4th Saturday Brown Bagger

Wines are tasted double blind in flights, which are arranged randomly, but as much as possible from light to heavy. Each flight is discussed & unveiled before moving on to the next flight.

• 2008 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Palmes d'Or 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Nonblind starter. Rich and toasty style, with apple on the nose and palate. Citrus and marshmallow hints mixed in. Short mousse; fine bead. Very much ready and drinking beautifully.

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• 2021 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Served double blind to the group. Pale color with your typical lemongrass and citrus tones. A little bit of spice adds complexity. Bright underlying acidity. I think everyone correctly identified this as sauv blanc.

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• 2020 Dry Creek Vineyard Chenin Blanc Dry Clarksburg 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

  Served double blind to the group. Orchard fruit and billowy cotton notes. Hints of florals underneath. Finishes with good length. To me this was very much chenin, but then I knew the order. I think most of the group focused on chardonnay.

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• 2012 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Served double blind to the group. Pale color belies its age. Opens with a youthful toasty barrel note, followed by orchard fruit, honeysuckle and spice. Full-bodied with an abundance of orchard fruit. A lovely example of this wine.

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• 2019 Bernard Dugat-Py Bourgogne Cuvée Halinard 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Double blind. Light in color, with aromas of cherry, spice, raspberry and nutmeg. Cherry, herb and peppery spice flavors with bright underlying acidity. My initial thought was RRV and I moved on. However, with a bit more air this changed quite a bit, revealing a nice bit of earth and funk. Clearly not CA, and I correctly picked this out as Burgundy. (MY)

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• 2008 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

  Blind. Garnet color. Aromas of currant and red plum with earthy undertones. Full-bodied, with plum and red berry fruit, herb, forest floor and spice flavors. Balanced, with a lingering finish. Wine of the flight for many.
  
  It wasn't until the end of the flight that I began to wonder if this was our bottle of Montelena. This had been decanted for nearly three hours. 93-94 pts.

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• 2018 Emmolo Merlot

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Raspberry, herb and red berry fruit notes. Soft tannins. Red fruit on the palate, developing a dark chocolate flavor as well. Very nice. (M&LA)

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• 2017 Cantine San Marzano Primitivo di Manduria Sessantanni Old Vines 91 Points

  Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

  Double blind. Dark color. Opens with a sappy note, followed by black fruit, spice and herbs de Provence. Slightly chewy and somewhat dense, with black fruit and coffee flavors. (J&S)

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• 2018 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Dark color, and iniitally quite generic and nondescript. With time and vigorous swirling, black raspberry and blackberry fruit notes emerge. Firm tannins. Dense and full-bodied, with blackberry, plum and spice flavors. Picks up a beguiling rose petal note. Guessed petite. 90+ pts. (V&M)

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• 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Garnet color. Plum, cedar, dark berry fruit and spice notes. Abundant red fruit on the palate with spice and chocolate accents. Medium tannins. Domino thought this may have been corked, but she is more sensitive than the rest of us. At various moments I sort of got a hint of something and I could see what she picked up, but I wasn't entirely certain and never went back to this to see if it became more obviously corked. (V&M)

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• 2016 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

  Double blind. Light garnet color. Aromas of red berries, earth and herbs. Medium-bodied. The palate mirrors the bouquet and develops a dirty, in a good way, funky quality. Good supporting acidity. Seems very Bordeauxish to me, and was quite a surprise when unveiled. (R&S)

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• 2009 Château Pavie Arômes de Pavie 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Double blind. Chocolate, plum and dark berry fruit notes. Full-bodied with flavors of mixed fruit and spice. Develops an herbal edge with time in the glass. Tannins are a bit dense and chewy. Guessed Napa cab sauv. (R&D)

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• 2017 Caldwell Cabernet Sauvignon Society of Smugglers 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville

  Double blind. Notes of dark fruit, perfume and spice. Firm tannin, a bit chewy and dense, with black fruit on the palate. Develops an earthy undertone that I like. Remains dense and chewy on the palate in terms of the tannins. (SS)

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• 2018 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Double blind. Very light color, sticking out like a sore thumb in this flight. Initially a bit tight, eventually revealing white currant, cherry, orange peel and anise aromas. Bright acidity, with cherry and red fruit dominating the palate. Hints of spice in the finish. I guessed Langhe DOC nebbiolo. (J&S)

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• 2019 D.R. Stephens Malbec Collateral Napa Valley 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Loads of dill and pickle juice qualities here-must be American oak. Dark fruit underneath. Full-bodied. (SS)

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• 2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Blind. Garnet/crimson color. Aromas of red fruit and dill. Medium tannins. Flavors of red plum, currants and dill. Balanced. I know the geeky types thumb down their nose at SO, and I am guilty of it too, but this was quite nice. Decanted 4 hours.

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• 2018 Viña Cobos Malbec Bramare Lujan de Cuyo 92 Points

  Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

  Double blind. Notes of dark fruit, pepper and plum. Tannic; full-bodied, but balanced, with abundant plummy dark fruit supporting the structure. Long finish. (M&LA)

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• 2016 Sightglass Cellars Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  Double blind. Aromas of dill, herbs, black currant and wood smoke. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and flavors of black fruit. Finishes with good length. Excellent. (R&S)

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• 1996 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Opens with a whiff of brettanomyces funk, giving way to a mix of red and black fruit, rose and currants. Softened tannins with an abundance of red berry fruit on the palate. Lovely. We all thought Bordeaux, and I had suggested late '90s at one point, so at least I wasn't far off on its age. A terrific showing for this bottle from G&L's cold cellar.

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• 2015 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 93 Points

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

  Double blind. Deep inky crimson color. Aromas of pine, spice and black fruit with a subtle medicinal undertone. Medium-bodied. Sappy red fruit, game and spice with a long finish. I thought southern Rhone from the outset, and settled on Châteauneuf. My first go with this vintage of Pegau, and it's excellent. 93+ pts. (R&D)

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• 2018 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Blind. Chocolate, black fruit, currant and tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and flavors of currants and black fruit. Bay leaf and black raspberry qualities as it opens in the glass. Balanced and long. Beautiful. This had been decanted for five hours.

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With dinner salads, burgers and cream puffs with berries. All served nonblind.

• 2010 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 94 Points

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

  From magnum, popped and poured with dinner, courtesy of R&D. Dark fruit, game, earth and a bit of barnyard. Balanced. Abundant dark fruit, with herb and gamy notes carrying the finish. Hints of spice in the background.

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• 2019 Dry Creek Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Popped and poured two bottles with dinner following the tasting. Dark color. Plum, boysenberry and peppery spice qualities on the nose and palate. Lush, ripe zin fruit. Excellent.

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• 1977 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 95 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Courtesy of MY, opened before the tasting began and allowed to breathe in bottle for approximately four hours before it was served. Cherry cordial, chocolate, licorice and cedar qualities. So well-balanced, with an abundance of fruit. Drinking well with air, though has a long life still ahead. Gorgeous.

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• 1988 Château Rabaud-Promis 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Standard bottle, light gold in color. Beautiful tropical fruit, apricot, marmalade and pineapple qualities. Medium-bodied, with softened acidity. Pineapple and tropical fruit flavors on the palate with a good finish. A very nice example of this wine.

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