Weekend in Cleveland

Tasted Friday, April 4, 2014 - Tuesday, April 8, 2014 by drrobvino with 547 views

Flight 1 (9 Notes)

  • 2013 Sandhi Wines Rosé of Pinot Noir 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (4/4/2014)

    Crazy, crazy delicious Sancerre-like rose of PN.
    Nose of watermelon, strawberry, nectarine, and slate.
    Palate echoes the nose, with med+ flavors and great med+ acidity making this a fresh and energetic bottling.
    It is so very good, drink it up this year to retain all that freshness and fruitiness.
    One of the best rosés I've ever had, period.

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  • 2008 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Terre de Vertus 94 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    (4/6/2014)

    Stunning bubbly.
    Precise and elegant mousse, so light and airy on the palate. Friends said they had "never had Champagne like this before."
    It was utterly delicious, brilliantly bright and energetic, med+ intensity flavors and acidity, just so well balanced, beautiful complexity. This is 2008 vintage, and will continue to evolve and improve for 3-4 years, and drink well through 2024.

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  • 2011 Pierre-Marie Chermette Moulin-à-Vent Les Trois Roches 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent

    (4/5/2014)

    Tasted over 2 days at a weekend tasting event.
    This Beaujolais was firm and tight to the chest right out of the gates. Not a lot of takers. As the evening wound down, it was left in a decanter overnite at room temp. The next day, this wine has blossomed into something quite special, showing beautiful purity of sappy red fruit, lovely soil undertones, and a streak of med+ acidity making this wine so fresh and alive. Although it can be drunk now, it will improve in bottle through 2019, and drink well through 2030 or so.
    I would say to hold it a few more years for the minerality and fruit to better integrate and unwind. A very nice bottle.

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  • 2006 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 88 Points

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

    (4/6/2014)

    This is an 8 yr old Burg from NSG.
    A nice med intensity nose that was a bit more ripe than I was expecting, with red and black cherry fruit, and some earthiness and leather aromas.
    The palate showed a med(-) bodied wine, honestly it was a bit thinner and lighter upon opening than I was expecting. The med intensity tannins started to come out to play and open up over the next hour in a decanter. This wine needs a bit more time, and may continue to improve for another 2-4 years, and drink well through 2020 or so.

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  • 2005 Patrice Rion Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques 76 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    (4/5/2014)

    Tasted against several other burgundies, this one was a disappointment. The least Burgundian of them all, it was more fruit forward (but in a less appealing, overly ripened way), less earth, and the structure was really thin and watery. Tannins were all but resolved. This was everything I usually say that Burgundy is not. I have 2 more of these, hopefully it is just a bad bottle, but the cork seemed perfect, and stored in perfect conditions since purchase.

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  • NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé 94 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    (4/5/2014)

    See previous TN. This wine is fantastic, drink through 2019 or so.

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  • 2011 Maison Albert Bichot Pommard Clos des Ursulines Domaine du Pavillon 89 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard

    (4/8/2014)

    Very nice, straightforward Burgundy that we consumed far too young. I think it will be far more special and merit a 92 point score if cellared until 2018+. Currently it wasn't offering much complexity on the nose, and only a little more on the palate. Nice structure however, med tannins, built to last.

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  • 2004 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Premier Cru Millésime Or 88 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    (4/5/2014)

    Tried 6+ different bottles of Champagne on a recent trip. This was a bit more yeasty and bready than the others, and it actually was a bit distractingly so, to this wine's detriment. The wine was really well made and seemed fully mature and ready to drink. Just in a style that is not my personal favorite.

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  • 2007 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Stellwagen 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    (4/6/2014)

    Brought to a tasting, and sadly, I did not get to try it.
    Friends gave me a score of 88, so this is a heresay grade...

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Flight 2 (8 Notes)

  • NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut 93 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    (4/5/2014)

    Disgorged 12/2011.
    Stunning bubbly, rich mousse, full bodied, notes of honey, warm bread crust, lemon meringue pie, and a steely minerality.
    Beautiful acidity to balance the slight residual sugar. Finish goes on and on.
    This Champagne is better than it was even just 6 mos ago. Will continue to improve in bottle for 3 years and drink beautifully through 2020+.

