Important Update From the Founder
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CellarTracker Texas Offline
San Antonio
Tasted May 21, 2010 - May 22, 2010 by GalvezGuy with 1,247 views
Introduction
As this was my first CT offline, I can say it is great to put names to faces. Billy and Teddy deserve extra thanks for their kind and generous hospitality. There will be more notes to come as these are only the notes for Day 1 and I still have to wrap my noodle around the 55 Taylor.
Flight 1 - Day 1 Wines (18 notes)
The day started for me at 6:30 when all of my fellow wine buddies were already going strong. I missed a couple of the early wines but the pair of CdP's were a treat. The QC Vertical was amazing with the 94 a clear cut above (for my tastes anyway. Another big highlight was the 82 Insignia which shows what you can do with Napa and how it can produce wines that are the equal of any in world. The Sociando-Mallet was surprisingly young. The WOTN was the 55 Taylor VP, which to me was an etheral experience.
Red
2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
92 points
Horsey nose, leather, dark berries, pepper, herbs. On the palate, super ripe black fruit, maybe a little over the top, spice, leather, herbs. Finishes with soft tannins.
Red
2007 Castleman Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
87 points
YoDaddyO’s creation. Nose of very ripe black fruit and blueberry. On the palate ripe blackberry and blueberry, vanilla, spicy oak. Finishes with sturdy tannins and a little heat. Seems a little out of balance right now, but has the right stuff to come around with short-term aging. 87 solid points. Excellent job YoDaddyO.
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Red
2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
94 points
Nice nose of sour red fruits, leather, vanilla, oak, pepper, black fruits. On palate, sour cherry, leather, sweet black fruit, pepper. Finishes long with a nice acid spine. Infanticide. 94 for now, has some upside.
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Red
2000 Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato
Infanticide, but very fulfilling. Nose of rose petals, sour cherry, tar, mushroom. On the palate, sour cherry, tar, mushroom. Nice structure and tannic grip. Needs years to come around. Not scored.
White - Sparkling
1999 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime
Yeasty nose with biscuit, and some meyer lemon. Clean citrus and toast on the palate. Finishes crisp. I have had this before and it did not show as well as it usually does. Not scored.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve
90 points
Nose of white flowers, toast, citrus, pear. On the palate, lemon, pear, toast, Crisp finish. Very nice. Outstanding
Red
1994 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
97 points
Big thanks to the suppliers of the QC’s. Great nose of black cherry, mint, tobacco, vanilla, blackberry, black currant, cedar. On the palate an explosion of cherry-drenched tobacco, mint, mocha, vanilla, and dark berries. Smooth transition to a long and lively finish. I would say this is firmly in the middle of its drinking window. My personal favorite of the QCs. Classic.
Red
2000 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
Nose of overripe blackberry, black current, cedar, spicy oak, mint. On the palate the overripe issues continued, blackberry, blueberry, mint, spicy oak, vanilla, mocha. Finishes a little flabby compared to the other QC’s. May need more time in the bottle. My least favorite of the QC’s Outstanding
Red
1998 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
95 points
Nose of blackberry, tobacco, cedar, red currant, blueberry, mint, green pepper. On the palate, black cherry, tobacco, cedar, blueberry, blackberry, mint. Finishes long and strong, can go for a few more years, I think it has some more upside. My #2 of the QCs. Classic
Red
2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
95 points
Definitely a Parkerized wine. I think the term I used to describe this wine was slutty. Nose was full of black fruits, blueberry, and something floral (violets maybe). One the palate, huge sweet blast of black fruit, cassis, spicy oak, mocha. Finishes with strudy tannins and a crisp backbone. I think this wine has a big upside, but it needs at least 6-8 years to calm down. My #3 of the QC’s. Outstanding
Red
1982 Joseph Phelps Insignia
95 points
A look back into the past of what this winery was trying to be at the beginning. I would be hard pressed to pick this out in a Bordeaux lineup in a double blind challenge. Beautiful color with a hint of bricking. On the nose tobacco, red currant, sour cherry, mint, mushroom, black tea, cinnamon, blackberry. On the plate, red currant, cherry, blackberry, mint, mushroom. Finishes with a very nice acidic backbone. Layers and layers of flavor. What a treat. Outstanding
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Red
1992 Joseph Phelps Insignia
91 points
I think that this got lost in the middle of what was going on. It was an outstanding wine, but did not make a big impression on me. Nose of red currant, black fruit, vanilla, hint of mint. On the palate, red currant, blackberry, spicy oak, vanilla, hint of mocha. Finishes smooth but not long. Outstanding
Red
1993 Joseph Phelps Insignia
94 points
Another old California wine in great condition. Nose of sour cherry, red currant, black fruit, cigar box, mint, something floral (lavender??). On the palate, black fruit, sour cherry, pepper, vanilla, anise, mineral tobacco. Long smooth finish.
