Annual Magnum Dinner

Annual get together with significant others.

• 1996 Deutz Champagne Blanc de Blancs

  France, Champagne

  From magnum; amazingly fresh and vibrant for its age, I love magnums, dough and graphite with a hard golden apple, touch of candied ginger, super dry with firm coiled acids- maybe temp was a little cold but really nice and can elevate so many food options.

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• 2017 Domaine de la Vougeraie Vougeot 1er Cru Clos Blanc de Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vougeot 1er Cru

  From magnum; brief taste, still youthful, lots of lemon curd and a dusty mineral component, acacia and vanilla, almost a bitterness, felt like some strong oak tannins...Vougeraie's oak tends to need lots of time to integrate, almost a NW amount of ripe yellow fruit and oak but the mineral and acid said Old World; very good but probably one of the least balanced wines of the night which was a really high bar.

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• 2016 Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe Rosso di Montalcino Stella di Campalto

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

  From magnum; as expected this was the most elegant and acidic red of the night resembling Burgundy more so than Sangiovese Grosso, juicy plum, sour cherry, subtle herb and mineral with great energy and substance in this seemingly understated example; the only negative I can say is that it is so primordial that we are not seeing the potential or the incredible Montalcino character these wines can convey with enough air/time.

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• 2010 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  From magnum; enjoyed next to the Stella di Campalto you'd never think these were from the same area, much darker, denser extraction, dark fruit, slight balsamic, oak notes, kirsch, a distinctive candied cherry that I associate with Pianrosso; a deep and dark vintage, clearly very good and complex but still a bit rugged and burly needing more time even though it shows some balsamic and development there is less cohesion than I think it would show in few more years.

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• 2001 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  From magnum; I believe this was a recent library release, served next to the 2015 Scavino Cannubi you could definitely see the contrast of Elisa and her father's winemaking, this Carobric was in a great stage of its development, oak was well integrated and the wine was nicely developed with a balsamic notes, tar, dried roses, balanced and classic yet deeper extract and more rugged tannins that are rounding out a bit with a touch of chew, some of that modern slant from Enrico's tenure but the balance here is the main attraction.

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• 2015 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  From magnum; I am once again smitten with Scavino's Cannubi, it is a shame that they no longer have this fruit contract, I may have to snag a mag or two to make sure I can continue to enjoy these years from now; so floral, tea, roses, sour cherry and orange zest, fresh and lifted this is what Pinot Noir wants to be, structure based on acidic backbone rather than tannins and alcohol; thoroughly enjoy Elisa's style and interesting to have next to the 2001 Carobric.

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• 1997 Dominus Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  From magnum; deep dark core still youthful in appearance; great nose, black currant, dark fruit, strong roasted green pepper, green tobacco, a touch of chocolate, wet earth, very Bordeaux-like in its attack but there is something different- density and extract along with its balance at one end of the spectrum; really delicious showing great weight and energy, glad we didn't get one of the corked bottles this vintage struggles with.

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• 1989 Château Gruaud Larose

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  From magnum; wow, this wine has been kicking some butt lately, balanced and complex, elegant and lighter than the '97 Dominus next to it but no less impressive, truffle, dusty earth, cigar box, mushroom, tobacco, red currant and green herb edge, impeccable balance; really delicious.

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• 2000 Château Léoville Poyferré

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  From magnum; on first nosing I was afraid this was brutally young as the new oak it exhibited was a bit overwhelming I could have said California Cab but digging in a little further this showed great poise and the polish became a side note, darker fruited that last bottle I had, leather, tobacco, earthy mix, a little green pepper but the fruit and balance of this gave it great drinkability; clearly a great vintage of this wine.

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• 2005 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  From magnum; the hits keep coming, many were getting after this right away but saving this until later made it more of a treat, still a fresh violet with medium plus density, sweet berry and plum, and all that unmistakable Northern Rhone character, black pepper, smoke, granite, kalamata olive, a touch of leather, complex but not as wild as some Clape can be, this being '05 I was afraid it may still be firm and possibly shut down but the wine was beautifully accessible mouthfilling and delicious; what a treat!

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Probably the highest level of wine across the board. I liked everything we had tonight and was not dumping anything.