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  • 2001 Giuseppe Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore 91 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore

    (4/5/2014)

    Decanted and enjoyed over a few hours.
    This wine may have suffered a bit from traveling in a car 4 hours prior to being consumed.
    Nose shows developed aromas of earth, leather, tobacco, soil, espresso, dark chocolate, and ripened black cherry. Very complex, slightly muted today.
    Palate showed beautiful structure, refined and resolving tannins that come across with a bit of astringency, which is nice. The wine is med in body, and in spite of 15% alcohol, doesn't have any noticeable heat on the palate. The fruit is a bit more ripe than I remember from previous tastings of this wine, but it did appear to be ready to drink and at it's peak. I would say it can easily hold this peak drinking window through 2018+, but it is delicious now, and I would err on the side of sooner rather than later. Quite good, but this time it was not as outstanding as past tastings.

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  • 2000 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (4/5/2014)

    This was a very nice bottle of maturing Barolo from a great producer. Made in a bit more of a modern (big) style, yet with structure that speaks of the pedigree of this producer and vineyard.
    Decanted and consumed over a few hours.
    The nose was a bit muted, showing developing aromas of tar, leather, and fairly ripe plum and pomegranate.
    The palate showed a full bodied wine, with fairly supple med intensity tannins, and med acidity...I would've enjoyed a bit more acidity. The finish is med length, echoing notes from the palate.
    This is a well balanced wine with ample complexity, just not quite as tannic, tart, or acidic as I come to expect from great Baroli. Will drink well through 2020 or so. Very good, but not great on this showing.

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  • 2001 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barolo Vürsù Vigneto Campè 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (4/5/2014)

    This is a big monster of a new world style Barolo. That being said, it has a lot to appreciate, and it is getting to the level of maturity that it is integrating better, showing off polished med intensity tannins. I have had this wine a few times in the past. This time, the wine came across a bit more "ripe" with the fruit profile, which I do not prefer, but there were loads of soil-laden notes on the nose and palate to make the wine interesting and tasty. It is a centerpiece wine, better to drink and discuss than to have with a meal, due to its full body, higher alcohol, and ripened fruit.
    I think this wine is more about the fruit, it has reached a nice level of maturity, and should be consumed through 2020 while the fruit is still there to appreciate.

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  • 1997 Martin Müllen Kröver Paradies Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken 90 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    (4/5/2014)

    See previous notes. Slightly leaner acid in this bottle, but delicious apple and honey aromas and flavors, with developed petroleum notes. This wine is fully mature, yet will drink well through 2018 or so.

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  • 2000 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Sorì Paitin 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    (4/5/2014)

    I have had the opportunity to enjoy several vintages of this lovely Barbaresco. I have always been duly impressed with the quality, finesses, and food-pairing ability of these wines. Also, quite a nice value.
    This particular evening, the wine was decanted and enjoyed over a 3-4 hour period. It slowly opened up with notes of tart red cherry, moist soil, tobacco, saddle leather, and a florality. The wine is lovely, med bodied, med alcohol, with dusty, med intensity tannins which will allow this wine to drink well through 2018 or so. Very nice.

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  • 2004 Henri Goutorbe Champagne Grand Cru Special Club 92 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (4/5/2014)

    Fantastic sparkler. Tart pear and apple fruit, mild yeasty character on the nose and palate. Super fine bubbles, delicious med+ finish. Will improve another 2-3 years and last through 2024.

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  • 2002 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    (4/5/2014)

    A very delicious BdB Champagne.
    Fine bubbles, gorgeous mousse.
    Ever so slight tastiness on the delicate nose of med intensity apple and lemon fruit, with a chalkiness and minerality evident on the nose and palate. Flavors are echoed on the palate, with med+ intensity acidity, and med+ length finish that is delicate yet so finely balanced and lingering.
    Delicious now, will improve another 2-3 years and drink well through 2024 or so, IMHO.

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