Charleston IV - Return of the Collectible

Charleston, SC (various locations)
Tasted Thursday, September 27, 2018 - Sunday, September 30, 2018 by MC2 Wines with 558 views

Introduction

After a few years of hiatus the annual Charleston offline has returned in force. We were a small but mighty crowd who made it through the 4 days of mostly evening events. Lots of really wonderful wines - the 1995 Quintarelli, the '89 Pichon Baron and La Conseillante, the '88 D'Yquem, the '96 Salon... I could go on and on. It was an embarrassment of riches with a wonderful set of folks and friends old and new.

Flight 1 - Burgundy Thursday (6 Notes)

The classic kick-off event. I unfortunately had to miss the first few courses (and the white burgundy - which of course for me is less of a bummer than for most). I was lucky enough that they saved a bit of Salon for me and got to go through the rest of the line-up.

For those that had the white burgs there was a lot of positivity around the Raveneau. I think the Corton and Gevrey were also favorites. For me I most preferred the Salon and D'Yquem which I thought were just winning. All were good.

MENU

In Praise of Piggy—Cheshire Heritage Breed Pork Rillettes

A Charleston Receipt
Benne Wafer/Blue Crab/Pickled Palmetto /Chive

Sea Scallop/Shellfish Cream/
62° Quail Egg/Osetra Caviar

Arancini “Cacio e Pepe”/Carolina Gold Rice/Fried Baby Sage

A Sip of Cold Carrot Bisque/Ginger/Coriander Cream

Butter-Poached White Shrimp/Preserved Lemon/
Bayonne Ham Powder/Pea Puree/Shaved Radish

Game Changer
Venison Sausage/Mild Harissa/Cilantro Chips

Tea Smoked Duck/Charleston Grits/
Poultry Glaze/Plum Paste

Fromage

Trou Carolinian
Limonc(j)ello/Wild Brambleberry /Candied Meyer Lemon

Caramelized Peach Soup/Green Cardamom

Finale
Pain d’Épices Bread Pudding/Sourwood Honeyed Apricots

  • 1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/27/2018)

    This was in the super yum category. Interesting the amount of bottle variation in these. I'm not sure that the first one I had wasn't actually the best in terms of cleanness and crispness and that wonderful vanilla flavor that I appreciate. This was more oxidized than in the past. Had a bit of a bite to it (in a good way, added interest). Definitely get some meyer lemon and lemon peel in general. Tasty wine.

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  • 1999 Lucien Le Moine Corton-Clos du Roi 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    (9/27/2018)

    First sip it was a bit musty. We were very close to a pnp with all of the burgundies tonight. Smaller pour so I didn't get to see the full evolution I don't think, but it was certainly the wine which improved the most throughout the course of the meal and I'd say was basically singing by the end (so think maybe 1-1.5 hours in glass). Very much in that vein of burgundy that I can appreciate - a certain lightness with very crisp red fruits.

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  • 2006 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    (9/27/2018)

    My favorite of the line-up upon first trying through them. This is the wine that came across as most elegant in nature. Lighter. A bit less barnyard, a bit more pristine fruit. Interesting because through the course of the evening as it opened up the barnyard came through and the Corton became a bit crisper. It's an elegant wine and enjoyable.

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  • 2005 Domaine Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

    (9/27/2018)

    Similar to the Corton this started a bit mustier in the glass. With time it went to more of the barnyard style. There's an underpinning of metallic notes here as well. I am not a regular burgundy drinker so take this with a grain of salt, but I thought there might be something a touch off with this bottle so I'm refraining on scoring.

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  • 1988 Château d'Yquem 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (9/27/2018)

    Yum yum yum. This is one of the more intense style d'Yquem. It's a quite a mouthful and the acidity kicks in more to the mid or back palate. It feels almost in the slutty wine category. Perfect pairing with a peach soup where it felt like the wine was a better impression of a peach than the peach itself. Also a touch of ginger and maybe some light spice notes and caramel.

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  • 1936 Château Rivesaltes Rivesaltes 91 Points

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Rivesaltes

    (9/27/2018)

    Final wine of the night. This is an interesting style. Definitely well paired with the spiced gingerbread cake. Get many of the same flavors (cinnamon, clove, ginger) in the wine. Loads of raisin. Not quite as alcoholic as you'd think given fortified (16.5%). Easy end of evening sipper.

