Charleston VI

Here we go again! After cancelling last year Charleston the wine event is back and perhaps better than ever! This was a marathon and a sprint for 5 days and I'm looking forward to given my liver a bit of time to dry out. Lovely to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones and of course drink some pretty incredible wine.

A few of us gathered for a pre-dinner at FIG (Food Is Good) downtown. Great food and company and the wine wasn't too bad either....B

• NV Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines

  France, Champagne

  (11/4/2021)

  A producer that I always enjoy and would like to spend more time with. This is bright and a bit racy and lots of spice notes which are softened with more fruit (someone at the table said pear and I'd agree for the finish). I wrote pepperfruit a few times in my book which obviously isn't a thing (and this was the first wine of the night) but if it was a thing that's what this would be. Sharper acid and definitely did better and got more expressive as it warmed up. Would love to see what this looks like with some age.

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• 2005 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bourgogne Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  (11/3/2021)

  Remaking it's appearance in a Charleston weekend. The last time I had this wine I actually was quite impressed with it (with the caveat that I'm not a Burgundy white wine drinker). This is light and yet a bit creamy in the mouth. I get a strong vanilla characteristic but not that over oaked crazy form. More vanilla bean like you would get from the original breyers ice cream. Others had coconut and some more tropical notes but I didn't quite get them. It's a well made wine.

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• 2014 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  (11/3/2021)

  There's a few Burgundy producers that have wow'ed me in the past and this is one of them. This might not have been that level, but it's definitely a nice wine. Quite young. We opened and decanted and drank over maybe 2-3 hours. This is elegant. Red fruits (a theme with my favorite burgundies is they have the fruit), and then just this kindof woodsy note. Think of walking in the woods on a spring day and breathing in. Nice wine.

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• 1966 Château Haut-Brion Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  (11/3/2021)

  Ok - flawed may be going a bit far, but this definitely wasn't quite right. When it poured it was very musty and in the glass that would kindof blow off and it would be.... fine.... HB in my experience is almost never just 'fine' and the '66 is usually very good. So perhaps some suboptimal storage in it's life span (bought from auction) or a not quite there bottle. Pity. We haven't popped one of these in a few years and I was excited to try again.

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• 1967 Château d'Yquem

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  (11/3/2021)

  Basically an embarrassment of riches to have this wine multiple times in a year. This is one of the great vintages of D'Yquem for sure. It's just rocking. The finish... well let's just say writing the notes the next day I can still bring back that finish. Caramelized orange peel, light and powerful all at once. A haunting wine.

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• 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (11/3/2021)

  Ok my fellow CT brethren I think I need to disagree with what I understand is the more common advice being given on this wine. This is not a pnp, drink fast, will die in 2 hours. At least not the bottle we had which was basically pristine. In retrospect I wish we'd decanted it. This got better and better over 3.5 hours of drinking. It's black fruits and bright and young. Much better than the bottle we had a few years ago. Very pretty.

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• 2017 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (11/3/2021)

  Ok - it's a total baby killing and I get that but honestly even young this wine is just so special. I love what the whole cluster does. The best word I have for this is beautiful. It's pristine in nature (e.g. high acid with great structure). Red fruits. More bordering on an unami/woodsy combination. It's wonderful.

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Course One
Smoked tomato confit with goat cheese.
Course Two
Grilled octopus and uni with fermented black bean paste, crispy chickpeas, radish and micro greens.
Course Three
Pork and venison wontons with mushrooms, fresh truffles, foie gras and pork dashi.
Course Four
Lone Mountain Wagyu teres major with creamed dinosaur kale and crispy shallot.
Course Five
Dark chocolate budino with olive oil, sea salt, and pistachios

Very nice food and interesting to go around the Burgundies. I've espoused my Burgundy theory many times - that it's basically the intermittent reward phenomenon that you see in psychology - but I will say that spending more time with it there are some producers who do seem to just make great wine although I still struggle with the decided lack of QPR esp when compared to other regions. Still, fun to spend an evening outside of one's comfort zone. There was also a Montrachet but as I'm not a super white burg person and we were a lot of people I did not try it.

• NV Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Cuvée Prestige Blanc de Blancs

  France, Champagne

  (11/4/2021)

  From a magnum. We brought this mostly because this is the event where on average we tend to bring slightly less wine than some of us crazy NYers are used to and so figured a mag we can pop right away to start off Thursday evening made sense. This tasted great. Some of that is just it was a whole day of work calls and this was the first wine in glass. It's not a complex wine, but it is really tasty. Just the right level of acid and bubbles to come across as fresh and bright. Nice start.

