French Night @ Stefania's
San Jose
Tasted Sunday, April 24, 2011 by aagrawal with 990 views
Introduction
I had the privilege of going to a lovely offline and dinner held in San Jose by Paul and Stef. There wasn't a bad wine in the bunch, and there were a few (Corton, Solengo, Leoville) that I thought were stunning. I think the only wine that I missed was a Meursault, though I may have missed one or two others.
My favorite region is Sauternes, so I was thrilled to see three bottles/halves chilling at the end of the night. I've had the 1988 Suduiraut on one occasion before that this was consistent with that: Very enjoyable and excellent, though not stunning. The other two were a treat as well and held their own with the Suduiraut.
Thanks again Paul and Stef for being such generous hosts and providing such delicious food! And hopefully I'll see everyone again soon.
NV Apollonis (Michel Loriot) Champagne Extra Brut 89 Points
France, Champagne
Consistent stream of small bubbles. Nice balanced nose with yeasty, toasty, buttery notes. Balanced palate, refreshing. Ready to drink. 89
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2002 Michel Colin-Deléger et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru En Remilly 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Nice oily texture but still has good fresh acidic balance. Hint of spice/complexity on the nose. Good fruit. Still obviously very young without any hints of oxidation. Long length on the finish. 90+
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1999 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée 89 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Really lovely nose with baked pineapple and other tropical fruits. Palate is full, round, oily but lacks acidity to balance it for me. Seems mature and ready to drink. I may not be a big fan of rhone whites.
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2006 Domaine Vincent Sauvestre Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 85 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Buttery nose, bit bland for me but reasonably balanced.
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1998 Château Monbousquet 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Intense nose with concentrated black fruits and still a bit of overeager oak that needs to be integrated. Palate has good structure with red fruits, cherry. Tannins provide structure but aren't overwhelming. Overall just a tad young but definitely within its drinking window. Definitely made in a modern style. 92 with potential for 93-94 with a bit more time.
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1986 Prince Florent de Merode Corton-Bressandes 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
A phenomenal treat. I've never had burgundy so well aged. The nose had super-pure strawberry and red fruits. Palate still had enough residual tannin to provide structure and it had sensational acidity. Still had some great fruit on the palate as well. It actually went well with the steak. 93-94.
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2001 Argiano Solengo Toscana IGT 93 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Phenomenal nose with lovely complex fruit and a floral component. Palate had red fruit, good structure, and my favorite: good acidity. It seems mature or near-mature but I suspect it will last on its plateau for years. Long clean finish. 93-94
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1999 Château Potensac 85 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc
Good red fruits, balanced but simple especially when compared side by side with the Leoville.
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2002 Château Léoville Barton 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Lovely complex with great dark fruits on the nose with chalky and minerally notes. Palate still has strong tannins, still very young. Great balance. This is exactly my style: elegant, forceful, and has more than just fruit. 92+ with potential to improve when mature.
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2003 Château Moulinet-Lasserre 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Haven't tried too many Pomerol wines and this didn't impress me. Good red fruit on the nose, and palate was balanced, but I just thought the palate didn't show much. It was still enjoyable, and it did taste young so perhaps time will help?
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2008 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Crimson Clover 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Clara Valley
Really interesting wine with nice spice notes on the nose and palate. Great red fruits and good acidic balance (ie not over-ripe). Feels near-ready to drink and is very enjoyable now. Thanks Paul!
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1988 Château Suduiraut 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Burnt caramel nose still with good fruit. I thought the alcohol showed through a bit too much and the finish was short, but the palate still had good sweetness and flavor. This wine is likely on its plateau. 89-90
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1983 Château Coutet Barsac 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
A lovely honeyed, funky nose. Palate had great balance between sweetness and acidity. Excellent! 90-91
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1988 Château Broustet 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
Very clear dried apricots on the nose, lovely palate with great fruit including some peaches. Very good. 89
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