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Charleston Offlineorama V
The Holy City
Tasted November 7, 2019 - November 10, 2019 by S1 with 405 views
Introduction
20 members of the Cellar Tracker forum/Wine Berserker forum descend on Charleston for four days of finest food and finest wine
Flight 1 - Happy Burgundy Thursday (19 notes)
Gougère
Terrine de Volaille à Chaud-Frois
Bœuf Bourguignon/Gratin Dauphenois/Poireaux Frits
Assiette de fromages affinés
L'Ananas Flambé au Grand Marnier/Sorbet au Fromage Blanc/Galettes Sablées
White - Sparkling
2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne
So young, but still tasty with toast, lemon curd, and zippy acidity.
2 people found this helpful
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White - Sparkling
1996 Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé
Really showing its age in a good way. There is just a hint of oxidation with brioche, caramel, and great acidity.
2 people found this helpful
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White
2005 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
This wine has put on serious weight since our last bottle. Rich and racy with a backbone of oak and bracing saline acidity. In a perfect spot IMO.
4 people found this helpful
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White
2010 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
(actually tasted on Sunday)
Austere, but with a touch of flab. Not tons of complexity right now, but maybe in a few years.
Austere, but with a touch of flab. Not tons of complexity right now, but maybe in a few years.
2 people found this helpful
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White
2013 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir
Classic Roulot. IT’s the perfect balance of weight without seeming to have any weight at all. There is a little oiliness, but no flabby fat, just wonderful minerally precision.
2 people found this helpful
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White
2013 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
A beast—I’d love to see it with 20 years on it. Coriander, orange/lemon peel and a wonderful green herbaceous quality which keeps the weight in check.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2001 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne
Chalky, earthy, dark cherry—classic Fourrier. I love this wine so much. It still has lots of gas in the tank
and is a classic 01 terroir poster child
and is a classic 01 terroir poster child
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1961 Joseph Drouhin Romanée St. Vivant
Really youthful, oddly so. There are lots of primary flavors still dominating and the red fruits are amazingly fresh.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg
Stemmy dry tannins with red fruits, orange and the faint entrance of a little soy and Indian spice. Needs time.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1998 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares
What a joy. Perfect balance of Roumier red cherry with a secondary streak of black. There are layers and layers of subtle spice, orange pekoe, hints of ginger and perfectly balanced acidity.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1988 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley
I am generally not a big fan of this wine, but this one showed pretty well. Rustic, somewhat monolithic but still quite tasty, with a pleasant bitterness on the finish.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2011 Bouchard Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
Simple and primary, with light red cherry and a hint of the greenness typical of 11s. Pleasant but simply a quaff.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1999 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart
Delicious, but still so young. Dark fruits and a bit viscous with hints of soy sauce and bay.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2007 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
Unfortunately this was paired with the 98 Roumier. While this is drinking well, I still believe that 07s will never display correct complexity. It is a little sweet and simple for a Grand Cru, but enjoyable nonetheless.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2010 Domaine Ponsot Corton Cuvée du Bourdon
There is an stewed medicinal quality in this wine which I find quite off-putting. Perhaps it has seen a little heat? Or is it just a Ponsot red? Some bitter spiciness gives it some interest.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1969 Remoissenet Père et Fils Morey St. Denis Les Charmes
Earthy forest with some still-kicking red fruits. Sweet tannins and a little bit of Indian spice. Surpisingly good I thought.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1966 Thomas Bassot Griotte-Chambertin
Delicious, tertiary aged Burg. Powdery dried flowers, black tea, coriander and cumin.
2 people found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
1986 Château d'Yquem
Loved it. Rich, thick and unctuous without being cloying. There are cloves, dried pinapple and a long finish. The balance illustrates the greatness that is Yquem.
2 people found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
1981 Château d'Yquem
Finish was a bit clipped, and there is a astringent quality that I don’t care for, but it’s still aged Yquem with the classic dried apricot, tropical fruits and zippy acidity.
3 people found this helpful
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Flight 2 - Friday Afternoon Champagne (5 notes)
A Basket of Cornmeal-Fried Oysters and Charleston Shrimp
White - Sparkling
2004 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill
This is a little sweet for me, but still delicious with yeasty toast and nice acidity.
Needs age
Needs age
2 people found this helpful
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Rosé - Sparkling
1998 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé La Grande Dame
from Magnum—Fantastic, with dried cherry, orange peel. Super acidic and complex.
1 person found this helpful
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White - Sparkling
1990 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame
Nuts, flowers, apple, acid, toast, body, depth—what more could you possibly want?
3 people found this helpful
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White - Sparkling
2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare
Sweet, young and primary with a big hit of roasted apple. Maybe a little reduction. Needs time.
3 people found this helpful
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White - Sparkling
2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
I like Cristal but it always comes across a bit sweet for my palate. Maybe with another 20 years…
2 people found this helpful
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Flight 3 - A Flannery Steak Out (13 notes)
Flannery Dry-Aged “Jorge Cut” Steaks
Beefy Compound Butter
Reprise of Grandmama Cappy’s Macaroni
Firefly Sweet Tea-Glazed Carrots
River Rat’s Grilled Caesar Wedge
Red
2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
from magnum (of course) Total Schrader (velvet tannins, polish, cassis and dark cherry, spice…) Still wonderful. We had enough remaining in the bottle to follow it over several days. It didn’t fade much, but was best on night one.
