Cracking the whip
Eagan, MN
Tasted October 16, 2023 - October 23, 2023 by WineBurrowingWombat with 231 views
Introduction
Took some time off to visit I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine (IRBDW) for a week to lend a helping hand and taste some wine.
Flight 1 - Day 1 (1 note)
P: The expected spectrum of dark red and blue fruit that, when blended together, becomes almost black. A badass note of tar and graphite that plays really well with the fruit and a dark core of earth. Pleasureful bitterness of tree bark, graphite, tar and steeped tea lingers into the long finish. Powerful fruit but with the proper amount of character to keep things in balance.
Enjoy now for some tasty hedonism or cellar for another 3-6 years for better integration and some sanding down of any rough edges.
Flight 2 - Day 2 (2 notes)
P: Light pomegranate juice with a hint of cranberries, lightly red fruited earth that’s been basking in the sun, soft bitter oak, and a curious and exciting prickliness on the tongue. With some air time, an awesome note of leather enters the picture, seems to come outta nowhere and almost out of place, but it works for some reason. The fruit also turns darker with time, falling into the cherry realm while keeping the same lift and excitement as before. An awesome soda bite eventually surrounds the fruits and acidity, making the wine even more exciting.
The fruit has lift and energy here but initially, the acidity did not want to keep up; it’s as if the acidity wielded the fruit like a javelin and launched the fruit high into the skies while the acidity stays grounded, or the acidity acts like the rocket boosters of a spaceship that detaches and falls back to earth after it helps the fruit breach the earth’s atmosphere. However, with some time in the glass, the acidity starts to cling on the finish, whereas it was dropping off kinda early in the beginning. It leaves the finish bright and lively. Drink now as a pop and pour and journey along, or cellar them away for a handful of years for a bit more development. 96-97
P: Black and red fruits, a core of beautiful dark graphite and tar, deep earth to soften the landing of any roughness, fine black minerals, and golden steeped tea on the finish. There’s an aura of savoriness that envelops everything, protecting everything from sharp edges or random stiff arms. With time, flavors come together in a beautiful integration of everything, while keeping a dark, serious profile. Deep roasted coffee beans develop as well, with its tasty bitterness, strong earthiness and bright, savory stones.
A regal darkness but with such class and grace, like a badass villain that you would cheer for.. you know you shouldn’t be, but you do anyways because of the charm and charisma the character brings (like Loki or Wukong). Amazing now and should develop into near perfection within a handful of years. This is something you should definitely try to follow along throughout the years if you have the bottles. If you’re having now, pop and pour and journey along.
Flight 3 - Day 3 (3 notes)
P: Big blueberry delivery with well integrated deep earth. Gently spiced oak, and a trace of minerals on the finish as well. Surprisingly, the blueberry notes seem to make way for a dark red fruit flavor, with the same earth as before and a bit of underbrush as well.
Dangerously quaffable. You can enjoy now and journey along, or cellar away for another 4-6 years for even more smoothness. Honestly don’t know if it can get any smoother than this.
P: Similar honied notes from the nose, with some pear, gently bitter stems and minerals.
From a 375ml bottle. Usually not a fan of Krug, but this was a nice surprise. It was gentle on the toasty notes this time around, allowing the fruits to come through much more.
P: Aged black and dark red plums but still has a strong freshness, a subtle touch of raisin, a sprinkling of graphite with crushed minerals. The minerals here are bright but with a bold outline (like the font style). Saturated earth by the same plum juices. Gentle leather on the finish with a drying sensation of earth.
A big and bold malbec with a bit of almost stewed fruits. Additional time in the cellar should improve this.
Flight 4 - Day 4 pt. 1 (1 note)
Pre-game
P: Ripe, layered dark red fruits, similar black currants from the nose, a light silvery graphite coating on scattered tree bark on a landslide of dark earth. Shiny minerals with a touch of savoriness on the finish. Better integration with some time, making for a pleasurably soft and smooth textural feel on the palate.
Drinking well now and should soften up any rough edges that this wine may have now. May also be better if served closer to cellar temp.
Flight 5 - Day 4 pt. 2 (11 notes)
Judgement of Eagan
Awesome dinner tasting where some Napa wines are pitted against some Bordeaux wines. Very interesting outcome, even I was surprised on some of my own votes.
A few easy calls on some while there are a few close ones. Everyone at the table had their own mix of their favorites. Tons of fun.
My votes:
Substance > V.O.
Bonneau du Martray > Marcassin
Heitz Martha's > Rothschild
Haut-Brion > Insignia
Blankiet Rive Droite > La Violette
P: Very golden fruits, white berries, and a crisp, gentle saline along with some nicely bitter stones on the finish. The acidity along with the saline note gives the impression of a savoriness, even providing for an airy yeasty note.
For some reason, this was nothing like the bottle I tried for the first time. My only guess is maybe that the disgorgement dates are different, and I don’t even know if that makes any kind of difference on the palate. More fresh on the fruits this time whereas the first time reminded me of some tasty creme brulee. Nonetheless, still good!
