Meeting (of) the Parents
Cambridge, MA / Lincoln, RI
Tasted May 12, 2012 - May 13, 2012 by RockinCabs with 663 views
Introduction
I had arranged for my fiancee's parents to come out and meet my parents over the weekend. The plan was to have two meals together and get to know one another better, and of course I had planned to serve some nice wines. My father chipped in and served several excellent selections from his cellar as well. What resulted was great new friendship between the families and some "wow" moments with the wines. In particular the champagne's were exceptional.
Flight 1 - Saturday Dinner (4 notes)
The Krug was served with a Butter Poached Lobster Salad as a starter to the dinner. The reds were served with Lamb Loin Chops, a Potato Pave, and an Asparagus & Morel salad. All were wonderful, but the Krug Champagne was the star of the night.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
Nose: Citrus and Green Apple with accent of Leather and Brioche. Palate: Fresh Brioche, Lemon Peel, Citrus, Rich Apricot and Pear. Notes of Almond, Toffee and Caramel as well. Finish: Very dense with tight bubbles. Coats the palate with Citrus notes and brioche. Exceptional and Complex Champagne!
Red
2008 Corra Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Nose: Very perfumed and full of Cherry, Blackberry, Cassis, Floral Notes, and Sweet Oak. Palate: Med/Full bodied after a 3 hour decant. Very nice palate feel that is signature Celia Welch. Red and Black fruit, jammy Blackberry, Chocolate covered Cherries, and hints of Sandalwood and Leather. Again very layered on the palate and filled with nice spice and nuanced complexity. Finish: Long and persistent, showing red berries, minerality, subtle vanilla, baking spices and some bitter chocolate. Another excellent bottle of Corra.
Red
2008 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
Nose: Blackberry, Cassis, Plum and Licorice. Slight smokey note and some nice Chocolate notes. Palate: Full and dense with black fruit and some hint of red berries. Nice tobacco and herb notes with the palate feel of a much pricier cabs
Red
2009 Château Lilian Ladouys
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
PNP on this bottle, and not its best showing. Next to the silky CA Cabs we had this evening this Bordeaux came across very tannic and closed. Blackberrym Cassis and Chocolate, with Oak/Spice showing. Overall this needed time to open up and come up to temperature from the cellar.
Flight 2 - Sunday Dinner (5 notes)
The Perrier Jouet was served as an aperitif for a toast, and what a special treat this was. One of the 2-3 nicest champagnes I have ever had, and was in close competition with the Krug from the night prior. A head to head 2007 Napa Cabernet Tasting with dinner was a great setup. Consensus seemed to be a preference for the Hourglass Blueline.
White - Sparkling
1988 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne
France, Champagne
Nose: Explosive Citrus and Floral Notes. Perfumed nose. Slow bubbles. Palate: Blood Orange, Nectarine, Acacia Flowers and Lemon. Complex woodsy notes and a hint of butter. Finish: Very fresh for a 25 year old champagne. Orange and Key Lime notes with a bit of yeasty richness. Thank you dad for sharing this gem!
White
2008 Sanguis The Narrow & Straight
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Nose: Tropical Fruit, Lemon, Olive Oil?, herbs and minerals. Palate:]Viscous/Waxy palate feel, that is rich yet balanced. Nice tart pineapple, meyer lemon, green apple and some guava notes. Touch of butter here but not intense, and some more nuanced herbal notes. Finish: Long and lingering pineapple, peach, mineral and diesel with a bit of heat. The label says 14.7%, but they seem to be using some wiggle room here. I agree with others that this has many characteristics of a Rhone white. Definitely an interesting chardonnay that does not follow the traditional formula. At $60 I would think twice about this however.
Red
2007 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon Blueline
USA, California, Napa Valley
Nose: Blackberry, Black Cherry, Cassis and some classic Napa "dust". Chocolate notes and some Spicy Wood notes. Palate: Fully bodied with a gentle entry as compared to the Lewis. Black Cherry, Blackberry Tart, Blueberry and Cocoa elements in the attack. At the mid palate there is a raspberry note that comes to life as the acidity of the wine pops and brings bright red notes out. Finish: Quite suave with tart berries, creamy oak and chocolate notes. Exotic fig/apricot note in there as well. The new oak is demonstrating some tightness still, even with a long decant.
Red
2007 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
Nose: Macerated Blackberries, Plum and Licorice. Extremely dark on the nose. Palate: Intense black fruit right off of the attack with licorice and a slight tar element coming in. Very dense and bordering on over extracted here. Pulls it back from the edge with a nice bit of acidity in the midpalate that helps deliver nice blueberry notes. Finish: Lingers with more cassis, blackberry and tart prune notes. Oak leaves a nice sweetness in the finish as well. Decanted 5+ hours and this was a bruiser.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1994 Westport Rivers Chardonnay Noble Westport Rivers
USA, Massachusetts, Southeastern New England
Nose: Tropical fruit, Sweet Honey and an odd Mineral/Stone note. Palate: Dense, but not as viscous as a Sauternes or Ice Wine. Palate: This was still very much a chardonnay (extra rich) with slight botytis notes. Pineapple, Apricot Jam and a bit of spice. Finish: Cuts a bit short due to the elevated acidity of the wine, but honeysuckle and grilled pineapple linger. A very neat wine, that may have only been produced in this one vintage. How much of this is still out there?
Closing
Thanks to all for coming this weekend, sharing stories, sharing wines and raising a glass to the future!
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