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Crown Fall 08 Upscale Tasting
Boca Raton, FL
Tasted November 8, 2008 by vinole with 1,527 views
Introduction
Another good tasting that this S. FL merchant does twice a year. Always tough to get in the best wines over the two hours.
Flight 1 - Champagne & Sparkling wines (6 notes)
White - Sparkling
2005 Schramsberg Vineyards Blanc de Blancs
86 points
Seemed unripe to me, with green apple notes with high acidity. Not my style.
White - Sparkling
2005 Schramsberg Vineyards Blanc de Noirs Brut
88 points
Riper and fuller fruit than the the Blanc du Blanc, but still a little sour. No pinkness from the pinot skins nor the extra depth and body I would expect as they must not keep the skins in contact for any appreciable time.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut
87 points
A light bodied, crisp Champagne that is a decent value at its price.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Deutz Champagne Brut Classic
88 points
Light bodied, with bold acidity, but lacking in intensity.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut
91 points
Honey & biscuit flavors that was more full bodied and less acidic than other Champagnes.
Flight 2 - Chardonnay and other whites (9 notes)
White
2007 Jermann Pinot Grigio
88 points
Light bodied with reserved fruit, but more complex than most other PG's.
White - Off-dry
2006 Selbach-Oster Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese
88 points
This was served too cool, and came across as simple and without depth. The sweetness was not offset by enough acidity. May be better at a warmer temperature.
White
2002 Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett
87 points
Lightly sweet and showing a nice pear finish.
White
2005 Verget Pouilly-Fuissé La Roche Terroirs de Vergisson
89 points
Bright fruit with noticeable oak. Medium body with some balancing acidity on a 20-25 sec finish. A style I like, with some New World influence.
White
2006 Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet
90 points
Light to medium bodied, with somewaht high acidity, and more oak than most other white Burgundies.
White
2005 Verget Meursault Les Tillets
91 points
More delicate with a lovely floral nose with some depth and complexity. Little oak and very expressive and 'zingy' on the mid palate.
White
2005 Charles Gruber Puligny-Montrachet Les Charmes
91 points
This has big fruit for Burgundy. It has more oak and less acidity than most as well. Medium bodied wine that will appeal to CA chard drinkers while still showing that extra finesse and elegance that Burgundy offers.
White
2006 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay Karia
89 points
Apple and pear flavors. Light bodied and crisp, but with some significant oak that overshadows the fruit somewhat.
White
2005 Hartford / Hartford Court Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards
90 points
This is less full bodied than many and has good fruit and ample acidity, and still has a fair amount of oak, but not in an overdone way. Nice package at this price.
Flight 3 - Burgundy & Pinot (6 notes)
Red
2006 Frédéric Magnien Côte de Nuits Villages Coeur de Roches
89 points
Open, and fruit forward for Burgundy. Soft and approachable, drinking well now.
Red
2006 Louis Jadot Pommard
89 points
Cherry fruit that's a tad sour from the still firm tannins with some good acidity. Nice wine that will benefit from time in the cellar.
Red
2006 Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin
89 points
Nice earthiness, light to medium body, and good Pinot character of cherry and spice.
Red
2006 Frédéric Magnien Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Coeur de Pierre
91 points
More tannic and complex than the Cotes de Nuits with good structure. Should be very nice after some bottle age.
Red
2006 David Bruce Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
88 points
Reserved fruit for a CA pinot, with nice dark cherry fruit in a well balanced package that doesn't garner much attention.
Red
2005 Dominion Tantara Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard
90 points
Rich, big pinot, but still well balanced for the style. Didn't pick up any heat or earth, and the fruit was lush without going OTT.
Flight 4 - Italian (8 notes)
Red
2005 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
89 points
Cherry fruit and leather with fairly high acidity. Medium body and a fairly soft wine.
Red
2004 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico
88 points
I found this surprisingly light and less rounded for such a good vintage. It had less intensity, acidity, and leather than those tasted alongside and came across somewhat bland.
Red
2005 Azienda I Greppi Bolgheri Superiore Greppicaia
87 points
Reserved fruit, with plenty of tannin and acidity. Seemed shut down right now, and definitely will need time to come together, but the lack of fruit makes me wonder if this will ever be very good.
Red
2004 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Monferrato Pin
89 points
Bright cherry fruit on a light to medium body frame with fairly high acidity that has a soft finish.
Red
2003 G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe
86 points
Dry and tart, without fruit to match the acid and tannin. Needs time, but doubt the fruit can win.
