Wine Guy Weekend Chez Doktas Take 3

Collingwood, Ontario
Tasted Friday, September 11, 2009 - Sunday, September 13, 2009 by mimik with 1,382 views

Introduction

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.

Flight 1 (13 Notes)

  • 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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Flight 2 (14 Notes)

  • 2005 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia 88 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

    (9/12/2009)

    The nose was a little brooding with some cherry and cedar notes and the palate has a lot of acidity. Did not take detailed notes as Barbera D'Alba are not my favourite kinds of Italian wines. I would much prefer a nice nebbiolo. Decent quaffer.

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  • 2005 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Conca Tre Pile 87 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

    (9/12/2009)

    I liked this a little less than the previous barbera d'alba. Sour cherry on the nose with more red fruit this time and lots of acidity. Very acidic which paired excellent with the food but again, not my cup of tea. Medium finish.

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  • 1985 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (9/12/2009)

    Ah aged Champagne. What a treat. This had everyone a little discouraged in the beginning but became really expressive with some aeration(1-2 hours). Not too effervescent, a dull yellowish tinge with an initial nose of sun dried white grapes. Palate is sweet with dried apricot, yeast and toasted almond notes. Very nice and quite elegant. Long finish. Originally 92 but became a 94 with the aeration.

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  • 2006 Delas Frères Condrieu Clos Boucher 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    (9/12/2009)

    An excellent white that opened up with some time. Tropical fruits(mango, bananas) with lemon and ginger notes. The palate is not overly saturated, low in glycerin, with a good amount of acidity but not a lot for this kind of wine. Very long tropical fruit finish with finely integrated acidity. Very nice.

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  • 1994 Château Haut-Brion 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    (9/12/2009)

    Nose of earth, sour cherries and some toasted oak. Palate is soft with a hollow mid-palate but still has a tannic grip on the finish. May have been better a couple of years ago. Still has that elegance Haut Brion is known for. A nice feminine wine to go with some cheeses. 90-91(nose was 93 points)

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  • 2001 Château Rieussec 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (9/12/2009)

    An oddity for sure. This wine seemed flat and dull. Lack of acidity and devoid of personality. It did not seem as a 100 pointer-rather a good Sauternes from a mediocre vintage. Apricot liqueur and tropical fruits on the palate and nose. Low acidity was a huge disappointment. Would a closed Sauterne not exhibit any kind of acidity? Not sure. 92 points for now. Really disappointing showing for a wine of this pedigree and this vintage.

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  • 2001 Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée TBA #6 Nouvelle Vague 94 Points

    Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

    (9/12/2009)

    Better showing than the 2 previous times I've had this wine. Rustic apricot nose and with hints of raisins and cognac. Palate is sweet but managed to avoid being cloying but it's on the line. More ripe apricot flavours. Really nice wine. Long apricot finish. At least 30 seconds or more.

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  • 1912 Château Lafite Rothschild 84 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    (9/12/2009)

    This was the most controversial wine of the weekend. The palate was dead, I can concede that. But it was the nose that caused divisions. DoktaP and I thought the nose was intriguing and I kept repeating it had scents of cooked asparagus. Asterix, Futronic and Basecadet were of the opinion that the nose was disgusting and off-putting, medicinal in nature. In any case, a 97 year oldwine with little life in it and history made in opening it. 84 points for the nose and age factor and because it was older than most people on these forums. Palate was dead.

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  • 1966 Château Latour Grand Vin 83 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    (9/12/2009)

    Surprisingly dark colour for a wine of this age. Typical aged bordeaux nose of cassis and oak and pencil shavings. Soft palate with delicate texture and which fell apart 30 minutes later. Short finish.

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  • 1997 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

    (9/12/2009)

    Really nice. I believe this was opened a day before (i can't recall) but it had a nice nose of tobacco, tar, spices and cherries. Definitely showing tertiary notes with a palate that was smooth with vibrant acidity and sour cherries. Definite food wine. Improved over 24 hours. Needs more time but promising. Medium long finish. 92+

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  • 1986 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    (9/12/2009)

    I love Gaja. Only it's exhorbitant prices keep it away from my cellar. Beautiful nose of cherries and the palate is similar. You can almost taste the cherries and a slight vanilla and tobacco hints on the palate. So pure and refined. Still young with lots of acidity but an impressive wine. Long finish. Revisit in another 3-5 years.

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  • 1996 Dante Rivetti Barbaresco Bricco de Neueis Riserva

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    (9/12/2009)

    I really don't remember much of this wine so NR.

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  • 2004 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points

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

    (9/12/2009)

    This had a really nice dark crimson colour with no hints of age. I had loved the red fruit component in this wine when I drank it a couple of years ago but now those flavours became kirsche flavours, garrigue and blackberry notes. The nose smelled young and pretty tight. So was the palate, not showing very much but you could tell there was a lot in there. Long finish and a little hot from the alcohol. 92+

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  • 2001 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines 91 Points

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

    (9/12/2009)

    Dark brooding fruit, blackberry and cedar with hints of garrigue. Same replays on the palate. Can't remember much else but it was beginning to enter a drinking window. Better showing than the clos des papes.

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