A group originating from the CT Board gathered to celebrate a member’s 50th birthday. There were some birth year wines on the table, and they showed better than many of the younger wines also on offer. The following are basically nothing more than “snapshot” TNs. The Verite may have been the Joie — I’m not sure, as I’m not the one who brought that one, and I didn’t take particular note.
2005 Bert Simon Serriger Herrenberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/30/2016)
Golden yellow color. Honey, botrytis, apricot, and diesel fuel on the Nose. Medium bodied. Great acidic cut on the palate; gentle petrol; 8% alc. not noticeable; light for an Auslese. AP #: … 04 06.
1983 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/30/2016)
Amber color of deep depth. Clear. Smells old — mulched grass. Medium bodied on the palate, where it tastes better than it smells; woodsy lemon; high, juicy acidity; 13% alc. not noticeable; medium finish of medium intensity; well-focused; very nice; Past peak; Drink Now if you still have 'em.
1983 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (7/30/2016)
Amber color of medium-deep depth. Clear. Light hint of grapefruit on the Nose. Medium-light bodied. Light, white grapefruit on the palate. Tastes younger than it is, but the fruit is clearing falling away at this point. Medium acidity. Medium length finish of medium-light intensity. Alcohol not noticeable. Past peak; Drink Now.
1966 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/30/2016)
Double-decanted. Mahogany color of moderate depth. Expressive Nose: leather; old wood furniture; hints of mint, celery seed, and beef stew. Medium-light bodied. No tannin. Medium acidity. 12% alc. not noticeable. Smooth, with rustic flavors; fruit seems to be falling out, but there are some non-descript red fruit aspects still hanging around; leather; hint of cherry pit on the finish, which is medium-short in length and medium intensity. This is doing quite nicely for its age, and is a very pleasurable drink today; that said, this is Past Peak, and is a Drink Now wine. This was one of my top wines of the tasting.
1981 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/30/2016)
Rustic garnet color of medium-deep depth. Very expressive Nose: coffee; a bit skunky, and a touch vegetal/minty. Medium-light body. Palate is smooth with dark fruits and soil. Still a bit of grippy, drying tannins; acidity seems to be medium-low. 11.5% alc. not noticeable. Overall, this presents as a bit tannic. Very nice, but not mind-bending by any stretch of the imagination. Probably best to Drink Now, but those who prefer fully fully mature wines may want to continue waiting for another 5 – 10 years.
1966 Château Beychevelle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (7/30/2016)
Rust red color of medium-deep depth. Expressive Nose: lots of strong mineral and pencil shavings. Medium-light bodied. Very strong flavors: a bit stinky (pretty sure not brett); definitely tastes aged. No tannin. Medium acidity. Alcohol not noticeable. Overall, well-balanced. Short finish of medium intensity. This has held up quite admirably, and is best to Drink Now.
1966 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (7/30/2016)
Double decanted 3.5 hours before tasting. Violet-garnet color of medium-deep depth, with bricking at the edges. Nose seemed tight, giving up light to medium-light notes of mineral, pencil lead, cherry licorice, and campfire. Medium bodied. Smooth; dark-fruited; tanned leather; hint of drying tannin with medium+ acidity; alcohol not noticeable; well-balanced; medium length finish of medium-light intensity; absolutely gorgeous wine, and in the running for my favorite wine of the tasting; at peak, so Drink Now.
1996 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (7/30/2016)
Garnet-violet color of deep depth. Medium bodied. Some light/grippy/drying tannins; very “pretty” flavor profile, with red fruits and florals dominating.
1999 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (7/30/2016)
Deep violet color of medium-deep depth. Lots of mineral on the moderately expressive Nose; some oak; aromas did completely die-out after a couple hours. Medium bodied. Significant mineral flavor; spicy; dark-fruited; very low-level TCA at play here — others noticed it right away, whereas it wasn’t noticeable to me until the next day when it was readily apparent. Round tannins; medium acidity; alcohol not noticeable; medium-short finish of medium intensity; fresh and easy-drinking.
2001 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (7/30/2016)
Dark color of deep depth. Deep, brooding Nose — dark fruits and a hint of camembert cheese. Medium bodied, dark-fruited, and smooth. Smooth tannins; medium+ acidity; alcohol not noticeable; well-balanced; fresh/zesty. Drink Now or Hold.
2004 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (7/30/2016)
Tasted blind. Moderately expressive Nose: cigar; somewhat leafy; a bit fumey; chicken wings with jerk seasoning; smells like Vosne Romanee to me; hint of teriyaki. No tannins on the palate; medium acidity; flavors of orange juice and wood; alcohol not noticeable on the palate. Overall, very nice, and I was astonished to see '04 at the reveal — I think guessed '01. No GMs here, as far as I could tell, and that was the consensus in the room, too.
2010 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (7/30/2016)
Light green-yellow color. Nose straddles the line between tropical and grassy. Complex, creamy palate; nice back-end mineral note; a touch confected; alcohol not noticeable; medium acidity; overall, excellent. Drinking nicely now, but — from my perspective — one doesn’t buy this wine to drink this young, so Hold.
2012 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/30/2016)
Dark color of deep depth. Moderately expressive Nose. Medium-full body. On the palate, this was big, oaky, and purple-fruited; tannins were round/soft/drying; acidity was medium (adequate); alcohol not noticeable; my first Schrader, and I’m impressed; it’s Big, but balanced. Definitely needs time, and I do think this will age well. Hold.
1996 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/30/2016)
Fruity, with noticeable mineral notes on the Nose. Medium-full bodied. Medium-fine tannins are grippy/drying; medium acidity.
2003 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (7/30/2016)
Dark violet color of medium-deep depth. Medium bodied; dark-fruited on the palate; tannic; medium-coarse tannins are grippy/drying.
2008 Château L’Evangile - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (7/30/2016)
Ripe/modern, but well-balanced.
1999 Vérité - USA, California, Sonoma County (7/30/2016)
Smooth; complex; purple fruits and leather; no tannins; medium+ acidity.
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-Soren.