Wines that "wow" you

Jason's House
Tasted Thursday, June 6, 2019 by For the Love of Wine with 202 views

Introduction

A small group gets together bi-monthly (every other month) for dinner, wine and some friendly banter. The wine theme for this dinner was "Wines that 'wow' you." The dinner consisted of the following:
Spicy Gravlax with a Mango Sauce
Tuna Carpaccio with a Grand Marnier Aioli
Beef Wellington with a side of Asparagus
Pear Mousse with Homemade Caramel and Raspberries

Wine flights were as follows:

Flight 1 (1 Note)

Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2013 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    I love this producer's Chablis.....I think they offer an outstanding value, and this bottle was no exception. The nose was outstanding and dominated by minerals, stone and seashells, with a hint of honeysuckle lurking in the background. The wine did not disappoint on the palate either. I actually thought that as good as this was, it still showed signs of further improving with a little more bottle age. This wine paired well with tuna carpaccio. For those who have this wine, I wouldn't worry about holding on to it for a few more years, but also note that you will not be disappointed if you open one sooner, rather than later.

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  • 2013 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    I love Aubert Chardonnays, and this bottle was no exception. I think they make some of the best Chardonnays in the world....yes, they are pricey, but this is one wine that is worth every penny (at least for my palate!). The nose is dominated by pear, melon, and toasted oak, with bread, yeast and baking spices in the background. As good as the nose is, it is the palate that makes this a "wow" wine! This wine assaults the palate with baked pear, apple pie, French toast, gravel and sweet oaky vanilla. The wine is perfectly balanced with acidity and a creamy mouth fill that lingers through a long finish. This is a wine to savor, and obviously built for the long haul. Drink young or hold, you will enjoy this wine either way! This wine also went well with the Tuna Carpaccio, but it would be no less enjoyable on its own!

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2003 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Monogram 92 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    I am amazed every time I drink this wine at the fruit still present for such an old Oregon wine! This bottle was not as good as previous bottles, but still delicious! Some thought this wine was showing its age, as fruit had faded and some heat was present. I really did not notice the heat on the wine, but the acidity was still there and the wine, while very fruit forward, still showed signs of some fading fruit. Myself, I am not sure if this was due to bottle age or bottle variation. I think this signature wine at Domaine Serene, shows why the winery has had so much success, in spite of the spotty manner in which they treat visitors of their winery. This wine displayed cherries and bright red fruit on the nose, with hints of blueberry and violets. On the palate, baked cherries and blueberry pie dominated with some Asian spice and a touch of citrus. I have one bottle left, and will likely open it sooner than later. A delicious wine, and one of the pinnacle wines in Oregon (although, I would say a little overpriced, but if money is no object!)

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  • 2005 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Monogram 95 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Drank this right after the 2003 Monogram, and "wow!" This was singing tonight (unfortunately, my only bottle). The nose was perfumed with the scent of lilacs, cherries, violets, and sweet honeysuckle. The palate was amazing, with fresh red, black and blue fruits. The flavors were bright and crisp, but well integrated. This was truly one of the better Pinots from anywhere (at least for my palate). If you admire wine with plenty of integrated fruit, this wine will disappoint you! As expensive as Monogram is, this wine is worth the money, IMO. I am looking forward to trying their 2012 in the future! Drink or hold, but in a damn good place right now!

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 1992 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 97 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    This wine rocked! It was truly a "wow" wine! This was my first Araujo, and my expectations were high. I am please to say this wine still managed to exceed my expectations. This was probably one of the best examples of perfectly balanced, and integrated wines I have experienced. The fruit, acid and tannins were unbelievably well integrated, where you could tell all were present, but nothing stood out. The fruit and secondary flavors played off each other. Even at the current prices, I would say this wine represents a good value! Nose showed red and black fruit, leather, and cigar, with dusty earth looming in the background. The palate was sophisticated, with red and black currents, some spice, pencil shavings and a hint of toasted oak, all seamlessly integrated and evolving in rich flavors that coat the tongue and leaving you wanting more. This is an addictive wine that went will with beef, but could easily stand on its own. One of the best California Cabs I have had, and could easily be mistaken as Bordeaux in a blind tasting. My WOTN, group's #2.

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  • 1996 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    This was another wow'er of a wine in the lineup. An excellent bottle of that had an hour decant and a couple of additional hours being slowly oxidized in the bottle. This HM was singing tonight. Typical Heitz nose of eucalyptus, earth, and leather, but also additional complexity of spice, herbs and a touch of honeysuckle sweetness. On the palate, this wine really showed its character! Very balanced and well integrated notes of black current, blackberries and all the elements on the nose. The tannins were velvety and the finish was nice and long, but left you wanting another sip to savor. The groups WOTN, my #2. Can't imagine this drinking much better!

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Flight 5 (2 Notes)

  • 2009 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

    This wine was part of the last flight at our tasting, and was paired with a 2012 Caymus SS. Normally, the 2012 Caymus SS is a star, but tonight, this bottle of Outpost TV was the better wine. This is a very hedonistic wine, even at 10 years old. The fruit was singing, but it also had layers of black forest cake, toasted oak and a touch a vanilla. The wine actually evolve in your mouth, as you could feel it changing from dark fruit to red fruit, to chocolate to mushrooms....this wine was a pleasure to drink! I think it is hitting its stride now, but has the fruit, tannins and acidity to stay here for a few more years. I wouldn't be in a hurry to open a bottle, but I also would not hesitate to open one either! This wine paired very well with the Beef Wellington!

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  • 2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    I typically adore Caymus SS, especially the 2012 vintage. It is typically a velvet glove of hedonistic fruit and chocolate (and, despite how polarizing Caymus wines are in here, who doesn't like chocolate covered fruit?!). Of course, my name may also give away my feelings toward this wine. On this occasion, the wine received a six hour decant. I am not sure if it was the long decant, or bottle variation, but this wine, while good, did not show as well as previous bottles. It was way outclassed by all the other Cabernets tonight, including the Outpost True Vineyard it was paired against. The wine still showed big fruit and chocolate, but the tannins, although fine, were not as smooth and polished, and the fruit actually felt like it was over-ripe and slightly fading. I hope that it was bottle variation, as I still have a few cases of this in my cellar. I think I will PNP my next bottle and let it evolve in the glass. So far, that strategy has worked well. I will note, that this wine never went through a dumb or sleepy phase, and it is possible it is just starting to enter that phase now. As a side note, there was a little wine left over (maybe a 1 oz pour) the next day, and it seemed the fruit had vanished. 1. Bottle variation? 2. Dumb phase? 3. Heading downhill? Not sure, although based on past experience with Caymus SS, I suspect 1 or 2. Stay tuned! (I will also be reading notes from others, to see their experience with this wine now).

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

  • 2001 Château Climens 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    This was my first 2001 Climens, drank as a PNP from a .375 bottle. I had high expectations for this wine, because Climens is one of my favorite Barsac/Sauternes and 2001 was such a stellar vintage. Also, I have been impressed with the 2001 Rieussec and 2001 Suduiraut (have not had the pleasure of trying the 2001 Yquem yet). Even with such lofty expectations, and all the hype of the vintage, this wine managed to exceed my expectations! The nose was divine, with aromas of peach nectar, orange peel, Meyers lemon, vanilla cream and honeysuckle all took turns seducing the nose. On the palate, you were rewarded with Crème Brule, with smooth, tropical and stone fruits, with hints of rich vanilla caramel. This is a sophisticated wine that seduces, rather than assaults the palate, leaving you longing for more! This wine paired extremely well with the pear mousse with a drizzle of caramel sauce and some raspberries on top. Absolutely loved this wine! 99+

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Closing

A fantastic tasting with good food, good wines, and above all good company! I hope you enjoy the story as much as we enjoyed the event!

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