint was that after about 2 hours it seemed to take on a rather gamey funk reminiscent of pooh.

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• 2009 Les Pagodes de Cos

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Clearly young and it seems to be in a forward or modern style. Score reserved but I worry that Michel Rolland has ruined Cos. Purple fruit, dense, slightly sweet.

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• 2001 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Splash decanted. This wine was pleasant enough, but to me no match for the 2 Burgundies and the 2 older Bordeaux wines we'd have earlier.

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• 2002 Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz E & E Black Pepper 94 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Even though I was full of food and wine, this wine still stood out. Yes, there's some bigger fruit, but it's downright elegant and classy. This is one of my favorite Australian shiraz.

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• 2008 The Foreign Affair Cabernet Franc Full Appassimento

  Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA

  We literally did not know what to expect here. The bottle says 16% and it's from Niagara Canada. We found out that the grapes are dried, which makes more sense, as it does have a characteristic reminiscent of amarone. The nose literally smells like grapes, and alcohol. Alcohol, prunes and chocolate on a lean weird cabernet franc framework. This did not improve in the glass, but in its defense, it had stiff competition and it wasn't the best environment for a wine like this. I'd suggest drinking this in the middle of winter in a drafty house owned by someone who is too cheap to run the furnace, and while eating beef stew.

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