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The Nearly Annual Lyon 10 Year Retro Tasting
Lyon's Den
Tasted November 6, 2021 by Grinner with 167 views
Introduction
We skipped the 2010 Bordeaux last year for obvious reasons! So we had a bunch left over. I planned on 2011 Portugal and Tuscan IGT's for this year. Quick! What do I do? Mash-up!
Flight 1 - The Openers! (2 notes)
Thanks to CF for the Old Guy! One of the attendees was 2 y/o when this was made!
Paired with Brie and pear phyllo rolls
White - Sparkling
1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Charlie
95 points
This was a glorious wine and so different from the Carneros sparkler (duh...).
Imagine candied ginger on the thinnest slices of lemon and pear, placed on buttered toast with honey! Fine mousse and great length. Why wait?
Imagine candied ginger on the thinnest slices of lemon and pear, placed on buttered toast with honey! Fine mousse and great length. Why wait?
White - Sparkling
2011 Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut
92 points
Nice, New World, younger counterpoint to the Champagne CF brought. Very bright and dry with lemon curd, apricot, chalk and saline notes. Now-2026.
Flight 2 - Brunello vs. Piedmont (6 notes)
I decided to put these "hangers-on" to work against each other blind
Red
2011 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino
88 points
First of 32 reds served blind this afternoon, so it suffered from the "First Ice Skater" syndrome as well as my palate which doesn't get along with even SLIGHTLY under-ripe Italian acidity. Tart cherry, cranberry, leather and spice. Correctly guessed Brunello. Day 2: 88.
Red
2011 Domenico Clerico Barolo
89 points
Red and black cherries, plum, mint, earth running through a nicer finish than the first wine in this tasting. Tannins more obvious on day 2: 88.
Red
2011 Piero Benevelli Barolo Ravera di Monforte
91 points
My friends know this score is high praise from me with Italian wines. Sweet Rainier cherry, fig, spice leather and floral notes. Nice long finish. 91 on day 2.
Red
2011 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino
87 points
Tasted blind: this is just not my cup o' tart cherries, espresso, and dirt. Must be Sangiovese... 88 on day 2, so there is that...
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Red
2011 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota
90 points
Red and black cherries, more ripe than the previous wine. Damp earth, herb and floral notes lend complexity. 90 on day 2.
Red
2011 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino
87 points
Tart red berries wearing little leather jackets rolling around in earth / loam. Tannins more obvious on day 2: still 87pts.
Flight 3 - Tuscany IGT vs. Portugal in 2 Flights (5 notes)
Red
2011 Prats and Symington Douro Chryseia
95 points
First great bottle in this blind tasting! Deep black fruit, black licorice, stone, menthol and oak swimming in a lushly textured wine. Great length and still plush on day 2: 94pts. Now-2031
Red
2011 Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional Douro
94 points
Possibly the darkest (dry) wine in this tasting, it's loaded with black fruit, mocha, tobacco and graphite notes. Not quite as long as the Chryseia before it. Seemed slightly sweeter on day two: 93pts.
Red
2011 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri Toscana IGT
93 points
Tasted blind, I recognized it from the previous night. Blackberry, black currant, herbal / anise, wet stone and a finishing tinge of cranberry made it stand out from the previous Portuguese wines. Really nice body and length.
Red
2011 Luce della Vite Lucé
90 points
I was hoping I would like this more in this blind tasting. The Sangiovese must have gotten to me... Great color noted while I'm pouring for everyone. Black cherry, plum, raspberry, mocha and some savory notes. Really nice texture but finishes with a mouthful of acid and tannins. Same on day 2.
Red
2011 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT
89 points
Even more obvious where this came from in this flight. Sour red cherry, tar, leather, slightly funky earth / loam and floral notes. 90 on day two.