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Flight 2 - Bonus bottle (1 Note)

Wouldn't be a CT offline without some bonus bottles or in this case bottle as it was late and we were all a bit tired. Given it's going to be a million degrees here all weekend we saved bubbles/roses for later and opted for one of the reds. This was a recent find for us, but have loved it every time. Great wine that I will continue to seek out.

  • 2011 Alain Verset Cornas 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (9/27/2018)

    I just love the classic rhone flavors and this has them all. A bit more animal and brine and olive and still a hint of darker fruits (although they were overshadowed). It's not overdone, but nor is it weak. There's a powerful elegance to it. For the price point it's excellent. Maybe my favorite red of the evening, but I'm more Rhone than Burgundy.

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Flight 3 - Afternoon bonus bottles (2 Notes)

We're lucky enough to be staying in a hotel that also has a wine culture and so we took the opportunity to pop a few corks at the bar before the festivities began.

Flight 4 - Afternoon Tasting: Bubbles (6 Notes)

Always nice to start the evening with bubbles.

  • 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/28/2018)

    Birthday bubbles! The wine was more aged than I expected it to be, but these were bought on secondary market and I get the feeling prob not stored exactly right. The bubbles had pretty much faded down. Hint of oxidation, but not too intense. Lots of vanilla and caramel flavors. It's a very good champagne.

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  • 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/28/2018)

    Still much much much too young. This wine has so much promise though. There's a real vibrancy to it. The bubbles almost feel like they want to jump out of your mouth and still they have that cashmere texture to them. Toasty style. It's still quite tight though. I think this has the potential of high 90's in score, but today it's not quite there yet.

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  • 2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 95 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/28/2018)

    This was the surprise of the champagnes for me. Although very young (and will certainly get better), it was much more open for business than I would have expected. Lots of the apple and pear and almost a touch of sweetness to the style. Very crisp. I really enjoyed this one.

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  • NV Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 95 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (9/28/2018)

    Wow - three times with this wine in slightly more than a month. How lucky are we? The first bottle was the strongest showing, but this was still delicious and maybe my favorite of all of the champagnes in terms of being right in the drinking window. Has that oxidized side to it, but here I thought the vanilla and caramel were showing through more. Similar flavor profile to the DP, but bubbles still intact and showing well.

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  • 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/28/2018)

    Interesting to read my previous note on this wine. This time I got a totally different flavor profile. Much more the apple and slightly sweet notes (similar to the Cristal). Perhaps not quite as vibrant and maybe slightly more sweet, but a very enjoyable champagne. Still quite young, but wears it well.

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  • NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut Rosé 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/28/2018)

    On the heels of a number of very expressive wines this stood out for being a bit closed down (similar to the Krug). It has the oxidized note that I like in this champagne and just a hint of the orange peel and maybe a touch of red fruit, but one had to really concentrate to pull those out. Mostly it was tight. Will let the rest of ours rest for awhile.

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Flight 5 - Evening: Pour to Impress M (11 Notes)

Yay - M's birthday! So of course we had to bring lots of stuff to celebrate. Some great wines in this line-up. We went straight into this from the bubbles so a big night.

  • 2006 Clarendon Hills Astralis 93 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon

    (9/28/2018)

    This wine was an interesting paradigm. On the one hand you have the very heavy fruit that australian wines are known for. Like blackberry jam. On the mid to end of palate though that seems to shift into more of a smokey meat style (which is a flavor I very much enjoy). So there is more balance between those two sides than you sometimes see. And that was quite nice. A bit lacking in acidity which could have given it more of a structure. Enjoyable.

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  • 2012 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

    (9/28/2018)

    This is a very well made wine in this style which just isn't quite where my palate is at the moment. It's loads of red fruits, just a hint of spice or black pepper. Lower acidity. A more hedonistic wine that is made for younger drinking. We essentially pnp'ed and it was ready for business right away.

