This come across as youthful and vibrant, slightly leaning to the rich side of things, though perhaps lacking a touch of complexity for today. The nose reveals peach, honeydew melon, caramel apple, honey, white flowers, light hints of toffee and mint. The palate has an inherent rich, roundness with linear acidic peach notes running across the medium plus finish. Hard to evaluate today because I think it's best days are ahead of it, though I have heard other showings have been more open. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt at 92 based on potential if perhaps not totally merited from this showing today.
Surprisingly still quite effervescent. This pours a fairly rich deep golden yellow. Nose is quite musty on the first pour, but that seemed to blow off somewhat. This comes across fairly advanced, even considering the age. The nose is of lightly sherried salted roasted nuts, herbs, pear, old furniture and a touch of caramel. I actually quite like this but it certainly is advanced. The palate is nicely acidic with not too much perceived dosage and a medium finish. Good, but certainly not as good as hoped.
I really love this style, beautiful, light, spiced, elegant. Some may find it too lean however. The nose is expansive with leather, animal fur, mint, wet soil, flint smoke, lemon, cumin and some bright, light, lively red fruit: pomegranate, cherry, raspberry. The palate is much leaner with green herbs, slightly austere tannin and good red fruited acid on the finish. Lovely.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
initially this featured very strong metallic notes on the nose, fortunately that lessened with air time. Over time the nose evolved to show raw beef, black and red licroice, tar, old wood, blackberry and black currants. The tannins are actually still quite firm with good moderate acid and a medium finish of lightly beefy and dark fruit notes.
Very difficult showing here from the '70 Palmer. Quite advanced with heavy bricking. The nose is entirely tertiary of soil, old furniture and an odd noxious gas aroma. While this was recently sourced from a reputable retailer I suspect there are better bottles of this out there.
Rayas makes such unusually wild wines and this is no exception. It takes the usual house style and is nearly entirely citrus driven and lacking in spice. I'll admit that if this was placed in a black, opaque glass I could easily blind this as a Sauternes on the nose. The nose is of marmalade, clove, orange zest, apricot and grapefruit. The palate shows low tannin and high citrusy acid on a moderate finish. What a weird wine. Not sure I can score it.
I think I may have liked this even better than the rest of the group. It pours a lovely translucent ruby with medium plus bricking. Just a gorgeous and classic intense nose of green olive, creosote, blackberry, dark roast coffee, sweet wet soil, dark cherry, corned beef and hair spray. The palate is sweet and round, still very much alive showing abundant dark cherry and smoke the the medium plus finish. Fantastic!
This pours a touch darker than the 85 la chapelle with medium plus bricking. The nose is neck and neck, showing a bit younger and darker. The nose is of black olive, leather, a slight metallic edge, saline, amaro liquor, cola, root beer, dark cherry and black currants. I do get some elevated alcohol on the finish along with all the dark fruit and spice of the nose. Lovely wine.
I thought this was a gorgeous wine and was totally the Mondavi house style. The nose was of sweet cedar, dried orange peel, leather, toasted cedar shavings, dark chocolate, cumin seed, dark cherry and cassis. The palate replays a lovely dark cherry, leather, sweet cedar and orange peel notes with integrated tannin, medium acid and a medium plus finish. I really liked this wine, up there with the best Mondavi's I've had.
This has a nicely mature profile that gives off an elevated, but not offensive level of ripeness with aromas of root beer, sassafras, brown spice, spice box, tobacco, cassis, blackberry and black currants. The palate shows the ripe round fruit, some dusty medium tannin remaining and a medium minus finish. Very good, but not a standout tonight.
There was a touch of VA on this bottle but not enough to really bother me. The nose is fairly straightforward but is nicely mature of blackberry, black currant, wet earth, plum, moss and hints of tobacco. The palate is simple but also plush and round with plummy dark fruit. The volatile acid and noted alcohol show up on the finish with moderate tannin and elevated acid in reserve. Feels a bit simple, but it's a nice style that I really do appreciate.
This was flat-out killer Vintage Port. The nose is complex, classy andquite open after a 5-6 hour decant: cinnamon, plum, walnuts, rye bread, dark cherry, almond, marzipan, nutmeg, walnut, spice cake, figs, lacquered oak and sweet mahogany. The finish is monumentally long (5 minutes +) replaying the dark stone fruit, sweet old wood, marzipan and baking spice. Absolutely stunning.
