3rd Friday Group Tasting

We gathered for our regular third Friday brown bag tasting. The hosts provide warm up wines which are followed by two flights of reds. We discuss and unveil each flight before moving on to the next flight.

• 2004 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain 92 Points

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

  Double blind. Deep mature golden color. Opens with a distinct woolly aroma which is my tell for Chassagne. Apple, truffle, baked almond, honeycomb and toffee notes as well. Pear and honeyed fruit on the palate, with a soft vein of acidity. Easy to identify as mature white Burgundy, and knowing that a few of us still have bottles from our late friend’s cellar, I guessed 1996 Chassagne-Montrachet, earning partial credit for the commune. If this is a representative bottle, it is time to drink up as it’s fully mature and likely to decline from here. 92+ pts. (R&R)

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• 1996 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Double blind. Deep color- similar to the first warm up. Aromas of ripe peach, papaya and pear. The palate has a fresh sweetness to the fruit that I wasn’t really expecting based on the color. Golden pear, apple and mineral flavors with citrus oil accents. The fruitiness led me to guess this was an old California chardonnay. A lovely bottle that is more likely the exception rather than the rule at this stage- drink now. (R&R)

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• 2007 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 94 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma

  Blind. Crimson red color. Aromas of mint, black currants, black cherry and eucalyptus. Medium, slightly prickly tannins, with flavors of red and black fruits, peppery spice, cedar and tobacco. Opens in the glass adding chocolate, tar, plum, mocha and carnation blossom aromas. Gains weight and length as it breathes in the glass. A couple of tasters found this on the hot/alcoholic side, and just about everyone identified this as CA cabernet.
  
  This had been quickly double decanted off its sediment three hours before service. Certainly could have used a solid two+ hour decant, and to be served at a cool room temp.

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• 2005 Château Lascombes 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Double blind. Brick red color, appears to have a little age on it. Aromas of herbs, iodine and tobacco underneath an abundance of red toned fruit. Full-bodied with soft tannins and flavors of red fruit, plum, iron and earth. Opens nicely in the glass and adds cedar and mushroom qualities. Excellent. The iodine qualities led me to guess Graves, and I had pegged this for 1998-2000. This has shown up a few times now and is drinking nicely for my palate. Enjoyable now and for a good while to come…now to 2035+. (R&D)

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• 2020 Domini Veneti Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  Double blind. Dark red color opening with aromas of olive, red plum, dill and cedar. The dill/green elements follow through on the palate along with red-toned fruit. There’s a decent vein of acidity and some tannin as well. My initial thought was Rioja. As it opens in the glass it becomes somewhat high-toned and shows loamy qualities as well. I guessed Clos Apalta. I could not have been more shocked when the bag came off as I typically have a strong dislike of Amarone, but this was very enjoyable. A lovely wine. (J2)

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• 2019 Marcelo Pelleriti Cabernet Franc Signature

  Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco

  Double blind. Dark color with a lush bouquet of wild strawberry, cherry and raspberry with a terrific green herbaceous overtone. Flavors of red plum, pastry dough and raspberry with spice and green elements as well. As it breathes there’s an intriguing grilled herb note along with vanilla accents. Terrific fruit; nice depth and balance. My wotf. (R&R)

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• 2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  Blind. Aromas of tar, mocha, grilled herbs, perfume and blueberry. Black fruit on the palate, with medium tannins and hints of mocha in the finish. Brown sugar accents the bouquet as it sits in the glass. Tar and roasted black fruit continue on the palate. I say roasted, which has negative connotations, but it’s not pruney or raisiny, rather, I like the fruit here. Excellent, but not quite my wheelhouse and so this will never be a 100-pointer for me. This had been double decanted off its sediment about four hours before service, and really could have used a healthy decant I think (4+ hours).

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• 2005 Château Prieuré-Lichine 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Double blind. Medium color. Starts out quite green, but I like it, with red currant and earth and iron accents. Full-bodied with medium tannins and flavors of cherry, red berries, herbs and earth. Becomes a bit more earthy- iron, mushroom and iodine- as it sits in the glass. Red fruit persists on the finish, along with iodine and tobacco accents. Easily identifiable as Bordeaux, and while still youthful, it is beginning to drink nicely. (R&D)

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• 2020 Cheval des Andes

  Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Vistalba

  Double blind. Deep color. Another that starts out very green, with herb and dill aromas, along with mocha and red berry fruit. Black fruit moreso than red on the palate, with fine but somewhat firm tannins and flavors of green herbs complementing the black fruit. Another that showed strong dill and green herbs and you could have talked me into Rioja or cab franc. (R&R)

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• 2010 Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux-de-Provence Réserve du Mas

  France, Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence

  Double blind. Aromas of red berry fruit, cherry, cedar and perfume- it's pretty. Flavors of ripe cherries and red berry fruit with cedar accents. Good acidity with a nice finish. Bright and airy, I found myself enjoying this quite a bit, even though it did not show the same as two prior examples. (J2)

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• 2017 Arkenstone Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Double blind. Deep youthful color, opaque to the core. Aromas of blueberry, plum liqueur, mocha, coffee, chocolate herbs and dill...everything tonight has shown a lot of green/herbaceous notes. Full-bodied with firm fine tannins and flavors of black fruit and sour plum. Coffee and chocolate tones in the lengthy finish. Excellent. (R&R)

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