RJ organized Sunday lunch. The dishes were solid, and the wine service was excellent as usual. We decided to serve Bordeaux blind and all of us ate plenty of humble pie as usual. Bill performed the best by correctly guessing three out of five Bordeaux.
Champagne
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2004 Dom Perignon Champagne Rosé - France, Champagne
Captivating Burgundian nose displaying decadent red fruit, strawberry candy, raspberry water, cherry, rose, smoke, sous bois, roasted almond, brioche, sweet spices and limestone. Beautiful harmonious palate, very finely layered decadent yet pure red fruit, shy fine mousse, bright and precise, perfect amount of acidity and mineral and a long seamless decadent strawberry driven finish with sweet spices and brioche at the end. Bill mentions that this bottle seems a bit more advanced but more complex and I have to agree. It is like drinking a perfectly mature 30 year old Chambolle with bubbles. (97 pts.) -
2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne
Expressive sweet nose displaying decadent yellow fruit, apple pie, lemon curd, honey, butterscotch, sweet spices, brioche and limestone. Excellent concentration, deeply toned concentrated sweet yellow fruit, fine generous mousse, decadent yet pure and energetic, bright acidity, strong mineral and a long lemon curd and honey driven finish. This reminds me the great 96 Krug but a bit denser and riper hence not as precise. This is an excellent Krug that is showing really well. (96 pts.)
White Burgundy
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2008 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
This has come together beautifully. Incredibly pure and energetic nose displaying coiled yellow citrus fruit, lemon curd, crushed flower and stone mix, saline, a hint of mint, honey, spicy spices and crushed rock. Excellent concentration, densely layered decadent yet pure and energetic yellow fruit, very price and focused, bright acidity, incredible amount of limestone mineral and a long lemon curd driven finish with limestone and flower at the end. Despite concentrated dense yellow fruit, it retains incredible purity, freshness and energy. Drinking incredibly well in a youthful way but can improve for another decade as it remains very youthful. (96 pts.) -
2007 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Corked. NR (flawed) -
2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Expressive nose displaying incredibly succulent yet pure white and yellow fruit, lemon curd, fresh filter apple juice, preserved pear, starfruit, cool mountain stream and strong mineral. With air, Cocheesque flint becomes more noticeable. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of succulent white and yellow fruit, pure, precise and energetic, bright acidity, strong limestone/flint mineral and a long succulent white and yellow fruit driven finish with strong limestone at the end. So much succulent fruit yet the wine remains beautifully balanced and energetic. Exceptional showing. (97 pts.) -
2008 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
The color is darker, more golden, than the 08 Raveneau Blanchot. The first note is caramel. Coiled nose displaying deeply toned yellow citrus, honey, caramel, lanoline and limestone. Exceptional concentration, deeply toned dense ripe yellow fruit, very focused but tight, mouth puckering acidity, strong mineral and a medium to long coiled dense yellow citrus driven finish with honey and limestone at the end. Bill finds the initial caramel expression bothersome. It is not premoxed but not as expressive and fresh as the 08 Blanchot. In my experience, Dauvissat tends to shutdown harder than Raveneau. This was one of the greatest young white wines of my life. I am not sure how this will develop but doubt that it will fulfill the original promise. I like it more than others. (94 pts.)
Bordeaux Blind Flight 1
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1986 Château Rausan-Ségla - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Perfectly mature nose displaying sweet red fruit, plum, strawberry jam, caramel, rose, lead pencil, vanilla, cedar and leather. Beautiful harmonious palate, very finely layered sweet red fruit, warm and round yet silky and polished, bright acidity, noticeable but fine tannins, and a long sweet yet subtle red fruit driven finish with cedar and leather at the end. Showing exceptional finesse and balance. The sweet yet subtle red fruit and polished round palate make me to guess as the 89 Palmer. (96 pts.) -
1982 Château Trotanoy - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Fully mature medium expressive nose displaying subtle red fruit, strawberry, dry cherry, truffle, ash, mint and earth. Fully integrated palate, subtle red fruit, silky and fluid, medium acidity, earthy mineral and a medium to long shy red fruit driven finish with truffle at the end. The overall expression is a bit murky. It feels more advanced than the previous bottle. A couple guys like it a lot. The only correct guess for me. (93 pts.) -
1990 Château Cos d’Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Medium expressive nose displaying crème de cassis, plum, pronounced green, lead pencil, scorched and scorched earth. Very good concentration, nicely layered youthful black fruit, good acidity, slightly coarse tannins and a medium to long youthful black fruit driven finish with noticeable green and lead pencil at the end. The structure, i.e. coarse tannins and bright acidity lead me to guess as the 86 Rausan Segla. (94 pts.)
Bordeaux Blind Flight 2
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1990 Château Rausan-Ségla - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Expressive nose displaying hedonistic black fruit, crème de cassis, blackberry jam, ink, a hint of lead pencil, caramel, dark milk chocolate, cedar, dark spices and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of decadent black fruit, warm and round, silky and polished, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, very fine tannins and a seamless long black fruit driven finish with caramel and ink at the end. Generous clean black fruit and caramel make me to guess as the 82 LLC. Excellent showing. (98 pts.) -
1989 Château Palmer - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Corked! NR (flawed) -
1982 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Expressive, incredibly youthful nose displaying crème de cassis, blueberry concentrated, plum, ink, lead pencil, a hint of green, cedar, ash and earth. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense cassis, clean, silky and cool, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, very fine tannins and a long youthful cassis driven finish with ink and lead pencil at the end. Perhaps the most youthful showing of the night. My guess is the 90 Rausan Segla. (95 pts.)
Stikcy
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1980 Château d’Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Perfect mature nose displaying bright and decadent yellow fruit, dry peach, mango, apricot preserves, noticeable botrytis, ginger candy, honey, crème brulee and saffron. Beautifully integrated palate, very finely layered slightly dry yellow fruit, silky and weightless, bright acidity and mineral, and a long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with saffron and honey at the end. IMO, the 80 top Sauternes are excellent, showing generous fruit and exceptional balance. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, the 80 is a poor red Bordeaux vintage and the 80 Sauternes often get dismissed. This is an excellent classic Yquem that is drinking beautifully. (97 pts.) -
1997 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac Cuvée Madame - France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Monbazillac
Very new world nose displaying concentrated yellow fruit, apricot preserves, mango, dry mango, honey, butterscotch and tea. Exceptional concentration, packed ripe slightly dry yellow fruit, unctuous yet fluid, lacking acidity and mineral and a long concentrated sweet yellow fruit driven finish. It is in your face kinda dessert wine. It reminds me SQN dessert wines a bit but less acidity. (94 pts.)
A great time was had by all and the lunch lasted over five hours as usual.
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