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• 2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut

  France, Champagne

  (11/4/2021)

  I am very mixed on the drinking of Cristal young. It is a nice wine, but I think it's really the age that makes the price point worth it. This was drinking younger that I expected. Still a bit tight. A bit of dosage (esp on the heels of the DV which was very brut) although not a lot. This is a quieter champagne. Sleeping giant. Give it time.

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• 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François

  France, Champagne

  (11/4/2021)

  Young and fresh and yet just beginning to have the slight markers of age. I think this is Pinot dominated and has that nice spicy note to it. Not really ready yet, but very tasty. Maybe my favorite of the champagnes.

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• 2001 Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  Bright with kindof darker fruits, a bit brambly, more secondary in style. It's elegant and woodsy.

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• 2001 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  Admittedly this is one of my favorite producers in the region which I'm sure colors my thinking. This is more woodsy again and not the clear fruit that I tend to love. Very light though and elegant. Maybe a background of pomegranate? And some rosewood? Nice.

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• 2001 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares

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

  (11/4/2021)

  Wow. Tart black cherries that are almost a bit unripe and yet kindof juicy at the same time. Spicy. Very elegant and structured. Still on the younger side and a wine that's made to continue to age. One of my favorites of the evening and a real treat to get to try.

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• 2001 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  More woodsy in flavor. Very light. This somehow was a bit less concentrated (concentrated is the wrong word because all are more in that Pinot ethereal form) but the wine is just a touch more muted than the others.

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• 2001 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots Vieille Vigne

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

  (11/4/2021)

  This was much bigger than the other Pinots. Darker fruits. More sweetness. Some spice. It almost feels like a different animal than the other wines. Enjoyable though.

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• 2001 Christophe Roumier Ruchottes-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  Another favorite of mine from the tasting and I found myself going back to it through the night. Ripe and bright and tea leaves and slightly unripe cranberry and a hint of sour but a hint of sweet and just overall comes across as elegant and tasty.

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• 2001 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  This was a wine that needed to open through the night. Initially it was a bit tannic (one of the few) and a bit more simple and tight. Gives a sense of dark and some sweetness and certainly light and airy but without the gripping side. Came back and it was starting to open more and more. Give it some time.

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• 2001 Domaine Francois Lamarche La Grande Rue

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Grande Rue Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  Woodsy and dark and pepper (descriptors which work for a lot of the wine we had this evening). With time in the glass it started to gain more elegance. Funny that the lightness took a touch of time to come around.

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• 2001 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  Blackberry, a lot of fruit, some more tannin. A bit more primary in nature than some of the other wines. Towards the end of the evening when my note taking got a bit less strong.

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• 2001 Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  There is a certain cleanness to this wine which you see in other burgundies but this seems to be even more so. It feels like it is just about the fruit or maybe more accurately the cluster since it is whole cluster fermentation. If I had to guess it's old oak and minimal impact winemaking. Which is much more fresh and so when I say earthy it's like that fresh earth in the spring right after a rainfall that feels almost full of life. Simple in style, but nice.

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• 2001 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  (11/4/2021)

  Interesting to see the contrast in some of these burgundies where flavor is similar but some of the difference are things like tannins (there are more here), a bit of heat (maybe the only wine that had it) and just slightly sharper edges. Such a fine line between the sharp versus elegant but this skewed a bit more to the former. Last of the burgundies though so it was end of night impressions.

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• 1990 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Le Mont

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  (11/4/2021)

  Love these wines. This definitely has the age - darker in color and a bit more caramel - but there is a great acidity here and so it's a nice sweet.

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• 2001 Château d'Yquem

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  (11/4/2021)

  Not often we get to drink this vintage but there is a reason it has the reputation that it has. It's still a child 20 years later. Very light and bright and the earlier sweetness like orange blossom and honeysuckle. Finish that goes forever. Beautiful wine.

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Really interesting to do the horizontal of the same year (I'm sure we must have done this at some point with Bordeaux - maybe the 86s we did a few year ago for my birthday) but it has been some time. There was a lot of similarity around these. Mostly a combination of woodsy and peppery and baking spices. Fun.

• NV Delamotte Champagne Brut

  France, Champagne

  (11/5/2021)

  Crisp and bright and brioche and bread and nuttiness. Very classic champagne and great for the price point.

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• 2014 Hors Catégorie Vineyards Syrah Hors Catégorie Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (11/5/2021)

  We've been buying this since the first vintage (this one) and never ended up trying since the allocation is only ever two bottles per year so it was a treat to check in. It is everything you expect from rocks style Syrah. A funky and meaty and gamey. More approachable than I would have thought but very young. Will let our bottles continue to rest.