P: Flavors of the V.O. are also very similar to substance but just a bit more lighter on the palate, and a bit less intense while keeping a deep yellow and green pear note. The salinity on the stones seem to be a bit more pronounced while somehow being lighter. Nice ethereal profile to this.
I have a hunch that having this next to the Substance might’ve had an effect on this. To me, everything about the V.O. seemed to be just a notch lighter. Even so, this was still a pleasure to taste.
P: Fuller and weightier than the nose while keeping some of the same notes. There’s a bit of pleasant must that is hard to describe, like the inside of an old wine cellar where it smells like mold and damp stone. The yellow fruit has a nice creaminess that flows into the finish without being overdone.
Wish I had more time with this because this got better with time in the glass, and even more so as it came to room temp. I preferred this to be served on the cooler side as it provided a nice swiftness on the palate. This was just as good at room temp but more for its heavier flavors.
P: A pleasantly waxy note, yellow and white fruits, a core of honied fruits with the emphasis on the fruits. The honey tastes slightly intense but allows the fruit to still shine. Gorgeous.
I definitely enjoyed this closer to cellar temp as it provided more freshness. It got a little too heavy as it came to room temperature.
P: Flavors match the nose completely with the addition of tertiary notes starting to grow stronger and latching onto the fruits by the minute. Fruits are still there though, but for how much longer, I wouldn’t know.
If you have a hankering for classic-styled cabs, this wine is definitely for you.
P: Flavors match the nose completely here too. Graceful and classic on the palate, but strong in tertiary flavors. Strong earthy and mushroom notes, with a salty, fermented note.
The tertiary game is strong on this one. Might actually be good with some nigiri (joke). If you have any more of these, unless you love the tertiary notes, drink ‘em now!
P: Dark but elegant red fruits, still going strong! Wooden pencil shavings, crushed savory minerals, and awesome wet forest floor. The fruits and tertiary notes work together like a double helix, such a thing of beauty. Not once does the tertiary notes become too much (thank goodness).
I gotta admit, I might be an Haut-Brion fan boy. Kinda surprised this delivered so much better than the Insignia for me. There’s a nuance and intensity I really enjoyed about this. Great complexity with such class.
P: Well integrated fruits with earth, easily glides across the palate. Still tons of fruit but almost too much.
Great integration and quite smooth. I’m sure that if I had this Insignia on its own, it would’ve been great. But having it next to the Haut-Brion, this came off as too much with the abundance of fruit this had.
P: Ripe, dark red and black fruits, a bit of macerated fruits and almost vanilla. A high toned note of dried oak and earth that seemed to help offset the big fruits. The pretty flowers reflect here on the palate as well, quite pretty.
For me, I preferred this over the Violette by just a hair. The pretty Napa fruit got me in this matchup.
P: Light red fruits with such grace and some speed, slightly savory bark with dried earth, and light steeped tea and savory minerals on the finish. Quite elegant.
Graceful and elegant but might be a little too supple in this showing. Then again, we’ve had quite a few wines already of both old and new wines at this point and that may have affected my palate by now.
P: Intense and deep dark honey, bitter wax, dark minerals, really intense and heavily ripened fruits without any kind of rot or molding. The dark yellow fruits have a dark, honied and candied characteristic to them.
Awesome treat at the end after an intense night of faceoffs!
Flight 6 - Day 5 pt. 1 (1 note)
Pre-game
P: A gentle creaminess with a fresh lift coats the palate with deep white and dark yellow melons, aged citrus notes (while still maintaining freshness), a touch of honey and bitter wax. Everything leads into the finish, where a bit of spiced tree bark gets introduced.
The palate has an essence of orange and other citrus notes, with a nice intensity and freshness at the same time. These seem to age really well. If the weightiness can thin out as this ages more, while keeping the freshness, this would be amazing with even more time.
Flight 7 - Day 5 pt. 2 (10 notes)
Wine-a-palooza
P: Fruits match the nose completely. A subtle hint of honey, gently bitter wax, minerals and dried, spiced hay that lingers into the finish. The airy caramel note is showing here as well (as if it was gently torched, gracing the flavors with a hint of a burnt top). Still a good sense of freshness and a juiciness that is starting to show that it may have a hard time clinging on soon.
P: Flavors of golden pineapples with its bitter skins, some dried oak and bitter minerals. Good stony character to this.
P: Darker fruits and more pronounced on the palate, similar earth with bitter and shiny minerals. A somewhat strong metallic note on the sides of the palate gives it an awkward zing.
P: Gorgeous black and purple fruits with a deep pitch of brooding darkness. Nice and deep earthiness that cradles the fruits. Great freshness also helps bring some speed to the brooding darkness that the fruits have.
P: A gripping fist of intense, dark red fruits, almost black to the core, with a dry mineral note that leads into the finish. Great upfront entry but surprisingly quite short on the finish. Enjoyed the nose much better than the palate.
P: Deep yet elegant red fruits, similar earth and funk from the nose while also holding the same class and restraint as well.
I personally enjoy this very much right now. The funk has a restraint and has not completely developed into a funk-bully like the ‘98 Pegau I’ve had before, where the tertiary was just so overwhelming. I’m positive this can age for even longer but this is in a great spot for me.
