Guys Night - A Nice Mix

This was the regular Guy's Night tasting. Jason hosted along with his chef team cooking up a fabulous menu that paired so well tonight. We had a great group of seven for this event (JP, JG, jG, SP, KB, TS, MZ). There were some outstanding wines on the evening making this another memorable evening. Thanks Jason and team!!!

• 1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Medium gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Holy cow! It's been more than 6 years since last having this wine. Time surely flies. I've had this so many times over the years, and it has always been a charmer. Tonight's bottle was in fine form. The nose starts with lemon zest, with a touch of pith; lemon custard, sea air, doughy with hi toned spice notes and a little leafy note. The palate is lovely and filled with almond and marzipan, Meyer lemon zest, apple peel and citrus with a fine mousse and long finish. This is still going strong, and hopefully should have another 5 years or more. 94+ to 95pts.

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• 2022 Kinsman Eades Aisana 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Pale gold color. Drank a glass over 40 minutes. Stone fruit nose, restrained and finessed with some slate minerality. The palate is waxy, with lemon, honeydew, stone fruit, stones, refined with subtle lemongrass, and a kiss of oak. I like this style a lot. 92+ to 93pts.

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• 2012 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc Flawed

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  The deep gold color was concerning from the start, but sometimes it is not definitive. Unfortunately, while maybe not vinegar, this bottle was on life support. Think bitter baked gold fruit. Bummer. We did comment that our experiences with many of the aged Rhone whites has been rather disappointing with a high number of wines that are oxidized well before their time.

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• 2014 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny 93 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny

  Murky medium dark red plus color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. There's a little funk and musty saddle that leads the way, followed by the telltale perfume of leather and red fruits, marked by strawberries and currants, dried thyme and herb de Provence on the nose. The palate shows the juicy red fruits and mouthwatering acidity, with an earthy balance that carries through the finish. Lovely.

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• 1982 Château Léoville Las Cases 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Very dark red/purple color. Double decanted for 20 minutes and an additional hour of slow-O time. Drank a glass over 2.5 hours. The nose was showing better than the palate from the start. But this was a bit reticent at first. The nose is a little funky, tobacco leaf and dried earth with a hi toned graphite note followed by sweet leather, mint and black raspberry with cassis fruit. The nose really expands and has a lovely complexity and the fruit gradually opens and folds in nicely. The palate almost seems lean, for lack of a better word as the fruit just doesn't seem to be in focus. That very slowly changes over more than an hour as the fruit density and purity begins to show. Cassis, dark berries and deep red cherry fruits eventually reveal themselves along with a now silken texture and more length. I feel like we started to get the full picture after 2+ hours, but there is certainly more here based on previous bottles. At peak I feel like this was pushing towards 94+ to maybe 95pts in my opinion.

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• 1987 Dominus Estate 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Very dark red color with a 2-3mm clear edge. PNP, drank a glass plus over 2.5hrs. I thought this was firing on all cylinders from the get go. The nose is so expresive, with a gloriously intense perfume of saddle leather, dark berries, dried violets, finely shaved pencil, cedar dust and and super fine dried loam. The palate is sublime, full bodied with a satin texture, plump tannins, the structure is here for the long haul. Gorgeous dark fruits filled with cassis and dark plum with shades of blackberry, cedar dust, pencil, and leather with a very long and vibrant finish. Had a little left for wife to try at home, and I got a wow from her. 96+ to 97pts. Well stored bottles have a lot left in the tank for sure.

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• 2003 Ridge Monte Bello 92 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Very dark red/purple color. Slow-O for 2.5hrs, drank a glass over 1.5hrs. The nose shows plenty of robust blackberry, with a baked blackberry cobbler feel to it, very hi toned dried spice, big and full with a warm feel to it on the palate, baked blackberries, and some wood on the long finish. This is not the most complex or nuanced version of Monte Bello; yet very good, though the warm vintage character brings its limitations I think. I'd drink these soner than later myself.

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• 1996 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Very dark red color. Decanted 1 hour plus, drank a glass over 1.5hrs. This wasn't as giving at first either tonight, but it slowly kept building in glass. Gravel, dust, dried forest floor, blackberries and boysenberry on the nose. The palate shows blackberry, blackberry liqueur, full bodied and tangy, more resonant over time as this opens further. I found the fruit becoming more juicy and fresh over time, long with a nice note of dried wood and oak trimming on the finish.

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• 2001 Château Suduiraut 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium gold color. Drank a glass over 40 minutes. Oh wow, this was on fire tonight. When these hit, they hit and this bottle was special. The fruit is so juicy, it is just riveting, the balance, brightness acidity is impeccable, killer botrytis spice notes and amazing lift and length. Wonderful bottle.

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