"Gem" Tasting in Alexandria

Planet Wine - Alexandria, VA
Tasted Saturday, September 12, 2009 by isaacjamesbaker with 654 views

Introduction

Met up with some friends for dinner and wine at Planet Wine in Alexandria. The food was amazing and the wines were all spectacular. There wasn't one dissapointment out of the whole lot.

Flight 1 (10 Notes)

  • NV Jean-Michel Guillon Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs Brut

    France, Burgundy, Crémant de Bourgogne

    medium golden colored. on the nose it shows flowers, brioche and sour apples. medium bodied. good acid and balance. it shows flavors of toast, strawberries, pear and orange rind with a streak of minerality. not a bad way to start off the evening.

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  • 2004 Domaine Borgeot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Embrazées

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

    light yellow color. lime zest and seashells on the nose. on the palate this is creamy and luscious, but its so well balanced with acidity and minerals. vanilla bean, seashells, cream, pears and orange peel. great fruit and complexity.

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  • 2004 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières-Coulée de Serrant

    wonderful bright golden color in the glass. really viscous as well. the nose explodes with apricots, pear butter, brioche, honey, quince, paint lacker and minerals. the nose on this stuff is ridiculously complex and totally unique. on the palate, this is explosive with apricot jam, honeycomb, caramel, graham cracker and minerals. profound wine. only the second time trying one of these and it has to be one of the most unique white wines on the planet. a total joy to drink.

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  • 2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    popped this bottle from my cellar thinking that i would be killing it so young. however, this bottle really surprised me with its complexity and approachability. medium ruby colored. you can actually see your fingers throug the glass, which surprised me. on the nose, this is explosive, even right out of the bottle. tons of baking spices like cinnamon and clove. also, i get a dead ringer for 50s diner-style cherry cola, the really good stuff ith the real syrup. also a bit of vanilla. the nose got even more heavenly with a few hours. on the palate, this has cassis, clove, bright cherries and caramel. the tannins are sweet and smooth. i was thinking this would be huge, but its really balanced and silky, leaving you with a velvety finish. great bottle and it went tremendously well with eggplant ravioli.

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  • 2007 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    dark purple color. this is a totally different beast from the 07 kosta brown we opened. dark purple color. no seeing your fingers through this one. cherry cola, plums, sweet blackberries on the nose. on the palate, this is a big boy. lots of cassis, sweet plums, pepper and vanilla. this is really dense with some serious weight. very powerful. not usually my style of pinot, but i couldn't help but love this bottle. so fruit-forward and luscious.

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  • 1996 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    brick colore. the nose is intense and sexy. it smells like sunday morning breakfast: bacon, coffee grinds, pepper. underneath those aromas is blackberry compote, black olives, earth and hints of fresh peppermint. the nose leaves you with this great spearmint aroma. tastes just delicious. i get tons of meat, like a delicious rare lamb steak or something. lots of blackberry jam, earth and pepper and blood. silky. totally approachable. i think this is in its prime right now. the finish is ridiculously long. this is my kind of wine. old world complexity, but this actually had a lot more fruit than i was expecting.

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  • 2006 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau

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

    dark ruby colored. a smoky nose with violets, cherries, pepper and incense. medium acid, full bodied with bing cherries, roasted meat, rasberries and hints of anise. really complex with a smooth finish. delicious and approachable but this will definitely continue to get better and better. incredibly complex.

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  • 2006 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    pitch color. this is a monster of a wine. nose is explosive. so much jam, chocolate, mocha and incense. huge on the palate. dense fruit, but its not flabby. its got 16.6% alcohol, which does show a bit, but i couldn't believe how yummy this was. it is what it is, but i loved it.

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  • 2005 Château Doisy-Védrines

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    wonderful golden color. nose is massive with lots of apricots, flowers, honeycomb and butterscotch. palate is oily and silky. banana peel, honeycomb, baked pears, almond paste, liquer and marmelade. wow. this was gorgeous. just luscious.

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  • 2004 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl Sélection de Grains Nobles

    France, Alsace

    lovely dessert wine with lots of sweet white peach and lychee flavors. i'm also getting a lot of apricot and some nilla wafer cookies. good acid keeps it balanced.

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