San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 5/17/2014

Mr. & Mrs. Seaquam, visiting from Vancouver, pulled me out of mothballs as retired offline scribe, to take notes for this marvelous gathering. How could I say no to the birthday boy? Eleven oenophiles philed their way through sixteen bottles of wine over this six-hour extravaganza. We met at Seaquam's luxe penthouse suite at the Hotel Palomar, where we sampled artisan cheeses, downed four bottles of vintage champagne, admired the views of downtown and the Coronado Bay Bridge, and shared stories of how we survived the recent wildfires.

Then we walked down the block to the U.S. Grant Hotel and were whisked into the private dining room at the Grant Grill. Chef Mark Kropczynski designed a four-course menu based around our wine list, all coordinated by SD-Wineaux. The consensus was that the cuisine has improved markedly since our last visit there, matched by top-notch service. The wait staff seemed to know their way around a decent bottle of wine; unfazed by fragile corks; knowing when, whether and how to decant; yet also knowing when to defer to their wine-nerd guests. Stemware was by Rona.

First course was sea scallops and Maine lobster with sweet corn, saffron and chorizo risotto, and roasted peppers. The scallops were perfectly cooked, with mild sweet flavor and only a trace of grit, difficult to avoid with this mollusc.

Second course was sweetbreads with caramelized yogurt, Satsuma tangerines, and coffee-roasted carrots. Not a fan of calf thymus, I opted for quail instead.

Third course was roasted and braised lamb loin with white asparagus, morel mushrooms, and wild onion bread pudding. And dessert was some sort of affair involving praline cream, chocolate wafers, and cassis-stewed local cherries.

Tasting notes are my own, with as many quotations from other tasters as I could hear and scribble down. Point scores are omitted. Rankings are by group vote in two categories -- white (including sparkling) and red.

• 1998 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Clear medium yellow with fine bead. Notes of pleasantly tart cider, white grapefruit, ginger and white flowers, with hints of blackboard chalk, mushrooms, quinine, and sweet hay. Do schools still use real blackboards and chalk? Showing at least as well as in our previous offline with Seaquam six months ago. My #1, group's FIRST PLACE in this flight.

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• 2011 Rudius Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  14.5% alcohol. Clear light straw color. A big, hedonistic California chardonnay, overflowing with aromas and flavors of pear, lemon oil, smoky oak, and butter. Not overtly acidic, and might seem flabby alongside a white burgundy, but nevertheless seemed bright compared to the roussanne. Group's SECOND PLACE in this flight.

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• 2010 Stolpman Roussanne L'Avion 86 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

  100% roussanne, 14.3% alcohol. Clear light yellow color. Unusual bouquet of vanilla-scented candle, white peach, clover, nougat. Seaquam described fruit cocktail, with a bit of acetone. Low apparent acidity. It will be interesting to see if this wine follows a similar aging path as a white Rhone wine.

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• 2008 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  13.5% alcohol. Clear light straw yellow. Wonderful profile of white peach, fresh daisies, pummelo, quinine, golden kiwi, and beeswax. Pure and precise. Seaquam and I agreed that this wine is young, closed and tight, and will likely improve. My #2 in this flight.

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• 2004 Dusky Goose Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 92 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  14.5% alcohol. Clear dark garnet color. Rich bouquet of black raspberries, cherries, licorice, roses, lilacs, herbs and earth. Similar on the palate, well balanced with nice finish. Thankfully free of the cola and animal musk often found in American pinot noir. This is one potent pinot -- as dark, tannic, and full-bodied as a cabernet. Outstanding.

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• 2006 Bressan Schioppettino 90 Points

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Clear medium garnet-ruby red color. Striking bouquet of breath mints and exuberant, mouthwatering red cherries. Red Guy remarked about a note of anise, while Seaquam commented on a strong black pepper character. With time in the glass, this mellowed and harmonized considerably. At the table I reported that this was our group's third place in the flight, but on recounting the votes later (after sobering up), this wine in fact ranked fourth.

