Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
Crown Fall 07 Upscale Tasting
Boca Raton, FL
Tasted November 10, 2007 by vinole with 2,197 views
Introduction
Crown's semi-annual higher end tasting did not disappoint, though tough to taste even half the wines during the two hour event. I arrived late, so I only had 1hr 40 min to get these in. Wish I had spent less time on the chardonnays as I missed some nice CA and AUS cabs and shiraz.
Flight 1 - Champagne / Sparkling Wine (8 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier
90 points
A full bodied Champagne with flavors of apple and bread dough, a nice balance of fruit & acidity, and a medium length finish.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P.
88 points
A lighter body style with bright apple and pear notes and higher than average acidity.
White - Sparkling
1999 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut
85 points
I thought this sparkler was somewhat unbalanced due to excessive acidity that also resulted in a sharp, unpleasant finish. Not my style.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Henriot Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
87 points
A medium bodied style with somewhat higher acidity and a sharp finish.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Pol Roger Champagne Brut Réserve
88 points
Very nice nose, with a hint of sweetness on the palate, and nicely balanced on the medium body frame.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Henri Abele Champagne Brut Cuvée Spéciale
89 points
Full bodied, creamy mouthfeel, with low acidity and more forward fruit than some. A style I like.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Bellavista Franciacorta Cuvée Brut
88 points
A light to medium body sparkler, that is creamy with low acidity.
White - Sparkling
1996 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame
92 points
I found the nose of this to be exquisite, giving it away as a quality vintage Champagne. Medium bodied, with fairly high acidity, with layers of fruit and yeast lingering on the long, complex finish.
Flight 2 - Chardonnay & Other Whites (11 notes)
White
2006 Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
91 points
Bright, intense nose that comes across almost sweet, then a wonderful palate with lots of citrus and crisp acidity.
White
2004 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay Reserve
89 points
Fairly prominent oak and lots of butter, with some nice fruit and balancing acidity on a medium body frame.
White
2005 Miner Family Chardonnay Napa Valley
90 points
Controlled use of oak in a nicely balanced package with good fruit and medium body.
White
2006 Forman Chardonnay
92 points
Medium body, with judicious use of oak, somewhat restrained fruit, and a crisp mouthfeel, so I'm thinking this saw little, if any, malo fermentation. More of a Burgundian style, much to my liking.
White
2005 Mer Soleil Chardonnay
90 points
Full bodied, and big in the oak and butter categories, but still nicely balanced, even though it's a style I do not prefer.
White
2005 Robert Young Estate Winery Chardonnay
87 points
Not too oaky, with nice fruit, but it had a sharp finish I found unappealing.
White
2005 Walter Hansel Winery Chardonnay Cahill Lane
89 points
More full bodied than I expected for a RRV chard, with some nice acidity. There is also some oak and and matchstick notes that others mentioned.
White
2005 Saintsbury Chardonnay Brown Ranch
90 points
Full bodied, with controlled oak and nice balance. Nice mouthfeel and finish.
White
2005 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay Jayson
91 points
Medium body, with judicious oak and some balancing acidity in a nice package.
White
2005 E. Guigal Condrieu
91 points
Nice floral nose, and lusher than expected. Flavors of melon with medium body and finish.
White
2001 Domaine des Rémizières Hermitage Blanc Cuvée Émilie
89 points
Not floral as expected, but with a nice, creamy mouthfeel featuring honey and melon flavors. Clean medium length finish.
Flight 3 - Pinot Noir (8 notes)
Red
2005 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Brown Ranch
90 points
A lovely nose, and very smooth and well balanced on the medium body frame. While a very well made wine, I felt it lacked the intensity and finish I expect for its price.
Red
2006 Kent Rasmussen Pinot Noir Carneros
87 points
Bing cherries and high acidity with a sharp finish. Probably too soon to evaluate fairly.
Red
2005 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir Cahill Lane
92 points
My favorite pinot of the tasting. Very nice nose, well balanced and complex with good intensity and flavors of dark cherries on a smooth, long finish.
Red
2005 Benton-Lane Pinot Noir First Class
90 points
Medium body, well balanced, elegant wine with a long finish.
