Dinner with Paul and Jeff

Six of us got together to enjoy a cornucopia of different wines. The cooking at the club was solid. I particularly enjoyed dover sole.

• 2009 Marguet Sapience Oenothèque 93 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Powerful nose, oxidative style, big, a lot of cinnamon baked apple. Medium fine generous mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral, and a very dry long finish.

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• 2014 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 97 Points

  France, Champagne

  Very precise, razor like focus, exceptional tension, clean cool fresh lemon citrus fruit. Lemon and granny smith, a hint of honey, rainwater and spice spices. Bright acidity, strong mineral, fine abundant mousse and a long cool fresh lemon and apple driven finish. It reminds me the 14 Chablis a bit, e.g. pure, cool and precise. It is leaner and cooler than the 12 and 15. A bit like the 08 but not as elegant but cooler and showing more tension.

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• 2020 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Very modern nose, a hint of oak, banana, apple and pear. Cool and slightly lean, a bit straightforward. Kinda drinking nicely but a bit straightforward and lean. Although slightly lean and cool, there is a hint of new world like oaky expression. Really well made but not exciting.

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• 2016 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Slightly coiled pure white fruits, pear, fresh lemon and apple, honeysuckle, cool mountain stream, lanoline and limestone. Beautifully balanced palate, elegance of Chevalier but also the power of Batard. Perfect amount of acidity and mineral, a seamless long pure white fruit driven finish. Showing well but can improve for a decade or more.

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• 2021 Niepoort Douro Coche Branco 94 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Really Coche-like, with a lot of reduction. Perhaps Dirk is creating a caricature of Coche wines. Very neutral and cool fruit expression, cool and slightly lean palate. Medium acidity and strong mineral. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it was Chardonnay. Dirk seems to be having a lot of fun with this wine. Really cool and enjoyable.

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• 1984 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  Despite being forty years old, it remains very youthful character with an abundance of generous fruit. A hint of cassis but mostly red fruit, plum and cherry, scorched earth, lead pencil, a hint of green, leather and crushed rocks. Excellent concentration, generous red and black fruit, rich and unctuous but also fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long ripe red fruit driven finish with ash at the end. This reminds me the 92 Phillip Togni cab a bit, but more oaky, perhaps sweet American oak. May be a combination of Togni and Montebello. It doesn't have the complexity of a great Bordeaux but shows a lot of fruit. Really enjoyable and no need to hurry.

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• 2019 Dard et Ribo Hermitage 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Apparently very "natural" wine making. Starts with strong tapenade and black pepper, then become super grapy, i.e. welch juice concentrate, and blackberry jam, then comes back to tapenade and black pepper. There is a hint of "animal" a la Beaujolais. Excellent concentration, super rich. I get more Corans than Hermitage. Sort of getting Beasujolais and Prieuré Roch. Fascinating but I would have guessed Hermitage.

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• 2014 Horsepower Vineyards Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  Super exotic, a lot herbaceous notes, cannabis, roasted meat, cherry jam, dry cherry, animal, fruit cake and a hint of heat at the end. Very polished palate, medium acidity and mineral, and a medium long finish with cannabis and roasted meat at the end. This reminds me Cayuse a lot, almost identical nose. This is also unsuccessfully trying to mimic Rayas. Nevertheless, I like it.

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• 1999 Carruades de Lafite 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Classic Pauillac nose but a bit straightforward. Good concentration a bit chunky and rustic. Still quite youthful with generous fruit but not sure if this will improve. Terrible QPR.

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• 2001 Château Haut-Brion 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Expressive nose with generous black fruit, crème de cassis, blackberry, tobacco, leather, dark caramel and mineral. Beautifully integrated palate, generous mature sweet black fruit, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long ripe black fruit driven finish. This is drinking really well.

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• 2014 Blankiet Estate Mythicus 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Generous black and blue fruit, good complexity. Rich, round and generous but also showing a good balance and detail. Not a blockbuster but still very Napa. Drinking well.

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