CT Texas VI - Return to San Antonio

The usual suspects gathered in San Antonio for another weekend of great friendship and outstanding wines. The food highlight was Frederick's a place with great food. For me WOTN both nights came from Champagne.

Overall, this venue was disappointing. The appetizers were far too spicy for anything but the Riesling and the steak that I had was just plain dull. The folks that ordered the grouper got a well prepared piece of fish. WOTN was the Vilmart Champagne, a wine with laser focus.

• 1998 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Cuvée Creation 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/18/2013)

  I thought that this was spectacular. Great nose of crisp citrus, light toast, green apple, poached pears, and spice. On the palate, rich yet extremely focused with green apple, lemon curd, pears, and hint of toast. Long racy finish. The two champers provided a great start to the evening.

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• 2000 Vranken Champagne Demoiselle La Parisienne 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/18/2013)

  Nice nose of citrus, toast, and yeasty goodness. On the palate, focused lemon and apple flavors with a biscuity (is that even accurate?) sensation. Finish was good. All in all a very nice package.

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• 1974 Hugel Gewurztraminer Cuvée Tradition

  France, Alsace

  (10/18/2013)

  Nose of spice and white flowers with a hint of toffee. Not really anything on the palate. Nice beam of acidity on the finish. Too bad the fruit is gone because the rest of the package seems quite nice.

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• 2007 Penfolds Chardonnay Yattarna 92 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  (10/18/2013)

  Reductive nose, almost like petrol on Riesling with aromas of nice florals, pears, lemon curd, and flint. On the palate, rich with pears, key lime pie, mineral, and golden delicious apple. Nice long finish. Certainly would not have placed this as an Aussie. This continued to develop nicely as the night went on. I think I would hold it for a while longer.

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• 2010 Zepaltas Chardonnay Hanzell 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  (10/18/2013)

  Nice clean nose of green apple, lemon curd, and a hint of spice. On the palate, apples, meyer lemon, bit of toasty oak peeks through. Crisp finish. Need a little more time for the oak to integrate but overall a tasty package.

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• 2012 Zepaltas Sauvignon Blanc Trainwreck! 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Lake County

  (10/18/2013)

  Nose of grapefruit, fresh cut hay, lime, and lychee. On the palate, crisp grapefruit, lemongrass, hints of lime. Lean and clean finish. Well put together.

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• 2012 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  (10/18/2013)

  From magnum. Nice nose of fresh cut grass, citrus, white flowers, and a bit of lemongrass. On the palate full bodied and creamy more like chardonnay with citrus, chives, honeydew melon, and bits of spicy oak. Nice finish. I think that this would benefit from some more time to let the oak integrate.

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• 2007 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 92 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (10/18/2013)

  Nice nose aromas of fresh citrus, pear, coconut and pineapple. The palate is sweet with pear, coconut, and citrus, with a hint of minerality peeking through. Long sweet racy finish, good palate cleanser after some spicy appetizers.

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• 2011 Bruliam Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (10/18/2013)

  Nose of bright red cherry, spice, mushroom, black tea, cranberry, rhubarb and what can only be described as pinot funk. On the palate rich tart cherry, tea, clove, mushroom, cranberry. Long balanced finish with a bit of grip. Got better as it got air. I will be holding the rest of mine for a few years.

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• 2010 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  (10/18/2013)

  Signature RRV nose of bright cherry, raspberry and clove. On the palate, very clean with pie cherry, clove, and strawberry, Finishes very clean with nice acidity. Should age quite nicely.

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• 1994 Beringer Vineyards Merlot Bancroft Ranch 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  (10/18/2013)

  Great nose of mocha, plum, tobacco, and cedar. Very reminiscent of a good right bank Merlot. Unfortunately, there is not quite enough fruit to balance out the remaining acids and tannins. This was probably a great wine five years ago, now, it is fading into the sunset. Other bottles may have fared better.

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• 1997 Merryvale Profile 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/18/2013)

  Powerful nose of black fruits, cedar, tobacco, mocha, plum, and leather. On the palate rich, dense with black currant, blackberry, plum, mocha, tobacco, and cedar. Finishes with quite a bit of grip. Probably better in a few years but drinks very well right now.

