Dinner with Kent

This was a lovely dinner, partially to celebrate my upcoming graduation from medical school. The lineup was fantastic, and the wines all showed well.

This half of Krug was showing superbly tonight. It was truly a delight to enjoy, and it far surpassed any of the Champagnes at the champagne tasting I went to yesterday.

• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  From a half. This was the old label- red label, with substantial bottle age. This was lovely: smooth, round, full bodied, yeasty, citrus and fresh, nice acidic bite to the finish that was mouthwatering and left the palate refreshed. Overall this is a very complex, full bodied, balanced wine that was drinking at peak. One of the best of the times that I've had Krug NV. 93.

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Thankfully, my last bottle of 1994 Seavey wasn't corked (like last time...). It showed really well with an intense nose. The Mascarello took a lot of time to open (and never fully opened, I think), though it had great balance and traditional structure. I suspect it will be excellent some day (a decade) in the future.

• 1994 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Medium ruby red; Nose had great intensity while decanting, but immediately after pouring seems like it is losing some of its fruit, some red fruits remaining, cedar box, slight green; palate is full bodied, high acid, red fruits; finish is medium length. A balanced california cab, enjoyable today with a meal, but I think this is finally past its prime. This was my last bottle. 90-91
  Update: 30-45 minutes double decanting- nose is really showing well now with more black fruits, more full body, hints of eucalyptus/menthol on the nose. Palate was balanced and nice but lacked a bit of concentration on the midpalate. Of note, the color on this wine showed very little to no bricking. This is overall a lovely wine with a spectacular nose that is probably now on the downslope. I've had a set of lovely experiences with this wine over the last few years, and this was a lovely capstone. 92

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• 1999 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This was a fascinating wine, though I suspect that it was somewhat closed all night. Nose showed red fruits, spice, a little tight; palate was very traditional and focused on structure, nice balanced fruit, great acid that cut through any tomato sauce. This was a superb food wine, but it was primary, young, and needed plenty of time to open up. I would love to try this again in a decade. 91-93

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This was truly superb. Kent had me taste these blind, which was a lot of fun. I had tasted the 1989 before, but I was going based off what I had heard of the 1988, so I was pleasantly surprised when I identified the wines correctly. They were both very similar in a lot of ways (color, style, flavors), though the 1989 showed slightly more mature than the 1988. I think it was clear that the 1988 was the better wine (great acidic tension, youthful fruit, slightly better balance), though the 1989 was showing very well today and at peak. If anything, the 1989 had the more intense, mature, and complex nose with notes of caramel and copper, among a lot of other things. Overall, both were spectacular. If you have both, drink the 1989s now and hold the 1988s. A truly once-in-a-lifetime tasting to be able to compare these side by side at the same time.

• 1988 Château d'Yquem 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  From a half. Tasted blind side by side with the 1989 Yquem, and I could pick this out as the 1988. (I had never tried the 1988 before but had tried the 1989.) The color on this is exactly the same as the 1989: golden-orange. Nose is superb with young, fresh fruit, nice spice; palate has fabulous acidic tension with slight tingle that comes with high acid, youthful sweetness, full body but fresh, light (but concentrated), fruity; finish is long, clean. This is a superb, still quite young, Yquem showing a lot of primary fruit and great balance between sweetness and acidity. This has much improvement ahead but was fantastic now and is showing character. As usual, Yquem strikes a great balance between richness and lightness. 96-98+ (97++)
  Day 2: The nose on this wine is ever so slightly more reticent than the very forward 1989. Today the 88 has developed a more pronounced baking spice nose. The palate on this is silly good, and it has an excitement and a tension that the 89 lacks, though the 89 is certainly drinking very well now. Superb.

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• 1989 Château d'Yquem 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  From a half. Tasted blind side by side with the 1988 Yquem, and I could pick this out as the 1989. (I had never tried the 1988 before but had tried the 1989.) The color on this is exactly the same as the 1988: golden-orange. Nose is superb (perhaps more forward than the '88) and showing more mature characteristics of dried apricot, dried fruit, nice spice, some copper notes, slight caramel; palate shows great mature balance between dried fruit, acidity, sweetness, and slight copper mature notes; finish is long and clean. This is a superb sauternes showing at peak now, more mature than the 1988 but also perhaps more aromatic and showing more of its potential. As usual, Yquem strikes a great balance between richness and lightness. 95-96
  Day 2: This has held up very well (without necessarily improving) and is consistent with notes from yesterday. The nose on this is sublime.

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Dinner was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed Bella Trattoria with its excellent food and their superb service (and accommodation of our wines). Everything paired very well with the courses (Champagne, reds, and sauternes... antipasta/meats, carpaccio, butternut squash ravioli, Italian-style pizza, and risotto).