Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party

La Belle Vie, Mpls
Tasted Saturday, December 6, 2014 by rocknroller with 485 views

Introduction

This was the big annual holiday party at one of my favorite restaurants in town. 32 gathered for the wines paired to a 4 course tasting menu with some extra apps and goodies along the way. There was much more socializing than analyzing, so I did the best I could with limited and semi-legible notes.

Flight 1 - Starter Wines (5 Notes)

Flight 2 - Most of Our Table Wines (7 Notes)

  • 2002 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année Rosé 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    Medium salmon color - though it was hard to fully appreciate the color in the lighting. I really enjoyed this bottle. The nose was expressive with eath, pretty red berries, strawberry-almond shortcake, fresh cherry, citrus and minerals. The palate shines with an excellent combination of finesse and depth with good acidity, sleek, structured, with a burst of strawberry and red currant along with cherry tart, citrus, almond and crystalline minerality on a very long finish. This was a nice little treat.

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  • 1986 Dominus Estate 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Very dark red color. 15 minute double decant, great looking cork. Drank 1+ glass over 2 hours. This might not be in everyone's wheelhouse, but I was pretty pleased. Deeply earthy up front but with plenty of fruit, blueberry, red fruits, saddle leather, pencil lead. The palate is deep and silky, very nice texture, dark red fruits with some plum and black currant in the mix, horsey leather, very earthy, old school, medium grained tannins with a very long finish. This can go awhile.

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  • 2010 Olivier Leflaive Corton-Charlemagne 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

    Light gold color. 2oz pour over 45 minutes. This had been open for awhile when i got it. I thought this was just lovely, grand cru weight and power for sure. Floral on the nose with citrus and orange zest. The palate has fine depth and purity, crisp acidity, lemon, orange, orange peel, tree fruit, oak, and good length.

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  • 1991 Jean-Pierre Mugneret Echezeaux 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Medium red color with no bricking. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Start off a bit closed and introspective, but really blew up after about 20-30 minutes, becoming very floral with rose petals, dry earthiness, mushroom, mineral, and red fruit. The palate was red fruited, cherry, currants, earthy, lots of mineral character. Really quite good with time and drinks with youthful vigor. Thanks Craig.

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  • 1999 Hanzell Pinot Noir 90 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    Medium dark red color. Small pour. Mint, red fruits, medium plus body, firm tannins, a bit syrupy, spiced.

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  • 2012 Peay Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 90 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Small pour, no notes, nice, maybe not quite as good as i recall from other vintages.

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  • 2012 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 89 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Medium red color. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. This kind of suffered next to the burgs and the Hanzell tonight. Very ripe and primary, coming off sweet as a result, it was tough to really appreciate this. Maybe in a different setting this would have faired better. 88-89(+)pts.

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Flight 3 - Cross Table Wines (8 Notes)

  • 2000 Château Giscours 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Small pour. Very consistent with a bottle from a year ago. don't know what if any the decant was on this. It had a very nice nose with a lush and layered palate. Would liked to have more.

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  • 2003 Château Duhart-Milon 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Micro pour really, just enough to see some depth, earthy, barnyard, darker, liqueur like fruits. 91+(+)pts

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  • 1996 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    This was the same bottle as Dalluge and Chablis 28. I just had a small pour, but for me it was outstanding. I thought the nose had the typical perfume and complexity that I have associated with this wine in the past. Silky and elegant on the palate as usual. I agree this is in a great place, but if you got a few of these, I'd take my time.

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  • 2005 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de Tart Grand Cru

    I can't add much more than Chablis28 and I agree with the comment that it is pretty tightly wound. The few things I wrote down were muted nose, raspberry, leather, and LONG. 93(+)pts.

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  • 2000 Château Rol Valentin 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    From Mag. Small pour. Oak, nice, ripe fruit, earthy, dark fruited, firm tannins, young still.

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  • 2000 Château Brane-Cantenac 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Small pour, from Mag. The limited notes i was taking were largely gone by this point, but the nose exceeds the palate by a fair bit. Loved the nose, perfumed, typical Margaux, aromatic. The palate was a bit more restrained, dark fruits, some earth and still firm tannins with lingering oak influence. This had a 2 hour decant, but from Mag may have needed even more. 91+pts.

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  • 1999 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia 88 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Tasted, very small pour, good but unremarkable.

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  • 2004 Rene Lequin-Colin Bâtard-Montrachet 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

    Small pour, medium gold color. Good purity, lemon, lemon oil, mineral, earthy, toasted oak, long.

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Closing

Highlights would be the 2010 Leflaive CC, 1991 Mugneret Echezeaux, 1996 Mondavi, 1986 Dominus, 2002 Bollinger GA Rose, among others. There were a lot of other outstanding wines that never made to our table but I'm sure were excellent.

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