We got a small gathering together to crack some old stinky wines and eat some Flannery for my 50th birthday last night. It was a great time. All great people. Intense discussions and lots of laughs. Thanks to all who came.
Lot’s cool wines. Almost everything showed very well also. Probably 1.5 disappointments which considering the average age of these bottles is quite a win. And they all showed well versus merely ‘adequate for it’s age’ minus the '68.
Some quick notes:
1995 Dom Perignon Champagne Oenothèque - Powerfully fruit with a nice amount of oxidation showing up now. Richly golden colored. Drank very very well.
2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare - Much narrower and younger expression than the DP. Focused citrus. Almost mineral like. Fresh. Drinks very young. I’ll leave my bottle to sleep. I think this has a brighter future.
1977 Monterey Peninsula Winery Pinot Noir La Estancia - Never heard of this winery. Long paragraph on the label mentioned this was fermented on it’s stems. Quite alive and clearly identifiable as Pinot still. A bit of tannin lingering. Easily the biggest surprise on the night.
1983 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - In a lovely place. Leaned more towards power than elegance. Very tasty in a sappy sort of way. This bottle looked like it was from Germany. No back label and all German language on the side label. No ABV number.
1983 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard - Magnum - Very good.
1995 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges - Very tannic still. Took a while for it really to open up into a more typical Burgundy expression. The tannin level, again was most notable here. Clearly no rush drinking this. It drank fairly richly for it’s age.
1970 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco - Decanted off it’s sediment some time before arrival. What a cool wine. I immediately thought of bacon when I tasted it. Elegant and still tannic. What a great treat.
1985 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - The lone failure. I got a whiff of TCA. Not everyone did but we agreed this was sullen and off. What a bummer.
1968 Beaulieu Vineyard Special Label Burgundy - I only bought this because the fill was good. The wine was alive but not real interesting. It picked up some sweetness with air but was more fun than good.
1977 Raymond Vineyard & Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon - Very good.
1968 D’Oliveiras Madeira Boal - Tart citrus marmalade flavors. Bright and acidic. Tasty. Seems very young. Went down quick but I couldn’t help but think my bottle may not reach anything close to maturity in my lifetime.
1988 Château Raymond-Lafon - I was surprised to find some sugary sweetness still lingering around in this. I think this particular bottle was aging quite slowly. Tasty classic Sauternes flavors. Rich. Decadent versus balanced.
1990 Ridge Monte Bello - After the '68 turned up a bit lame I went for a ringer from my box of tricks. Lovely and pretty. Just kind of hitting a window in my estimation. Likely still on the up slope. Probably could have used more time in the decanter but it was a late addition. Terrific wine. No rush.
Some leftovers from dinner the night before. I brought these bottles a bit less than half full as extras.
2007 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Old Vines Summa - The aromatics of this vintage are top notch. This one is more about the nose than the palate for me. One of the better vintages of the Old Vines. I’d say it’s about time to drink them.
2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Swan Terrace - This came off a bit closed on the second night. Was fresher and more expressive at dinner the night before, after a decant. There is something clearly very good in these but they seem difficult to find open windows for.