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• 2011 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  (11/5/2021)

  A lot lighter than I expected of a white rhone wine and having had a bunch of these although I don't think this vintage ever before. It is creamed honey. A touch of heat.

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• 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon

  France, Champagne

  (11/5/2021)

  Young and fresh and clearly well stored. This was really impressive in just how very young the wine was. It tasted almost like a recent vintage and yet it was much more interesting than young DP ever is. One of the surprises of the evening for me and goes to show how different a wine can be based on the storage.

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• 1996 Château Cos d'Estournel

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  (11/5/2021)

  Austere as it often is but also really quite nice and vibrant. There's a bit of green notes in the way that I like. Earthy. A bit peppery. From a magnum. Drinking very well.

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• 1996 Château Léoville Las Cases

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (11/5/2021)

  Also more on the austere side but I picked the wines I expected to be that way for my early tastes. Darker red currant, some more bark style. Very young. From a magnum. Drinking well though.

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• 1996 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (11/5/2021)

  Perhaps a touch of brett in this one but overall I think it was still lovely. Woodsy. Darker fruit and lots of spice cabinet. Very enjoyable.

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• 1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (11/5/2021)

  Wonderful wine as always. Still quite youngish. Darker fruits, very balanced, very vibrant.

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• 1996 Château Lafite Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (11/5/2021)

  From a magnum. This was young. Darker fruits, peppercorn, drying tannin. For me this was drinking quite well.

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• 1974 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (11/5/2021)

  In the middle of a horizontal of '96 Bordeaux this comes across as a bit more darker sweetness than some of those although still very much more old world style. Very balanced and tasty.

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• 1996 Château Montrose

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  (11/5/2021)

  Bright and fruity and just does like to jump out of the glass at you. One of my go to's in Bordeaux. Baking spices. Delicious.

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• 1996 Château Gruaud Larose

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (11/5/2021)

  Also quite fresh and enjoyable. Peppery. Lovely level of vibrancy in this wine. Drinking well.

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• 1996 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (11/5/2021)

  This wine surprised me a bit. Not a producer we've spent a lot of time with in Bordeaux. It was very fresh and bright and drinking quite nicely in that classic old Bordeaux style. A hint of green and certainly more earthy in style.

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• 1996 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  (11/5/2021)

  Left this to my last flight mostly because it was the flight I was most excited about and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. Lovely and plush and velvet in the glass. It's darker than I'd normally think - more dark fruited than red. A hint of green. Lower acid. Mouth coating. But drinking very well.

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• 1996 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  (11/5/2021)

  We popped the cork on this and the nose just jumped right out. Impressive from the get go. Red and black fruits and velvet in the mouth but that nose is just so enticing. Drinking very well. The only third growth of the night (I think) in what was meant to be First/Super Seconds but it held its own just fine.

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• NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Rubis

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  (11/5/2021)

  It is very true that wine is about time and place and also what else you have been consuming and so after a big flight of lots of 96 Bordeaux this just jumped out. Lots of red fruits and berries and just so very yummy.

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• NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Cuvée Sainte Anne

  France, Champagne

  (11/5/2021)

  It was in Charleston some years ago that we first found this producer and now it's a go-to for us. This was lovely. Fresh and spicy and bright and while often I think this is a champagne you want some time to sit and ponder it was open for business from the get go.

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Off the official agenda and I think will likely end up being my favorite event of the weekend. A few of us gathered at Palmetto Cafe. No formal theme although bubbles were suggested and they were pretty awesome.

• 1980 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon

  France, Champagne

  (11/6/2021)

  Particularly stunning wine. This is what aged champagne should be and once you have this you wonder why everyone drinks it too young. Loads of caramel. Almost like a dessert. Great through the whole time - kept a glass and even the last sip was beautiful although there was less evolution here than some of the others. It was good to go from the start.

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• 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon

  France, Champagne

  (11/6/2021)

  Lovely to get to drink this side by side with the '80 and see how the family resemblance is there. This also has some caramel but it's less pronounced. More bubbles. A bit more nutty. Also just delicious. One of the better bottles of this wine that I've had.

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• 1989 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut Collection

  France, Champagne

  (11/6/2021)

  A real treat to get to try this. This was probably the wine that benefited the most with time in the glass. Initial taste was a bit closed down, but left it alone for awhile and suddenly it was nutty and spicy and bright and almost jumping out of the glass with a finish that just keeps going (not as common I think with champagne). Amazing wine.