Flight 4 - There woulda been more, but we needed room for some BDX! (5 notes)
Red
2011 Quinta da Falorca Touriga Nacional
93 points
Great start to the flight, this bottle included black and blue berries, chocolate, stone, and a floral note. Long, deep and still fairly tannic. Those tannins were more obvious on day 2: 92 pts. Now-2026
Red
2011 Ramos Pinto Douro Duas Quintas Reserva
95 points
Wow! Winner of the best QPR of this blind tasting! Long, deep, and "sweet" (glycerin) with blackberry, stone, mocha, and herby/flower notes. 94 on day 2. Now-2030
Red
2011 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove
93 points
Ripe (thank God!) black and red fruited wine with hints of spice/pepper, leather and oak. Acidic finish, but even lessened on day 2: 93.
Red
2011 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Fontalloro
90 points
Another one I hoped to like more in this blind tasting. More red than black fruit, it picks up spice, earth and graphite on a long but (for me) ACIDIC finish. Day two: 88.
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Red
2011 Casa Ferreirinha Douro Quinta da Leda
94 points
Possibly the most glycerin of the night award! Polarizing, but the "sweet" blackberry and currant flavors have some savory support with subtle waves of tar, stone, leather and chocolate. 94 on day two, now-2030.
Flight 5 - The 2010 Bordeaux in 3 flights (6 notes)
The Siran went out first to steer the palates back to France. The ringers were obvious!
Red
2010 Château Siran
91 points
This wine was served unblinded to sort of recalibrate the palates after 3 flights of younger wines with different profiles. A First Ice Skater for perspective on the better ones to skate later...
This was a fun bottle with smooth black currant vying with the stone, pencil, florals and oak. Sexy enough to be a Margaux! day two: 91 pts.
This was a fun bottle with smooth black currant vying with the stone, pencil, florals and oak. Sexy enough to be a Margaux! day two: 91 pts.
Red
2010 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
96 points
WOTN! Somebody always punches above their weight in a blind tasting. This group remembers when a bottle of '06 Gloria KILLED it in the 2016 version of this (nearly) annual tasting. This afternoon, it's the GPL. Luscious and deep with crème de cassis, blackberry, black cherry, wet stone, cigar box and a smidge of tar. WOW! day two: 95 and Gloria-us! Now-2035.
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Red
2010 Joseph Phelps Insignia
95 points
I knew this was the ringer in the flight but wasn't sure enough to call Insignia. Not their best but damn good! Jammy compared to the many "proper" wines this day, I wrote "blackberry lollipop"! Deep and dark with great fruit then herbal / minty / stony / mineral notes. The tannins were more obvious on day 2, "the iron fist is back": 95pts. Now-2026 would be best.
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Red
2010 Château Barde-Haut
92 points
This wine declared itself as Old World with some earth and funk sitting on the black cherry and plums. Hints of red > black licorice, espresso, cacao nibs and a single violet! Guessed right bank, but did not guess how much it would fall off on day 2: 88pts. Now-2025.
Red
2010 Domaine de Chevalier
94 points
First word in my notes from this blind tasting: "beautiful!" Medium depth of mixed berries, stone, leather, graphite, and tobacco all in great balance. I got the left bank correct...
This particular bottle was perfect for now, but fell off significantly: 89 on day 2. Try soon if you have more than a couple.
This particular bottle was perfect for now, but fell off significantly: 89 on day 2. Try soon if you have more than a couple.
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Red
2010 Château d'Armailhac
flawed
During this tasting, we were all confused. Tight? vs. Off? SOooo subtle.
Day 2 the wet cardboard showed up after some fruit faded. Arrrgh! Light TCA strikes again. 2 out of 36 isn't terrible...
Day 2 the wet cardboard showed up after some fruit faded. Arrrgh! Light TCA strikes again. 2 out of 36 isn't terrible...
Flight 6 - BDX #2 (5 notes)
Red
2010 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
94 points
Another great start to a flight! Big and deep with black plum and currants framed by graphite and cigar box. So long it held to the same score the next day.
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Red
2010 Château Malartic-Lagravière
90 points
A lighter wine after several bigger ones. Funky, sweet, plum and berries, licorice and a smidge of tar. Guessed Right Bank...wrong-o! About same on day 2.
