Zooming Along with Anything Goes!

Tasted Sunday, December 27, 2020 by I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine with 88 views

Introduction

An excellent Holiday "get-together" done via zoom, with good friends and excellent wines...under the circumstances, couldn't ask for a better holiday celebration! Thanks to all who contributed, and especially our host who went above and beyond!

Flight 1 - Starter Wine (1 Note)

  • 2013 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Zooming along with Anything Goes

    The Players: A great lineup for this tasting, which featured the following wines:
    2013 Aubert Lauren Vineyard
    1982 Leoville Poyferre
    1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    1994 Dominus
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    2009 Suduiraut Sauternes

    The Prep:
    All wines were poured into jars and transported, and consumed 2-4 hours later. The following wines had additional decant times:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2009 Bryant Family - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - 2 hour decant before pouring into jars

    Voting/Ranks:
    (Group)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 (Tie) - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #2 (Tie) - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    (My Ranking)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #3 - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    #4 - 2009 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet
    #5 - 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    Note: only 1 point separated the top wine from the Botton wine in this group (for me)

    Wine Notes:
    2013 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard - My first Lauren, although, in general, I am a huge fan of Aubert wines. Some thought this was still too young. While I agree it will get better, it is still drinking great right now! The nose showed white flowers, brioche, and a hint of citrus. The palate was even more pleasing with pear dominating, but plenty of Meyers Lemon, green apple, gunflint and minerality, with well integrated sweet toasted oak. A thoroughly delicious Aubert with plenty oof fruit and acidity that shows this is even more age-worthy. Drinking well now and an easy 94+, but with an upside down the road to add a point or two! I love Aubert wines, and this is proof that their high reputation is well deserved!

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 2 - The Line-up (5 Notes)

  • 1982 Château Léoville Poyferré 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Zooming along with Anything Goes

    The Players: A great lineup for this tasting, which featured the following wines:
    2013 Aubert Lauren Vineyard
    1982 Leoville Poyferre
    1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    1994 Dominus
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    2009 Suduiraut Sauternes

    The Prep:
    All wines were poured into jars and transported, and consumed 2-4 hours later. The following wines had additional decant times:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2009 Bryant Family - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - 2 hour decant before pouring into jars

    Voting/Ranks:
    (Group)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 (Tie) - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #2 (Tie) - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    (My Ranking)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #3 - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    #4 - 2009 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet
    #5 - 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    Note: only 1 point separated the top wine from the Botton wine in this group (for me)

    Wine Notes:
    1982 Leoville Poyferre - Wow! This wine was singing tonight like a siren, and I would have definitely crashed into the rocks following its melodic song...this wine was excellent and competed mightily for WOTN against a stellar lineup! There is no way I would have guessed this was almost 40 years old! Nose showed lots of tertiary flavors (dominated by earth and pencil shavings), as well as dark fruit. The palate also reflected the nose with tertiary flavors of earth, graphite and roasted meat, accompanied by blackberry and dark current flavors, finishing with leather, earth and hints of toasted oak. I scored this wine 96+ (easily), and truthfully any of the wines, especially the top 3 wines, could make a case for WOTN...this was an exceptional tasting!

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1996 Château Cos d'Estournel 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Zooming along with Anything Goes

    The Players: A great lineup for this tasting, which featured the following wines:
    2013 Aubert Lauren Vineyard
    1982 Leoville Poyferre
    1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    1994 Dominus
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    2009 Suduiraut Sauternes

    The Prep:
    All wines were poured into jars and transported, and consumed 2-4 hours later. The following wines had additional decant times:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2009 Bryant Family - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - 2 hour decant before pouring into jars

    Voting/Ranks:
    (Group)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 (Tie) - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #2 (Tie) - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    (My Ranking)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #3 - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    #4 - 2009 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet
    #5 - 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    Note: only 1 point separated the top wine from the Botton wine in this group (for me)

    Wine Notes:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - This wine was delicious and had the best nose, by far, of the top 3 wines. I thought this wine was drinking remarkably young, in that even for a 24 year old wine, it still seemed like it had the fruit, tannin and acidity to further improve. This wine showed a nice perfumed nose with lots of dark fruit and hints of leather on the nose. On the palate, the wine was dominated by dark fruit with graphite and wet leather, but also had some earthiness and lavender in the background. I think this wine has the potential to be a show-stopper once the tertiary flavors become more dominant. The finish was medium with mostly graphite and leather lingering. Delicious, and easily a 96, with some upside potential. If I had multiple bottles, I would not hesitate in opening with 1-2 hour decant. If I only had one bottle, I would wait another 1-2 years before opening. This wine could have easily been WOTN, and it would be hard to argue against it!

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Zooming along with Anything Goes

    The Players: A great lineup for this tasting, which featured the following wines:
    2013 Aubert Lauren Vineyard
    1982 Leoville Poyferre
    1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    1994 Dominus
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    2009 Suduiraut Sauternes

    The Prep:
    All wines were poured into jars and transported, and consumed 2-4 hours later. The following wines had additional decant times:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2009 Bryant Family - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - 2 hour decant before pouring into jars

    Voting/Ranks:
    (Group)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 (Tie) - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #2 (Tie) - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    (My Ranking)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #3 - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    #4 - 2009 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet
    #5 - 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    Note: only 1 point separated the top wine from the Botton wine in this group (for me)

    Wine Notes:
    1994 Dominus Estate - This was group's and my WOTN. What can I say that has not already been said about this wine? It was firing on all cylinders tonight! I don't see this wine improving, but I do see it holding for a few more years. Nose showed some perfumed notes accompanied by dark fruit, leather and hints of eucalyptus. The palate was dominated with an earthiness (reminiscent of a high end Pauillac wine), cassis, dark cherry and plum, along with some leather and roasted meat. The finish was medium and showed hints of toasted oak. This was an easy 96++, and I wouldn't argue with 97 points. This was mine and the group's WOTN, but any of the wines could have taken top spot in an awesome lineup! I don't see this wine improving but do see it maintaining for another 5-7 years with no problem.