Red
2005 MacRostie Pinot Noir Wildcat Mountain Vineyard
87 points
High acidity, making it a little off balance and has a sharp finish with a little heat.
Red
2006 Coleman Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate
88 points
A little sharp, with earthiness and some bing and sour cherries on a medium body and medium length finish.
Red
2005 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Carneros
87 points
Light to medium body, with some earth notes and dark cherry flavors that lack intensity.
Red
2002 Remoissenet Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets
88 points
Nice concentration and fruit forward for a Burgandy with dark cherry and earth notes. A little hot on the finish, but this was tasted too warm.
Flight 4 - Spanish (5 notes)
Red
2004 Costers del Siurana Priorat Clos de L'Obac
93 points
Surprisingly smooth at this stage, though the tannins are prominent, and the wine has very good structure. It has a some acidity, though is very well balanced, and comes across as an elegant wine even now, which will only be more emphasized down the road.
Red
2005 Melis Priorat Elix
91 points
Tannins and fairly high acidity will need some time to age to settle down. Full body, with black cherry flavors, and some heat on the long finish.
Red
2003 Finca Allende Rioja Calvario
92 points
Intense cherry fruit, that is well structured and elegant with a smooth finish. More of a New World style Rioja, with less earthiness than many others.
Red
2003 Campo Eliseo Toro
93 points
This was the Spanish wine that was drinking the best, though I think a couple of others will surpass it over time. A rich, full bodied wine featuring dark cherry flavors in a smooth package with a nice, long finish.
Red
2004 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero
88 points
A very dark wine with good intensity for a tempranillo. Was probably too warm when tasted, but came across as acidic, with a sharp, hot finish.
Flight 5 - Bordeaux (7 notes)
Please excuse the overly brief notes as I had to rush to get these in before the tasting ended.
Red
2004 Château Branaire-Ducru
90 points
Medium to full body, making it somewhat bigger than I expected for the vintage and the producer, with a fair amount of acidity right now.
Red
2001 Château Batailley
89 points
Cedar nose, classic Pauillac profile, with a little acidity on medium body and medium length finish. Drinking well now and should improve more in the coming years.
Red
2001 Château Pontet-Canet
89 points
I found this a little lighter than expected and with a fairly high acidity level. Should improve some more down the road, but not at it's best right now.
Red
Red
1998 Château Léoville Las Cases
92 points
Still some tannins to resolve with more time, but drinking OK now, with nice complexity and intensity, with prominent notes of graphite, stones, and dark fruit.
Flight 6 - Cabs, Syrah, and other Reds (9 notes)
Red
2003 Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
This was better than expected. Lush dark fruit with a medium to long length finish without any of the green notes found in many wines from the vintage.
Red
2003 Black Sears Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
90 points
Found this to be a pretty nice wine, but not as good as many others at its price.
Red
2004 Massena Shiraz The Eleventh Hour
I will withhold any score as I was only able to get a quick taste and not do this justice, but it struck me as fairly acidic (certainly unusual for an Aussie wine), and lighter body than I expected. I seek out Aussies that are more restained in style and this certainly seems to be in that mold. I wasn't particularly impressed, though I hope to have a future tasting to better gauge this one.
Red
2004 Glen Eldon Shiraz Dry Bore
90 points
Flavors of plum and blackberry on a full body frame with a sweet entry and controlled fruit, then finishing clean with some oak and vanilla notes.
Red
2004 Saint Cosme St. Joseph
88 points
This was a little thin in the mid palate, but overall a good N. Rhone with a little of the classic bacon fat and smoke flavors associated with the region's wines.
Red
2004 Domaine Combier Crozes-Hermitage Clos des Grives
90 points
A nose with barnyard notes. On the palate, it's earthy with sharp cherry flavors with medium body and finish. Very Old World style, would go well with lamb.
Red
2003 Boroli Barolo
89 points
Color is a light garnet. Has the expected acidity, but also has nice fruit that comes across almost sweet. Nice, zesty finish.
Red
2006 Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec
87 points
Nice ripe fruit of blackberry, with low acid and tannins, with a smooth finish.