CORK VAULT SEP BOTTLE SHARE – 85/86 DUNN, 86 LLC, 96/99 DROUHIN, & MORE! - Charlotte, NC (9/9/2021)
This is a casual bottle-share event so rules are thrown out the window and it is up to the individual to decide when and where to drink the wines supplied on the evening. Below is largely the order I would have preferred to consume the wines but they were consumed well out-of-order as many wines showed up hours into the evening.
Whites to start the night
-
2010 Domaine Louis Michel Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Bright floral nose springs out of the glass – green citrus notes. Rich and delightfully dense on the mouthfeel. Delicious and crisp flavors of peaches, apricots, and lemon peel shine on the palate. Medium lengthy finish. An excellent wine right in its drinking window with no risk of fading. -
2017 Rhodopsin Wines Chardonnay Alba Landa - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
A new wine introduced to the group by the winemaker. Served later in the evening so this was harder to zero in on. Nose of lilacs, caramel, and cinnamon spice. Fulsome and thick on the mouthfeel. Robust flavors of peaches and honeysuckle. This is a serious wine. Stylistically this compares to a Kistler Chardonnay at a much lower price point. A good wine tonight with plenty of aging potential. Check back in five years and this might be something really special.
Aged Oregon Pinot to Amarone to Croatia to Jura
-
1996 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
A late entry that was pop-n-pour. Sampled fifteen minutes later and it was ready for business. Vibrant nose of red fruits with a pleasant Old World profile misled me to expect a possibly still too-young wine. Smooth, soft and plush on the mouthfeel this was one of the easiest drinking wines on the night. Acidity nowhere to be found. Delightful but delicate flavors of raspberry and unsweetened cherry preserves. Medium finish. The nose would make you think this wine can go for years but the palate says this is a “drink now” wine. A fantastic showing that tracked the style and structure of the 86 Dunn Napa served this evening. -
1999 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Louise - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
A late entry pop-n-pour. Sampled twenty minutes later and I was blown away. Opulent, classic aged “red Burgundy” nose – complex red earthy fruits, plums and brown leaves march meaningfully out of the glass. Enjoyable grippiness on the mouthfeel demonstrating some heft. Flavors of vibrant fulsome rustic cherries, strawberries, and raspberry mesh delightfully on the palate. A complex, well-structured wine with great finesse. Brilliant, long finish made this my wine of the night. While the ‘96 Drouhin was delicate this wine was sinewy. A tour de force effort. Style and structure tracked with the 85 Dunn Howell Mountain. Provenance is everything with a wine like this. My WOTN. -
1995 Trabucchi d’Illasi Amarone della Valpolicella - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
Decanted and began sampling 30 minutes later. This was a wine that needed both the aging and air but was ready to go tonight. Very subtle, complex, and rich nose. Medium+ body with balanced flavors of sweet cherries and spice. An enjoyable, classic Amarone that paired well with seasoned goat meat this evening. -
2016 Grgić Vina Plavac Mali - Croatia, Dalmatia, Srednja i južna Dalmacija, Pelješac
Croatian wine from the cellars of Michael Grgich. Youthful opulent nose – red cherries and blackberries. Very primary on the palate – sweet. red cherries and raspberries. A fun wine. Could have gone well with cigars. An excellent food wine. -
2018 Joseph Dorbon Arbois Trousseau Vieilles Vignes - France, Jura, Arbois
A really fun wine. Earthy Old World aromas on the nose and flavors on the palate but with an unexpected softness and approachability considering this was a 2018. A fine wine from an underrated, but quickly becoming popular, region.
Que Syrah, Syrah …
-
2000 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Reserve Famille - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
This was a limited, special bottling for the millennium. Double decanted ~90 minutes before sampling. A rich and serious wine. On the nose, black fruits and spice aromas waft out of the glass. Weighty on the mouthfeel, this is a full-bodied wine of rich, dark red cherries and bramble. Excellent savory finish. -
2007 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Slow-ox 60 minutes before sampling. Soft, rIch aromas of red cherries on the nose. Wonderful flavor profile on the palate – plums, rich cherries, spice and note of cured meats. Nicely resolved tannins and slight acidity add structure. Medium-length finish. Highly enjoyable wine. -
2004 La Sirena Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley
Pop-n-pour late in the evening. Opulent nose of dark fruits and leather. Purity of fruit – blackberry and black raspberry – on the palate was enjoyable though lacking complexity. Could have used a few hours of air to open and gain complexity. A quality wine simply consumed too soon.
80s Napa versus Bordeaux
-
1986 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted next to the 85 Dunn Howell. Slo-ox for 90 minutes before sampling. Youthful nose of dusty, red raspberry and blackcurrants. Plush on the mouthfeel, this wine had delicate, balanced flavors on the palate – earthy red cherries and soft blackberry. Resolved tannins. Smooth, easy drinking. Sufficient life in the bottle for an excellent score on the night but I would not wait much longer before opening this gem. -
1985 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Tasted next to the 86 Dunn Napa. Slo-ox for 90 minutes before sampling. Opulent nose of rustic, earthy plum and blackberry. Medium+ body, this is a well-structured wine with plenty of life. Mostly resolved tannins added some weight to the wine with the earthy, red raspberry and cassis flavors. Long, savory finish. This was a great representation of Napa winemaking on display from the 70s through mid-90s which stood shoulder-to-shoulder or even above with the best of Bordeaux. My #2 Wine of the Night. -
1986 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
A nice compliment to the 85/86 Dunn Cabernets tasted on the night. Slow-ox for 90 minutes before sampling. Classic Left bank Bordeaux at every phase: Aromas of tobacco, leather and brown leaves on the nose. Medium body and soft on the mouthfeel. Fully resolved tannins. This wine was right in its drinking window. Flavors of bramble, mushroom, and graphite. A delightful wine if only lacking greater complexity. No complaints about this wine but also not blown away by it. This was a very good wine that wanted to be savored in a relaxing atmosphere and not consumed as part of a varied line-up of 18 disparate wines.
Aughts Napa
-
2007 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
Double decanted 2 hours before sampling. This wine threw off an enormous amount of sediment. The nose was fairly angular with new world fruits of blackberry and black cherry. On the palate the wine was fairly straightforward, if uninteresting – smooth, rich flavors of blackberry and some raspberry that simply didn’t go anywhere. I kept waiting for some structure or complexity that never arrived throughout the evening. Maybe check back in five years to see if something more interesting develops? -
2008 Levendi Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
Pop-n-pour later in the evening. Slo-ox for 30 minutes before sampling. This was the surprise wine of the night. I was unfamiliar with the label but came away highly impressed. Nice aromas immediately – raspberry, chalk, and hints of chocolate. Medium+ body. Gentle minerality and wonderful flavors of blackberry, plums and boysenberry. Medium length finish for this exceedingly pleasant wine.
Another fantastic night of camaraderie, generosity, and great wine in the Queen City. Cheers!
Posted from CellarTracker