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• 2007 Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

  (11/6/2021)

  Not really how I remember this wine which is interesting. This poured a dark golden color and was all butterscotch and caramel flavors. Bigger wine. Aged honey style of SB.

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• 1999 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé Rosé

  France, Champagne

  (11/6/2021)

  In an afternoon of 30-40 year old wines a 22 year old is a youngster and can come across as such. First impression was just young but followed it over a couple of hours and as it opened it was flower petals and strawberries and quite enjoyable. A versatile wine and very enjoyable. Glad to see we have a bunch of these.

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

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (11/6/2021)

  Disgorged in 2013 so assumption is wines from 06-08. This is a wine that normally needs air (a decant) and we didn't do that although I did keep leaving it in my glass hoping it would open more. A hint of the oxidized style and a bit darker in the glass than its age would suggest. It reminded me a lot of rocks and not the funky Rhone style but really just regular every day rock. A bit tart. I'm not sure it ever quite got to the level that I would expect but it was a good wine so perhaps just too high expectations.

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• 1999 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne

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

  (11/6/2021)

  It seems we are drinking a lot more burgundy these days and I'll say that when it's wine like this I don't mind. Very bright and vibrant in the glass and a fun wine to balance all of the champers.

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There's always a question when you have two wine events about how to fill the gap between. The smart money would probably include a nap and a walk but more often I find us following the 'drinksy' approach. Paired with Formula 1 qualifying and the Breeders Cup.

• NV Champagne Suenen Champagne Grand Cru C + C Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (11/6/2021)

  To be fair this was well overshadowed by an earlier brunch where we were drinking 30-40 year old wines but I still do enjoy these. Racy and sharp but if you give it time in the glass and it warms it gets very expressive. Interested to see what it tastes like with some extra years.

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• 2015 Cobb Pinot Noir Rice-Spivak

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (11/6/2021)

  This was a producer that blew us away when we visited a few years ago. He's just making the style of Pinot that I like. Very precise and elegant and still with fruit (although the fruit was a bit more muted here). It's a hint almost unripe in it's restraint, but drinking nicely if very young.

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• 2015 Continuum Proprietary Red

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (11/6/2021)

  Opened and decanted. This is a baby wine, but fun to get a chance to check in on it. Starting to get more of the Bordeaux blend with this. It's darker fruits and very well made. One of the old world style but new world fruit that I expect will meant this will be excellent in 20+ years.

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Apologies in advance as I did not take good notes for this evening. Sometimes it's nice to just eat dinner and enjoy with friends.

First Course
Beech Mushroom Risotto
Cranberry Paint, Chevre, Toasted Hazelnuts, Prosciutto

Second Course

Poached Pear Salad
Arugula, Blue Cheese Mousse, Rabbit Confit, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

Third Course
Rosemary & Raspberry Marinated Salmon
Wild Rice, Carrots, Baby Spinach, Cedar Plank Beurre Blanc

Fourth Course
Mustard Braised Short Rib
Fennel Pollen Potato Mousseline, Broccolini, Sundried Cherry Demi-Glace

Fifth Course
Manchego Smothered Biscuit
Spicy Pineapple Relish, Buttermilk Caramel, Roasted Peanuts

• 2012 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut

  France, Champagne

  (11/6/2021)

  We were pretty spoiled from a morning brunch with lots of older champagne and on the heels of that this was just super young. Very bright and kindof sharp. Will be lovely one day. Infanticide at this point.

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• 2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut Rosé

  France, Champagne

  (11/6/2021)

  Nice wine but again comes across as really young (funny to say that about a wine that's 15 years old, but we were saying the same about one that was 22 earlier in the day). This is one of those very versatile wines though that can go across a whole meal. Lovely fruits.

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• 2011 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur Blanc Brézé

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur

  (11/6/2021)

  A favorite producer for me although the wine has gotten a lot pricier and a lot harder to find so we don't have it that often. This was a bit tart and sharp on the heels of the rose champagne, but a very nice wine nonetheless.

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• 1985 Vietti Barolo Brunate

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (11/6/2021)

  Mea culpa here as old barolo is meant to have a nice long decant and we didn't do that because we ended up spending the afternoon hanging out and grabbed the bottles relatively last minute. There was a hint of not quite perfect in this wine but it was the tar and rose petal of old nebbiolo. Interesting to try next to a brunello - I am definitely a bigger fan of this style.

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• 1997 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  (11/6/2021)

  Much bigger than the barolo that it was served next to. Still on the young side, but it does take a lot of time for the oak to integrate in these. Darker and brooding.

