A Tasting of 1997 IGT / Super Tuscan

95/95 Tasting for May. All wines served blind. Phenomenal texture and youth in all of these bottles. Everyone who tasted was incredibly impressed by the quality of the wines.

Villa Cafaggio Cortaccio

Overview: 100% Cabernet and at least 6 months in 100% new French oak barriques. Cabernet viens grafted onto Canaiolo rootstock.

Notes: On the nose, dark and brooding. Slight medicinal/herbal note. On the palate, still tight, thick and slightly chalky. Dusty cherries, violets, and raspberries. Lengthy finish. Aged but so youthful.


Montiano Falesco

Overview: 100% Merlot from Lazio. 12 months in Nevers and Tronçais barriques

Notes: Smells like a tack room, barnyard funk and leathery notes. On the palate, more Bordeaux-like in style, leathery tobacco. Hot, shorter finish. Thick.


Frescobaldi Lamaione

Overview: 100% Merlot from the 12 acre Lamione vineyard at Tenuta di Castel Giocondo in Montalcino. 18 months in oak.

Notes: Menthol, burnt rubber, cherry Band-Aid on the nose. On the palate, leaner and cleaner. Elegant finish. Nice acid and bright cherries.


Isole e Olena Cepparello

Overview: 100% Sangiovese, 14 months in 1/3 new French oak.

Notes: Cherries dusted in coco powder on the nose. Deep. Bright raspberries and cherries on the palate. Nice Acid.

A Tasting of 1996 Burgundy

April's 95/95 Tasting. All wines served blind, this time with a ringer. The wines evolved nicely after being open for a few hours and would have benefited from a good decanting. Perhaps next time. There was discussion about improper storage leading to some noticeable flaws in the wines.
Overall, the wines tended to the funkier side but all with nice fruit and tannin profiles; quite youthful and ripe.

My (unfortunate) favorite (as was the group's) was the Becker Sankt Paul Spatburgunder (2006).

Bernard Dugat-Py, Gevrey-Chambertin

Notes: Nose of mossy berries and dusty vanilla. On the palate, tomato leaf with underlying berry fruit and nice acid.


Bouchard Pere & Fils, Bonnes Mares

Notes: Overpowering medicinal berries and Captain Crunchberries on the nose. Tight tannins, dark berries, tomato leaf on the palate. Pretty profile.


Thomas-Moillard, Romanee Saint Vivant

Notes: Damp earth and berries, chalky, vegetal nose. Thick on the palate with under-ripe clean fruits. Lots of fruit tannins.


Dom. Maume, Charmes-Chambertin

Notes: Slightly medicinal nose, also scents of hay. Nice berries on the palate, tart, moderate ripeness. Tight, lean tannins.


Friedrick Becker Sankt Paul

Notes: The ringer, a Spatburgunder (2006) which in hindsight was way too clean to be a burgundy. Nose of vanilla and currant. Minty cherries on the palate, pure silky tannins (which lacked just slightly).


Henri Perrot-Minot, Mazoyeres-Chambertin

Notes: Under-ripe raspberries and dirty socks on the nose. Enjoyable menthol tinged fruits on the palate. Lean and not overly complex.


Ponsot Chapelle-Chambertin

Notes: Minty chocolate on the nose without much fruit. Light, clean and pretty fruit on the palate. Youthful with thin acidic tannins.


Anne-Gros, Vosne-Romanee 'Le Barreaux'

Notes: Stinky nose with whiffs of dirty diaper and vanilla. Dark fruits on the palate with a shorter finish and surprisingly, relatively clean.


Dominique Laurent, Charmes-Chambertin

Notes: Nose of grain (like boxed cereal). Lightest and most under-ripe of all the wines. Less enjoyable.

A Tasting of 2000 Bordeaux

Another 95/95 tasting, all wines served blind with corks pulled several hours before serving.


La Petit Cheval

Overview: St. Emillion, 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot.

Notes: Reticent nose with underlying dark fruits and lots of tobacco and earth. On the palate delicate structure, well integrated tannins, and dark fruit. My favorite of the tasting.


Branon

Overview: Pessac Leognan, 50% Cabernet, 50% Merlot.

Notes: Nose of skunky marijuana and no fruit. On the palate barnyard flavors covering hints of bright fruit.