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  • 2010 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    (9/28/2018)

    This was quite nice. A good balance between the more earthy and spice notes and the fruit. Surprised me since I had expected it to be a bit more intense on the fruit side (I guess the difference between 2007 and 2010 in terms of weather). Definitely lots of blueberry going on here, but then also lots of woodsy notes. It's got some acidity and backbone to it. A bit more forward of a style, but with some nice touches that holds it from feeling overdone.

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  • 2011 Argiano Suolo Toscana IGT 93 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

    (9/28/2018)

    So sad that they no longer make this wine since these are just so very good. This is still young and you can tell but it was also quite nice and expressive. There's lovely balance here with the fruit and the earth and maybe even a touch of tackroom. It's more old world than the Saxum James Berry had right before. Nice and tasty.

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  • 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    (9/28/2018)

    Yum yum. I love old Bordeaux and this was a great year and a great wine. So very bright. Herbal and leather notes. It's a great style. In a really wonderful spot right now, but doubt it's going anywhere any time soon.

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  • 1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (9/28/2018)

    Yum yum again. Rhone wine is really my sweet spot at the moment I think and this was just wonderful. Black fruits and violets and just a hint of the brine side (although a bit less than you sometimes get with this wine). It's on the younger side. Very well balance and nice acidity and while this is a more 'modern' style coming on the heels of some new world wines it almost feels a touch restrained. Very enjoyable.

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  • 1993 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 95 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

    (9/28/2018)

    Disagree with the previous note. To me this was just a great wine. Yes, darker and more intense style although we had some new world wines early in the line-up and this somehow kept some acid or something. Lots of blackberry and blueberry and tons of fruit and just dark (in a good way). Tried next to the 95 which was perhaps a touch more balance and almost pretty. This was more intense and brooding. But still very fun to drink.

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  • 1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 96 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

    (9/28/2018)

    One of my contenders for WOTN what amazed me most was the blaance on this wine. It's great with tons of fig notes and a bit spice and a sortof lightness to it compared to the '93 we had right before. I wrote down pretty in my notes. A very tasty wine for sure.

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  • 1994 Château d'Yquem 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (9/28/2018)

    Two nights in a row of D'Yquem - it doesn't get any better than that! This is apricot and cloves and ginger. Less vibrancy than the '88, but in some ways I was ok with it. Theoretically not the best year for D'Yquem, but I've never had a bad vintage of this wine. This was quieter, but still lovely in its own way.

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  • 1966 Riveyrac Rivesaltes 93 Points

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Rivesaltes

    (9/28/2018)

    Lots of bright dried fruits. Some more low key spice. It's a different style of wine but quite tasty. You would never guess the age from the wine. This feels like it could have been made 2 years ago. Very nice and tasty.

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  • 1889 Justino's Madeira Malmsey 94 Points

    Portugal, Madeira

    (9/28/2018)

    Bought these a few years ago and was looking for a good opportunity to bring them out again. At this point in the night the notes are less detailed and I took a smaller pour of this one given the intensity. Lots of raisin and fig notes here. Tasty. Smooth. Hard to believe it's so old. We came back to this wine after the Sunday blind tasting and it was in a whole other place and at a whole other level. The sharpness had faded and the dried fruit aspect was really coming through and it was just so very smooth and lovely.

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Flight 6 - Lunch @ Falfalle Osteria (3 Notes)

After a historical tour of Charleston's Harbour we were all hungry and ready to eat so off we went. Good lunch with a really great homemade ricotta.

Flight 7 - Bonus Bottles: Saturday Afternoon (3 Notes)

(again) It wouldn't be an offline without some afternoon bonus bottles.

  • 2014 Domaine Auguste Clape St. Péray 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray

    (9/29/2018)

    100% Marsanne. This is a wine that has a lot more acidity than your standard Rhone white. It's got some white flowers and white fruits. Crisp and tasty.

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  • NV André Clouet Champagne Un jour de 1911... 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/29/2018)

    One of my favorite champagnes and one that has a very positive set of memories for me since I drank it on wedding day. It's a leaner style of champagne, more in the apple type. Very nice and crisp but also with a decent complexity and interest to it. I quite enjoyed this bottle.

