A fond farewell for Izzy and Rachel
Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL
Tasted Thursday, July 10, 2014 by KeithAkers with 577 views
Introduction
With Izzy accepting a position in Dallas, this month's Rotating Dinner Series dinner was a much less formal affair. Alan arranged for Max's Wine Dive to cater for us, and so, we had a big group of 20 people for the dinner.
Flight 1 (12 Notes)
Closing
This was a blast of a night. There was no real theme and we had a good amount of bottles. It's sad to see Izzy leave, but this was a fun send off. Hopefully they are back sooner than later!
NV Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules 92 Points
France, Champagne
Nose: There was a real clean and aromatic quality to the nose with biscuits, white fruits, pears, minerals, crushed rocks, and white florals. The nose is very complex with excellent depth.
Taste: Medium bodied with very noticeable medium/high acidity. The acidity is crisp and mouthwatering with biscuits, white fruits, minerals, crushed rocks, and white florals.
Overall: This was a great way to start off the evening. While the acidity was a bit on the sharp side, this is drinking great and is very enjoyable.
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NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Cuvée Sainte Anne 89 Points
France, Champagne
Nose: There is a real noticeable yeasty backdrop to the nose along with warm breads, dough, red apples, and some leesy notes. The nose is almost like stepping into a bakery in the morning along with a leesy touch.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity. The feel is very smooth and balanced with yeast, warm breads and dough, and red apples.
Overall: While this was on the fuller side, it wasn't a powerhouse. Instead it had some nuance and real balance to it that made it very enjoyable.
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2010 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Nose: The nose is very youthful and aromatic with green apples, white fruits, peaches, apricots, and some white florals. This is showing a lot of depth and class even at this nascent stage.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. There is a litheness to the feel with green apples, white fruits, white florals, and some peaches. There is a lot of youth to the feel with a lot of depth too.
Overall: This was from magnum and you can just sense that there is a tremendous wine. This would need a good amount of time even in 750 and it feels like it's a marathon runner.
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2002 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Nose: The nose is extremely aromatic and balanced with lemon peels, gun flint, crushed rocks, apples, floral tones, and some saline. There is excellent depth and layering that shows off some age.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. The feel is well balanced, refined, and deep with gun flint, crushed rocks, saline, lemon peels, and floral tones.
Overall: This is drinking beautifully. The gun flint tones were very prominent and really made the wine.
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2007 Jose Dhondt Champagne Grand Cru Mes Vieilles Vignes Blanc de Blancs 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Nose: The nose is very pristine and focused with green apples, white fruits, minerals, biscuits, pears, and some baked goods. The bready/biscuity tones really come through in a great way along with having a lot of depth and class.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The structure is very youthful and noticeable with green apples, biscuits, baked goods, minerals, and some white fruits.
Overall: This is very young, but there's a lot to like already. There is a lot of depth and poise and I would love to see where this goes with age.
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1978 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Nose: Absolutely stunning and gorgeous nose with eucalyptus, dark red cherries, cedar, mint, spice, and some leather tones. There is a ton of depth and layering that really draws you in.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and silky supporting tannins. The feel is gorgeous and regal with dark red cherries, eucalyptus, cedar, mint, and some leather tones.
Overall: This was an absolute beauty. This bottle was from a Magnum and it is far from being done.
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1983 Balgera Valtellina Superiore - Grumello 88 Points
Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Grumello
Nose: There is a coolness to the nose with rose hips, tar, red fruits, some earth notes, and violets. The nose has an airy quality to it with nice depth and class.
Taste: Medium bodied with noticeable high acidity. There is some tannin to this, but it's the acidity that's really poking through. The feel is slightly lacking on the mid and back palate with rose hips, tar, earth notes, and some red fruits.
Overall: I got to this later in the night, so it did feel like it may have fallen off a slight bit. Even getting to this later in the night, it was still lovely and perfumed.
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1997 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Nose: There is a lot of verve and balance with black fruits, leather, black cherries, black pepper, smoke, and some tobacco. There is a lot of class to the nose with excellent depth.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and noticeable, but not overbearing, tannins. The feel is refined and smooth with black fruits, leather, black pepper, black cherries, and some earth tones.
Overall: This was from a 3L. Naturally it showed younger than previous bottles. This showed off the elegance and class I would expect from La Chapelle and on the whole this showed very well.
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NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1990, 1994, 1996 (2009 Release) 93 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Nose: This was wound up a bit tight, but it had a real good intensity to it with tobacco, licorice, dark red cherries, leather, black fruits, and some smoke tones. There is a lot of depth to the nose with some layering too.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is very youthful and there is some real power with dark red cherries, tobacco, licorice, leather, smoke tones, and a touch of wood on the back end.
Overall: This is still very young. The nose is tight and the tannins are strong, but there is a great wine that will really show with age.
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1975 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Reserva
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
This didn't feel like it was completely there. There were pretty tones of coffee, leather, dark red fruits, and earth tones. But, the palate felt faded and somewhat faint.
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1997 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Nose: The nose was fairly open for business with red fruits, cherries, mint, saline notes, dark red berries, and cassis. There is excellent depth with a real heady red fruit core.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is as youthful as one would expect from a Dunn of this age. Even though the structure shows the youth of the wine there is a deep and polished feel with red fruits, cherries, mint, dark red berries, and cassis.
Overall: This was showing very well despite it being a young Dunn Howell Mountain. There is a very attractive red fruit core to the wine with a plushness to the feel as well.
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2000 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Nose: The nose is deep and layered with nutty tones, marzipan, hot oils, lemon curds, and oranges. There is a larger quality to the nose with there also being good intensity to the tones as well.
Taste: Full bodied with lower acidity. The feel has a richness to it with nutty tones, tropical citrus notes, lemon curds, oranges, marzipan, and some almond paste on the back end. Even though the acidity was lower, this was far from flabby.
Overall: This was a real pleasure to drink. It showed perfect maturity and there were no oxidative tones.
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