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Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party
Levain, Mpls
Tasted December 3, 2011 by rocknroller with 710 views
Introduction
This was the annual holiday party for our tasting group. No specific theme. Wines were chosen to pair with the tasting menu. The group was broken into 4 tables of 6-7 with wines then shared across the group.
Flight 1 - Starter Wine (1 note)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley
89 points
Always a reliable sparkler, and I like the rose even better. Crisp, clean, apple, pear, mineral. This gives good structure and balance consistently. 89+pts.
Flight 2 - Our Table Wines (7 notes)
White
2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre
92 points
Pale greenish color. This had a nice nose with citrus, minerals, and just a touch of oak. The palate was fresh and light with a citrus notes, mineral and crisp acids. Medium plus finish. Really drinking well. One of my favorites of the night.
Red
2008 Ayres Vineyard Pinot Noir Lewis Rogers Lane Ribbon Ridge
90 points
Very dark red. This was a nice wine, fairly hi acid, red fruits, mostly raspberry, oak. Average finish.
Red
2007 St. Innocent Pinot Noir White Rose Vineyard
95 points
Brought this bottle to the event as a "just in case we need it" bottle. And, we needed it to replace a corked Burg. This was a popped and vinturied into glasses wine. And wow, it was good, the best bottle i have had since early 2010. Consistent with previous notes. My #2 WOTN.
Red
1996 Château Léoville Poyferré
95 points
Very dark red color. This was an amazing bottle. Even better that one about 4 months ago. This wine is in such a good place, but it does still require decanting. I gave this bottle 1 hr and we drank over 2 hours. Great perfumed nose of florals, creme de cassis, graphite, smoke, and earth. The palate is elegant with a velvety feel, really layered with rich black fruits, mineral, soft tannins, and a very long finish. Definitely my WOTN and our table's and i heard that from many at the other tables. 95+ easiily.
Red
2002 Château Montrose
92 points
Very dark red color. This wine had been decanted 2+hrs and it needed at least 4-6. Very young and tannic yet, but with a wonderful nose of big dark fruits, cassis, blueberry, graphite, dust, that after an hour in the glass opens to show some earth and floral character. Palate is quite concentrated and deep, consistent. Score based on where it was after at least 4 hours. This will be fun to revisit in another couple years.
Red
2009 Booker Vineyard Tempranillo
90 points
Very dark purple red color. Very young, this is a bit of a beast, big and burly and sorely in need of time or serious decanting. Big herbal edge on this. Dark red fruits, tannic, and very dry currently.
Flight 3 - Shared wines from other tables, smaller pours (8 notes)
Red
2002 Siduri Pinot Noir Muirfield Vineyard
88 points
Dark red color. From a magnum. This was pretty spicy with significant oak and big red fruits. Didn't show a lot of complexity
Red
2005 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
93 points
Had a small pour of this, and it was the best showing of this wine yet. Had a signifcant decant, i believe about 4 hrs. Showing really well, round and lush on the palate with black fruits, but a nice amount of earth and minerality now.
Red
2007 Emerson Brown Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
88 points
Just a taste on this, but I was not really impressed. Not sure how it was prepped. Lots of oak, nose and palate, spice, and black fruits, tannic.
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Red
2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Renardes
92 points
Dark red color. This was drinking well, lots of earth, herbal, minty, floral, berries. Palate shows more minerals, tart, red fruits in the background, nice finish.
Red
2007 Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Trenton Estate
88 points
Just had a small pour of this too. Very big fruit, red fruits, tart, spicy, oaky. Unknown treatment. Not impressed yet, disapponted baed on others notes.
Red
2004 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée
92 points
Bright medium red color with incredible murkiness/cloudiness. This is certainly one of the more bizarre wines i have seen. The look in the glass suggests someone dumped something untoward in your lovely red pinot, but the palate displays something quite different. While it certainly doesn't blow you away, it has imprerssive strawberry and raspberry fruits with some earth and exotoc spice going on. Fairly tart, not heavily concentrated, but still surprisingly good given the appearance. 91-92pts.
Red
2003 Jean-Claude Boisset Pommard 1er Cru Clos de Verger
90 points
Not any specific notes, small pour, nice, struck me as about a 90.
Red
2003 Château Léoville Barton
93 points
Very dark red/purple color. Unknown prep. Very young, really nice nose of florals, graphite, cassis, blackberry, with an herbal edge. The palate has great depth, full body, rich black fruits and loads of tannin yet. Really promising, this has a ways to go or requires heavy decanting.
Flight 4 - Dessert Wines (3 notes)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1976 Richard Bocking Traben-Trarbacher Burgberg Riesling Beerenauslese
92 points
I think I literally got about 3ml of this from the bottom of the bottle, ok, maybe 5ml's. But it was an intiguing little swallow with nuts, toffee, prunes, spice, orange rind, and some sweetness. Long finish. Would love to get another go at this. impression was 92-93pts.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1988 Château Guiraud
90 points
Deep gold color. Nose has honey, mild botrytis, citrus, toasty. Medium finish and sweetness.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
91 points
Medium yellow color. Nose has lots of tropical fruit, honey, sweetness, ripe fruits, full and lush on the palate with medium sweetness and good acid, adding some tree fruit and spice on the finish.
Closing
Wonderful time with some really fun and enjoyable wines. My WOTN was the '96 Leoville Poyferre and #2 was the '07 St. Innocent White Rose