Monday Night Bottles

I got together with a good crew of work friends to celebrate the fact that it was a Monday night. Who needs an excuse to open some good bottles? Not I. Big thanks DH for his hospitality and generosity in pulling a few fun bottles from his cellar. There were a few other bottles floating around but these were the ones I managed to focus on.

• 2007 Marie-Courtin Champagne Efflorescence Extra Brut

  France, Champagne

  Very tight nosed to begin, showing just a little toasty yeast and chalk. On the palate though, this has incredible depth and power! Intense baked orchard fruit, with razor acidity that is incredibly long. Just a baby now but all the parts are in place for this to turn into something special with more bottle age. If drinking now, give this a good decant.

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• 2004 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg Flawed

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Corked.

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• 1999 Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

  Color just beginning to speak to its age. The nose here is so exotic, it's hard not to lose yourself in the glass. Spearmint, orange marmalade, tangerine and a touch of smokiness leap from the glass, leading to a palate that has uncharacteristic weight for Loire, but the telltale acidity and minerality of the region. Long, long, long. The first time I've had Dagueneau with this kind of age and it was an eye-opener, for sure. Outstanding.

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• 1990 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Rotes Tor

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Served blind. Copper colored. Really complex nose, showing graham cracker, grainy cereal-like aromas, and a touch of honey. Surprisingly youthful palate with impressive acidity, but all of the character here is tertiary and closes with the tell-tale Wachau white pepper. I actually nailed the grape and region, but guessed it was closer to 15 years old, not 20+. Who knew Gruner could age like this? Fascinating!

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• 1995 Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Served blind. Ever so slight bricking at the rim, with an incredibly expressive nose of saddle leather, olive tapenade and dried cherry. The palate showed dark fruits and tobacco, with fine grained, but very-present tannins that made me think this was much younger. So elegant and "sophisticated" in style. My guess started in Tuscany with all that leather but I eventually settled on right bank Bordeaux. I was completely floored when it was revealed as California Cabernet. They don't make 'em like this anymore... at least most of them don't.

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