Wine Musings Vol#108

Something Old. Something New...

Following are the somewhat sparse tasting notes from the annual wine event we host at Stately Grossman Manor last week. Most wines are directly from my cellar. A few were brought by folks who can equally attest to provenance. Where there is an exception, it is noted. This year our theme was to taste mini verticals of 3 of the same wines over fairly long periods of time (i.e. 60s to the first decade of this millennium), along with a mystery wine of the same varietal. The idea was to track aging curves and changes in style where applicable. To whit:

The first flight consisted of wines from Les Clos, a Gran Cru vineyard in Chablis for those not familiar.

Wine 1 was wonderful. Bright, crisp, citrus zest, marzipan, brine...classic Chablis. Great mouthfeel long finish. The power of the wine made me think 2007, instead it was the 1970 Les Clos (Bolter bottling) ***++.
Wine 2 was a bit oxidized showing some butterscotch. Under that however more flint, citrus and white flowers. I guessed the 1996 Brocard Le Clos *** and that was what it was. I have had 96 recently and it was not as much evolved. Might be a storage issue as I had to buy this retail to fit the tasting. YMMV.

Wine 3 was the table favorite. Lovely, filled-out, essence of orange blossom honey really stood out. Mineral and stone fruit palate. An amazing rendition of chardonnay. It was the 2007 Kongsgaard The Judge ****+ and I knew it.

Wine 4 was very much like wine 1, very tight with more tropical fruit. A prominent pineapple and coconut element! I thought wine one a bit more crisp, thus my preference. Delicious and with lots of time ahead of it. It was the 2007 Brocard Les Clos***++.

The 2nd flight was Delas Les Bessards. kinda. My bottle of 1969 St. Christophe was over the hill. So we had 2 Delas Hermitage and 2 other. Turned out to be a great flight:

Wine 1 was elegance in a glass. It was the most evolved and had nuances of herbs, grilled meats, white pepper and black and red fruit. Silky mouth feel, resolving finish but with no holes. Lovely. It was the 90 Chave Hermitage**** and I would say that it is in it's prime right now.

Wine 2 was clearly very young and made in a much more modern style. Black fruits, lavender, caramel/coffee. Big wine. I was surprised that it was the Delas 2009 Les Bessards***+. I would have pegged it for new world. Parker 100 points? Not tonight.

Wine 3 was gorgeous. Perfumed and nuanced. A super alluring note of sandalwood, red fruit, pink peppercorn, herbs. I loved this wine and thought it was the Chave. Instead it was the 1996 Les Bessards****

Wine 4 was a show stopper. Powerful, vibrant, this wine has verve. Spearmint, iodine, bell pepper. Huge, palate staining with pronounced structure. Dave called it a La Tour like wine and I agree. Amazingly, it was the 1995 Thackery Orion ****+. Wow.

The next flight was Chateau Gruaud Larose.

Wine 1 showed tell tale GL Nicoise olive, black fruit, licorice, leather and a bit of funk. I love these wines. I thought it was the 1990 Gruaud Larose ***++ and it was.

Wine 2 was similar I thought. More bell pepper and a racy red fruit driven palate. I thought it was the 78. Instead it was a 1994 Mount Mary Quintet, from Lillydale **++. Very controversial. I liked this wine very much, Dave did not at all, as did others. In any case, it was a perfect fit for this flight as it was very Bordeaux like.

Wine 3 was dusty and somewhat muted. Still showing some black fruit and green olive, it was for the most part pleasant but not of particular note. Surprisingly dark color. I have had better luck with the 1978 Gruaud Larose **+ in the past, but this bottle was tired.

Wine 4 was fantastic. Still a baby, it was initially closed, but with some coaxing showed excellent black fruit, shoe polish, licorice and minerals. Wonderful depth and super long. It was the 2000 Gruaud Larose****. A wine with a long future in front of it.

The next flight was Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

Wine 1 was everything I love about Mouton. Sexy, red fruit, cedar, menthol, cassis...really alluring. Full on the palate. Velvety. It was the 1998 Mouton****+ and one of my favorites of that decade for drinking right now.

Wine 2 was in one word DEEP. Black fruit, cassis, mineral laden classic big boned Bordeaux. Not a wine for tonight but I appreciate the depth, structure and promise for the future. it was the 1986 Mouton****+.

