Cork Vault Bottle Share 9.1.22

Charlotte, NC
Tasted Thursday, September 1, 2022 by kevinpatrick with 112 views

Introduction

This is the monthly bottle share at Bill Bound's Cork Vault wine storage facility. An informal and fun gathering of members sharing their wares and introducing old and new friends to great wines.

Flight 1 (13 Notes)

  • NV Comtesse Gerin Champagne "Grande Réserve"

    France, Champagne

    Cuvee is 50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, and 20% Chardonnay and all hand harvested. Notes of apples and ripe bartlett pears with fine bubbles. Elegant and flavorful on the palate. An easy and pleasing start to the night. A great value bottle to have on hand when the moment’s not right for Taittenger, etc

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  • 2012 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Was at room temperature when opened but we put it on ice and gave it some time to breathe. 90 minutes later this wine was in a great place. Smooth and layered with raspberry and plum notes. Nice complexity and finesse with a savory finish. The delightful surprise on the palate was my expectation of getting “punched in the face” but received the most gentle massage on my senses. Exceptional wine living up to its accolades.

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  • 2015 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Mimi's Mind

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Decanted for about 45 minutes before sampling and was delicious then and only grew as the evening wore on. Aromatic but not overwhelming nose. Wonderfully balanced on the palate with dark raspberry and boysenberry notes layered over dusty wood and dried leaves. Balanced acidity and smooth texture. A top wine on this evening.

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  • 2017 Kutch Pinot Noir Graveyard Block Bohan Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Decanted and tasted over three hours. Needed plenty of air as it settled and reached a wonderful balanced profile at about the two hour mark. Concentrated nose of dark fruits. Rich raspberry and black cherry shine on the palate. Nicely structured with a gravelly tone adding nice character. Enjoyable savory finish. High quality juice that has something for everyone: those who like younger, more fruit forward wines will love this at “pop-n-pour” while those looking for a more balanced wine can achieve that given a few hours of air.

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  • 2003 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Baron

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

    Served from a magnum and tried both from the bottle as later decanted. Classically cloudy in appearance. Earthy old world aromas on the nose. Tasty young fruits initially before settling into its aged and rustic final form. Red fruits, dried herbs, and chalky mouthfeel. On the back-half of its drinking window. A fun wine not to overthink. The owner was “happy to get rid of this” but the crowd was pleasantly disposed to its consumption. Fun fact: possibly sourced from “the “ Robert Parker’s wine cellar when he was liquidating.

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  • 2010 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva Selección Especial

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Popped and sampled both from the bottle and after a decant – was tasty initially but superior following the decant. Intense aromas of rustic cherries seemingly throwing off heat. Delicious and concentrated on the palate – ripe strawberries and cherries with some bramble for good measure. Ripe, fresh rioja with some sexy finesse. Great tonight with years and years ahead of it.

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  • 1985 Joseph Phelps Insignia

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Popped and slo-ox for 2 hours before sampling. Others checked in prior and those who waited were rewarded. Red garnet in color the age is showing. Soft, chalky aromas of wilted rose petals on the nose. Gentle on the mouthfeel – rustic red raspberries still shine up front with secondary notes winning the day. A delicate wine with plenty of life on the night but probably drinking better in isolation rather than in a line-up of varied young/old grapes of varying geography. A delightful wine to be consumed soon before it crosses over too much further, Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc.

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  • 1986 Château Saint-Pierre

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    My second time with this wine and it was just as good as the first one. A decidedly underrated 4th growth. On the nose musky aromas of soft tobacco and leather. On the pallet ripe plums and black currants sing gently against cedar and cigar box notes. Easy finish that lingers lovingly for some time. I wish I had a case of this wine in my cellar. A top wine this evening.

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  • 1989 Château Léoville Barton

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Decanted for two hours before sampling and tasting over the subsequent two hours. It needed every ounce of air you could give it. Opulent nose of cedar and tobacco. Full-bodied on the palate with well-integrated tannins allowed the red and black fruits to deftly shine over the gentle tobacco notes. Excellent length on the finish. An exceedingly high quality wine.

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  • 2005 Haigney Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    From a magnum. Cellartracker shows 12 bottles in its inventory and no tasting notes. That’s a shame because this wine was delicious. The gist that my hazy memory recalls is these were “friends and family” wines so not really available to the public. Opulent nose of soft cherries and blackberries. Delightfully smooth on the mouthfeel distinctly reminiscent of a top Whitehall Lane and even a Scarecrow profile. Rich dark cherries and black raspberries on the palate delivered gently into a long finish. A stellar showing for a wine I had never heard of. If your friends have one, make them open one for you – you won’t be disappointed.

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  • 2005 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc

    USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma

    Opened and slo-oxed for an hour before sampling. Color was amber on the edges and darkly concentrated in the center. Rustic nose that was decidedly Old World. Rustic red cherries on the palate with a wonderful barnyard quality I was not expecting. Complex notes of red fruits dominated hints of black fruits and cedar that were delivered with a high level of finesse making this a joy to drink. Served blind I would have bet heavily this was some unique Bordeaux blend actually from Bordeaux. A truly outstanding wine. By far the “surprise wine of the night” and probably the best Cab Franc I’ve tasted – never had Ausone and tend to steer clear of this grape in single varietal. This wine is another reason these bottle shares are both fun and valuable experiences.

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  • 2005 Peter Michael Les Pavots

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Decanted and tasted after two hours. Was served this blind and able to call the wine off the nose alone, having recently had the ‘97 Les Pavots. Ruby colored, Rich new world nose of decidedly Bordeaux varietals. Smooth on the mouthfeel this is a richly integrated wine of red cherries and black fruits still quite concentrated. Needs more time or air to unpack those delicious flavors. So while this was a truly tasty wine it lacked the complexity I am confident it can show in a few years time. Any critique is personal preference really. Anyone who wants to enjoy a high quality fruit forward Bordeaux blend would be well-served by this wine at any juncture.

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  • 2018 Bucklin Ancient Field Blend Old Hill Ranch

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    Slo-oxed for a couple of hours before sampling. This is the farmer turned winemaker who clearly knows his stuff. A wine known by the many Bedrock and Ravenswood fans this was another delightful surprise of the night. Lightly aromatic nose. Far softer on the mouthfeel than I was expecting. Wonderfully integrated red fruits and soft tannins adding gentle structure. A super fun wine that would be even better with bar-b-que. A delightful wine and another new one for me.

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Closing

Never a bad evening with this crowd and a pleasure to be amongst such great wine and community.

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