Friday Night Uptown Brown Bagger

Our hosts switched things up this month, indicating that they had a few high end bottles which they wanted to open in order to have us offer opinions and rank the wines. So we'd have a Sunday group format flight- a single flight with some common theme. We were to taste, assess and rank the wines. The rest of us put our bottles in the second flight and tasted as usual, with plenty of lively discussion but no ranking.

• NV Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  Lot LAM9M, I believe current release. Apple, marshmallow and almond notes with a vanilla cream overtone. Flavors of apple, chalk and dried yeast, with a slightly bitter quality that I am not fond of tonight. Good, but not at the same level as other examples of this wine. (R&D)

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• 2017 Peter Michael Chardonnay Mon Plaisir 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Double blind. Light color, with notes of banana, coconut, pear and lemon blossom. Full-bodied, featuring pear, quince, lemon and vanilla flavors. Lingering finish. Easy to pick out as a Peter Michael chardonnay from this cellar, and beginning to drink very nicely. (R&D)

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• 2017 Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Ma Douce 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Fort Ross - Seaview

  Double blind. Light golden yellow color with notes of sawdust and apple. A bit reticent aromatically, but bright and forward on the palate. Flavors of melon, ripe pear and apple with a candied melon quality in the finish. I love the palate and just wish the bouquet showed a bit more...still a very fine chard just beginning to come into its own. 93+ pts. (R&D)

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• 2017 Peter Michael Chardonnay Cuvée Indigene 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Double blind. Deep straw yellow color. A lovely bouquet featuring pear, vanilla crème, apple, lemon and tangerine. Rich and full, with flavors of pear, vanilla, clove, basil and quince with a citrusy element in the finish. Just delightful- my favorite of the warm ups. Starting to drink very well but I suspect its very best is still a couple of years away. 94+ pts. (R&D)

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Our host opened these mid-morning and reinserted the cork without decanting them. In hindsight, they could have used a healthy decant as they needed about 20-30 minutes in the glass to really begin to open up. Easy to pick out as young Napa cabs, overall these are simply in need of more time or plenty of air.

• 2017 Revana Cabernet Franc Merlot Shifflett Ranch 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District

  Double blind. Medium purple color. Aromas of cassis, blackberry, coffee and blueberry. Full-bodied. Flavors of black cherry, raspberry and cassis with a long finish. One of the more accessible wines in the flight, the fruit is forward and lush. As it opens in the glass it softens and the mixed red and black fruit qualities dominate. Balanced. Excellent.
  
  My #2, Domino's #1
  Group #2, 25 pts
  (R&D)

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• 2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Double blind. Deep ruby/purple color. Opens with notes of coffee, cassis, chocolate and cherry cordial. Firm tannins. Flavors of black cherry, coffee, chocolate and rose water. Nicely balanced, but as it sits the tannins firm a bit more and the oak becomes a bit more obvious.
  
  My #3, Domino's #3
  Group #3, 29 pts
  (R&D)

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• 2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

  Double blind. Deep purplish/crimson color. Cassis, mocha and black raspberry notes with perhaps just a slight hint of VA underneath. Full-bodied and quite firm, with flavors of currant, cassis, black cherry and vanilla. The VA quality fades but the wine remains a bit firm. Good components, just needs time.
  
  My #4, Domino's #6
  Group #6, 34 pts
  (R&D)

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• 2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Double blind. Deep ruby color. Different than the others, leading with a dominant herbaceous quality, with black currant and chocolate underneath. My initial impression is that this must have a healthy dollop of cab franc mixed in. Full-bodied and tannic, with flavors of currants, chocolate, herbs and plum. Lingering finish. 93+ pts.
  
  My #1, Domino's #2
  Group #1, 18 pts
  (R&D)

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• 2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Revana Estate Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  Double blind. Pale purple color. A bit reticent at first, eventually giving black currant, mocha and blue fruit qualities, becoming a bit more ripe and plummy as it breathes in the glass. Full-bodied. Flavors of plum, blackberry and raspberry. Medium+ finish.
  
  My #5, Domino's #5
  Group #4, 31 pts
  This was tied with wine F, also with 31 pts, but this wine received two 1st place votes thus breaking the tie.
  (R&D)

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• 2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Block 6 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Inky purple color. Aromas of brown sugar, black currant, mocha, cedar, chocolate and sandalwood. Full-bodied. Flavors of black cherry, kirsch, vanilla and cassis. Firm; tannic. Medium+ finish.
  
  My #6, Domino's #4
  Group #5, 31 pts
  This was tied with wine E, also with 31 pts, but this wine received no votes higher than 2nd, and thus lost the tiebreaker.
  (R&D)

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• 2009 Kapcsándy Family Winery Endre 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville

  Double blind. Garnet core with a lighter meniscus. Opens with a lovely herbal quality followed by red and black fruits, earth and perfumey floral elements. Full-bodied with softened tannin and flavors of mixed fruit. Absolutely lovely. (J&J)

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• 2006 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Herb and black fruit notes, with hints of dried hay/straw. Medium tannins. Red plum, currant and earth qualities on the palate. Finishes with good length; seamless across the palate. This seemed very Bordeaux-ish to me tonight. 93-94 pts. (J&J)

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• 2017 Hamel Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Nuns Canyon 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District

  Double blind. Inky opaque color. Black currant, plum, mocha and brown sugar notes. Full-bodied, dominated by black fruit with plenty of barrel influence. No doubt a young CA cab sauv; could use a few years in the cellar to realize its full potential. (R&R)

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• 2017 Realm Cellars Houyi Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Aromas of black fruit, cherry, black raspberry, herbs and cedar. Full-bodied and tannic, with an abundance of ripe black fruit carrying the palate. Quite young and primary. (R&R)

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• 2007 Ridge Monte Bello 96 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Blind. I am immediately smitten and this is instantly my favorite in this flight. Aromas of black currant, dried herbs, lavender and sweet pipe tobacco. Full-bodied, with medium tannin. Impeccably balanced. Flavors of black and red fruits, tobacco and sage with a long, subtly sweet finish. Drinking nicely despite its youth; this vintage has never really shut down.
  
  This was opened three hours before the flight was poured; decanted for perhaps half an hour.

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• 1996 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

  Deep color, showing much younger than it actually is. Opens with aromas of cedar, black currant, dusty earth and plum. Again, nicely balanced and integrated. Flavors of black fruit dominate the palate, with subtle earth, leather and tobacco qualities mixed in. Finishes with good length. WOTF for a couple of tasters.
  
  This had been quickly double decanted about 2.5 hours before the flight was poured and remained under cork until just before service. An hour in the decanter certainly would not have hurt, hindsight being 20/20. Sadly, our only bottle, as there's at least a few years left at a very high level, if this was a representative bottle.

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Enjoyed with a delightful apple tart courtesy of D.

• 1977 Warre Porto Vintage 93 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Lovely ruby color. Aromas of cherry, red currant, licorice, sage, cinnamon and strawberry jam. So complex and engaging. The palate is a bit more straightforward, but no less enjoyable, with abundant red fruit tones- cherry, raspberry coulis and kirsch. Hints of spice in the finish. Always a pleasure to sip this wine. (R&D)

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