Red
2002 Terralsole Brunello di Montalcino
89 points
Fairly plush cherry fruit, and lower tannin and acidity than the Tuscans tasted alongside. Nice wine for an off vintage.
Red
2003 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino
91 points
Medium body, smooth, lush dark cherry fruit that is drinking nicely now.
Red
2003 L'Arco Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
92 points
Less dense than other Amarones, but still noticeably sweet. Plenty of raisin and fig flavors associated with these wines.
Flight 5 - Misc Reds (7 notes)
Red
2002 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc Premier Etage
91 points
Bright, rich cherry fruit with acidity in check and drinking well now. Medium body.
Red
2004 Taltarni Shiraz
87 points
Cool climate makes for a much different shiraz than the stereotypical fruit bomb. Lighter body and more red fruits showing, but my score was hurt by an odd slightly salty, astringent finish.
Red
2004 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva
89 points
Dark cherry flavors with some acidity and some oak. Good Rioja.
Red
2005 Bodegas Vizcarra Ramos Ribera del Duero JC Vizcarra
90 points
Dark cherry fruit with a fair amount of oak. Medium body and lower acidity than most RdD's. Rich for this price point and a good QPR.
Red
2003 Clarendon Hills Syrah Hickinbotham
93 points
Thick texture, intense, full bodied wine primarily of blackberry and plum, and smoke and oak. Despite the richness and lushness, did not seem flabby or overripe, as there was ample balancing acidity. Great wine for its style.
Red
2006 DuMOL Syrah Russian River Valley
92 points
Rich plum, blackberry, and blueberry fruit that was not overripe or hot on the finish. Big, full bore style, but still smooth and well balanced
Red
2006 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja
91 points
Dark, ripe fruit with LOTS of oak. Despite the ripeness and the big size of the wine, I didn't detect heat on the smooth finish. Well balanced wine, but you have to like oak which kept my score down.
Flight 6 - Bordeaux and Cabs (16 notes)
Red
2005 Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac
87 points
Tannic, but doesn't have the level of fruit I've found in other 05's. Needs time, but I doubt will turn into anything special.
Red
2001 Château Beau-Site
86 points
Was very closed with little fruit behind the tannin and acidity. Surprising for the generally early drinking 01 vintage. Needs a few more years before ready, and is still questionable that there is enough fruit here.
Red
2005 Ségla
90 points
The tannins were there as expected, but surprisingly approachable now and still open with rich fruit that has become a trademark of the vintage.
Red
2001 Château Batailley
90 points
This has improved with another year in the bottle and came across as lush and approachable. Medium body and the tannins and acidity have resolved nicely at this stage.
Red
2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis
89 points
A more reserved Napa cab, being only medium body and and having higher acidity than most, with currants on a 30-35 sec finish.
Red
2004 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
92 points
Reserved fruit for a Napa cab blend, nicely balanced, and quite smooth and approachable right now. An elegant wine, and the acidity did not jump out at me this time (though I had just finished a flight of Old World wines).
Red
2005 Tikal Júbilo
90 points
Medium body, with dark fruit flavors, nicely balanced, but a little thin on the mid-palate for this price point.
Red
2005 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon
90 points
Medium bodied and dialed back a little for a Napa cab. A well made wine, but nothing that made me take notice.
Red
2005 Col Solare
89 points
Dark red fruit flavors with some oak with a soft finish. The wine seems to lack focus and is a step down from previous vintages.
Red
2004 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Sacrashe Vineyard
91 points
Reserved currant fruit, but still a lively and juicy mouthfeel. Some oak and tannin there, but a nice smooth finish.
Red
2005 Susana Balbo Cabernet Sauvignon Signature
90 points
Nice dark fruit, some acidity with nice balance. One of the better Argentine cabs I've had as it didn't have vegetal flavors or too much earth.
Red
2003 Clarendon Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Brookman
90 points
Both red and dark fruit on the entry with more acidity than some, medium to full body, and a nice smooth finish.
Red
2003 Tudal Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
89 points
A ripe, plush wine, with red and dark fruit and an extra dash of acidity, that is smooth and approachable now.
Red
2004 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Mountain
90 points
Big fruit, but too soft from a lack of enough tannin and acidity as I often find with Sonoma cabs.
Red
2005 Pine Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
91 points
Richer fruit than some previous Pine Ridge wines I have had, with some light acidity and smooth tannins that balance well. I find this has a little more intensity than some of the more restrained offerings in the past.
Red
2005 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
An intense wine, with big currant fruit, and some considerable tannin with ample balancing acidity. Very nice wine, but recommend holding for at least a couple of years to let it settle down.