4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting

Joe's
Tasted Saturday, August 31, 2013 by AllRed with 690 views

Introduction

With the "uptown" theme, tasters are asked to step up the quality of the wine a bit from the normal tasting. Wines arrive bagged and are placed on a table from light to heavy and are then jumbled up a bit to try to keep one from knowing exactly where his wine is in a given flight. Each flight is tasted and unveiled before moving on to the next flight.

Flight 1 - Warm up whites (4 Notes)

  • 2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Light yellow color. Aromas of apple, vanilla and citrus with a bit of wood. The palate follows the bouquet with an underlying minerality. Opens further in the glass finally revealing its identity adding beeswax and lanolin notes to the apple and orchard fruit qualities. Rich texture with a long finish. Has a subtle nutty undertone. 93+ pts.

    This was decanted briefly about an hour & a half before it was tasted. At the end of the night I came back to this and it had opened even further. Almond, orchard fruit and beeswax quaities abound. Lovely.

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  • 2009 La Chablisienne Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

    Pale color. Lemon, vanilla, pear and melon notes. Apple and vanilla notes dominate as the wine warms. Pear, citrus, honeysuckle and stone flavors. Long finish.

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  • 2011 Carlisle Grüner Veltliner Steiner Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain

    Slightly darker color than the previous two; decanted. Honeyed apple, melon and floral notes with a waxy, Rhonish quality. Orhcard fruit flavors of the palate, with a long finish. Guessed older white Burg.

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  • 2004 Peter Michael Chardonnay Point Rouge 94 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Aromas of smoky lanolin, apple, honeysuckle give way to coconut milk, vanilla and caramel apple. Flavors of flint, apple, coconut, vanilla and honeysuckle. Guessed 2007 Peter Michael Chard. Drinking nicely, if on the young side, with plenty of life. 94+ pts.

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Flight 2 - Reds (4 Notes)

  • 1994 Spring Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Red Wine

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    Aroams of tobacco and iron, leather and black currants. Balanced, showing black fruit, graphite and red berry flavors. Long finish. I and a few others thought this was Bordeaux.

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  • 2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

    Faded ruby, with quite a bit of bricking. Aromas of cherry, rhubarb, barnyard and rose petals. Soft and integrated, with flavors of sour cherry, spice and red fruit. Has a nice finish.

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  • 2004 Domaine Leroy Nuits-Saint-Georges 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges

    Dusty garnet color with quite a bit of bricking. Cherry, Asian spices, earth, barnyard and white currant notes. Balanced, with flavors of red fruit, cherry and spice with a long finish.

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  • 2003 Paloma Merlot 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    Dark color. Opens with an odd cheesy note, but that quickly blows off leaving dark fruit, violets and chocolate. Flavors of blackberry, plum and chocolate. Loads of fruit that kept exapnding on the palate and the wine opened further in the glass. Developed a wonderful sweet, raspberry liqueur quality. Long balanced finish. Guessed Napa Cab.

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Flight 3 - Reds (4 Notes)

  • 1997 Niebaum-Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon Cask

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    Inky garnet color. Dusty red currant, chocolate, blackberry and herbs- rosemary and thyme. Nicely balanced with chocolate and black fruit flavors.

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  • 2002 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Tanbark Hill 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    Dark garnet color. Aromas of vanilla, coconut, blackberry and currants. Vanilla, cherry, black raspberry, blackberry and cassis flavors. Medium finish. Guessed '02 Napa Cab.

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  • 2001 Château Margaux Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Deep color. Aromas of iron and black fruit- perhaps just a slight bit of TCA too. Bell pepper and herb notes. Medium-bodied, with black currant and dark fruit qualities. Turns plummy and ripe with more air. I don't think this was a pristine example though.

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  • 1996 Flora Springs Trilogy 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Garnet core, lighter meniscus. Very floral; also currants, violets and plums. Medium-bodied and nicely integrated with loads of ripe fruit on the palate. Blue and black fruits with floral undertones. Nice finish.

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Flight 4 - Reds (3 Notes)

  • 1997 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

    Deep color. Aromas of black currants, cassis, cedar, graphite and red fruit. Impeccable balance. Black fruit, graphite, plum and violet qualities with a soft herbal undertone. Long, balanced finish. 94+ pts.

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  • 2001 Château Latour Grand Vin 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Inky garnet color. Aromas of red and black currants, beef blood, florals, licorice and roasted herbs. Tobacco notes emerge with additioanl air. Full-bodied with firm but approachable tannins and flavors of black fruit, herbs and iodine. The finish lingers for well over a minute. 94-95 pts. Guessed Bordeaux.

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  • 1997 Château Pontet-Canet

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Crimson color. Aromas of herbs, red currants and roasted bell pepper. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, featuring flavors of red fruit, herbs and blackberry. Guessed Bordeaux but would not have thought a '97.

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Flight 5 - Nonblind dinner/dessert wine (2 Notes)

  • 1998 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm 90 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    Blackberry, vanilla and plum liqueur aromas- shows a bit hot and ripe. Red fruit and roasted herb flavors of the palate. Slightly chalky feel to the tannins that remain. Medium finish.

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  • 2007 Peter Michael Les Pavots 94 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Notes of incense, dark fruit, currants and plum. Blueberry, cassis, incense, black cherry and herb flavors. Well-balanced with firm sweet tannins and a long finish. Terrific stuff.

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