I drove my daughter to Fort Worth for her 2nd year at TCU (then flew home, so she could have her car there at school) and convinced Robert.A.Jr. to fly out to see his son (who lives in Dallas) while joining K John Joseph and I at dinner. A chef’s tasting menu at Petra and the Beast was where we met to open a wide array of 9 wines (for 4 people, of course). I’ll try to recall my thoughts from memory, but obviously the wines - while wonderful - paled in comparison to the company
2002 Dom Ruinart Rose - lightly pink, almost peach in color, crisp acid with a rich mouthfeel, showed it’s (8 grams?) dosage but well balanced, and was a hit with probably 4 of the dishes, as several had some sort of pickling to them.
2018 Walter Scott X-Novo Chardonnay - I brought this because both KJJ and Alfert had not yet tried X-Novo, and so we mused a bit on how it could be a dead ringer for Burgundy - flinty (though less than the last bottle I had), powerful on the palate with sweet lemon and ginger, less fruit-focused than some other WS bottlings but legendary among the faithful for a reason.
1982 Chateau Le Gay - while trying to hear the 100 ways Alfert tries to pronounce this wine was enjoyable, the wine seemed to fall just a bit short of expectations for me, if only because the rest (as you’ll soon read) stood out so well. Tannins fully integrated with the fruit, sweet cherry, hint of graphite, the midpalate just seemed a tad hollow to me - palate weight was good, finish was decent, but I feel this may have peaked a few years ago.
1999 Louis Jadot Clos de la Roche - exceeded my expectations, and I thought it was in a wonderful space now. Very perfumed nose of red cherry and mint, floral, palate was silky and expressive - great wine for several pairings as well, and I went back for additional pours several times.
2010 Pierre Gonon Saint Joseph - KJJ has fallen victim to the WB push on Gonon St. Joseph and started buying recently, but his first was 2017 vintage, I believe, so I figured I’d bring the one that put Gonon on the map in terms of this community, the one discussed so often back in 2012 and many years since. I drank 2 of these bottles young, and the wine now seems younger than it did then - nowhere near at peak. Dark in color, nose full of savory character and heavy in black olive, big and brash on the palate, dark fruits and cured meats, cheek-busting structure with big round tannins - this wine needs more time, to be sure. Enjoyable now, wonder what the 1/4 bottle we left for KJJ tastes like today, if he tried it! That extra air would help, to be sure.
1989 Chateau Beaucastel - So happy KJJ brought this, as it was the star of the show for most of us. A legendary wine when it is ‘on’, this bottle was definitely so. Perfect balance of the bretty and earthy character melded with sweet bright red cherry, touch of cedar on the nose - beautiful nose overall. Palate was simply rewarding, light in weight but delivering beautiful balanced fruit dominated by sweet strawberry, raspberry, and garrigue. To me, the peak of what CdP can be, reminded me of when I owned much more than I have now and would enjoy regularly, but also literally the best ‘traditional’ CdP one could enjoy (I take Rayas out of this competition because it is so unique). Amazing wine.
2014 Marcel Juge Cornas - darker in color but light on the palate - fresh and lively, plenty of green notes on the nose, hint of VA (KJJ believed it to be far too VA-ridden for his enjoyment, I feel like the characteristics in this wine were typical of the style, the ‘new style’ of Northern Rhone producers, versus the booming behemoths like Gonon), smoky, red fruited and savory, gripping acidity
2005 Clos Rougeard Les Poyeaux - a unicorn wine, KJJ’s first time trying Rougeard, my 2nd - another spectacular wine, close tie (if not tied exactly) with the '89 Beaucastel as WOTN. Nose on this is a dead ringer for 1st growth Bordeaux, as unique an expression of Cab Franc as Rayas is in CdP, I encouraged Alfert to bring any remaining bottles he has to blind tastings with high end Bordeaux and see if anyone can peg it. This wine had a balance of elegance and strength, great fruit and acidity, balanced and rewarding, nice mineral character to it - a wine that makes you think, and think hard.
1994 Dalle Valle Cabernet Sauvignon - I was a bit turned off by the toasty oak on the nose on this wine, but nobody else at the table seemed to mind. Old school Napa cab on the nose with herbs and dark plum, weighty and silky mouthfeel with a touch of tobacco around the red and black fruit. Felt FAR younger to me than 1994, as if this wine has the ability to go 30 plus more years easily.
No photos of the handsome crew, but one of the wines: