champagnes, 2 Chards, 11` Crognoilo, 16`Castello di Ama L`Apparita, 08` Tignanello

A recent dinner with some dear friends featured some fine Super Tuscan wines tasted blind, but first champagne and a couple of Chardonnays:

NV PIERRE-PETERS EXTRA BRUT BLANC de BLANC- dosed at 2 gpl, this is more like a good white Burgundy with bubbles; there was a hint of sweetness so this was not bone dry, but close to being; mild expressions of citrus fruit are equally joined by green apple, pear and lemongrass with a touch of minerals and chalkiness; it had a frothy, feel good mousse, bright acidity and pleasant satisfying finish.

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NV RUINART BRUT ROSE- one of my fav roses for over a couple of decades, this bottle was superlative; the nose had nice floral notes especially that of rose petals; the taste profile included ripe strawberry, red raspberry and red cherry notes while being delivered in a creamy mousse; it checks all of the boxes on the pleasure meter.

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2014 PIERRE-YVES COLIN-MOREY LES CHAMPLOTS SAINT-AUBIN 1er Cru- nicely balanced, this wondrous PYCM release has been excellent from the beginning and its only getting better; minerals and a trace of flint start it off aromatically, then citrus fruit comes in and along with a streak of minerality, it travels all the way to the back end for a grand climax; this is medium to full bodied with an oily texture and tons of joy for all who partake.

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2019 BABCOCK TOP CREAM DONNACHADH VINEYARD SANTA RITA HILLS CHARDONNAY- brown bagged, my first guess was Marcassin, but then not so much; there was a pine and kiwi note and that suggested Central Coast, but I’m thinking more Monterrey or Santa Lucia Highlands; regardless, this showed some fine attributes with mint and pine laced green apple, lemon, kiwi and lime fruit; it was as the name implies, creamy and its texture served to enhanced the tactile sensory experience; it also seemed older than what the revealed vintage was although there was a slight green type character in the fruit that eked through just a bit. Tasted blind

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2011 TENUTA SETTE PONTI CROGNOLO TUSCANA- 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot; I`ve had many amazing bottles of this wine and all have been wonderful as was this one; it gave generous amounts of cedar, leather and mild chocolate accented blackberry, plum and blueberry; it was full bodied, had layered depth and complexity; although it was decanted an hour prior to serving, it could have benefitted from a longer decant. Tasted blind

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2016 CASTELLO di AMA LAPPARITA TOSCANA- 100% Merlot; the back label states that this wine had been macerating on its skins for 26 days before being aged 15 months in French Allier barriques; heres a great example of the iron fist in a velvet glove analogy; silky smooth, this wine boosts significant power and thrust after one eases in to it, but it lightens up past mid palate and finessefully concludes with all of its treasures coming together at the end; following a nose of violets, lavender and fresh dark fruit, black raspberry and blackberry fruit stands out while being graced with a kiss of blueberry that stays in the background; this is great now and has many years to go before reaching its apogee. Tasted blind

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2008 MARCHESI ANTINORI TIGNANELLO TUSCANY- 80% Sangiovese aged in 300-liter French oak barrels (1/3rd new), 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, both aged in 100% new 225-liter French oak barriques; this wondrous wine was fully loaded and made a huge statement of serious proportions; leather, dark chocolate and tobacco accents provided just the right touch to the ripe and ready black cherry and black currant; it was full bodied, had already integrated oak and an extra long finish; great now with much more to come with future evolution. Tasted blind

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Another great night with the guys. One where we could pour each wine and sip and relax and enjoy all of the essences that each possessed throughout the course of the entire evening. This also allowed for us to discuss each wine in detail prior to revealing what it was. Lots of learning happens in this format. Loved it.

Cheers,
Blake

Thanks Blake. I’m visiting both Pierre Peters and Ruinart in a few weeks.
I love the PYCM St. Aubins, but the prices have skyrocketed, and they need time to settle the reduced aromas.
Cheers,
Warren

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You are in for a treat at both places Warren.

We actually went to Ruinart more for the cellar tour and it ended up being one of the best visits of all over a 10 day stretch. They poured my wife and I a huge glass of the NV Rose upon arrival and kept refilling it during the cave tour which was led by a beautiful hostess decked out in an classy Armani suit and high heels who navigated the steep 3 flights of stairs up and down with ease while I fell behind. The end of the visit culminated with a private tasting with the winemaker in the library. He pulled out fabulous vintage Dom Rs.

I would be remiss if I did not mention our visit to Pierre Peters. It was the best one of all and we went to Krug, Taittinger, Bollinger and many others. We spent the entire afternoon with Rudolph {the principal} who tasted us through a few current wines and then invited me to join him in the cellar and select others things to open including some amazing Rieslings from his father’s {Pierre} stash. It was a 4 hour afternoon and we left with a big smile on our faces and a glow that could be seen from afar.

I wish you at least an equally enjoyable experience at these 2 houses and all the others. I know you’re going to love it.

Thanks for sharing Blake!

On the Babcock Chardonnay; do you typically find pine and kiwi to central coast chards? I thought that was an interesting comment and definitely look out for that.

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Hank, it`s more the kiwi note that is somewhat prevalent in Central Coast Chards. I’ve noticed that over the last few decades occasionally and when I mentioned it to the one who brought the Babcock before it was revealed, he commented that was the one give away as to location. I’d say it’s more common in Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley than say Paso or Monterey, but sometimes I find it in Santa Lucia Highlands, as was the case in a recent 2017 Lucia SLH Chardonnay.