Washington State Takes Washington, DC

Jaime Smith, an old school Wine Library TV fan, was in town from Seattle, so the DC crew gathered to meet here and pop some great wines. The night started out with whites at Weygandt Wines in Cleveland Park, then we picked up across the street at Medium Rare, a new steakhouse. The service was quite good, although we did bring out own glasses. The food was quite good, albeit cookie-cutter. The wines and the awesome people stole the show. Jaime's a fan of bigger, bolder reds, and there was no shortage of big reds. The whites showed wonderfully as well. Thanks to Julius, Jaye and the others who traveled down to DC for this tasting. It was definitely a memorable one. And we definitely killed some bottles and brain cells.

The Pax Venus was actually tasted in between some of the reds, but I included the tasting notes here.

• 2007 Domaine Pascal Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  what a way to start off the evening. this is a great sancerre. there's a bit of nutiness and a hint of smoke behind the lemon and grapefruit aromas. the mouthfeel on this wine is intense and amazing. the palate is a rush of minerals, saline and grapefruit rind. searing acid and richness make this a great experience.

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• 2008 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Siebeldinger Im Sonnenschein Ganz Horn Riesling Großes Gewächs 94 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  wow, where do i start with this riesling? the nose is so complex: guava and lemon candy mingle with white pepper and chalk dust. the palate is really intense, making the pascal cotat seem restrained by comparison. rich guava and mango extract, lemon verbina, chalk, slate. the finish is just endless. this is really amazing in its youth, but this will continue toi develop complexity forever. thanks, matt, for bringing this great großes gewächs.

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• 2008 Jean-François Ganevat Grusse en Billat 91 Points

  France, Jura, Côtes du Jura

  i've never had a boring chardonnay from the jura. and this wine was no exception. the nose smells exactly like toasted marshmallows. i was worried this would be overoaked, but this wine has incredible balance. the acid and minerals on this wine are great. there's a density of yellow apple flavor, butterscotch and pears as well. this is one of those chardonnays that defies the old world/new world and dialectic. it's its own thing. tom, the great promoter of jura wines, brought this chardonnay and it definitely turned some heads and got some great conversation going.

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• 2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  great chablis from a great producer. this was poured for the chardonnay-haters, and it definitely changed some minds or at least quieted the chardonnay dissing. lime, slate and a hint of honey on the nose. the palate is gushing with fresh fruit and balanced with superb acid and minerality. lovely honeycomb on the finish to accent the citrus fruit.

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• 2005 Pax Vénus 86 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley

  this roussane blend has a really strange aroma of tuna fish. seriously. it's not a flaw, it's just weird. there's also some honeycomb. the palate is nutty as hell. hazelnut like crazy covered in honey and topped with hazelnuts. there has been some serious oak in this wine, but i still found it fun to drink. i think a lot of people found this flabby and overoaked.

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The 97 montepulciano stole the show here.

• 2006 Frederic Mabileau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Les Rouillères 84 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

  oops. i should've drank this bottle a while ago. the nose smelled like green pepper and garbage juice. it tastes like chorizo, green pepper and salted pork. the fruit has definitely waned, so this has become a bit hollow for me. over-the-hill.

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• 2001 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 85 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  stewed red fruit and roasted chestnuts on the nose. the palate is really plush. there's a creaminess to the mouthfeel that i really like. stewed plums, prunes and chocolate flavors. oh, yeah, and vanilla. lots of vanilla. this cabernet is in a strange phase right now. it has no acid at all. there is a tomato flavor but no acid. very strange. still, it's interesting, but not for people who don't like flabby wines.

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• 2006 Ridge Geyserville 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  i'm glad we threw a zin blend into the mix, and a ridge geyserville is always welcome at my table. the nose shows raspberry, blueberries and some toasty chocolate. plum cake, raspberry, salted caramel flavors are accented by some creaky oak that is wonderfully integrated. this was a crowd pleaser.

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• 1997 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo San Clemente 91 Points

  Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

  if there was a surprise of the evening, this was it. i couldn't believe how young this wine showed. it has so much life ahead of it, but it's in a great place right now. the nose is perfumed and lively, dried flowers and cherries and a hint of potpourri. the tannins are dense. creamy cherry fruit, chocolate and a bit of an herbal element. oak is balanced and the finish is long. this wine really stood out from the crowd.

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We're in DC, so Virginia reds find their way into our tastings. Even though they weren't great, they were interesting to sip. I was really impressed by how well the Linden Boisseau showed.

