Inaugural Wine Lair tasting with DGH and EH

A laid-back Saturday afternoon tasting in the lovely top-room of the SF wine center. I Coravined a Hyde de Villaine chard, which I'd liked in the '01 vintage, and an old friend - the Taluau '96. I also tapped an '09 of the Taluau to contrast. We gave these wines our full attention, and were rewarded with some great stories (except of course for the '09 Taluau).

• 2002 Hyde De Villaine Chardonnay 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Bottle 61910729, 1st Coravin. (note: in the future, pre-pour around 10 minutes and let it warm up from cellar temperature).
  
  Medium gold, star-bright in the glass. The nose had initial reductive notes that blew off quickly, giving way to a ridiculously sweet and intense nose of lemon curd, creme brulee, pear, pure vanilla tones, well-integrated oak, also a hint of dissociated wood, secondary trace hints of butterscotch, toffee, and tangerine (all very faint). Despite all these descriptors, the nose wasn’t over-sweet. None of us could resist returning to this over and over again to smell. EH likened the nose to a story of baking a lemon pound cake. First you smell the vanilla, the citrus, the butter, the cream. Then you smell it while baking - warm, expansive notes. Then as it matures in the glass you get more dried sweet aromas. Caramelization.
  
  In the mouth, medium+ body, medium+ alcohol (14.4%), medium-high acid (very nice clean lactic with a hint of mineral tartness on the finish). On the midpalate, ripe flavors of peach cream (the only hint of the peach yoplait I remember from the ’01) and melon, with well-integrated oak and creme brulee. It lingered on the finish, the secondary non-fruit aromas fading leaving a rich tone of lemon curd along with vibrant acidity. This wine is nervoux, exciting, delicious, well-articulated, and un-complicated. One can deconstruct the reasons why it works so well, or just smell it and sigh. We did a lot of both the former and the latter.
  A stunner of a bottle - despite being from ’02, it presents youthful and fresh. I have no idea what will happen to this with age.
  Score: Between 9 and 9.5

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• 2009 Joël Taluau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 75 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

  Bottle 62942025, 1st Coravin.
  Clear, bright, medium ruby in the glass with a ruby meniscus. On the nose, crass grape tones, floral, with fresh-cut yellow bell pepper (bell pepper marmalade?), and a hint of earth on the back end.
  In the mouth, med- body, med- alcohol, med acid. medium+ gritty tannins. Some indistinct black raspberry and bell peppers on the midpalate, but pretty flat - flabby, bitter, tannic, and lacks acidity. The balance is off, the fruit is barely there, and what is there isn’t that compelling or pleasant. We all agreed, it’s hard to imagine the ’09 could ever become something like the ’96 - I wonder what changed at the winery?
  
  Score: Around 7.5

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• 1996 Joël Taluau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 92 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

  Bottle 62175695 (magnum), 1st Coravin. (note: in the future, decant. After reading that I double-decanted this back in 2008, I wonder whether we did a disservice to the wine by not decanting).
  
  Light-to-medium garnet, slightly cloudy, bright, with a fully clear meniscus. Some light bricking. I expected more, given the 750 I opened in '08 had noticeable bricking as well. I wonder if the color aging is slowed because this is in magnum?
  
  The nose took a bit of time to open up (we should have decanted). Initial nose of dried sour cherries, freshly cut bell-pepper, dried leaves, forest floor, and some pure cherry tones at the core. After some time more stewed bell peppers emerged, along with fleeting, shifting glimpses of black raspberry and wild blueberries, more earth tones and a light savory/umami undertone. The nose is different than I remember, softer, leaner, softer.
  In the mouth, this is light-bodied, with medium+ acidity (tart, malic), medium tannins (still grippy - a bit grainy) and low alcohol. Low intensity, low extraction, but beautifully balanced with strong acidity and earth and cherries on the finish. It’s speaking softly, but saying interesting things. It’s also a bit of a memory, though different than I recall. I remember it as deeper, more intense. Given the fruit, acidity, and tannins, this may go many years more - the fruit isn’t fully tertiary yet, and maybe more savory and earthy notes will emerge.
  
  I have a hard time grading this objectively. It’s not extracted and polished like the 95 Pavie Macquin, but it has more on the palate than the Pavie, and it’s a lovely reminder of one of my first significant tasting experiences (I tasted this same vintage back in 2008).
  
  If wine could talk, this would say: “Hey, remember me? I’m still here. Slow down and listen. I’ve got a few new things to say.” Light, yet complex. Not overwhelmingly delicious, but beautiful and interesting. (I wonder if it would have gotten better had we properly decanted?). I'm looking forward to checking in with this in the future.
  
  Score: Around 9.

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A lovely showing by the Hyde de Villaine, and a fascinating contrast in the '96 Taluau. The '09 is just not very good.