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  • 2014 Sandlands Chenin Blanc California 89 Points

    USA, California

    (9/29/2018)

    Very nice and interesting wine especially given the price point. This is much more old world in style. Crisp. Lower fruit. There is body to the wine (as there typically is with the chenin grape), but it's not overdone. Almost a hint of tartness in there.

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Flight 8 - Pour to Impress dinner @ Circa 1886 (11 Notes)

FIRST COURSE
Black Garlic Risotto
carolina god rice, wild mushrooms & carmelized onions, crumbled blue cheese
(of course got it without mushrooms)

SECOND COURSE
Seared NY Foie Gras
sangria apple tart, vanilla cheddar anglaise, celery greens, pink peppercorn

THIRD COURSE
Hidden Fjord Salmon
nueske's bacon, fingerling potatoe n'truffle salad, braised spinach, grain mustard hollandaise

FOURTH COURSE
Broken Arrow Ranch Antelope
juniper brine, anson mills grits, mushroom & chesnut duxelle, pomegranate demi glace

FIFTH COURSE
Grana Padano Panna Cotta
honey chestnut butter, white balsalmic poached pear, crispy prosciutto

  • NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Roises 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/29/2018)

    Leaner style of champagne. The bubbles are more intense in this one at first. Some toast. A classic blanc de blanc. Interesting to try next to the other UC which was a bit more fruity.

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  • NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Pierrières 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/29/2018)

    Also very clear and crisp in style. This has a bit more orchard fruit (pear and apples) going than its cousin. It's also quite nice. Interesting how much clearer this poured.

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  • 2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    (9/29/2018)

    Interesting - I expected this to be on the more fruity side, but instead it was a veritable spice cabinet. Some tea flavors. Just a touch of red fruit right at the end. It's dark and intense and brooding. More so because it was next to the Rayas which is always so light on its feet. Very tasty wine though.

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  • 2008 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 97 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    (9/29/2018)

    This is a stunning wine. It young, but these are approachable it seems like at all points. I don't think this was the best year for CdP, but still. It's ethereal. Cherry and touch of tea and some spice. The wine just floats in your mouth. And when it's gone it's got this lingering style. All elegance. Just beautiful wine.

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  • 2007 Vietti Barolo Rocche 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (9/29/2018)

    This is a complete and total baby, but with so much promise. There's lots of darker cherry and plum notes. The tannins come through and in the beginning the wine is almost dusty in nature, but that seems to mellow with some swirling in the glass. This was a wine that just kept getting better and better. I suspect with the right amount of age this is more like a 96-97.

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  • 2007 Oddero Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (9/29/2018)

    Bit more accessible in the beginning than the Vietti we had next to it. Darker cherry notes. Lots of spices. There's a grippiness to the wine, but the tannins are fairly soft. It really opened up over the course of the dinner and was really quite delicious in that last sip.

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  • 1993 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (9/29/2018)

    Really enjoyed this wine as always. It's still actually fairly young. Might sit a bit on our other bottles. It's got these lovely sweet black fruits and some aged leather and some spice and everything is just very nice and balanced. Touch of the violet and lavender. Very nice.

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  • 1989 Château La Conseillante 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    (9/29/2018)

    For an almost 30 year old wine this was still quite young and lively. Lots of red fruits and crushed black pepper. Good power to it. It's just straight up a delicious wine and one of my favorites of the weekend. Not going anywhere anytime soon so no rush on these.

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  • 1995 Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 94 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    (9/29/2018)

    This was in pretty much the perfect spot right now. Mango and pineapple and a certain tang to it. Some caramel. Great acidity. A bit of a quick finish but that just made you want to drink more. Very nice wine.

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  • 2011 Dow Porto Vintage

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    (9/29/2018)

    This is a beautiful wine that is just too young right now. We prob should have opened and decanted at the beginning of the night. As it was it was more of a pnp and in some small port glasses so that it didn't have much chance to open up. There's lots to like about the stuffing - fig and raisin and a nice texture going. Just needs at least another 20+ years.

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  • 1994 Château d'Yquem

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (9/29/2018)

    Again a really nice showing and a great sipper to finish the night. I appreciated in this instance after a bigger dinner something that wasn't quite as intense but had the nice acidity that D'Yquem does so well and lots of apricots and caramel. Not rating as I rated it when we had the first bottle the night before.