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• 2007 Domaine Gourt de Mautens (Jérôme Bressy) Rasteau

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau

  (11/6/2021)

  One of those cult Rhone wines that many are predicting go the way of Gonon or Allemand. I'm not sure I'm totally convinced. To me these are always really good and nice but a bit more simple than those other wines.

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• 2008 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  (11/6/2021)

  Big and feral just as you'd expect from a Chave. Very much on the young side. While not considered a great year in the Rhone I'd say they did a nice job with it.

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• 1975 Château d'Yquem

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  (11/7/2021)

  WOTN for me hands down. At the end of a very long day of wine drinking this jumped out and as I'm thinking back the next day on a dinner where I took almost no notes this is the wine that stands out and I still remember. It's classic D'Yquem. Finish goes on forever. Great age on the bottle. Just special.

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A favorite wine/producer for me. These are always awesome. Mostly too young really, but lots of good promise ahead.

• 2008 Remy Massin & Fils Champagne Millésimé

  France, Champagne

  (11/7/2021)

  A bit more toasty than the other champagne (more of that brioche and almost a hint buttery). Some people need coffee in the morning but I must say this weekend it's always the champagne that has perked me up.

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• NV Savart Champagne Premier Cru l'Ouverture Brut

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  (11/7/2021)

  Ah - my happy place. This was exactly what I wanted to start the day. It's crisp and refreshing and interesting without me feeling like I need to over focus. Delicious.

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• 1978 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  Fun to have twice in a week. This was very similar to the showing on Tuesday although given the rest of the line-up this stood out as the favorite. It's drinking very young for it's age (although in this line-up was clearly the oldest of the wines). Lots of sediment so ended up double-decanting it which helped a lot. A bit of heat. A lot of drying tannin. And some more red currant style. It is a very elegant wine.

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• 1985 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  There is a definite jump between the 78 and the 85. This is super young. Very bright. Lots of red berries. Some spicy notes. A touch floral. Of the group it was a wine that rewarded patience in the glass. Just on the edge of being too young but really great wine

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• 1988 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  First opened it was a bit stale but that blew off quickly and then the wine was quite lovely. Again more of the red currant and something else (maybe dragonfruit?). There's a touch of heat to this one. Some cinnamon and maybe nutmeg. Lovely once it comes around.

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• 1989 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  This wine for some reason reminded me of the holidays. I get cranberry and Christmas spice and logs on a fire. It's a very tasty wine.

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• 1997 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  Another clear distinction for me. This is starting to get into the wines that are just too young now and need more time. Lots of berries - boysenberry, cranberry, blackberry. A bit woodsy to it. Enjoyable and bright and really for a '97 it's one of the better ones that I've had from Cali.

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• 2005 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  Straight up too young so now we're more judging potential than performance. More tannin. Younger. Berries and spices. It starts to open up in the glass and gets better with time. Has a long life ahead.

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• 2011 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  More approachable than the '05 which seems to be both a house style thing (so was the '12) as well as a year ('11 in general is a bit more relaxed). Tannin still very much there though. More secondary in style but a very nice wine. This is right before we started purchasing them unfortunately.

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• 2011 Ridge Petit Verdot Torre Ranch

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  Bottled separately in this year this is darker and brooding. Lavender and flower petals. Light tannin. Interesting wine to try separately.

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• 2012 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  (11/7/2021)

  This was the first Monte Bello we ever had and I was a huge fan even with it being a total baby. It's still a baby here although I think they are building it slightly more approachable than before - the tannins in this are much finer than some other vintages. Darker red fruits. Structure all there. Just needs more time.

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• 2008 Jacques Defrance Champagne Brut Millésimé

  France, Champagne

  (11/5/2021)

  End of the evening as we were doing our part to finish the 96 bordeaux we paired with a set of bubbles. This is young and easy and a bit simple at this point.

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I've spent part of the day pondering the WOTW and I'm not sure I know for sure. The '89 Krug Collection is a strong contender. So were the Roumiers at Burg Thursday which I thought showed great. D'Yquem were all good - the '67 esp so. Just kindof rocked it. Champagne brunch was my favorite 'event' even if it wasn't really one.

Other learnings - Roumier contineus to wow me and if it is ok priced may be worth purchasing in the future. '96 Left Bank Bordeaux is all pretty similar. Interesting to not get the wider disparity that I would have expected. Aged champagne is the best and we need to get more of it. And Monte Bello is something that should be better represented in our cellar.

Overall a pretty spectacular year. Many thanks to the organizers who made it all happen and the folks who shared such stunning wines!