Friday Offline with Mostly Old World Gems

This was another relatively impromtu tasting of six of us that, as always, seemed to bring out some really good wine. Good food, good friends, and good wine...a can't miss formula!

• 2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Pale gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 40 minutes. The nose offers citrus, yeast, minerals, a bit of toast, and some earth. The palate shows yeast, minerals, citrus, some chalk, and a medium plus finish. This struck me as young and having further to go, but at present just a little better than the Brut Premier. 91(+)pts.

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• 2006 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Light-medium gold color, rather turbid. PNP, drank 1 glass over 60 minutes. I thought the nose was showing well, lemon, minerals, restrained oak and some spice. The palate though seemed rather non-descript. There was citrus, but the energy was lacking, the oak seemed to dominate and the wood spices. Some thought it was showing alcohol, for me it was all about the oak being dominant and sharp and the fruit fading into the background. The question becomes is this that far past peak. This was certainly very pleasant and drinkable with the nose far more interesting than the palate, but compared to a bottle 2 years ago that was a unanimous WOTN along with the few recent CT notes; one has to wonder if this was a poor bottle or if the bottom fell out that quickly. Will be curious to see if anyone has more that show well.

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• 2005 Daniel Bocquenet Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Saint-Julien 89 Points

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

  Dark red color. Decanted for about an hour. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Very good nose with an good amount of fruit, blueberry, cherry, red currant, dry earth. The palate is fairly tart, tart red fruit, cherry, wood spice, dry earth, mineral, red currants, medium finish. Seemed to open further in glass and may improve modestly. 89(+?)pts.

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• 2007 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 91 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Medium red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 60+ minutes. Very inviting fruit forward nose with ripe strawberry and raspberry up front, intense, and spice. The palate is remarkably vibrant and lithe, great ripe berry notes with an essence of sweetness, elegant and feminine but carrying an intensity that can't be missed. Medium plus to long finish. Nicely balanced. Funny how this vintage got panned at first; but this has such gorgeous fruit, it goes to show how great winemakers with good terroir and and instincts make outstanding wines. From their young vines which were 25 year old vines...which doesn't hurt either. Very enjoyable. 91+pts.

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• 2001 Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel Ribera del Duero Gran Resalte 93 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Very dark red color. Slow-O for 3+ hours then decanted for 30 minutes. Drank 1+ glass over 1.5 hours. Very, very impressive with excellent complexity - constantly changing on the nose offering up a cornucopia of scents with earth, a touch of funk at times, red and black fruits with cherry, black cherry, and some creme de cassis, mint, cigar, spices, and underbrush. The palate is equally pleasing and complex, with tobacco, black cherry, cassis, dried berries, tar,deep and almost chewy, full bodied, intense, tannins are prominent but nicely textured and round. Long finish. This baby can go 5-10 years. 93+(+)pts. My and group WOTN.

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• 1990 Château Sociando-Mallet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Very dark red - purple color. Slow-O for about 2-3 hours, drank 1 glass over 60 minutes. This was quite funky on the front end, plenty of barnyard that largely resolved, the damp earth remains with black fruits, a bit vegetal, wood, spice. The palate is fairly dense, earthy, black fruits, cassis, black plum, spice, oak, still shows some tannins despite the age though they are generally round. Medium plus finish. This shows a touch of alcohol at times. Fully mature; this should maintain for about 5 years. 91+pts.

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• 1999 Château Haut-Bailly 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Very dark red-purple color. Decanted for 4 hours prior to drinking 1 glass over 60 minutes plus. Nose is shows plenty of black fruits, dense, blackberry, cassis, licorice, spices. The well concentrated palate has tar, graphite, smoke, black fruits,dark cherry, oak, firm tannins, and spices. Definitely benefited from the decant.

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• NV Yalumba Muscat Museum Reserve 91 Points

  Australia, South Eastern

  Darker amber color. From 375ml, drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. The nose is sweet, maple syrup, caramel, raisin. The palate is almost syrupy, sweet, maple syrup, caramel, raisin, a touch of date, round, medium plus finish. 91+pts.

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Excellent mix of wines with some dandies. I had been looking forward to the 1990 Sociando-Mallet so that was a nice treat along with the 2001 Resalte and several others. Thanks everyone for a great afternoon. The time sure flies!