2004 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
This come across as youthful and vibrant, slightly leaning to the rich side of things, though perhaps lacking a touch of complexity for today. The nose reveals peach, honeydew melon, caramel apple, honey, white flowers, light hints of toffee and mint. The palate has an inherent rich, roundness with linear acidic peach notes running across the medium plus finish. Hard to evaluate today because I think it's best days are ahead of it, though I have heard other showings have been more open. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt at 92 based on potential if perhaps not totally merited from this showing today.
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1988 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Spéciale Millésimé 90 Points
France, Champagne
Surprisingly still quite effervescent. This pours a fairly rich deep golden yellow. Nose is quite musty on the first pour, but that seemed to blow off somewhat. This comes across fairly advanced, even considering the age. The nose is of lightly sherried salted roasted nuts, herbs, pear, old furniture and a touch of caramel. I actually quite like this but it certainly is advanced. The palate is nicely acidic with not too much perceived dosage and a medium finish. Good, but certainly not as good as hoped.
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1988 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
I really love this style, beautiful, light, spiced, elegant. Some may find it too lean however. The nose is expansive with leather, animal fur, mint, wet soil, flint smoke, lemon, cumin and some bright, light, lively red fruit: pomegranate, cherry, raspberry. The palate is much leaner with green herbs, slightly austere tannin and good red fruited acid on the finish. Lovely.
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1985 Tertre Rôteboeuf 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
initially this featured very strong metallic notes on the nose, fortunately that lessened with air time. Over time the nose evolved to show raw beef, black and red licroice, tar, old wood, blackberry and black currants. The tannins are actually still quite firm with good moderate acid and a medium finish of lightly beefy and dark fruit notes.
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1970 Château Palmer Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Very difficult showing here from the '70 Palmer. Quite advanced with heavy bricking. The nose is entirely tertiary of soil, old furniture and an odd noxious gas aroma. While this was recently sourced from a reputable retailer I suspect there are better bottles of this out there.
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2006 Château des Tours Vacqueyras
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
Rayas makes such unusually wild wines and this is no exception. It takes the usual house style and is nearly entirely citrus driven and lacking in spice. I'll admit that if this was placed in a black, opaque glass I could easily blind this as a Sauternes on the nose. The nose is of marmalade, clove, orange zest, apricot and grapefruit. The palate shows low tannin and high citrusy acid on a moderate finish. What a weird wine. Not sure I can score it.
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1985 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
I think I may have liked this even better than the rest of the group. It pours a lovely translucent ruby with medium plus bricking. Just a gorgeous and classic intense nose of green olive, creosote, blackberry, dark roast coffee, sweet wet soil, dark cherry, corned beef and hair spray. The palate is sweet and round, still very much alive showing abundant dark cherry and smoke the the medium plus finish. Fantastic!
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1988 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
This pours a touch darker than the 85 la chapelle with medium plus bricking. The nose is neck and neck, showing a bit younger and darker. The nose is of black olive, leather, a slight metallic edge, saline, amaro liquor, cola, root beer, dark cherry and black currants. I do get some elevated alcohol on the finish along with all the dark fruit and spice of the nose. Lovely wine.
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1984 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
I really don't like this style. Very candied and medicinal on the nose. Cherry cough syrup on the palate.
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1984 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
I thought this was a gorgeous wine and was totally the Mondavi house style. The nose was of sweet cedar, dried orange peel, leather, toasted cedar shavings, dark chocolate, cumin seed, dark cherry and cassis. The palate replays a lovely dark cherry, leather, sweet cedar and orange peel notes with integrated tannin, medium acid and a medium plus finish. I really liked this wine, up there with the best Mondavi's I've had.
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1984 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
This has a nicely mature profile that gives off an elevated, but not offensive level of ripeness with aromas of root beer, sassafras, brown spice, spice box, tobacco, cassis, blackberry and black currants. The palate shows the ripe round fruit, some dusty medium tannin remaining and a medium minus finish. Very good, but not a standout tonight.
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1985 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
There was a touch of VA on this bottle but not enough to really bother me. The nose is fairly straightforward but is nicely mature of blackberry, black currant, wet earth, plum, moss and hints of tobacco. The palate is simple but also plush and round with plummy dark fruit. The volatile acid and noted alcohol show up on the finish with moderate tannin and elevated acid in reserve. Feels a bit simple, but it's a nice style that I really do appreciate.
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1977 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 96 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
This was flat-out killer Vintage Port. The nose is complex, classy andquite open after a 5-6 hour decant: cinnamon, plum, walnuts, rye bread, dark cherry, almond, marzipan, nutmeg, walnut, spice cake, figs, lacquered oak and sweet mahogany. The finish is monumentally long (5 minutes +) replaying the dark stone fruit, sweet old wood, marzipan and baking spice. Absolutely stunning.
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