Tasting Group Dinner - Steaks & Montrose
Dave's House
Tasted August 7, 2007 by Siggy with 797 views
Introduction
Dave Dalluge invited us over on a Tuesday evening for a blind tasting of steaks and a vertical of Chateau Montrose. In attendance were Dave and Desiree Dalluge, Chris Larson, Brad England and his son Kevin, and me. We hung out for several hours in the kitchen and on the outdoor patio, watching the sun set, grilling and tasting Montrose. The weather was perfect, and there was not a mosquito in sight. It doesn't get much better than this on a summer evening in Minnesota! Thanks Dave and Desiree for hosting a great evening.
Flight 1 - Appetizers (2 notes)
Served with homemade olive tapenade bruschetta, which were delicious.
White
2003 E. Guigal Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Thick, deep gold color. Intensely floral on the nose. The palate shows super-ripe apricots, butterscotch, and a hint of smoke/oil/diesel. Very fat and weighty in the mouth, but does not cross over into heaviness. Smooth and intense with a very long finish. Easily ranks as one of the best white Hermitages I've had. I have no idea if this will temporarily close down and then re-emerge after 10-15 years, the way so many white Northern Rhones do. Delicious.
Red
1990 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Tasted blind; I guessed Hermitage from the mid 90s, possibly 1994. This has a medium brick/maroon color and a lovely nose of white pepper, violets, and smoke. On the palate, there is red fruit, secondary flavors of roasted meat and earth, and a moderately long finish with well-resolved tannins. Light/medium body. This is hanging on very well and I liked it a lot. Still very interesting. Drink relatively soon before the fruit begins to fade.
Flight 2 - Lamb Chops (3 notes)
Served with grilled lamb chops with oven dried tomatoes, sauteed chanterelle mushrooms, and a three mushroom vinaigrette. Also delicious.
Red
1982 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Nose of graphite and pencil lead. Reserved, stern black fruit and coffee on the palate. The finish is interestingly earthy, and turns slightly tart at the very end. Tannic from start to finish. I suspect this bottle may be more advanced than other examples.
Red
1986 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Wow, this was seriously smooth, showing delicious minerally dark fruit, earth, and coffee. Sappy and dense; still tannic. Great clarity and precision. Gorgeous. WOTF for me.
Red
1995 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
This was very closed and stern immediately upon opening (no surprise), and gradually unfolded over the next 2-3 hours. Blackberry fruit and coffee. Intriguing earth and mineral flavors. Medium weight; still very tannic. Seems promising. I don't expect this to rival the 86, 89, or 90 (the tannins aren't as smooth or ripe), but it should be very tasty in 5-10 years.
Flight 3 - Incinerated Steaks #1 (2 notes)
Dave assembled four different kinds of steaks for us to blind taste. They were coated with rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. I got to man his fancy new TEC grill, which we cranked up to maximum heat for about 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately, I totally incinerated the steaks (4 minutes per side x 4 sides). It would have been worse if Brad hadn't staged an intervention midway through the fourth side. The grill thermometer read about 550 degrees, and the surface of the grill was hot enough to singe my arm hair. It must have been at least 700-800 degrees. Ouch. I consider myself a pretty good griller, but clearly I haven't mastered the TEC... yet.
The wines were both incredible. I kept going back and forth and ultimately decided they were both equally awesome... Co-WOTF and WOTN for me.
Red
1989 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Concentrated blackberry liquor, kirsch, cedar, and shoe polish. Just the slightest hint of brett. Waves of intense flavor and minerals. Gorgeous texture, power, and (yes) finesse. Wow!
Red
1990 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Intense black fruit and charred meat on the nose. A bit more horsey than the 1989, tasted side-by-side, but not overwhelmingly so. Fantastic, multi-layered, rich dark fruit, iron, minerals, and leather. Incredibly silky, suave texture. Endless finish. Amazing stuff.
Flight 4 - Incinerated Steaks #2 (3 notes)
Red
2001 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
The nose shows smoke, black cherries, and coffee. On the palate, this is quite charming. Not a powerhouse like the 89 or 90, obviously, but a nicely minerally, medium-weight wine. Dark cherries, coffee, and minerals with ripe tannins.
Red
2003 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Very ripe and jammy, with intense flavors of crushed blackberries, minerals, and coffee. Delicious and primal. The power of the fruit holds the fierce tannins in check, at least for now. Obviously way too young, but this looks to be a stunning Montrose. WOTF for me.
Red
2004 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
This reminded me a lot of the 2001. Medium weight, with the classic Montrose dark fruit/coffee/mineral flavor profile. Still relatively open at this point in its evolution. This wine doesn't have the power of the 03 (nor the price tag), and seems very true to its terroir. Wait at least 5 more years before trying again.
Flight 5 - Dessert & Extras (2 notes)
Served with homemade mocha creme brulees. We drank the Laurent while washing glasses.
White
2003 Clusel-Roch Condrieu Cuvée P
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
We tasted this wine at the domaine during our visit in 2006. Spicy caramelized peaches, and a hint of petrol/diesel. Very interesting and a good pairing with Dave's mocha creme brulee.
Red
1998 Dominique Laurent Mazis-Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
My first Laurent. I didn't take detailed notes on this wine, as my palate was pretty thoroughly worn out by this point. This wine had a gorgeous, ripe red cherry nose, and a nice blend of spice/red fruit/earth on the palate. There was some oak, but it was nicely integrated, and nowhere near as obtrusive as this producer's reputation. A fun way to finish our evening.
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