• 1990 Linden Cabernet Sauvignon 85 Points

  USA, Virginia

  the color on this aged virginia cabernet is still a solid purple. the nose smells like straight-up sangria and a hint of gym socks. this has an interesting mouthfeel, like chewing on pencil shavings or dried mushrooms. surprisingly, the tannins are still present. dried cherries and cranberries on the palate, with some stinky cheese and dust flavors as well. i was surprised that a 21-year-old virginia cab could still have life.

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• 2007 Pearmund Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Sandy Branch Vineyard 79 Points

  USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia

  the nose on this virginia cab smells like charred beef and some slimy dark fruit. the palate is mediocre at best.

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• 2008 Linden Boisseau 88 Points

  USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia

  alright, finally a virginia wine that's kicking. this blend of petit verdot, merlot and cab franc smells fantastic: peanut brittle, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries. the palate is full of ripe plum fruit but has tangy acid. a hint of burnt caramel on the finish, which has good length. brett brought this, and it seemed it was the favorite virginia wine. it was definitely my favorite virginia wine of the night.

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The old world reds, spare the brunello, really disappointed a lot of people, myself included.

• 1997 Château Léoville Las Cases 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  i was quite disappointed with this wine. i know 97 wasn't a great vintage, but this was still underperforming for me. maybe it was just bottle variation or storage, i'm not sure. the nose shows green pepper, dried currants and tomato paste. the palate is tangy and the tannins are solid. flavors of dried leaves, dried currants and black tea. good finish. a good wine, but not a great one.

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• 2004 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  i was happy to see an 04 brunello in the mix, especially an il poggione. superb nose of herbs, perfume and black licorice. fresh acid, silky body and great tannins. i would say this wine was a bit tight, and could've used a decant, but it was still solid. gorgeous cassis and vanilla flavors and then i get this distinct radish flavor that is really unique. silky finish.

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• 2001 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape Flawed

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  hmmm. i can't in good conscience rate this wine based on its showing. i've absolutely loved it before (93 points loved it), but something was off here. not sure about the specific flaw, but maybe just a bad bottle? and that's strange, because i've never had a bad bottle of charvin. really disappointing. tomato paste and chives on the nose. the palate showed this weird gassy flavor.

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I'm surprised my palate didn't explode.

• 2004 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope

  blackberries and burnt sugar on the nose. good acid. the fruit is a bit candied for me.

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• 2004 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills

  this bordeaux blend smells like purple laffy taffy, paint and sugar cane. the palate has fresh cranberries, raspberries and a distinct note of basil, which i really like. the heat on the finish bothers me a bit, but this is still a really good wine.

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• 2008 Gramercy Cellars Syrah Lagniappe 92 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  what a syrah. raspberries, sugar cane is matched with lavendar and meat. the palate is just gorgeous. plush, creamy and balanced. milk chocolate, plum skins and blueberries blend with meat and green olive to form a complex and delicious whole. delicious finish.

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• 2005 Tuck Beckstoffer Dancing Hares Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  brett is the man for bringing this superb bordeaux blend. pitch color. on the nose: dark, dark cherries, dark chocolate shavings, loam, charcoal. the nose is nothing short of intoxicating. the palate is so dense and viscous. this is ridiculously rich. you can't even think while sipping it because all your brain cares about is processing the unbelievable amount of flavors and sensations. its like paint drying on your palate. gorgeous finish. the intensity of this wine is matched only by its deliciousness.

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• 2005 Colgin IX Estate 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  what a cabernet blend. definitely one of the best i've had in a very long time. the nose is a wave of gorgeous aromas: red licorice, currant jam, charcoal, pencil shavings, plum pits. the palate is as round and beautiful as marilyn monroe. the tannins are grippy and dry, providing superb structure. the wine glides across the palate like melted butter, leaving flavors of cassis, plums, charcoal and toast to mingle on the incredibly long finish. this is one hell of a sexy wine. yes, it's young, but it's too good.

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Thanks for bringing this, Matt!

• 2006 Williams Selyem Gewürztraminer Late Harvest Saralee's Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  a perfect way to end the evening. beautiful orange color. the nose showed white pepper, orange marmalade, clovers and honey. the palate is just delicious. so balanced. the mouthfeel is superb and the orange rind, lychee nut and honeycomb flavors last forever on the finish. thanks, matt!

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