The Salon's first lab

Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas
Tasted Wednesday, December 9, 2009 by austinwinesalon with 720 views

Introduction

After fourteen salons where the great wine regions of the world were discussed and sampled, by a group of sommeliers, wine and food professionals, and gourmands, we decided to change formats and go straight into a series of tastings, in small groups. Let the wines speak for themselves for awhile. We began with a series of unrelated flights of great wine to celebrate the holiday season, and our wine and food, as usual, was quite fine: a pheasant dish by James, cheese from Paula, sundry delights from Mirabelle, meat balls from Brian.

Flight 1 - 25 years of Montelena (4 Notes)

  • 1976 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast 94 Points

    USA, California, North Coast

    Probably the favorite of the 24 wines tasted at this wine salon, it surprised everyone about how well it drank-- full and bright with black and red fruit, some raspberry and currant, high tannins, some cedar and mint. It was indeed remarkable in its structure and long finish. "Would steal it" a veteran server said.

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  • 1992 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Montelena's 20th anniversary wine, this was a debated wine: some thought it lacked balance and had a glycerol mouth feel, others liked the tannins and the red and black fruit flavors This might improve but the tannins overpower some of the fruit that tasters enjoyed in our other Montelena vintages.

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  • 1996 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Had a perfume nose, with rose petals, its tannins were resolved with good structure and lots of pretty dark fruit and spices; a bit chewy as it is still young. Impressive in its balance and flavors but needs time.

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  • 2001 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Thjis was decanted for 5 hours, and we should have decanted the other Montelenas. Quite tannic and a classic Napa cab, was masculine, solid and a bit harsh; had good acid, much wood, over-ripeness, with notes of leather, coffee, earth, and plum. Needs years and to be left alone, but could develop into a classic, aged Montelena (like our 1976?)

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Flight 2 - Cab Francs (4 Notes)

  • 1989 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses 91 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

    Showed very well, was quite seedy, herbal, and tart, with some ash and dustiness, black olive, leather, prunes, sour cherry. With high acid, it was a beast in its day and may still improve.

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  • 1992 La Jota Cabernet Franc 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

    This drank well, with simple but good fruit, some chcocolate and dried/lush dark fruit, dry tannins, a pleasant nose, perfect oak, a balanced palate, and a medium finish.

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  • 1998 Le Petit Cheval 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Needed decanting, somewhat dumb, with soft tannins, weird earth, red berry, green, some prune, tar,and dustiness. This has more cab franc than cheval blanc in 1998 and after four hours it drank very well and softened considerably.

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  • 2001 Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso 92 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

    Had dark fruit, earthiness, some tobacco, blackberry, cherry, even cranberrry fruit. Was balanced, big, and bold, a bit rustic but full-bodied and a mouthful - a favorite of the salon.

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Flight 3 - 2002 middle Mosels (4 Notes)

Flight 4 - 2002 red Burgundy, region to grand cru (4 Notes)

  • 2002 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Bourgogne 89 Points

    France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

    A simple, good dinner wine, with good structureand notes of cherry and plum. Pleasant but not much finish, a very good Bourgogne.

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  • 2002 Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

    How can a village wine better a grand cru......well, if it's a Dujac..... A favorite of the twelve tasters and an over-achiever, a village wine that ages well, with a very nice bouquet, and floral. Balanced, round, elegant, with a soft mouth feel, it seemed feminine. Had notes of cherry fruit with some spice, nice acid and tannins. Still developing but enjoyed by all.

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  • 2002 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

    Another favorite of the dozen tasters, this is classic Nuits,with good fruit and grip. It had some cola and herbal notes along with dark fruit, some smokiness, was well-balanced and still young. Might be better in six years, though it had good length now.

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  • 2002 Domaine Newman Latricières-Chambertin 93 Points

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

    Was light and elegant, with flavors of tart cherry, pure fruit, some mushroom. This should improve with age, as it was complex but a bit shut down. Should have been decanted.

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Flight 5 - Blind tasting of merlots (4 Notes)

  • 2001 Avignonesi Desiderio 93 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

    Had low acidity and good balance, with flavors of stewed fruit, olives, and hay. Some of our dozen tasters liked this a lot, and others disagreed. The stewed fruit component was probably the differentiator in the debate.

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  • 2001 Leonetti Cellar Merlot Columbia Valley 93 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    Did not have much nose but had great structure and elegance, with soft, ripe dark fruit and high acidity. It needs time so seemed a bit austere, and identified by all as young new world. Tasted blind.

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  • 2000 Château La Gomerie 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion

    One of only two "major" Bordeaux wines that is a single grape (in ths case, merlot with the other producer La 'Fleur de Gay), this was tasted blind in a group of merlots. Way too young now, this wine improved greatly after four hours. Initially it was dry, and oaky, with graphite and mineral notes. It tasted more like a Pomerol than St. Emilion, though has bell pepper and vegetable flavors. Rustic, though well balanced and with much promise.

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  • 1998 Pahlmeyer Merlot 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Tasted blind, a favorite of many tasters as it drank well now. With a fruity nos and quite, ripe, it had notes of sweet black and red fruit, dark chocolate. It was a classic merlot with good acidity as it coated the mouth with cherry cola flavors. A nice food wine and the surprise favorite of this merlot flight, though it probably is at its prime and will not improve.

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Flight 6 - Classic dessert wines (4 Notes)

  • 1997 Isole e Olena Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 89 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Vin Santo del Chianti Classico

    The lleast favorite of four dessert wines in a flight, this might need time and definitely needs some bischotti. It had a caramel nose and flavors, with notes of apricots, Valencia orange, honey, and almonds. A bit heavy and hot, it might need more time to meld and balance out

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  • 2001 Alois Kracher Cuvée Eiswein 93 Points

    Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

    A favorite of the salon, and quite a bargain. It was the lightest of four dessert wines, with, good acidity and brightness. Well-balanced, it had a pretty, floral nose and notes of mango/pineapple/agave nectar, ripe apricot, and honeysuckle. Though the finish was rather short, it was refreshing, and would be wonderful at the beginning or end of a meal, with or without food.

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  • 1990 Château d'Yquem

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Controversial as some thought this wine was oxidized, some did not. For its fans, it had coconut on the nose, and notes of crème brulee, honey, sweet and savory, and some citrus. This was somewhat oxidized and other 1990's have shown much better; it had off-tones, less on the nose and more on the palate and finish. Still a treat to drink alongside vin santo, eiswein, and tokai.

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  • 2003 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 92 Points

    Hungary, Tokaji

    Bright, tropical fruit, with less viscosity than expected. Some tasters were surprised at how well it drank Had flavors of spicy apricot, quince, key lime peel, was very ripe fruit and sweet, with high acidity at the back-end.

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