New Year's Eve: WineSpectator.com Offline, San Diego
San Diego
Tasted Monday, December 31, 2012 by Javachip with 969 views
Introduction
With the Mayan apocalypse behind us but the fiscal cliff still looming, we opened some special wines on the final night of 2012. Mr. & Mrs. SD-Wineaux hosted a splendid evening of great people, great wines, and great food. We debated whether to vote on our favorite wines, or to simply admire each for its own merit. After some parliamentary maneuvering, we decided to rank them. Rankings are by group vote; point scores are my own. These tasting notes are brief, intended to get the conversation started.
Flight 1 (16 Notes)
Mrs. SD-Wineaux's entree of beef rouladen set a new reference point for fork-tender, juicy perfection.
Closing
Many thanks to Mr. & Mrs. SD-Wineaux for a truly wonderful gathering. How or why they keep doing it, I don't know. They're probably still sweeping up shards of Riedel glassware as I type this. (It wasn't a Master Sommelier, was it?)
1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points
France, Champagne
Clear straw yellow color. Scant mousse, very fine bead. Initial bouquet of brioche and mushrooms, leading into wondrous notes of apples and lemons, with chalky minerality. Complex, refined, with a great sense of purity and precision. My #4 and group's FIRST PLACE by a wide margin.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne
The label indicates "Le Mesnil Sur Oger." This is a non-vintage cuvee from the producer of Salon. Clear light pale straw color. Vigorous mousse, medium bead. Yeasty bread dough, apples, pear, white grapefruit. With less sense of terroir, less delineation and wow-factor, and much less damage to the pocketbook than its big brother.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2011 J.A. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé
Clear light straw color. Light fresh notes of white grapefruit, Macintosh apple, daisies, and minerals. Light and crisp.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1933 Château L'Evangile
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Mid shoulder fill. Cork was soft, crumbly, and covered with dark mold. Decanted gently and served immediately. Clear dark mahogany-chestnut-old blood color. Fully oxidized with notes of dry madeira and iodine. I wanted to believe that this wine still had something to offer, but terse Gigond Ass delivered the harsh truth with one word: "dead."
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1952 Château Mouton Rothschild
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Upper shoulder fill. Opened two hours in advance, then decanted gently and served immediately. Clear blood-ruby-brick-mahogany. Bouquet of forest floor, dried red currants, saddle leather, iron filings. Medium body with silky mouthfeel and short finish. Began to maderize after an hour, with notes of caramel and cashew. This wine has clearly seen better days, but still clinging to life. Thanks SD-Wineaux for this special treat.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 96 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
14.5% alcohol. Bright purple-cherry-garnet color. Wonderful notes of bright fresh berries, cedar, and minerals. Rich, seamless, great balance, with long finish. My #2 tonight.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Labels 94 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
Clear inky garnet-black with opaque core. Dense, extracted profile of red licorice, cherries, plums, and campfire, with more bacon fat character than the 2003 Jaboulet La Chapelle. Rich, opulent, over-the-top, full body and then some, with long finish. I'm always reaching for superlatives with SQN. A powerhouse of a wine, but impeccably balanced and, despite the low apparent acidity, very age-worthy. Group's SECOND PLACE tonight.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1968 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Clear ruby-brick red. Bright fresh red currants, cedar, leather. Seamless, balanced, medium body with lingering finish. Not merely "still alive," this particular bottle was truly outstanding.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1965 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage Selection 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Youthful garnet-ruby red. Fresh notes of red currants, earth, tobacco, leather. Pleasantly tart, with medium body and nice finish. Outstanding.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1995 Château de Fieuzal 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Bouquet of scorched earth and stones, fresh red currants, tobacco and leather. Seamless, balanced, medium body, outstanding.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1992 Pierre Damoy Chapelle-Chambertin 96 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru
Decanted 30 minutes before tasting. Clear medium ruby color. Seductive, sweet perfume of dried strawberries, raspberries, incense and potpourri. Just enough gaminess or clean barnyard to show it's real Burgundy. Complex, assertive but weightless on the palate. This is why "everyone ends up in Burgundy." Truly fabulous. My #1 and group's THIRD PLACE tonight.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Top shoulder fill. Decanted gently and served immediately. Hazy blood-ruby color. Notes of tart red berries, cedar, leather and iron filings. Beautifully balanced, mellow, seamless, medium body, lingering finish. My #3 tonight. The winner of the famous 1976 Paris Tasting, still going strong at age 39.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1997 Struzziero Taurasi Villa Fosca 91 Points
Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG
100% Aglianico. Clear medium garnet-purple. Intense bouquet of sweet red cherries, leather, savory herbs. Firm mouth-puckering tannins on the palate, with full body and medium finish. Plenty of Italian character, in a good way -- reminiscent of a fine nebbiolo or sangiovese grosso. I hope to try more of this varietal -- especially with a bit more age.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1998 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 93 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru
Clear light straw-honey color. Bouquet of quince paste, honey, apricot, apple cider. Similar on the palate, fresh and delicious. Excellent with apple pie.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1976 Château Suduiraut 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Clear light-medium amber-copper-gold color. Bouquet of pine needles, apricot, honey, pumpkin pie. Similar on the palate, with some mossiness. Oily and viscous on the palate, with long finish. I think decanting for an hour would have helped, and hope someone will post notes on subsequent tastings from this bottle.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 92 Points
France, Champagne
Brut, 60% pinot noir, 40% chardonnay, disgorged 11/2011. Opened at midnight, by which time my taste buds were on life support. Delicious wine with notes of fresh bread dough, apple and pear. Wonderful acidity providing structure and freshness. Outstanding now, and may improve with a few more years.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue