Important Update From the Founder
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Our Turn to Say Thanks to Some Generous Friends
Los Olivos, CA
Tasted December 30, 2015 by JonnyG with 495 views
Introduction
In our community, the winemakers are relentlessly hit up for charitable donations, graciously and willingly made time and again to every school auction, church dinner or other fundraiser imaginable. My wife and I thought it high time to return the favor by hosting these generous friends and professionals at an event where all the wine would come from my cellar. The theme, such as it was, was to take a hint from each of them as to the kind of wine they most coveted, with me then bringing that bottle alongside a second selection of my choice, with the latter (the second wine in each flight below) to be served blind. We were ten people in all, with five pairings (after the introductory white). I think each pairing was successful, both in terms of the chosen wines' performance and the insights garnered from the side-by-side comparisons. It was a small mistake to slot in the Italians before dinner, as their strong showing might have soared alongside food. Notes were sparse, especially as the night evolved, but the imprint of the memorable wines made it easy for me to recollect my thoughts in almost all cases.
Flight 1 (1 note)
White
2010 Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes Clairette
96 points
From a magnum. No decant. Served slightly below cellar temperature, which was about right I think. A wonderful expression of the varietal. Enticing nose of lemon oil and some oak. Chablis-like at first: crushed oyster shells, just loads of minerality. With a bit more time, though, a more complex palate of flavors emerges. Pit fruit, toast, a touch of caramel, beeswax. Rich, full bodied and vibrant, with ample acidity, always in balance. Ultimately precise despite the complexity, and, dare I say, inspirational.
Updating my note for some day two remnants I have been enjoying, The line remains vibrant and luscious, with a bit more of a honeyed aspect than last evening, appearance of some tropical fruit notes.
Updating my note for some day two remnants I have been enjoying, The line remains vibrant and luscious, with a bit more of a honeyed aspect than last evening, appearance of some tropical fruit notes.
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Flight 2 (2 notes)
Red
1997 Domaine René Engel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées
92 points
Slow ox'ed for about four hours. A story of contrasts, and in many ways a bit of an oddity.. The powerful funk on the nose occasionally blew off, only to reemerge. The palate belied the nose, austere but full bodied, with loads of mushroom, soy and tea notes. Surprising levels of acidity, in contrast to the limited fruit. Medium finish.
A day two update: the funk has totally blown off, and the wine is much rounder and balanced. Some more fruit as well, still cranberries but now nicely savory, though hardly sweet. Bumping up a point to 92. Thank you Philippe!
A day two update: the funk has totally blown off, and the wine is much rounder and balanced. Some more fruit as well, still cranberries but now nicely savory, though hardly sweet. Bumping up a point to 92. Thank you Philippe!
Red
1997 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui
93 points
Slow ox'ed for about four hours. Easily outperformed the vintage. Youthful and almost robust, with a rich nose of black fruits, stewed cherries and some mint. Ripe and spiced flavor profile, with some cranberry and herbs thrown in. Should develop further with time.
Updating my notes after sampling some remnants on the second day, the wine has gained substantial weight from the additional air time, displaying tremendous texture and a smokey viscosity, alongside deep blue and black fruit notes. Next time, we decant!
Updating my notes after sampling some remnants on the second day, the wine has gained substantial weight from the additional air time, displaying tremendous texture and a smokey viscosity, alongside deep blue and black fruit notes. Next time, we decant!
Flight 3 (2 notes)
Red
2003 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis
95 points
Youthful, intense and impressive. Decanted for four hours (would have benefited from 24, but showed well nonetheless). A generous, irresistible bouquet of rich black and blue fruit, fennel and violets. A smoky, layered and deep mouthfeel, with loads of concentrated fruit, and enough lift to hold things in balance. Well-integrated tannins. A masculine expression of Nebbiolo for sure, but ultimately true to the varietal. No rush whatsoever.
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Red
2005 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Pegasos Toscana IGT
94 points
Slow-ox'ed for about four hours. Very approachable. Sweet nose of orange rinds, cranberry and cherry. Expansive in the mouth, with loads of flavor: dark cherry, leather, tea, cranberry, strawberry, sandalwood... While I could go on and on, the various tastes all integrated seamlessly, resulting in a very pure profile. Highly structured. Lots of lift, too. Generously long finish. A stunning wine.
Flight 4 (2 notes)
Red
1989 Château L'Evangile
93 points
My last of this vintage. No decant. Expressive and expansive from the get-go, with a compelling nose of chocolate, toffee and cherries. Round and fleshy on the palate, with ripe red fruit, more chocolate and some sweet cedar. Fully mature in my estimation.
Red
2009 World's End Cabernet Sauvignon Good Times, Bad Times Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
95 points
Yet another standout performance from this big boy, so I will borrow from some earlier notes of mine: "Dark fruits emerging unrelenting from the glass, fully ripe and concentrated, but never out of balance. Not shy or restrained, but my adrenalin was pumping as I rode that train down the track. Sometimes you need a racy engine to test where the guard rails are."
Flight 5 (2 notes)
Red
2001 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou
96 points
Underperformed my last bottle, lacking a bit of energy somehow, though still outstanding by any measure. Pop 'n poured to reveal a bouquet of bay leaf, rich red and black berries, pepper, fennel and just enough gamey funk to keep it interesting. Add cassis and kirsch notes and more spice on the palate, silky and a bit creamy. Sweet, soft, tannins and a touch of garrigue. Very long finish.
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Red
2013 Clos Erasmus Priorat
98 points
So young but oh so good! Silky and rich, with loads of bright fruit, a touch of mocha and ample minerality. Seamless -- no edges. No hint of heat. Virtually explodes in the mouth. My winemaker friend Andrew tested a small sample the next day, the gist of which was 16.5% alcohol (vs. the 15% declared), lower RS than he and others expected, and tremendously low PH (sandy soils and/or low yields, maybe?).
Should verge on perfection in the coming years, if I can be patient enough. My WOTN.
Should verge on perfection in the coming years, if I can be patient enough. My WOTN.
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Flight 6 (2 notes)
Red
1997 Rockford Shiraz Basket Press
94 points
Fully mature and performing beautifully. I'll cut and paste from my friend Cam's note as the night was getting late and I was well past jotting down thoughts: "Charcoal, graphite, floral, earth and mint. Acidity does a great job of keeping the rich fruit in check." I loved it.
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Red
2012 Tua Rita Syrah Per Sempre
96 points
Decanted for a mere 2 hours but showed extremely well. Deep, dark, intense and complex, never overbearing despite how robust a wine it is. Notes of blue and black fruit, leather, smoked meat and a slight florality. Should merit another point or two in coming years, but why wait?!
Closing
The Clos Erasmus was the clear winner for me, not to slight any of the other wines. I can taste it now, and will be hard-pressed to hold off on my other bottles. Next time we need an additional hour to linger (and add a dessert wine course!). Happy holidays, and thanks.