4 people found this helpful
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Red
2003 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste
Delicious—lots of licorice, black cherry, and soft tannin, with hints of orange peel, clove and smoke.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2006 Antinori Solaia
Oak. Did I mention the oak? Typical Solaia with dark red fruits, rustic tannins and more oak.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2004 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Some dark red fruits with a little figgy richness/dried fruit component. Acid is decent. Oak does noit dominate.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2010 Dominus Estate
Restrained with dark but not flabby fruit. I appreciate the restraint but found it to be a bit one-note.
1 person found this helpful
Comments (1)
Red
2008 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
from magnum. Really ripe and forward with a zippy attack and a faded finish.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2005 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog
Classic Frog—I really love this wine with age. I think the Cayuse creosote quality inegrates and makes it really special. There is still plenty of ripeness, but acid adds lift and carries the wine to the next level.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2000 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon
from Magnum. Primary fruit has faded and the wine is just now developing real complexity. I would love to try this in another 10 years.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2007 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque
I love La Turque. This one certainly has a punch of oak but there is that wonderful sauvage quality I always get on this wine. It is still super ripe, but acid tries to keep it balanced.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2010 Next of Kyn No~4 Cumulus Vineyard
from Magnum—A beast. Very SQN on nose and mouthfeel. It’s starting to tame a bit, and will be spectacular in another 5-10 years.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2000 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Pretty. Bright red cherry, perfume and leather. Still lots of aging potential
2 people found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
1994 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac Cuvée Madame
So luscious and viscous with tons of apricot and caramel, but still some acid. Ginger, spice, orange peel—it’s all there.
2 people found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
1995 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac Cuvée Madame
Maybe a little more tired than the 94, it is still a remarkable wine with similar markers to the 94
2 people found this helpful
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Flight 4 - Tasting Menu at Circa 1886 (15 notes)
Chef Marc Collins created a five course pairing menu to accompany our declared wines.
Served in The Tack Room, Circa's upstairs private room
White - Sparkling
2004 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
So young, but still great with classic Krug nose, dark fruits, great acid, and a pleasantly bitter finish
3 people found this helpful
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White - Sparkling
1996 Duval-Leroy Champagne Femme de Champagne
Fantastic. Lots of acid with a dark reductive nose which explodes into Meyer-Lemony brioche. There is a lot going on with this wine
3 people found this helpful
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White
2010 Domaine Ponsot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Vieilles Vignes
From magnum. A little hint of sweetness but the acid conquers. There is an oily quality with tons of lemon zest, quince, and a hint of candied ginger. A great wine
2 people found this helpful
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White - Off-dry
1973 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Perlant
Quince, quince and more quince, with ginger, great acid, slight petrol. What a treat.
2 people found this helpful
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White
1999 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée
from magnum. Waxy honeycomb with an oily marzipan quality and a big dose of green herbs. Delicious.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2006 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve
Rocky, mineral, creosote, black pepper, brilliant cherry…Mind numbingly good.
4 people found this helpful
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Red
1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Lots of red cherry with hunts of licorice and decent tannins. In a great spot.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
from magnum. Very 2000. Plum, Cassis. Dark. Brooding. Beautiful
4 people found this helpful
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Red
1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Soft tannins, smoke, cassis is more like red currant, and there is a bunch of bell pepper.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
1995 Château Lafite Rothschild
from magnum. A bit shy at first. Then pointy tannins emerge with bell pepple, leather, black cassis and some red. Spice. Orange pekoe. Goes on and on.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1998 Penfolds Grange
I think I have decided that 20ish years might be the perfect age for Grange. I thought this one was perfect, with classic notes of menthol, Eucalyptus, blackberry, glycerin, Indian spice, blood orange.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
1998 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
Tasty, but really restrained, and yet still somewhat disjointed, which I found odd. There is smoke, roasted meat and grapey purple. Maybe could use more time still.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
Oak still dominates a bit but this is entering a great place with lots of smoky, meaty, grapey growth ahead.
2 people found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
1995 Château d'Yquem
Very youthful. Super rich with orange peel, clove and muted acidity.
3 people found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
1997 Château d'Yquem
from magnum. A baby. Luscious. Apricot, ginger, spice, green herb, orange curd.
1 person found this helpful
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Flight 5 - Old and Blind Lunch at our Country Club (9 notes)
Chef Larry created a couple of courses to elevate our wines. The wines were served blind. Diners received a sheet of tasting notes and attempted to match the wines to the corresponding tasting notes.
Red
1979 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
(blind) Green as you would expect from the vintage. Nevertheless it has lots of complexity and fruit, and shows no sign of going away.
Red
Red
1992 Ridge Monte Bello
(blind) Still tasted young and I didn’t get that Ridge distinctive oak. I expected more complexity but it was still delicious.
Red
1995 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
(blind) Chave…period. Even young, there is such clarity and precision with the perfect balance of dark blue Syrah fruits and that great lift Chave gets with hints of red. There is spice, mineral, and backbone to age for many more years.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
1984 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace
(blind) In a great spot right now. These wines are certainly recognizable as 100% Cab, and this one has plenty of fruit remaining. Wonderful.
Red
1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate
(blind) Muted and faded. Even as disappointing as that is, the wine still has lots of good qualities with some fruit and decent acid balance.
Red
1964 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva
(blind) Cherry, soy, orange, saddle leather…in other words, old Barolo in a good place.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
1966 Château Palmer
(blind) Messy cork. Messy bottle. Messy sediment. Great wine. Old Bordeaux with the classic markers.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
1989 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle
(blind) Great. Classic Rhone Syrah with smoked meat, great acidity, wild herb, resolved tannin.
1 person found this helpful
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Closing
See y'all next year!