"Wow" wines

The instructions were to bring a wine that wows you. I believe this was mostly accomplished. The food was at least as impressive as the wines tonight, with an Akaushi beef wellington that was divine.

• NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Down 1 point from the last bottle due to a lack of dough flavor/smell. This still remained enticing with red berries, minerality, good acidity and verve.

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• 2013 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  ROCKNROLLER summarized our bottle well: This has that classic Fevre earth, brine, dank minerality ocean stuff going on big time with bold citrus notes. This seemed so steely from the minerals sea spray.

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• 2013 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Very classy, and a classic style for a well-fruited Chardonnay. This wine is not over-the-top at all. There is some sulfur, well-rounded, thick mouthfeel, lemon, wet rocks, and a little caramel.

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• 2003 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Monogram 87 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  This bottle was not nearly as good as one we had 2 years ago. Initially, this was silky, elegant, and yet too big. There is some anise and slightly candied fruit. With time, the alcohol showed up and increased in strength. The table was surmising that they probably wouldn't guess pinot noir if this was tasted blind, and I agree. The pluses and minuses of this wine skew it slightly below my idea of a "happy to drink but average" wine.

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• 2005 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Monogram 92 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Drank alongside the 2003, this was significantly better, and you could see some similarities. This wine was also silky and elegant, with no heat at all. To me, this is one of those rockstar wines with flashy fruit. There is also rich earth and cherry liqueur. I don't get a lot of complexity, but it is showy.

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• 1992 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  PNP, the nose of this wine was huge. This feels like it's built on a modern Bordeaux frame, and like modern wines, they dialed it to 11. The fruit gushes, there's tons of earth and graphite, some funk, some leather.

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• 1996 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Decanted an hour. This wine opened in the glass. Very traditional, with saddle leather, sage, eucalyptus, cigar box. What impressed me was the completeness of the wine. Having said that, it was elegant and balanced, not flashy, and a little "more" would elevate this wine further.

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• 2009 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Insert ROCKNROLLER's tasting note here, same bottle, same experience.

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• 2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A 6 hour decant, this wine was in a weird place. There was some grainy chocolate, grainy wood, lots of vanilla, overripe fruit, and just slightly cloying. No alcohol was noticed, and even with all those descriptors, it managed to seem reasonably smooth.

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• 2001 Château Climens 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  This completed a tasting of some incredible wines, and this was stellar. From a 375, this wine seemed open for business. There is orange, stone fruits, baking spice, brulee, and caramel. The balance is incredible, as is the complexity. I believe this wine edges out 2001 Rieussec, which is a tall order.

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