BYOB bottle for dinner tonight- seeking feedback on a couple of options

I’m celebrating a special occasion tonight and am bringing a bottle from my locker to the restaurant. My collection is all mostly within 15 years, and mostly single bottles of a wine, so opening too soon is always a concern. I’ve looked at Cellartracker and narrowed down some options, however the recent notes on these are either absent or conflicting.

The restaurant is a steakhouse. If anyone has any experience with the below, I’d love the feedback:

2007 Bernard Dugat-Py Pommard La Levrière Vieilles Vignes - no recent CT notes. Seems like it could still be very young, but could be a good PN options in this setting.

2005 Seavey Napa Cab ** had a great earlier bottle five years ago, a recent CT note gave me concern that the fruit was drying out, but the note could be an aberration.

2005 Aldo Conterno Cicala Barolo - great CT reviews from late 2018, recent reviews saying the fruit was muted

2007 Clape Cornas - concerned I’d be killing this way too young

2011 Voge VV Cornas - We’ve loved earlier bottles, and have 2 more bottles left.

There are lots of great opinions here and greater experience than mine. Thanks in advance.

I’d go with the Seavey or the Voge.

Would second the Seavey; I think it’s a good age for a Napa cab

Yup!

Thanks guys. I agree on the age for the Seavey, and the Voge has been so consistent each bottle. Will keep an eye on this and also report back.

Seriously, you’re over thinking it. Some of those wines are going to be younger than you may like to drink them, but the last place I’d look to get an idea would be a random CT note. Don’t be so concerned about drinking something too young
that you don’t let yourself enjoy wine any more. I know some folks who always have the same conversation. It’s either a shame because the wine is still just too young to really sing or it’s a shame because the wine was probably better a couple years ago. They have deep cellars and drink a lot of wine and I honestly don’t think they’ve ever enjoyed a single bottle.

BTW, I’d go with the Seavey. Interested in how it turns out. [cheers.gif]

Thanks, Greg- sage advice. Sometimes I do throw caution to the wind, and I don’t mind catching a wine a little too soon…

Seavey does seem like the obvious choice. I’m giving it a good decant and will return it to the bottle before heading out.

My CT note on the Seavey:

5+ hour decant and return to bottle. Full black-garnet color. Alluring aromatics of black cherry, anise, leather, worn cedar, black tea, allspice berries and pipe tobacco. Showing spice-driven fruit on the attack, with depth of bitter cocoa, graphite and dried florals. Nice medium weight filling in through the middle. The concentration and phenolics are in the lead at the moment with a lot of time and air needed to bring the fruit back up in the mix. A little heat showing but not obstructive. Fine fleshy tannins. Lots of length on the finish. Comparing to my last bottle several years ago this is in a dumb phase. The structure and phenolics have barely moved while the fruit is showing some maturity. Air, movement and time helped bring this into harmony. I’m guessing that when this sheds some structural weight it will get back into a better place. Considering the last note, I don’t think it’s over the hill. Drink with long decant or hold.

I’m too late to this but the Voge jumped out at me. I had the 2011 last year and it blew my socks off. Sounds like you’ve had before and enjoyed it too.

On that subject, I made a random stop at a wine store near me this afternoon and first time ever they’ve had any Voge there. They had 4 bottles of the 2014 VV and I snatched all 4. 59.99 and I was GLAD to pay it.

Ian, definitely agree on the 2011 Voge VV.

Yea, Voge used to fly under the radar…nothing in the N Rhone is flying under the radar these days. Glad you snapped up a few while you could. The last vintage I saw at $54 was the 13’s and I snagged 6 to hang onto. The 11’s I had were amazing and I’ve already drank all I had. I’m still holding onto one bottle of the 2005 Vieilles Fontaines for a few more years.