Collingwood, Ontario
Tasted Friday, September 11, 2009 - Sunday, September 13, 2009 by mimik with 1,382 views
The 5 amigos got together for another weekend filled with camaraderie and friendship. Not to mention good food and good wine. The lineup this year was unique and very diverse, epitomizing the variety of wine style preferences of the attendees and reflecting some heated discussing of some older bordeauxs. An excellent time was had by all, further accentuated by the glorious weather we had for the 3 day fiesta. We may have pushed the limits, though, on the next day(saturday) as some of the stalwarts champions of imbibing everything in their sight were showing signs of supersaturation. But we gladly sacrificed our bodies and our livers for future hedonists everywhere. Thanks DoktaP and Asterix for your incredible generosity and hospitality, basecadet and futronic for your excellent gourmet cuisine, and me for well, an attempt at a cake and for general comic relief.
1996 J. Moreau & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(9/11/2009)
Nice lemony and some tropical notes on the nose. Minerally, clean and precise, but a little dulling. Slightly past it's prime. Enjoyable and well balanced. Solid 90-91 points. Medium-short finish. Just hanging on but should have been consumed 2-3 years ago.
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2003 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 89 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
(9/11/2009)
This had a lot of body and structure and it was, imho, too young to drink. But what the hell, it's a WGW and everything goes. Lots of ripe blackberry and some raisin notes on the nose with replays of same on the palate. Definitely hot given the vintage. Acidity was muted and so were a lot of the flavours. Other felt it tasted too much like an Australian wine. I think it will show better in time. 89+ for now. Long finish.
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1975 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 96 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
(9/11/2009)
Wow. One of the most unique wines I've ever had the honour to taste. Unique flavour profile. I got tomatoes(or tomato sauce), black pepper, red peppers, and plums with spices on the nose and on the palate. Lovely texture and very velvety in the mouth. Lots of nice acidity for an almost 35 year old wine. I didn't think it was going to get better but this wine was built to last. Long long finish that was crying out for food. I believe Astrerix adroitly said it was a cross between an Italian and a French wine. (from Magnum)
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1998 Renato Ratti Barolo Conca 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
(9/11/2009)
This had a wonderful nose of dark cherries and some spices with flowers developing. Very seductive nose. Palate was a little singular, needs more time to properly integrate. Nose was truly intriguing. Long tannic finish.
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2006 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
(9/11/2009)
Bright yellow with scents of tangerine, butter, salted water, and toffee. Lush texture but not cloying or over the top. Enjoyable. Medium to long finish. Needs a bit more time to fully settle but would drink in the next 2-3 years.
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1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 99 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
(9/11/2009)
Ah Chave. What a bottle. What an experience. This was not about flamboyancy but about power reigned in by finesse and elegance. This was my WOTW and the first bottle of a series of stunning competitors. Sweet tobacco notes, old car leather with some hints of flowers that you get in the spring. The tobacco and leather notes were overwhelming but very seductive. Cassis and tobacco and leather on the palate. Elegant. Suave. Stunning purity and pedigree. After 15 minutes in the glass, more fruit came through. Will improve over the next 5 years or more. Looong finish.
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1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 98 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
(9/11/2009)
Ok, we are splitting hair but as fantastic as the La Chapelle was, it was just a little less "together" than the Chave and I felt is needed a bit more time to come together. In fact, it smelled and tasted like a young syrah with vibrant blackberry nose, a very pure nose of blackberry, coffee hints, blackcherry, vanilla and some mulberry hints. Wow. Stunning purity. Blackberries everywhere and some damn good. Long finish.
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1989 Château Mouton Rothschild 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
(9/11/2009)
Typical claret on the nose. Pencil shavings, cassis, toast, and tobacco. More cassis and tobacco on the pure palate. Fits well together. Seductive without being flashy. Pure and well-defined. Long fruit finish.
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1989 Château Palmer 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
(9/11/2009)
Nose of pencil shavings, tobacco and cassis. Palate has the same replays with dark cherries. Another wine in its prime and drinking very nicely right now. Gorgeous. Long finish. Could even improve with a couple of more years. Beautiful wine. Feminine.
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2002 Vérité La Joie 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
(9/11/2009)
I am probably not doing a huge service to this wine given that we were fully getting palate fatigue or maybe the wine didn't fit in with the rest but is was a more modern style, notes of cherry cheesecake and vanilla on the nose. More morello cherry notes on the palate which was lush and dense. Needs more time I guess to come around. Medium finish.
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1995 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(9/11/2009)
Very suave with lots of blackberry and dark fruits on the nose alongside cedar and spices. Palate was velvety with a lot of racy acidity which bodes well for a wine of this age and provenance. Long long finish. Solid.
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1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 94 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico
(9/11/2009)
I don't remember much of this but it was a pruney, raisiny with almond nose and the same on the palate. Very nice dessert wine that avoided being cloying. Long raisiny finish. But I liked it a lot.
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2006 The Foreign Affair Cabernet Franc Full Appassimento 89 Points
Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA
(9/11/2009)
You gotta love a bottle with a moose on the front label. I have to admit this was improperly judged given its company. I do think it was a confused wine, something between an amarone and a dessert wine. Too light in body for a dessert wine and not enough colour or ripeness for a amarone. I still found it enjoyable.
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