Wine 3 was maybe my wine of the flight. beautiful, nuanced, great depth. Red and black fruit, lead pencil, little bit of cigar box...heavenly. Solid on the palate and a fury finish. Could have knocked me over when I saw that it was the 1967 Mouton****+. Fabulous wine. Go figure.

Wine 4 was tired and a bit flabby. Some red fruit, soy, mint chocolate covered raisins. Very surprised that it was the 1991 Phelps Insignia**+. perfect provenance and in my cellar since issue. perfect fill, perfect cork. Underwhelmed.

last flight. Baumard Quarts de Chaume.
Wine 1 was lithe and sublime. Pretty stone fruit, a touch of petrol and wild flowers. it was the 1971 QdC***++. Loved it.

Wine 2 was clearly not QdC. A bit less generous, not to say thin, more obvious notes of honey and citrus, it was the 2001 Lafaurie Peyraguey, sauternes***. Not bad, but outclassed in this field.

Wine 3 had more weight than the first wine, but a very similar profile. Perhaps a more pronounced nectarine and quince element. Again, I liked it very much. Still built for the longer haul. It was the 1990 QdC***++.

Wine 4 was my WOTN. Wow. Amazing. The 2007 QdC****+ has a vibrancy and verve that almost knocked me over. Powerful orange blossom, nectarine, mango, peach, lavender honey notes. great acids, full mouth feel with a precise line front to back, spicy finish that lasts minutes. Lots of baby fat but clearly a wine that will be among the best QdCs I have ever had. Superlative.

Wine Musings Vol#63

Wine of Merit: ****Keller Estate, Precioso, Sonoma Coast, chardonnay, 2005: From magnum. I admit to buying this more out of curiosity than anything…there are not a lot of wineries with estate fruit in the Petaluma Gap…and my curiosity was rewarded! Wonderful, integrated white flower, Asian pear, mission fig and lemon zest notes emerge with the perfect amount of weight and concentration. The palate is equally well balanced, gliding from front to back without effort, adding minerals, lemon curd and then nutmeg and vanilla bean. The finish is medium-long and spicy…just the right kiss of oak. Wow! Nicely done. A wine I would happily drink on regular occasion.

****Mount Mary, Quintet, Lilydale, cabernets, 1994: I am not sure I understand the controversy surrounding Mount Mary. I think it was the same kind of grudge that Robert Parker held against Diamond Creek for all of those years – completely unsubstantiated. These are expertly crafted, deep, inspired wines. As last I found the wine a bit hard and nervous, this time I decanted and gave it some time to settle down. Perfect move. This wine is regal. It offers an exhilarating convergence of Gruaud Larose complexity and nuance, Mouton black fruit and mint and Aussie intensity and grip. All laser focused and finely delineated. The palate is bright and lively, never shrill and emphasizes plum, red fruit and minerals while maintaining excellent depth and athleticism. The finish is firm and in place for the long haul. A serious, stately wine that could be featured at any special occasion.

***+Melville Winery, Clone 115 Indigene, Estate vineyard, Central Coast, pinot noir 2002: I am typically not a huge fan of the Melville house style. I find the wines over extracted and more syrah-like than pinot noir. That said this is a very fine wine that many will appreciate and like. Perhaps a bit too deep and firm for my palate, nonetheless it shows off clone 115 characteristics with verve and panache. Deep, deep red currant fruit, Malabar pepper, cinnamon stick and licorice root notes brood and waft. The palate is unapologetically big-boned and thick, the finish long, peppery but still silky, with none of the off putting heat I have experienced with Melville in the past. Expertly crafted in the bold-and-the-beautiful style of pinot. One of the better Melville wines I have had.

***+Melville Winery, Terraces, Estate vineyard, Central Coast, pinot noir, 2002: In much the same vein as the Clone 115, the Terraces bottling is full throttle and deep, nuanced this time by a sweetness, candied orange zest and allspice. With time in the glass this wine seems to converge around a pronounced wintergreen element that almost makes it one dimensional. The palate is vibrant and perhaps not quite as full as the Clone 115, still offering a base note of black cherry liquor and that can’t mistake it wintergreen note. The finish is long and spicy. Finely crafted and very pleasant to drink.