P: Candied red fruit, drying oak on the finish with dried earth and minerals.
Usually I would say I can stand this type of fruit but it is lacking something that keeps it lively and exciting. Seems so artificially made and/or heavily manipulated.
P: Dark, red and purple plums, without any tartness and bitterness from skins and pits. Again with the purity of fruit on the palate here, but that seems to be it. A little bit of steeped tea and slightly bitter minerals on the short finish. Great entry though.
P: Dark, earthy red fruits, a gently sour mineral note, new leather, plump mushrooms and a gentle funk.
This has some age but I don’t think enough to show this kinda funk, it’s almost like tertiary notes but it's not (most likely terroir). Might want to drink these now, unless you want more of everything mentioned, cellar for longer!
P: Dried earth, chipped tree bark, dried sand on a beach and dark red fruits.
Flight 8 - Day 6 pt. 1 (1 note)
Pre-game
P: The purity of dark red fruits show beautifully on the palate as well, dark and intense yet somehow maintains a class act. Tobacco leaves, some underlying tar and matching cedar from the nose. A faded but beautiful graphite note, like an old note scribbled on parchment years ago, and dried, snapped twigs on the finish, along with some steeped tea.
Amazing how day 2 showed more tertiary notes, but they recede and go back into hiding, as if it never happened in the first place. What type of black magic is this?? Resolve and integration at its finest.
Flight 9 - Day 6 pt. 2 (12 notes)
Learned something on this tasting. The pinots completely bodied the cabs on this one.. unbelievable. ~$70 California Pinot's > similarly priced (or even greater) California cabs..
Pinots started the tasting off and once we got to the cabs, it was all downhill from there.
The SQN white and Ornellaia are exceptions in this line up.
P: Similar notes from the nose, but a little too airy and light on the palate, leaving behind only slightly bitter hay, earth and minerals on the finish.
P: Palate matches nose with the addition of bitter wax, a bit of spiced oak. Good weight on the palate but barely manages to keep somewhat light on its feet.
The Kolibri was much better to me the other night, showing much better delivery and freshness. I think that is what’s missing in this one, the freshness to keep things lifted. A bit weighted down. Might want to serve at cellar temp and keep it at cellar temp if possible if opening now.
P: Lighter cherries on the palate, a touch of earth but leaves rather quickly. Gracefully thin on the palate, in a good way.
Palate left me wanting more, but I loved the nose very much. I could smell this for days.
P: Similar cherries on the palate with a damp and slightly bitter earth. Wet tree bark and something like wet forest floor.
Great lift on this. It had a good amount of freshness to keep things lively.
P: Dark and intense red and black cherries, a fruitful earthiness and finished with dried oak. There’s also a touch of graphite along with some dry cedar. Finishes a bit hot (the one thing I can remember about Orin Swift *pow pow*).
Not bad at all. The nose led me to think this was going to be something light but this shows much darker, and even serious, on the palate.
P: Cranberries with a drying sensation on the palate. Oak and graphite on the finish along with tons of steeped tea.
Drinkable now but something tells me this could use even more age.. The palate is still very strict and a bit austere. Could use some decanting if serving now. Curious to see how this evolves the next 4-6 years.
P: Similar fruits from the nose that show a bit of brightness but cuts off quickly on the mid to end palate.
P: Dammit.. same on the palate, a kick of heat on the mid palate, drying earth and bitter minerals on the finish (unfortunately, not a good thing this time).
P: Fruits are darker on the palate, showing some astringency and heat, and drying cedar on the finish.
P: Black and purple fruits, has a nice push of lushness, earthiness and oak. The finish has a lift of oak, and a roundhouse of alcohol. Odd contrast of dark fruit and some sort of high-toned treatment on the finish.
P: The palate almost breaks through the artificial veil with its dark fruit. A good juiciness but gets held down. It’s trying hard to shine through but has a difficult time doing so.
P: Somewhat rich and dark earth, with a dark fruit, and a drying artificial note that lingers on into the finish.
Flight 10 - Day 7 (1 note)
P: Incredible juiciness without being overdone. Fresh black cherries, bright red cherries, clean and shiny minerals, and a really nice touch of rhubarb (finally one of the few times that it seems to be done properly as it’s usually too tart). Bitter earth and minerals, and wet tree bark, all lingers into the finish.
Dangerously quaffable but better on its own, unless there is a good pairing. I forgot what I had alongside this but I wish I didn’t eat anything.
Flight 11 - Day 8 (1 note)
P: Intense, vivid and integrated dark red fruits with a gentle sheen to it, and a nice blend of black berries. A dark strikeout of graphite that’s well integrated with the black earthiness and fruits, along with some awesome tar notes, black minerals, and steeped tea on the finish.
This is just as good as the ‘16, and depending on your preference, possibly better. The dark yet gently light fruits are expansive, spreading across the palate, providing an awesome feeling of cooling and refreshing mouthfeel while providing a generous coating of flavors at the same time. Gotta love the nuance that age provides.
Closing
My goodness did doing these notes feel like work..
Shout outs to IRBDW for his generous pulls from his cellar and showing me a good time while I was in town!