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Flight 9 - Blind Tasting Sunday (and bonus bottles) (9 Notes)

Went with a different format for this. Six wines. Everyone knew what their own wine was but not the others. A set of tasting notes for all six wines were printed out. First responsibility was to match the wine to the tasting note. After that, the names of the wines were revealed but not which was which and we were allowed to adjust our original answers. Then the wines were unveiled based on their number. We got a bit messed up playing the person rather than the wine, but overall an interesting experience.

  • 1998 Château La Fleur-Pétrus 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    (9/30/2018)

    Opened the previous day and so had had some time to slow ox. This was quite nice. Lots of red currants and leather. Perhaps more faded (I suspect optimal time might have been a bit earlier), but it was still quite nice.

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  • 1988 Château Mouton Rothschild 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    (9/30/2018)

    Wine #1: This wine was a bit muted. When opened cork was fairly well soaked through and perhaps it wasn't a prime version. Still, it was very enjoyable. More earthy and leather. I prob should have gotten Bordeaux for it, but for some reason I was getting Rhone notes in the wine (more of a brine and smoke factor).

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  • 1994 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (9/30/2018)

    Wine #2: I wasn't 100% sure how this was going to show. We've had some old Abreus that were very good but we've also had some that just didn't age quite as well as they should have. This drank young. Lovely, but there's still more time needed for the oak and tannin to integrate into the right spot. The fruit is very much there - lots of lovely dark ones. Some lavender and cigar which made it feel a bit 'pretty' but there is also power there. Will lay the others down for awhile. This is a wine built to last.

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  • 2007 Colgin Cariad 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (9/30/2018)

    Wine #3: Young young wine. This is full of those new world sweet fruits and a nice tannin and something that keeps it all in balance. A touch of heat to it. I think a wine that needs some more time to settle down. Felt like a bigger change between this and the Abreu than I would have thought, but Abreu had another 13 years on this. Nice wine.

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  • 2005 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine 94 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

    (9/30/2018)

    Wine #4: Super meaty and brine on the nose, but then the palate is all fruit and floral. It's intense but also balanced in that intensity which is nice to see. A wine with a decent acidity to it and built to age a bit. Got that this was Syrah but we didn't get the producer of it. Had more of a rocks note esp on the nose that didn't come through as much with the wine. Tasty.

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  • 2001 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (9/30/2018)

    Wine #5: I just didn't get this as Chave at all. Came across as a bit lean (perhaps though because it was on the heels of two bigger wines). Ripe red fruits that still had a faintly sour note (think cranberry) which lent it some interest. On the nose it smells like a leather shop, but the leather flavor didn't come through at all on the palate. Went back and still didn't quite get the style.

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  • 1947 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (9/30/2018)

    Wine #6: Opened and decanted and then started allowing it to slow ox. Interesting because this started a very faint, slightly brickish color and with time was gaining more purple notes and more depth of color. I unfortunately had to leave a bit early so I finished mine with maybe 2 hours of decant time, but I suspect this could have used quite a bit more. It started a bit more musty at first, but with some time I was getting more cigar box and a touch of woodsy. Fun and definitely a treat to try something so old.

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  • 2005 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons 93 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (9/30/2018)

    Almost acted as a palate cleanser for me between the tasting and other wines that we tried. This had been sitting out for about 2 hours when I tried it so the issue of being too cold wasn't there (and while I like my champagne with some chill, when served ice cold for me that shuts down a lot of the flavors). Lots of tart and bubbles and a more acidic style which was nice for the time. Get a bit of sweeter white fruits. Good.

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  • 2016 Eric Bordelet Poiré Granit

    France, Normandy

    (9/30/2018)

    This is always a favorite for me. For the price point it's quite nice and it can be a good end to a long weekend of wine. It's fresh and clean and lower alcohol. The pear is almost more a baking style so not really all that sweet and a bit more interesting. Nice way to finish out the weekend.

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Closing

Wow - what a wonderful weekend! Huge thanks to Scott & Pam for doing all of the heavy lifting and for many others playing host throughout the week. Good times and great wines were had by all.

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