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• 1996 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/18/2013)

  Lots to love here. Great signature nose of bright cherry, tobacco, cedar, plum, red currants, and hints of mint. On the palate, lush and light at the same time with sour cherry, red currant, cedar, tobacco, and hints of spice. Long balanced finish. Should stay at this plateau for quite a while. Drink or hold.

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• 2007 Cayuse God Only Knows 92 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (10/19/2013)

  After a bunch of older and more delicate wines, this one punches you square in the nose, and you LIKE it. Reductive nose of red raspberry, leather, black cherry, herbs, and some vanilla. On the palate, leathery full throttled flavor of red raspberry, black raspberry, and that great herbal quality you get on some CdP. Long finish with sturdy tannic grip. In another couple of years, this will be something very special.

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• 2007 Bott-Geyl Pinot Gris Sonnenglanz 90 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  (10/18/2013)

  This was out of place, should have been consumed earlier, the Tokay label led us to believe that botrytized but this was more of a typical Alsace Pinot Gris. That said, it is a delightful wine with flavors of pear, apple, and that great saline quality that Alsace PG has.

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• 1952 Kopke Porto Vintage 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  (10/18/2013)

  Nice nose of ripe red fruits, candied plum, raisins, and baking spices. On the palate, candied plum, caramel, rum raisins, and spice. Hot on the finish with decent grip and acidity. I did not get to this on night two where I would think that it had improved. I noticed that it when from a light garnet color to tawny after a night of air.

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The big surprise to me was the Garnacha. A complete wine with a bargain price, something I would like as a daily drinker. I enjoyed the Priorat the most.

• 2004 Bodegas Peñalba López Ribera del Duero Cyclo

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  (10/19/2013)

  Still impossible young. Nose of dark fruits, spice, leather, and soy. On the palate, red currant, black cherry, soy, smoked meats, some sort of mineral. Mouth drying tannic grip on the finish with decent acidity. Hold for a while longer.

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• 2004 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 91 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (10/19/2013)

  Double blind. Powerful nose of dark fruit, leather, cherries, and spice. On the palate rich red and dark fruit, leather spice, vanilla. Obvious oak on a drying tannic finish. Knew it was Tempranillo but would not have placed this in Rioja, obviously a more modern style. Hold for at least five years.

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• 2001 Celler Marc Ripoll Sans Priorat Closa Batllet 92 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  (10/19/2013)

  Served double blind. Great nose on this with red raspberry, kirsch, and a cinnamon spice thing along with a mineral aroma. On the palate powerful yet graceful with black raspberry, blackberry, black cherry, cinnamon, and a nice mineral streak. Gripping finish. I think that this needed just a big more air, wish I would have tried it the next day. Drink with a decant or hold. My favorite of the 4 Spaniards.

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• 2009 Bodegas Atalaya Almansa 90 Points

  Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa

  (10/19/2013)

  Served double blind. On the nose, bright red fruits, leather, spice, bit of heat. On the palate leathery with rich red fruit, herbs, spice, vanilla. Finishes with chewy tannins and some nice acidity, the heat up front disappeared. Guessed Garnacha FWIW. Like Tres Picos, hard to beat the value here.

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The food was outstanding, my only complaint was that the sauce on the foie gras was a little heavy handed. I tried another piece without the sauce and the preparation was perfect. My appetizer of escargot with chorizo was outstanding, one of the best things I have eaten in a long time and the calf liver I had was cooked perfectly with just enough sauce and seasoning. I would definitely go there again in a heartbeat. The 2002 Dom was WOTN, I expect big things from that wine in the future.

• 2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/19/2013)

  Nice nose of lemon, pear, hints of toast. On the palate, soft with pear, lively citrus, and roasted nuts. Clean finish. Very nice but seems like it is already at peak. Drink them if you have them. #3 of the Doms.

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• 2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/19/2013)

  Great nose of citrus, light toast, and sea air. On the rich, yet focused with lemon curd, green apple, pear, and quince. Linear focused finish with sharp acidity. Already great, this will be one to try again in a few years. Strong buy recommendation at current prices.

