Red Burgundy vs. Cold Climate Pinot tasting

• NV Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Pierre Moncuit-Delos Blanc de Blancs Brut 87 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Bought off the list at Colicchio & Sons. With time, the nose showed lots of fruit - tropical aspects - banana, with a solid backbone of yeast and bread. Very juicy on the palate, and when first drank it had that cocoa and malt ball creaminess I love, but the finish seemed harsh to me - couldn't give this the attention to get a full note. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 13.5/20.

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This flight was completely double blind: we knew the theme, but as it turns out, Matt had decided to throw in a ringer to test the idea of old Barolo being similar to old Red Burg.

• 1969 Domaine Pierre Naigeon Bonnes Mares 85 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Tasted 1.5x blind (Pinot/Burg tasting, but no idea at all about the wines in this flight). This was wine #1 of what I call Matt N's 'evil genius' flight. Solid, dark ruby-blood red. Lots of spice on the nose, but seems disjointed. Fruitcake? Some wet cardboard, lots of baked rhubarb & strawberry - creamy but somewhat mushy fruit. Subdued spice on the palate and wet cardboard, bitter (in a pretty good way), but quite unclear and murky. Tart. Lean finish - stemmy, more focus than the nose and mid-palate, with minerals and rhubarb. I liked the palate better than the nose, and the finish better than the palate. I guessed Californian. Matt wanted me to add that these bottles had been delivered just 2 days before. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 3.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12.5/20.

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• 1968 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Beaumont 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Tasted 1.5x blind (Pinot/Burg tasting, but no idea at all about the wines in this flight). This was wine #2 of what I call Matt N's 'evil genius' flight. Ruby red with some moderate bricking. Really weird on the nose: chemically-menthol, dark cherry fruit starts to show underneath. Seems volatile. Again with the fruitcake, stems, and menthol. Funky on the palate - medicinal, but good and sweet, iron, minerals, stone. Very lively and focused - driven. This is odd - the flavor profile is not my favorite, but the mouthfeel and structure are really compelling. Cherry and cherry pits, long excellent iron/mineral finish. At first I had no idea what this was - really weird, but then I realized that the flavor profile was similar to the freaky old Californians that Ryan brings (Inglenook Barbera from the 60's) so I guessed old Cali. Matt wanted me to note that this bottle had just been delivered a few days before. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 15.5/20.

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• 1969 Ceretto Barolo Zonchetta 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Tasted 1.5x blind (Pinot/Burg tasting, but no idea at all about the wines in this flight). This was wine #3 of what I call Matt N's 'evil genius' flight. Light cherry red. Old burg nose: earthy, meaty, a little dried cherry, rose petals - with time in glass a real concentrated almost candied bright red sweetness. Dry on the palate: funky, sauvage, barnyard, a touch floral and sweet fruit, but mostly secondary aspects on the palate - good mouthfeel and finish. This grew on me with time, and I ended up really liking it. Guessed old burgundy. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5/20.

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• 2008 Littorai Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasted blind. Brought by Julieanne. Deep dark red. Big nose of oak, iron, minerals, citrus zest. Concentrated, huge but wonderful. Young on the Palate, fruity, juicy. Lots of citrus. Palate feel has a lot of vibration (not focused). Minerals, but too much oak. Maybe this wine has the stuffing to integrate the wood over time - it is not closed now, but very young. Oaky finish. Not really my style. Guessed Cali pinot. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14/20.

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• 2001 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  Tasted blind. Brought by Adley. Closed on the nose - stems, strawberry, juicy fruit and zest, but restrained. Weird on the palate: lots of citrus, a huge rose petals aspect comes out some times. Young and tight. Good acid and creamy but taut mouthfeel. Lots of stems - really young still. Could be awesome in 10 years. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.

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• 2004 Domaine Trapet Chambertin 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted blind. Brought by Al. Medium ruby red. Herbal nose: tobacco, cannabis, green pepper. Similar on the palate: green peppery but better. Still young, some oak, good acid, but green all the way through. Guessed 2004 Burgundy - and indeed this wine was pretty decent but did not at all transcend the vintage. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 13.5/20

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• 2007 Antonin Guyon Corton-Clos du Roy Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  NOT tasted blind (Ryan poured it for me first and let me know what it was). My wine. Overripe and mushy on the nose - cherry and citrus, oak. Lots of vibration on the palate - really out of focus. Almost syrupy. Not good at all in my opinion. If you look at my notes you can see that I had this wine twice in the last month before this and loved it. This bottle was nothing like the last two, which were very similar to one another. Matt and I are convinced that this bottle was flawed in some way. For what it cost, I will take a ratio of 2 good to 1 flawed any day. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 3/6, Finish - 3/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 9.5/20.

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• 2006 Bernard Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur de Roy Très Vieilles Vignes 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Tasted blind. Brought by Josh K. Dark purple-red. Quite closed and reticent on the nose. Get glimmers of deep sweet fruit and florality: purple violets, but these glimpses are fleeting. A touch of lavender. Deep and dark on the palate - quite floral. Chewy tannins, but smooth. Really pure end-palate and finish of purple flowers. I guessed 06/08 Burg. Nose - 5+/6, Palate - 4.5+/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.

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• 2008 Weingut Kreuzberg Spätburgunder Devonschiefer Reserve Trocken 92 Points

  Germany, Ahr

  Tasted blind. Brought by Justin and Danielle. From the 2010 VDP auction. Medium-dark ruby red. Herbal, cherry and apricot fruits, minerals, petrol. Blindfolded, I would guess that this was a 1983 Von Schubert Spatlese. Seriously, this smells like German Riesling. Over time, sitting in the glass, the nose develops a wonderful candied strawberries. Very sweet on the palate, herbal and minerals - just like the nose and translates very nicely on the palate. Really focused and delineated. Herbal and oak elements on the finish, which is a touch blurry. I was shocked when I found out this was actually German - I had forgotten their might be a Spatburgunder in the line-up, and the group was shocked as well that I kept talking about German aspects. I never actually guessed it was a German Pinot, but still. Justin says that is most likely the same wine as the 'Goldkapsel' also listed in the tasting notes. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16/20.

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• 2007 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Green Valley of Russian River Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley

  Tasted blind. Brought by Josh K. Dark blue-red. Young sweet Pinot, citrus zest, minerals, blood, blue-red fruit: blueberry, blackberry, with a big sharp cinnamon aspect. A touch of heat. Young but balanced on the palate: big ripe blue fruit and minerals, quite balanced but a little heat. Solid decent minerally finish. I guessed this as a Rhys. Nose: 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.

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• 1993 Wild Horse Pinot Noir Cheval Sauvage 82 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

  From my cellar, bought on release and dragged across the country. NOT tasted blind (since Ryan poured it for me first and told me what it was.) Dark red-brown. Old nose - brown sugar, roasted, pruney. Syrupy on the palate - baked w brown sugar. OK mouthfeel but old. Probably way past its prime - too bad since I had a great bottle of 94 a year or two ago. Pruney on the palate as well. Get a glimmer of jam and strawberries. Nose - 3/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 11/20.

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• 2005 Lucie & Auguste Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Tasted blind. Brought by Josh K. Dark dark purple-blue. Very closed nose, dark, some heat, blueberry-blackberry, blood, tar, licorice. Closed on the palate as well, big, newer style - oak, but nice balance. Dark dark fruit. Tar and sweet fruit in the finish. Guessed 05 or 08 Red Burg. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.

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