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Zooming along with Anything Goes

    The Players: A great lineup for this tasting, which featured the following wines:
    2013 Aubert Lauren Vineyard
    1982 Leoville Poyferre
    1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    1994 Dominus
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    2009 Suduiraut Sauternes

    The Prep:
    All wines were poured into jars and transported, and consumed 2-4 hours later. The following wines had additional decant times:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2009 Bryant Family - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - 2 hour decant before pouring into jars

    Voting/Ranks:
    (Group)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 (Tie) - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #2 (Tie) - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    (My Ranking)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #3 - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    #4 - 2009 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet
    #5 - 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    Note: only 1 point separated the top wine from the Botton wine in this group (for me)

    Wine Notes:
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet - This was my first Bryant Family Cab, and I enjoyed it very much! For me, this wine was my #4 pick, against some stiff competition from much more mature wines that were peaking (or close to peaking). Still, only one point separated this wine from the WOTN, and this wine still has loads of potential, where the other wines ahead of it were close to peaking. If you like more hedonistic wines, you will not be disappointed having this wine now, or in the near future, with a 1-2 hour decant. If you want some tertiary flavors to accompany this fantastic wine, I would wait another 5-10 years (I will likely wait another 5 years before before opening bottle 2 of 3). Nose was perfumed with lavender and violets, accompanied by blueberry and blackberry pie. Palate was fruit forward with blackberry and blueberries dominating at first, followed by creme de cassis and some leather and toasted oak notes with chocolate and cigar box lurking in the background. The finish was medium-long with dark fruit and sweet toasted oak tailing off in your mouth. Wine was delicious and showed no heat from alcohol. All in all, a very enjoyable wine that will improve. Easy 95+ now, with upside potential.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter 95 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast

    Zooming along with Anything Goes

    The Players: A great lineup for this tasting, which featured the following wines:
    2013 Aubert Lauren Vineyard
    1982 Leoville Poyferre
    1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    1994 Dominus
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    2009 Suduiraut Sauternes

    The Prep:
    All wines were poured into jars and transported, and consumed 2-4 hours later. The following wines had additional decant times:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2009 Bryant Family - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - 2 hour decant before pouring into jars

    Voting/Ranks:
    (Group)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 (Tie) - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #2 (Tie) - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    (My Ranking)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #3 - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    #4 - 2009 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet
    #5 - 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    Note: only 1 point separated the top wine from the Botton wine in this group (for me)

    Wine Notes:
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - This was a treat. Nose of perfumed lilac, stewed meat, eucalyptus, earth and a hint of mint. The palate showed layers of dried plums, dark cherry, lavender, creme de cassis with smoked meat, tobacco and chocolate lurking in the background. Finish was medium-long with velvety tannins gliding across the palate. This is already in my wheelhouse, but I believe it will continue to develop over the next 5-10 years. Easy 95 today, and a truly enjoyable treat!

    Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 3 - Dessert wine (1 Note)

  • 2009 Château Suduiraut 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Zooming along with Anything Goes

    The Players: A great lineup for this tasting, which featured the following wines:
    2013 Aubert Lauren Vineyard
    1982 Leoville Poyferre
    1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    1994 Dominus
    2009 Bryant Family Vineyard
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    2009 Suduiraut Sauternes

    The Prep:
    All wines were poured into jars and transported, and consumed 2-4 hours later. The following wines had additional decant times:
    1996 Cos d'Estournel - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2009 Bryant Family - 1 hour decant before pouring into jars
    2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter - 2 hour decant before pouring into jars

    Voting/Ranks:
    (Group)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 (Tie) - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #2 (Tie) - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    (My Ranking)
    WOTN - 1994 Dominus
    #2 - 1982 Leoville Poyferre
    #3 - 1996 Cos d'Estournel
    #4 - 2009 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet
    #5 - 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter
    Note: only 1 point separated the top wine from the Botton wine in this group (for me)

    Wine Notes:
    2009 Suduiraut - This wine was a very pleasant surprise for me. I have always considered Suduiraut an inconsistent producer, even in good vintages. However, they knocked it out of the park with 2001, and this 2009 effort, while not quite up to 2001 standards, was equally impressive! Nose showed slight petrol, which blew off quickly, revealing orange and peach flowers on the nose, with hint of toasted oak. The palate had plenty of fruit and acid, in perfect balance with vanilla orange cream (dreamsicle) dominating and stone fruit with some hints of sweet oak lurking in the background. This was certainly drinking well, and, IMO, a wine worth seeking out. Suduiraut certainly offers an outstanding value when they are on, and their 2009 Sauternes is certainly on! 95 points with no reservation! It will be interesting to see how this develops down the road!

    Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Closing

A great way to end the year on a high note! Hopefully, 2021 will see us get together in person! Cheers to all, and I hope these notes gave you a vicarious experience that, at least, approached the actual tasting! If any readers would like additional information, feel free to ask!

×
×