Pichon Lalande

Overview: Pauillac, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot

Notes: Loads of oak, vanilla, pepper, and spice on the nose. Palate similar to the nose, hidden fruit, slightly vegetal, barnyard


Troplong Mondot

Overview: St. Emillion, 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc

Notes: Nice fruit, stony, deep minerality, plush with strong tannins.


Gruaud-Larose

Overview: St. Juilen, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec

Notes: Earthy tobacco nose. Well structured with eucalyptus and menthol notes


Leoville Barton

Overview: St. Juilen, 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc

Notes: Gamey nose, wild brambly fruits. More new world than most. Non-fruits on mid palate, flat on the finish.


Pichon Baron

Overview: Pauillac, 70% Cabernet, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc

Notes: Damp moldy cellar nose, bright fruit on the palate which turns to non-fruit funkiness. Evolving tannins. Consensus winner of the tasting.


Certan de May

Overview: Pomerol, 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot

Notes: Ripe fruits, menthol, lacking...


Monbousquet

Overview: St. Emillion, 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Notes: Chocolaty notes on the nose, extracted woody tannins.


Figeac

Overview: St. Emillion, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot

Notes: Nose pops with vegetables (Franc). Ripe fruits, nice plushness, hidden tight tannins. Slightly thin on the mid-palate. Green beans.


Pavie Macquin

Overview: St. Emillion, 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot

Notes: Dark berries on the nose, bright on the palate, cleaner than most but not distinctive.


Bonus!

1976 Margeaux

Slightly bricked, no real fruit on the nose, toffee, better on the palate, rotten-style cherries (but in a good way)


2001 Rieussec

Thick with honeyed melons and tropical fruit, unctuous but not cloyingly sweet. Delicious!

A Tasting of 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (2/4/10)

Meeting of 95/95 in Yountville. Wines were tasted blind with corks pulled 9 hours prior to pouring. I felt guilty as these wines were way too young and some slightly awkward. Overall quality was high.

Domaine Grand Veneur 'Les Origines'

Overview: 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Mouvedre. 18 months in new oak casks.

Notes: Bright cherry/blueberry and chalk dust nose, silky tight tannins that grow on the palate, nice length with herbal/menthol notes, graphite. Nice acid. Distinctive. One of my favorites of the tasting.


Pierre Usseglio 'Cuvee De Mon Aieul'

Overview: A blend of 3 specific terroirs (Serres, Bedine, La Crau). 100% Grenache.

Notes: Closed on the nose with just a hint of barnyard and fat, not much fruit. Nose evolved into a sweet cinnamon flavor. On the palate, round and rich. Evolved quite nicely after a couple hours in the glass into thick rich fruits and relaxed tannins. One of my least favorites straight out of the bottle, but definitely grew on me as the wine opened up. Quite nice.


La Cote De L'Ange 'Vielles Vignes'

Overview: 100% Grenache, 80yr old vines average.

Notes: Smokey and thick, slightly angular, round red fruits (prunes). After a while in the glass lavender perfume notes become apparent, tight tannins, just a hint of VA.


Clos Saint-Jean 'Vielles Vignes'

Overview: Situated in La Crau, 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre, 3% Cinsault, 2% Vaccarese and 1% Muscardin. Grenache tank aged but the other red varieties are aged in new or one-year-old barrels for about 12 months.

Notes: Nice nose with fruits rising to the top, plush, fine tannins, rich and velvety red fruits. Classic CdP. After a while in glass VA became quite noticeable.


Roger Sabon 'Prestige'

Overview: Produced from vines that average 90 years in age. Blend of 60% grenache, 15% syrah, 10% mouvdre. 65% aged in foudres, rest in new oak.

Notes: Earth and bacon fat on the nose, layered red fruits on the palate. Quite fruity with stony undertones. Slightly unbalanced out of the bottle. Evolved into dark thick plush fruit and integrated tannins that really coated the palate, very enjoyable.


La Vieux Donjon

Overview: 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault. Aged for 6 months in cement tank and then about 12 months in foudres.

Notes: Meaty nose, richly fruited and super ripe on the palate. Soft with good acid. After a while menthol notes became apparent, fruits became muddled.


Bonus!

Quetsche D'Alsace Eaux de vie

Overview: Ancient bottle of plum brandy, faded/torn label, quarter fill, dry cork, 90 proof

Notes: Looked like lemon juice in the glass, hazy with a yellow tinge. Nose of citrus and liniment. Slightly aggressive on the palate with lemon and grapefruit notes. Interesting, though not quite to my palate, probably much better after a large meal.