Red
1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia
96 points
Somehow this wound up by me as one of the table remnants, lucky me. Best nose of the Insignias, black fruit, tobacco, white flowers, red currant, anise, cedar. On the palate, sour cherry, red currant, black fruits, melted black licorice, vanilla, mocha. Silky on the mouth to a long finish with nice tannic grip and firm acidic spine. This can last for quite a while yet. Classic
Red
1998 Château Mouton Rothschild
91 points
Generously donated by YoDaddyO. The nose says infanticide, black cherries, pencil shavings, truffles, violets, vanilla, cigar box. Still very tight. On the palate, black fruits, mint, espresso. Finishes with sweet but very sturdy tannins. This one needs years. 91 for now, has some upside. Outstanding
Red
1989 Château Sociando-Mallet
91 points
Unbelievably young in the glass. Hard to believe that this wine is over 20 years old. No sign of bricking or any age. Nose feels a little tight pencil shavings, cigar box, black fruits, red currant, leather. On the palate, black currant, plums, leather, tobacco. Finishes with sturdy gripping tannins. Outstanding, has some upside if the fruit can hold on.
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Red - Fortified
1955 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage
99 points
Generously donated to the cause by petitblanc. Still looks young with slight bricking in the color, but mostly still deep ruby. Nose. I am speechless. I have never encountered a nose like this on an aged port before. Very primary and young on the nose. Rich aromas of fig, dark berries, caramel, vanilla, bitter dark chocolate. On the palate, caramel, bitter dark chocolate, figs, dates, raisins, dried cherries. Finishes long, with a little bit of tannic grip. Classic. WOTN for me and definitely the greatest port experience I have ever had.
Flight 2 - Day 2 Wines (12 notes)
My palate burned out about the middle of night 2. I was unable to tell anything apart after the Beringer Cab. The WOTN was the R. Lopez Rioja, a classic Rioja the way they used to make them. The Aubert was a treat as well, best Chard I have tasted in a long time. Some of these notes extended into Monday night when jar1 and I revisted the brunello and the Bordeaux.
Red
2006 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto Toscana IGT
91 points
Slow-oed overnight. Nice nose of black cherry, plum, black raspberry, mocha. On the palate, rather sturdy, dark berries, pie cherry, plum, mocha. Solid tannic grip with lively acidity. Nice upside here. Hold. Thanks TWG
White
2004 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard
94 points
At CT Texas Offline. Pale yellow and slightly cloudy in the glass. Very linear on the nose, pear, citrus, mineral, lemon peel. On the palate, very crisp, granny smith apple, hint of pear, mineral, hazelnut. Finishes crisp. Very full bodied yet light and refreshing. One of the best Chards I have tried in a long time. Thanks WIML for bringing it.
White
2009 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
92 points
Pale yellow color. Nose of fresh cut hay, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, lychee. On the palate, lychee, grapefruit, passion fruit. Finishes soft yet crisp. Full and round with great mouthfell. Worth the price of admission. Thanks WIML
Red
1998 Cameron Rouge Clos Electrique
92 points
Clear ruby color. Nice nose of bing cherry, red raspberry, baking spice, cedar. On the palate, black cherry, mocha, spice, cranberry, spicy oak. Finishes with fine tannins and crisp acidity. Very nice expression of the grape. Thanks WIML
Red
1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
95 points
Fascinating. Pale garnet with slight bricking. Great nose, orange rind, mineral, baking spice, dried cherry, leather, mushroom, tobacco, herbs, cranberry. On the palate, dried red fruits, leather, mushroom, orange tea, mineral, earth. Wonderful funky long finish. WOTN for night 2. Thanks WIML.
Red
1994 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vineyard
92 points
Very nice nose of black fruit, mint, cedar, tobacco. On the palate, black fruits, mint, tobacco, mocha. Finishes with smooth tannins and crisp acidity. Very nice with a lot of life left.
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Red
1999 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
92 points
Opened for a short while and poured. Nose of red currant, dark chocolate, mint, cedar, black cherry. On the palate red currant, sour cherry, mint, spicy oak, plum. Finishes long. Had a little upside still. Drink or hold.
Red
1998 Jim Barry Shiraz The Armagh
flawed
Something wrong here. I know what the label says, but the taste in the bottle says something else. Not corked but a definite bummer.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Guiraud
91 points
I was pleasant surprised by how light and easy this was. Nice nose of apricot, pineapple, spice. On the palate, pineapple, apricot, orange peel, clove. Finishes nice and dances on the tongue. Less sweet than expected, would work well as an apertif.
Red
2003 Château Léoville Barton
Tried Monday night after being open since Friday. Nose of plum, tobacco, blackberry, black currant, espresso, roasted game. On the palate, red currant, plum, tobacco, mint, mocha, vanilla. Finished with strong tannins and nice acidity. This needs years. Definitely is shut down compared to the last bottle I tried. Hold. Thanks Jar1. Not rated.
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Red
2001 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
91 points
Actually consumed on Monday night with Jar1 and wine+art. Nose of pie cherry, cranberry, plums, violet, tar, tobacco, earth, mocha, red currant. On the palate red currant, red plum, tobacco, leather, cranberry. Finishes with sturdy tannins and nice acidity. Not as good as the last bottle I tried. Hold.
Red
2000 Château Sociando-Mallet
93 points
Tasted Monday after 3 days of being open. Nose of sour cherry, tobacco,green bell pepper, blackberry, graphite, black currant, cedar. On the palate, bell pepper, blackberry, tobacco, red currant, espresso, sour cherry. Finishes with sturdy tannins and nice acidity. Built for the long haul. Hold. Thanks oskiwawa.
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Closing
Cheers to all y'all