EWG: Young Chablis & Old Cabs

This showed very consistently, even the riper vintaged 06 to the 07's and the long decanted bottle to the pop 'n pours. Tight uniformly with their best days in the future. Still enjoyable if all you need is steely acid and minerals. All three look to be very nice a few more years to me.

• 2006 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Very tight initial with hints of sulfur this gave up some smokey aromatics later along with some caramel. A bit richer and bigger than the other two as expected but not overtly. In fact I was surprised at just how lean this was for 06.Clean though a bit chunky with air and more smoke. This needs a year or two more in my estimation. Nicely done.

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• 2007 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Spicy nose showing some sulfur and wet rocks in time. The fruit shows a bit round in the midpalate with the finish coming on a bit hard and steely at the moment. There is a nice wine here in search of some time. The concentration and structure are here to go for a while. Nice but tight like the other two on the night.

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• 2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Decanted six hours prior to consumption. The decanting didn't seem to dent this at all. Still being tight on the nose I was able to coax some minerals, sea water and sweet lemon with heavy swirling. Lengthy palate with strong tart acids and crunchy minerals but tightly fruited. Needs a couple more years but I like its frame.

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All four showed very well but the Heitz stole the show. I wish all of Napa made wines in this style these days. There are so many more vineyards up there than there were when this Fay was made and there could be a ton of world class, age worthy wine out there. The Keenan surprised me a lot. A damn fine wine in its own right that was ever changing.

• 1974 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This gave us about 20-30 minutes of interest before the fruit blew off into the wind. Notes of cocoa powder in front of some funky aged sherry like notes. Clean with bright acidity. Fruit is light and fades with air as mentioned. Good match for light foods but this was probably at its best 10 years back. Good stuff.

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• 1978 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Fay Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Nose of dark red bricks and cassis with light signs of oxidation. Gorgeous palate showing a balance of very ample fruit and secondary greener tobacco notes. Clean and still very concentrated. WOTN for me. A great treat. Outstanding wine.

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• 1983 Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This was ever changing and expressive for quite some time, never fading. Leafy cassis notes initially with some chocolate becoming very expressive later on with wet brick aromas. The fruit comes off a bit tight up front but there is great structure in the way of tannin and acid. Nice and clean. Overshadowed by the Heitz but this kept me coming back to it and continued to impress until we left.

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• 1986 Cafaro Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Ripe fruited on the nose with some leafy green notes. Clean and bright though darkly fruited. Tart acids. Drinking well now though surely at its peak as it doesn't have the dense concentrated fruit of its brethren.

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The Dunn has a chance to be something like the previous Heitz to me. Loads of potential there. Probably the most fruit driven Montelena I've tried.

• 1995 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  Showing some oxidation in front of green dill like aromas and sweet brown sugar. Juicy and light. This drank a bit simplistically. The other CT notes seems to be all over the place so there may be some bottle variation here. Not bad just not interesting.

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• 1995 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Notes of dark wood, black fruits and strongly dusty soil. Tight, cleanly structured, even with a strong note of cassis on the palate. This was more about potential but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. The kind of wine that harkens back to the classics of the 70's. Very good.

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• 1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Dense yet bright nose of dark cassis. Richly fruited palate that is slightly saucy. Weighty with lots of concentration and late greenish tannins. A bit soft for a Montelena but a very nice Cab leaning to the hedonistic. its worth noting that it is drinking that way 17 years post vintage though even with the signs of ripeness. I liked it but not a classic Montelena Estate.

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Robert Thornton put the dinner together and has a birthday in the near future so David brought this birth year treat in his honor.

• 1971 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  A touch funky on the nose with a strong peach cobbler scent. Sweet fruited peach flavors in front of strong acids and a clean feeling palate. This actually seemed a bit tight. This will probably never be a personal fav but it is going very strongly for its age and will probably be best with more time. Impressive.

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