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Red
2010 Château Gloria
93 points
About what you would expect, and blind this time, I gave it the exact same score as in 2013. A nice long wine with black currant, stone, pencil, oak, and tobacco notes. Day two: 93.
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Red
2010 Figgins Estate Red Wine
93 points
This was a big, "sweet", deep, dark, fruity, oaky and hot wine! Not very mysterious served blind against BDX, but very enjoyable for what it is. Couldn't drink (or afford!) often. Day two: fruit faded a touch and tannins more obvious, 92pts.
Red
2010 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
94 points
I love this stuff! My note in this blind tasting looks...well...might as well recycle my note from 1.5 yrs ago:
2/1/2020 rated 94 points: PHMG WAG Blind Pairs: Quality Price Ratio (Home of the Blind Lyon): MY WOTNN (next night)! Creme de cassis, blackberry, plum, cigar box, graphite, spice and stone that linger like a Super Bowl half time show. 94+, stayed there on day 2. Has ten years. 11-0 winner. (3479 views)
This bottle did fall off a bit on day 2: 92pts. I still like my 10 year window.
2/1/2020 rated 94 points: PHMG WAG Blind Pairs: Quality Price Ratio (Home of the Blind Lyon): MY WOTNN (next night)! Creme de cassis, blackberry, plum, cigar box, graphite, spice and stone that linger like a Super Bowl half time show. 94+, stayed there on day 2. Has ten years. 11-0 winner. (3479 views)
This bottle did fall off a bit on day 2: 92pts. I still like my 10 year window.
Flight 7 - BDX #3 (6 notes)
Red
2010 Château Kirwan
Same bottle as Motz's note came from. Initial red more than black fruit, then just a super tart tannin-bomb. not correct, no score, same on day 2.
Red
2010 Quilceda Creek Red Wine Columbia Valley
92 points
An unannounced guest bottle squeezed in, makes up for the "off" Kirwan. Blackberry jam on toast! Unpretentious and fun. same on day 2. Now-2025.
Red
2010 Château Monbousquet
92 points
Medium bodied wine that smoothly presents its black and blue fruit, mocha, tobacco, stone and tar notes. Day 2: 92+!
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Red
2010 Château Gombaude-Guillot
89 points
This stood out for being tight and a bit thin. More red than black fruit, subtle earth, chocolate, and spice. Acid and tannins stand out on the finish, 88 on day 2.
Red
2010 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
94 points
I could copy La Cave d'Argent's note from 7 years ago! I'm not that eloquent... My notes this late in a blind tasting get shorter and shorter: "massive, deep, blackberry, currant, licorice, hot, smidge of VA and LONG!" sounds like it hasn't changed much. I'll wait 3-5 years for my last one. This was the only bottle out of 37 opened, that the group finished on day one!
Red
2010 Clos de l'Oratoire
93 points
Deep red and black fruits, with plums being most obvious. Stone, cocoa and herbs lend support and sit on a serious structure. 93 on day two.
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Flight 8 - Dessert (2 notes)
Cookies anyone?
White - Sweet/Dessert
2010 Château d'Yquem Declassified
92 points
I liked this bottle better than in 2016. Same flavors:
"Honeysuckle, peach, dried pineapple, and minimal botrytis flavors over a well hidden 14% etoh." Add some apricot and lemon rind.
Acid more obvious and desired this time.
"Honeysuckle, peach, dried pineapple, and minimal botrytis flavors over a well hidden 14% etoh." Add some apricot and lemon rind.
Acid more obvious and desired this time.
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Red - Fortified
2011 Sandeman Porto Vintage
95 points
This was great! So young, but so well put together. Take the best notes from the dry Portuguese wines this afternoon and pump them up with the well integrated sugar and etoh. Wow! then wow, wow, and wow (lasted 4 days in a decanter! Thank goodness my wife doesn't really like Port...). Now--- ok, bury me with one in 25 years so I can drink it later...
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Closing
Absolutely great to have friends over again, enjoying food and wine and wine and wine, then whine...