4th Saturday Brown Bagger: European UTB Wines

Our hosts for the February tasting declared a theme of uptown European wines, so reds were to be of higher quality than our typical tasting, and have European origin. We're always delighted to have occasion to open a nice bottle so we raided the cellar and found a couple of very worthy bottles. Wines are tasted in flights, arranged randomly but roughly light to heavy. Dinner is served following the tasting along with a couple of extra bottles.

• NV Ruinart Champagne Brut Rosé 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Presumably current release. Copper/pink color with a lingering mousse. Loads of red berry fruit with hints of apple, carnation and mineral. Medium bead, with flavors of red berry fruit and brioche. Excellent.

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• 2022 Inama Soave Classico Vigneti di Foscarino

  Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico

  Double blind. Light color. Slightly grassy, with pineapple, orchard fruit and floral notes as well. Round, with a rich texture and flavors of orchard fruit and melon. Nice. Thought Italian…no real guess on variety though. (V&M)

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• 2021 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 91 Points

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

  Double blind. Pale color with a subtle green tint. Notes of melon, mineral and citrus. Fairly rich texture, with a subtle toast and flavors of apple and mineral. Guessed Chablis. (V&M)

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• 2021 Bodegas Avancia Godello Nobleza Old Vines 89 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Valdeorras

  Double blind. Pale color. Melon, floral and almond notes. Rich texture, with flavors of melon, pear and almond on the palate. Full-bodied. Guessed viura/Rioja. (V&M)

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• 1999 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Blind. Plenty of bricking- definitely an older wine, likely one of ours. Opens with notes of pepper, black fruit and roasted meat- clearly our Hermitage. Picks up a lovely potpourri note with time in the glass. Medium-bodied and integrated, with flavors of mixed red and black fruit, white pepper and cured meat. Becomes more red fruited as it breathes in the glass. Well received by the group.
  
  Our last bottle, showing very well, having been double decanted off its sediment not quite two hours before service. If this bottle is representative I would drink over the near term.

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• 2009 Clos Fourtet 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Double blind. Aromas of dark fruit, plum and rose petal. Abundant dark plummy fruit on the palate, along with fairly firm tannins. A bigger wine, somewhat nondescript, but drinking more like a Napa cab than anything else.
  
  I had this once before with a similar result. Good for what it is- a Bordeaux for CA cab fans. (R&D)

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• 2016 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Double blind. Aromas of black fruit, iron, herbs and tobacco. Full-bodied, with flavors of black fruit, iron and asphalt. Becomes a bit perfumed and floral as it breathes in the glass. Lovely, and clearly Bordeaux. Excellent. 93-94 pts.
  
  This had been double decanted the night before, and it was drinking very well, albeit quite youthfully, with this treatment. (V&M)

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• 2000 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barolo Vürsù Vigneto Campè 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Blind. Lighter color with a fair amount of bricking, likely our second bottle. Notes of anise, rose petal and black fruit. Full-bodied and integrated, with an abundance of plummy dark fruit on the palate along with spice and rose water elements. Strawberry and cherry notes with time in the glass, as well as a deeper, more broad perfume.
  
  This was our penultimate bottle, double decanted off its sediment about two hours before service, and it needed more time. Initially a bit tight during the first flight, i kept a glass off to the side and followed it through the rest of the tasting and dinner, nearly five hours total. It kept improving, finally leveling off with dinner at roughly four hours after the cork was pulled. My score reflects the wine at its peak on this night (nonblind).

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• 2010 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Double blind. Opaque inky color- young. Aromas of pure black fruit, blackberry, tobacco, sage and iron. Full-bodied with youthfully firm but fine tannins and flavors of black currant, plum, forest floor and iron. With air an intriguing asphalt aroma emerges. With the iron and asphalt qualities, my palate was led to Graves, so I was surprised to see a St.E unveiled. Excellent, if a bit young at this stage. (J&S)

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• 2019 Château Croix de Labrie 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Double blind. Deeply colored, with notes of plum, tobacco and bouillon. Wonderful dark fruit on the palate, with iron, earth and herb accents. Full bodied; medium tannins with a nice vein of acidity. Easy to pick out as young Bordeaux. (J&L)

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• 2018 Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

  Double blind. Within the context of the wines we've tasted tonight, this has a jammy dark fruit profile, along with currant, blueberry and pine forest notes. Full-bodied, with a plush texture, and flavors of black fruit, plum and tobacco. Long finish. Excellent, but difficult to place...you could talk me into Bordeaux, California (not part of tonight's theme), or just about anywhere else. I like it, and it's clearly very well made, but it just doesn't speak of place. (V&M)

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• 2015 Franco Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Double blind. Lighter color with notes of dark plummy fruit, sandalwood and dried herbs. Flavors of plum, cedar and dark fruit. Good acidity; medium tannin. Guessed Brunello - the sandalwood note and color are indicators for me. Very nice. 92+ pts. (J&S)

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• 2017 Boroli Barolo Brunella 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Double blind. Light color- looks almost like a pinot, but the tannins suggest otherwise, meaning nebbiolo. Notes of white and red currants, licorice and tobacco. Red fruit, with firm, fine tannins and flavors of orange, spice and anise on the palate along with the red fruit. Clearly a Barolo. Very nice. (J&L)

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Enjoyed with lasagna, coupled with a green salad and sauteed rapini.

• 2000 Fontanafredda Barolo Lazzarito Vigna la Delizia 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Our final bottle, double decanted off its sediment and served a few hours later with dinner. Notes of rose, cherry, red fruit and tobacco. Integrated and balanced, with black fruit, plum, leather and bouillon flavors. Very nice.

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• 2019 Château Doisy-Daëne 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Half bottle. Notes of apricot, honey and stone fruit with this little streak of cotton candy that I found rather intriguing. Balanced, with flavors of apricot, peach and pear nectar and something just a little tropical coming in on the finish. Excellent. (V&M)

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Thanks to all for a fun and lively evening. We'll see you all again in March.