Wine Musings Vol#33

Wine of Merit: ***+Phillippe Pacelet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru "La Perrière" 2004: A wine I bought on the recommendation of Crush Wines and Spirits in NYC…a wine store quickly becoming a go to source for great wine. Phillippe Pacalet is I believe more of the new generation in Burgundy wine making – and it is apparent for the good and for the bad in his wine. This bottling has amazing purity and focus. The varietal fruit characteristics are perfect and intense. Dark, lush, black cherry, green tea, spice box and cola notes. A wonderful creaminess to the palate, along with more red fruit and nutmeg / clove spice. Absolutely delicious and a pleasure to drink. It has, however, in my opinion lost its old world charm. Blind I would have guessed RRV by one of the boutique producers. No way is this Burgundy! And yet…A lovely wine that I will drink with pleasure. When I want the noise and the funk…I guess we will always have Ampeau!

***+Flowers Andreen Gale, Sonoma Coast pinot noir, 2001: Elegance with stature. Perfumed, lovely Sonoma coast fruit, deep, red fruit, cola, lavender, pine needles and spearmint. Effusive but perfectly aligned and integrated. Lush, creamy palate with black cherry, nutmeg and cinnamon spice. Loong, menthol finish with laser focused eucalyptus. Best now, right at its peak. Fine indeed.

***+Mount Mary, Lilydale valley, Quintet, 1994: Something of a cult classic, Mount Mary is an insiders wine and considered by many to be the very best wine Down Under has to offer. This wine blew me away on release. It is a typical Bordeaux blend with an Aussie slant. Made back in the day when 13% alcohol was considered more than enough. It has aged quite a bit since then, showing a smidge of thinning at the rim, though the hue is still deep plum. The nose is a total ringer for a mature Sant Julien from a very good if slightly uneven vintage, say 1988. Garrigue, sois bois, some barnyardy elements, blackberry preserve, violets, mint, mature plum, tobacco…it’s all there. Even the grilled bell pepper that makes me think Gruaud Larose. Downright juicy. Palate shows more, juicy fruit, but is a tad thin mid palate and I taste a greenness that suggests American oak. Finish is sweet, spicy and adds some minerals, along with more telltale greenness. Delicious, but I don’t think it will get better with time.

***Failla, Alban Vineyards Viognier, 2005: Ehren Jordan just doesn’t make bad wine. The Alban vineyard is known for producing top quality viognier fruit. This is a dynamite viognier – and I find most new world viognier cloying and obvious. This instead is sophisticated and feminine, offering perfumed, guava, marzipan, honeysuckle and lavender notes that fill the glass, with an underlying hint of slate. The palate is smooth and viscous, with honeyed yellow peach, more minerals and asian spice. Great served cold with herbed cheeses and smoked salmon. If you eat trief, I guess seafood would work.

***Ridge, Dusi Vineyard ATP zinfandel, 1995: Another of the Advance Tasting Program (ATP) wines from ridge. 100% zinfandel. This was a bit of a SNAFU wine when it was made – the intention was to make it a late harvest, 40 degree brix type wine. Instead ripening stalled at 26 degrees brix and so they simply harvested it thinking that it would be a full throttle, in your face, short shelf life zin. So I didn’t hold out much hope. Instead it was actually lovely. Deep, dark, sweet brambly plum fruit, black pepper and some talc dominate the nose. The palate is still lively and round, not as flabby and dried up as the nearly 15 alcohol would have had me believe. Finish is spicy and resolved but not thin. A lucky find.

***Ridge, Lytton Estate ATP zinfandel, 1994: This was meant to be an age-worthy wine – a field blend that includes 100 year old head pruned zin as well as carignane and petite sirah - and it delivered. Bordeaux like complexity offers red berry fruit, cassis and pine needle as well as sois bois. Maturing palate feel is smooth and integrated, nicely balanced. A very nice glass of wine to drink now or hold, though I don’t think it will improve.

***Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley pinot noir, 2000: I think this wine represents the moment in time when Ed and Burt cashed out and left the winery to the Pellegrini folks. As such, I guess they went out with a whimper as opposed to a bang. I suggest this in comparison to WS pinots that I have had in the past. Actually, by itself it is a rather nice wine, especially given the difficult vintage. Very mature with bricking at the rim, the wine has a prune Danish and black cherry liqueur nose, with a nuance of green tea and cinnamon. The palate is lavish and full, maybe even creamy. The finish offers Asian spice, pretty much resolved. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

***Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, 2004: A quick update on this wine as I have posted on it recently. It is drinking great. Lush, deep red and black fruit, cassis and chocolate, a touch of truffle…no one will confuse this for a Ch Montrose but everyone should appreciate this for the delicious, palate coating mouthful of wine that it represents. At $35 a pop, this still represents an excellent value. Yum!