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• 2003 Dom Pérignon Champagne 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/19/2013)

  Great nose of citrus, apple, and strong toast component. On the palate rich and full more similar to the apple/pear dominant 2000 than the citrus dominant 2002. However, this has much more cut and verve than the 2000. Really stellar.

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• 2005 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Riesling Hengst 90 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  (10/19/2013)

  This bottle just did not do it for me tonight. Decent enough nose with petrol, pear, mineral, and cardamom. On the palate a bit oil, with pear, mineral, spice, and apple. Shortish finish lacking in the zing I was expecting. Really good, but just not that exciting.

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• 2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 92 Points

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

  (10/19/2013)

  Great nose of matchsticks, flint, apple, meyer lemon, and seashell. On the palate rich, yet dances across the tongue with meyer lemon, stone fruit, green apple, mineral and a hint of salted caramel. Long crisp finish. This probably at peak but feels like it can stay at this level for a good while.

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• 2007 Domaine Pierre Gelin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  (10/19/2013)

  Light ruby color. On the spicy and complex with cherry, red raspberry, forest floor, earth, great florals, and a nice funk. On the palate, precise and angular with decent red fruit and spice flavors. Tart mid-length finish with decent grip. Better days are ahead for this one 90-92.

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• 2007 Littorai Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  (10/19/2013)

  This comes across as very young with a great nose of pie cherry, cola, clove, forest floor, and hints of cranberry. On palate, very tart with pie cherry, spice, cranberry, and rhubarb. Nicely balanced finish. Drink or hold for short term.

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• 1997 Château Léoville Barton 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (10/19/2013)

  Full ruby color with no bricking. On the nose, nice aromas of plum, blackberry, cherry, and tobacco. On the palate nice flavor of dark berries, bright cherry, and tobacco. Nice finish with decent length and grip. My guess is that this is the best this particular wine will show. Drink over the next few years.

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• 1988 Château Meyney 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  (10/19/2013)

  Another aged Bordeaux that surpassed expectations. This had a nice nose of graphite, tobacco, cedar, hints of red and black fruit. On the palate more mineral, tobacco, iron, bits of black fruit, cedar. Still has some grip on the finish. Drink now before it loses the remaining charm.

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• 1996 Château Calon-Ségur 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  (10/19/2013)

  Nice nose of red and black currant, bell pepper, cedar, tobacco, hints of graphite. On the palate great depth and balance, with black currant, red currant, mocha, and cedar. Great grip on with a nice tannic finish. Still drinking very young. I would hold these for a while longer.

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• 1996 Château L'Evangile 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  (10/19/2013)

  The best of the Bordeaux wines tonight. Great nose of plum, black cherry, bit of barnyard, cigar box, melted licorice and mocha. On the palate silky with cherry, red plum, black raspberry, tobacco, anise, and mocha. Nice finish with smooth tannic grip. Delicious. Drink or continue to hold.

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• 2003 Château L'Evangile 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  (10/19/2013)

  This surprised me. I thought it would be all about power, but this has quit a bit of finesse too. Nose of dark fruits, espresso, mocha, hints of cedar. On the palate dark plum, black cherry, mocha, espresso, creamy texture. Substantial chewy finish. Hold for a while, great upside here.

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• 1990 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  (10/19/2013)

  I think this wine was helped by its pairings. Deep golden color with nice nose of dried apricot, dried pineapple, orange marmalade, and nice botrytis spice. On the palate, apricot, honey, tangerine, nice spice. Finishes nice needs a little more acid. Great pairing with the foie gras at the beginning of the meal and also had some with calves liver as well as gingered crème brulee. Each of those pairings helped the wine quite a bit. If I owned these, I would be drinking over the next few years, not enough acid to carry these much further.

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• 1989 Château Soucherie Coteaux du Layon Chaume 91 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon Chaume

  (10/19/2013)

  Nice nose of quince, ginger, apricots, and spice (nutmeg?). On the palate sweet yet quite light with apricot, baking spices, ginger, hints of sweet pears. Nice acidic finish lifts the entire package. Drink or hold, this should last quite a while.

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Thanks to everyone for coming and sharing. See all y'all again for CT VII in Galveston.