Dueling tête de cuvées

Got together with some great friends to celebrate a good year and a happy start to the new year.

Doug brought this along. Having never had this producer...it was quite a treat and a great way to start the night.

• NV Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  This was very exciting to taste...and took some time to show it's true charm. Medium-full bodied with a range of flavors on the palate...very food friendly and I think I liked it more with the food than I did alone. As with the other Champagnes...this just took some time to show it's beauty and depth.

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I bought these thinking I would wait for a special occasion...and this dinner, these people, and the food were exactly the occasion I was hoping for!

• 1996 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 97 Points

  France, Champagne

  There are some wines that just set the foundation of expectations...and for me this was one that set the bar quite high. The scents were broad and offered a depth and range that I have not experienced often in Champagne. Golden yellow in the glass this just exploded from the first pour...and continued to get better as the night progressed throughout the course of our 3-hour dinner. The palate was bright with good acidity, impeccable balance, bright fruit, and depth that just seemed to keep expanding.

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• 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  So this was quite an experience...we tasted this over the period of about 3 hours. Initially it was quite tight and closed down...not offering much on the nose accept some hints of minerals and citrus. The palate showed promise, but was also quite tight. However, after about 2.5 hours the wine finally started to blossom. It really is too young to get the full potential out of this wine right now...however, it's still a pleasure to drink!

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This was a great learning opportunity for me to see a great wine that I've had in the past with more age (the '99) and where those differences come with time...

• 2005 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Forêt 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  This was really just so tight that it was difficult to get. It took about 2 hours to open up and start to show the beauty that lies beneath. Faint hints of lemon, green apple, and subtle hints of butter on the palate along a medium length mineral driven finish.

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I feel like I should say more about this wine...but I still find myself thinking that there are few words that will do the experience justice. It's not that the wine was the "best ever" but it should be noted that this did leave me realizing that I still have more producers to learn about and there are still wines that can exceed expectations.

• 2007 Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs 95 Points

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  Opened earlier in the day and the bottle showed light signs of past seepage...but this was a revelation in what great dry German wines can offer. Scents of flint, minerals, lime, and sea air were intense and wonderful. On the palate this had laser-like focus as flavors of green apples, lemon, lime, and a faint saline quality seemed to linger and blend with the mineral notes. A long 30+ second finish made this wine stand out and so very difficult to put to words the pleasure I experienced drinking this.

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• 1986 Château Guiraud 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Showing golden amber in the glass this seemed to be in a wonderful place last night. Scents of honey, botrytis, caramel, and hints of dried nectarines were intense and at times a bit too much to handle. The palate was fresh and lively, with great acidity to balance out the mélange of stone fruits, rock sugar, and honey on the palate. A long 30+ second finish that was absolutely phenomenal with the Foie gras.

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• 2010 Dogfish Head Brewery Miles Davis Bitches Brew 91 Points

  USA, Pennsylvania, Central Delaware Valley

  Dense and dark with hints of mocha and char on the nose and flavors of coffee and cacao on the intense and full bodied beer.

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A phenominal meal that was on par with the amazing wines. Great friends...if every night could be so wonderful it would be very difficult to be unhappy!