A Few Top Shelf Classics - When to Drink

Had a pretty epic dinner with our business partner the other night, but they have also become more and more routine. Here are the wines we had in order with an emphasis on whether the wines are ready to drink, and to what degree.

2013 Chevillon Pruliers
Shows nice ripe fruit with medium to medium plus acids underneath. While the fruit seemed mostly open, this is clearly holding plenty in reserve and on its way to shutting down. Also couldn’t help thinking that the tannins may not have been fully ripe, just got a bit of a vegetal note. Will hold my remaining bottles the requisite 10-15+ years. Poured into a decanter, then consumed over two hours.

2013 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon
The palate was all chocolate covered red fruit, true to the new Napa style, enjoyable on release, and on the sweeter side. I enjoyed the robust tannic support toward the back, which I didn’t find to be overly oaked. This was easily the 2nd most accessible, open wine of the night, though some may want to let the tannins resolve a bit before trying.

1999 Philipponnat Clos de Goisses
I have a hard time with writing TN’s on Champagne and sparkling. Was this fresh? Oh yes, freshness in spades, and harmonizing well with some creaminess underneath. Fine bead? Super fine. Ready to drink? This is in a great secondary to mature place, clearly ready to enjoy and giving lots of pleasure today. The fruit is sublime, what a great expression of Pinot Noir. Popped and poured. This was shipped/delivered the same day, so interesting that the transit didn’t affect this substantially.

2006 Chateau Mouton Rothschild
This is where trouble arises. I saw this in the cellar and couldn’t resist suggesting we open this as I had heard this was a great year for Mouton, and who knows if I’d ever get the opportunity to taste?

If this bottle is any indication, stay out of this wine for the next 5+ years at least. Waiting another 10+ probably better still. Very closed after several hours in the decanter and another few hours at the table. Even took the remainder of my glass to the guest bedroom with me, and the wine just wouldn’t wake up. It did show some fleeting hints of brilliance from the perfume and taste/concentration upon opening, but overall we found this in a very cranky, unyielding mood.
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Robert,

That looks like a great wine dinner.

Shouldn’t the '06 Mouton be posted in the “Great wines you’ve wasted by opening when hammered” thread? neener

I did the same thing with an '01 Haut Brion. I brought it to a tasting, thinking that with a dozen years on it, it would show something special with a long enough decant. Like your Mouton, it was shut down, grumpy and unyielding. One of my many wine regrets.

I love opening wines at various stages of development, including early, but not a 1st growth Bdx, GC Burg, top shelf Barolo; anything that won’t show well until much later in its life (and mine).

Thanks for the note!

Cheers,
Warren