WineBerserkers Offline

This was a very fun offline from the WineBerserkers Board in San Francisco. Thanks to all the people who came out! The wines all showed well, but I think my favorites of the night were the Verget Chablis (mine), Bouchard (Thanks Joel!), and Doisy Vedrines (Thanks Ami!).

• 2002 Verget Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Vieilles Vignes des Minots 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Light golden color; creamy, lemon-lime, aromatic; great acid, fuller body, white stone fruits. This was a superb Chablis, consistent with previous bottles and among the best Chablis I have tried. Great acid, complex nose and palate, very enjoyable. Superb! 93-94
  Day 2: Very enjoyable, but rounder and richer than yesterday without the same bursting acidity that made it so vibrant and enjoyable. Still an excellent wine today, very balanced.

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• 2010 Arianna Occhipinti Sicilia SP68 Bianco 88 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

  Incredibly aromatic, sweet/sugary nose, floral, white fruits, citrusy; palate is completely dry, good acid, somewhat less interesting than the nose; short finish. Less fruit on the palate than on the nose. 88

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• 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  Pale ruby color; nose of primary red fruit, cherries/strawberry, spice; juicy red fruit, light, fresh, very young; medium fine tannins, elegant. A very solid Burgundy, drinking well now but very young and not showing its future potential. 91++

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• 1998 Château Monbousquet 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Medium ruby color with some moderate bricking; nose of slight red fruits, some cedar, wood; palate has medium body, tannins kick in the midpalate and continue through the finish but are well integrated, fruit is lacking through the palate of this wine; finish is short.
  Update: 60 minutes- Drinking better, balanced, still light on the fruit but a bit more complex and goes well with food. I'm not sure what to think about this wine. This is not obviously flawed/corked, but it is so different from my prior note (lacks fruit) that I suspect it may be mildly corked. Still, it is decently enjoyable and pairs well with food. 88
  Day 2: I continue to think this is borderline corked. Still very little fruit, very short on the palate and finish, slight bitterness. Different from my last bottle. If I hadn't had the last bottle, I would just call this mediocre. I will need to open up another bottle soon.

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• 2009 Château Pavie Arômes de Pavie 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Medium-deep ruby color; ripe red fruits (a bit over-ripe and hot), some blackberry/cabernet; quite tannic on the palate with good black fruit; short-med finish. Modern style but recognizable bordeaux. 88-90

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• 2008 Château Troplong Mondot 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Deep ruby color; old world red fruits, relatively balanced and subtle, vanilla; palate has fresh, good red fruits, some soft tannins; moderate finish. This is a classic bordeaux that needs a lot of time to come together. 91-92

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• 1988 Château Doisy-Védrines 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Orange-ish color; very complex nose with a purity of fruit seen only in icewine, fresh apricot, slight caramel; palate is medium bodied, very fresh, great acid, clean fresh biting/searing fruits, short palate; short finish. This is a fabulous example of affordable sauternes that has real unique character and has a particularly rare blend of youthful vigor, acidity, and freshness, with a bit of aged complexity. The main flaw in this wine is the short length, which is common with Doisy Vedrines, but it is still a superb example of aged barsac that would be absolutely fabulous with food. Another reason to age sauternes... still has 5-10 years of life left but will not improve. 90-91
  Day 3: Deep orange color; nose is more mature with nutty, caramel, spice; palate has orange, citrus, short palate; short but fruit filled finish. A nicely aged, good sauternes, but falls short of the great estates (not a bad thing... the simple balance of this wine makes it a great pairing with food).

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