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• 1970 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 98 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  70% tempranillo, 20% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and malbec. Aged five years in large wooden "envases," another ten years in barriques, then bottled and cellared at the estate until release in 1995. Decanted gently about 30 minutes before tasting. Clear dark garnet-blood red color. Forgive me for waxing poetic with this wine. The act of leaning one's nose toward a glass of Unico is akin to leaning forward in one's seat in the concert hall, listening for the first notes of Massenet's opera Don Quixote. The first impression is sweet gun oil. Instantly I am transported through time and space to the Spanish countryside under Franco's rule, where I sit on a horse, carrying a pristine, freshly oiled antique hunting rifle with walnut stock. In my saddle bag, fresh red cherries and earthy black truffles for a picnic lunch. These are the aromas, flavors, sights and sounds I experienced with this wine. Seaquam offered a more conventional assessment, noting some qualities of mineral and lead pencil, and comparing the wine to a Lafite or Latour from a ripe vintage. A noble, profound wine, wearing the patina of age effortlessly, as it will for decades to come. My #2, group's SECOND PLACE in this flight.

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• 2001 Tenuta Fanti Brunello di Montalcino 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  14.5% alcohol. Decanted and served. Clear dark garnet-purple color. Aromas and flavors of boisterous, youthful fresh cherries, charcoal, stony soil, and new leather. Seaquam noted some coffee. Rich and generous, full body, lingering finish. Group's THIRD PLACE in this flight.

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• 2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  82% syrah, 13% mourvedre, 5% grenache. 15.7% alcohol. Opened, allowed to breathe in bottle, then decanted and re-bottled 4 hours before serving. Clear dark inky purple black color. Huge glorious bouquet of sweet boysenberry pie, jammy black fruit, bitter cocoa, sweet oak, vanilla and bourbon. Massively extracted yet balanced and structured. A 94 point bouquet with a 91 point palate.

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• 1967 Bertani Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Superiore Amarone 99 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Superiore

  Recent library release from the estate. Fill level, capsule, and label condition are like new. Traditional blend of ancient corvina, rondinella and molinara varietals. Gently decanted and served. Heavenly bouquet of rosemary, Christmas relish, cherries and cranberries, tangerine peel, with notions of wintergreen and dressage saddle. Seaquam, who generously shared this bottle, noted some dry chocolate-covered raisins in the bouquet. I found this wine to be bright, fresh, invigorating, nothing pruney or sur-maturite about it. Brilliant purity and structure with endless complexity. Medium body with no hint of its labeled 15% alcohol. A sublime, truly memorable wine. My #1 and group's FIRST PLACE in this flight.

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• 1989 Château Malescot St. Exupéry 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Decanted 30 minutes before tasting. Clear deep blood-garnet color. Classic Bordeaux bouquet of bright fresh red cassis, cherries, cigar humidor, stony soil, dried rose petals, and black truffles. Similar on the palate, seamless and balanced, medium-full body with lingering finish. As enjoyable as 1989 Palmer (tasted in 2010) for less than half the price. My #3 in this flight.

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• 1992 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon Flawed

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Opened, allowed to breathe in bottle, then decanted and re-bottled four hours before tasting. The consensus was that this bottle was corked. A pity, since this was WOTN at one of our previous offlines. Still, there was some nice sour cherry and underbrush showing.

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• 2011 Domaine La Tour Vieille Banyuls Rimage 85 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Banyuls

  16% alcohol. Clear dark garnet color. Not very expressive on the nose. A bit of muted cough syrup or kirsch with coaxing. Maybe too young, or going through a dumb phase? Tasted like a young "port lite." A very nice treat with dessert.

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The only regret was that the Unico and the Amarone couldn't share the throne tonight. Both were rare and unforgettable privileges to experience. Many thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Seaquam for hosting the pre-dinner reception at their hotel penthouse, for opening four bottles of vintage champagne (with two more bottles waiting in reserve), and for providing the impetus for the offline in the first place. This was the second consecutive offline in which they provided the top two wines of the night. Kudos also to SD-Wineaux for arranging the private dining room and the custom menu at Grant Grill. Thanks to all who attended and made the evening special. Seaquam, celebrating a milestone birthday this month, called this gathering "an embarrassment of riches." Looking forward to much future embarrassment with Mr. & Mrs. Seaquam and everyone else too. Cheers!