13th Annual Lyon 10 year Retrospective

An annual gathering of some wine geeks in Eugene. Usually there's a dominant theme and less so this time given the lack of a dominant region having a great 1999 vintage. The wines were decanted off their sediment at least 3 hours before the start. We opened with a couple sparklers while folks gathered. We then grabbed some grub and, with list in hand, dove into the 30 wines served in blinded flights of five. We unveiled after each flight so the list to guess from gets smaller and smaller...

We opened w/ the '99 Argyle Extended Tirage = 91 pts and the Lenoble Gentilhomme Blanc de Blancs = 94

a les Carmes Haut Brion in the first flight was corked

• 1999 Girard Winery Red Wine 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Surprisingly good and hard to score as the first of 30 reds, maybe should be higher. Nice currant and oak, great texture.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Merryvale Profile 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Layers of red/black fruit, obvious Napa wine in a blinded event. A little mint and oak gave away.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Château Barde-Haut 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  A very nice wine w/ enough earthy characteristics to pick out as French when blinded. Black fruit and a touch of leather.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape 90 Points

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

  Nice cherry/kirsch and leather flavors. Good length and structure. I'd drink soon.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Ridge Monte Bello 92 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Mineral/stone tinged currant, blackberry, and coffee. Serious tannins still but very pleasant overall. Lots of time.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Château Prieuré-Lichine 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Every once in a while a bottle in a tasting shows above its "station". This one did. A trace of barnyard blew off leaving a complex and sexy wine that reminded me of a Jr. Margaux.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  A little light in color compared to others in the flight, but very nice length to the earthy, gamey red fruit. Time to drink tho'

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Château Montrose 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  A pencil/graphite hit to its obvious cab fruit gave this away as Bordeaux. Very nice and long, even the next day.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Henry Estate Pinot Noir Winemaker's Reserve 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Umpqua Valley

  12 people embarrassed themselves... we couldnt place this tasting it blind. The bottle left the winery a week before the tasting. Surprising structure and depth of fruit, enough kirsch and leather to make some lean to a CdP or Italian in the tasting. A good laugh at ourselves...

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  Wow! This has held up really well, which hasn't been my experience with Leonetti. Deep black fruit, a little spice/mineral, and great length. Most had this in their top 3 WOTN

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 91 Points

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

  Brick on the rim, it has an earth and underbrush hit to the black fruit. Seaweed/iodine, and a little meat on the palate with the olive tinged berry flavors. Still pretty tannic, has 3-5 years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT 88 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Cherry, leather, and some burnt tar notes. Nice balance, good with all kinds of nibbles.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Dark color still, with black fruit and hints of oak and mint. Slightly hot but depth, texture, and length merit the score.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Château Lafite Rothschild 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Classic nose of pencil, cigar box, currants, and dark berries. Some wet stone and earth along for the ride with the black fruit palate. Great length! WOTN for most.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  An herbal hit to the black fruit. Notable cassis and oak. Lush texture and great complexity with all kinds of layers and flavors: mint, cocoa, plum, berries...

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1989 Château Léoville Barton 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Very subtle as a ringer in this tasting of '99's from all over, most couldn't come close guessng. Nose was modest and not overtly "Bordeaux". Tannins are resolved, nice fruit and good length. So smooth and lingering in this group I had a hard time pouring out/spitting.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Col Solare 91 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  Still has a lot of black fruit, good grip, and density. Some thought Bordeaux.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Joseph Phelps Insignia 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I gave this 1 more point blind in this tasting than my last bottle unblinded. This bottle continues the trend for Insignia for me. I was pretty sure about my guess as there's a recognizable "iron fist in a velvet glove" aspect to this wine I've tasted many times before in various vintages. Black cherry, berry, currant, cedar, plum, stone, on and on... Tied for my WOTN w/ Lafite.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Domaine Paul Autard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée La Cote Ronde 89 Points

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

  Lighter than others in the flight, with leather, kirsch, and underbrush notes. A fine wine a bit outclassed in the flight.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 d'Arenberg Cabernet Sauvignon The Coppermine Road 90 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  This wine stood out as different in the flight for the exuberent, jammy fruit. Some wondered Washington? Fun to drink, but not challenging/ cerebral.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Château Les Grandes Murailles 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Overachiever in this tasting, it was a recently ex-chateau. Obvious Bordeaux notes of cigar box, mineral/stone, and pencil. Good length and a "fat" wine!

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points

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

  Brick rim, it has all kinds of non-fruit notes and flavors: sangre de Toro, leather, kelp, and underbrush. Better and longer than I remember my previous bottle.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia 89 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Nothing wrong with it but it didn't show well blind with mostly cab based wines. Cherry, leather and tar notes, slightly green for me. Food helped.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Château Quinault L'Enclos 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Blind: a very nice bottle of obvious Bordeaux. Graphite dominated the non-fruit flavors, while blackberry, currant, and plum wre supported well by the soft but obvious tannins. Has time.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 89 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Another Italian that had trouble in a blind tasting. Tar and leather hits on the cherry, berry, and spice foreground.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Domaine Bois de Boursan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Félix 92 Points

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

  A spice laden wine, with kirsch and leather that gave it away in this tasting. Supple long finish and fun to drink. Didn't hold up as well as most of the '99's in this tasting on the next day. ?drink.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Vérité La Muse 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Guessed correctly, the herbal aspect gave away this as a Sonoma wine. Touch of mint, with plum, blackberry, cocoa. Fun!

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A dark wine w/ cassis, plum, black cherry, and a hint of stone. Very tannic and better the next day, hence the "plus" on the score.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Château Léoville Barton 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Another 92 pt in this flight?? Very nice with graphite and earth hovering over the reasonably dense black fruit and cedar/oak flavors. Still pretty muscular on the finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Surprisingly challenging to have seriously mixed flights and the wines themselves held up better than expected!