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Guys Night Out: One to Remember - Heavy Hitters
Jason P's, St. Paul, MN
Tasted December 16, 2021 by rocknroller with 181 views
Introduction
This was the regular Guys Night event held at Jason's place. Five of us were in attendance for what turned out to be an absolutely fantastic night of food and wine (JP, JG, DS, SP, KB). Jason always goes all out, and the holidays made him even more generous than usual. The wine lineup was impressive from the start with Jason adding in all of the "whites" for the evening. The food was inspired and handled beautifully by his sister-in-law and twin nieces. We are truly pampered-- and truly grateful for all the hospitality and generosity of our hosts. Thanks to everyone, cheers and happy holidays to all!
Flight 1 - Champagne Flight (1 note)
White - Sparkling
2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
97 points
Light gold color. Drank a glass plus over an hour. Tonight's bottle was amazingly floral on the nose, incredibly bright and bouyant, and the red berry fruit was shining through like I've never seen before. There was this aroma of the most alluring strawberry pastries I could imagine capped by a blissful creme Chantilly; along with peach, stone fruit and that subtle tropical note too all layered into the much more subtle mineral notes tonight. The palate shows the stony minerality much more so, yeasty, crisp and energetic, great clarity and elegance, crisp cut apple, Meyer lemon, quince spice and stone fruits. Very long, very exciting, and featherweight on the lifted palate. Fantastic and a little different from the last bottle. Can't wait to see where these go with time. 97(+)pts.
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Comments (2)
Flight 2 - Chardonnay Flight (1 note)
White
2013 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard
96 points
Light medium gold color. Drank a glass plus over an hour plus. Thoroughly impressive across the board, this boasts a nose of white flowers, Anjou pear, butterscotch and savory spices, cinnamon and nutmeg, and then later adding in sea spray minerality. The palate is beautiful and rich, layered yet lifted and not weighty, very creamy with a delightful tangerine creme creme brulee core, savory spice, pear, butter brickle, and slivered almond. This is already well integrated and shows modest oak. Very long and stimulating on the finish. If there's anything to nitpick there could be a little more acidity, but this is a stunner already. 95+ to 96pts.
Flight 3 - 80's Bordeaux Flight (3 notes)
Red
1985 Château Léoville Las Cases
97 points
Very dark red color with a 5mm transition. Splash double decanted; drank a glass plus over 3 hours. Geez this was showing great. Gorgeous purple and blue fruits of cassis and boysenberry, wow; deep violet notes, ultra floral with a lifted perfume that adds leather, pencil, cigar wrapper and incense. The palate shows outstanding depth and harmony; damp earth, funk, leather, cassis, this is pencil city, coarse tobacco, and a lot of leather with impressive length and on some well rounded and polished tannins that can go for some time. This has it all, very complex and showing all the secondary and tertiary character you could ask for yet still having that exuberance that says, wait, just wait, I've got more to show you. 96+ to 97pts.
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Comment
Red
1986 Château Gruaud Larose
94 points
Very dark red color with a 15mm transitional edge. Splash double decanted; drank a glass plus over 3 hours plus. This is another old favorite. Dark fruits, tobacco, dried leaves, black raspberry, cassis, on the nose. The palate is medium full bodied, dark berries, mineral dense, dried wood, tobacco, and dry extract on the finish. Excellent bottle that didn't have quite the same joie de vivre as some others.
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Comment
Red
1989 Château Ausone
91 points
Very dark red color with a 15mm bricked margin. Decanted for 90 minutes immediately prior to serving. Drank a glass plus over 3 hours. Red berries and blue fruit nuances on the nose; dried forest floor, huckleberry, lightly herbal and savory. The palate shows dried wood and dried herbs, wood spice, red and blue fruits and a modest finish. Everything just comes off a bit muted and reticent here. Fell off modestly over the drinking time.
Flight 4 - 90's Bordeaux Flight (2 notes)
Red
1994 Château Haut-Brion
93 points
Very dark red/purple color, 2mm clear edge. PNP, drank a glass plus over 3 hours. Great nose, sweet creme de cassis, blueberry, roses petals, potpourri. The palate is full bodied and shows more dried wood, gravel, cassis, dark fruit, gravel, medium finish. I gotta agree with Europat55, nose 94 and palate 92, that's it in a nutshell.
Red
1996 Château Margaux
97 points
Very dark red/purple color with a 4mm edge. Splash double decanted; drank a glass plus over 3 hours. Oh my this has a pretty nose, thoroughly engaging in the purity of the perfume of black and blue fruit, truffles, violets, dried flowers, sweet herbs, and blood orange. The palate is full bodied and layered with the same gorgeous fruit, truffle, lavender, damp earth, graphite, and round, well modulated tannins on a stimulating finish. This is vibrant and bright with great lift and acidity. Outstanding, unanimous WOTN.
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Comment
Flight 5 - Sauternes Flight (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2001 Château de Fargues
94 points
Deep gold color. PNP, drank a glass over 40 minutes. First time with the '01 and it did not disappoint. Very vivacious and expressive with great cut, wow, mandarin orange, mango, pineapple, pretty botrytis spices, honey, crystalline and long. Love it.
Closing
WOTN Voting (reds only):
#1 1996 Margaux (3+3+3+3+3=15pts)
#2 1985 Leoville Las Cases (2+2+2+1+1=8pts)
#3 1986 Gruaud Larose (2+2+1+1=6pts)
#4 1994 Haut Brion (1=1pt)