A few wines from July 4th weekend

WINE TALK
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The following wines were drunk with dinner on Sunday (July 5th) at the Bristol with Scott Manlin, Michel Abood and Sandy. The Bristol is as good as Manlin has described. Rabbit hearts, pig tail, bone marrow, loin of goat carpaccio, quail were all superb.

1991 Chapoutier Ermitage de L’Oree Blanc – Best showing of this I’ve had. It was still tight on opening but developed nicely in the glass. Apple, pear and butterscotch on the nose; firm structure with good acidity and a thick mouthfeel from this very dense wine; medium-long finish. 92 points.

1996 Comte Armand Clos des Epenots – Young and tightly wound but shows a lot of promise. Spice and smoky notes on the nose. Fresh and bright on the palate with good minerality. Finish is a bit short at the moment with quite firm tannins.

The following Hermitage wines were drunk in a single flight:

1983 Jaboulet La Chapelle – Plummy nose with tobacco notes. Medium bodied showing a nice personality on the palate. Finish is a bit clipped. 90 points.

1988 Jaboulet La Chapelle – Drinking great right now. I think we caught this one at peak. Suave and complete mouthfeel with all components in synch. 94 points.

1989 Jaboulet La Chapelle – More concentrated and structured than the ’88, this is entering a very pleasant drinking window. Should continue to evolve. 96 points.

1989 Chave – Still a bit backward with strong concentration and ripe flavors. Has some acidity showing through at the moment. Still needs time. 94+ points.

A couple wines from Wilfred Van Gorp’s July 4th party:

1996 Chave Hermitage – Drinking well, plenty of acid, killer with lamb sliders. 92 points.

1998 Beaucastel CdP - Coming into focus now. Blackberries, smoke and a touch of leather on the nose; full-bodied, very ripe, low acid wine with superb concentration. 95 points.

Some wines from a July 3rd BBQ:

1998 Roumier Chambolle Musigny – Terrific nose of cherry, earth and touch of smoke. Drinking really well now and what it lacks in complexity, it makes up in elegance. Nice medium finish. 90 points.

1999 Roumier Chambolle Musigny – Much more structured than the ’98 and tightly wound at this time. Should be killer in a few years. 91+ points.

1984 Phelps Insignia – Full-bodied wine with totally resolved tannins with a very full and smooth mouthfeel. Very pleasant to drink now. 92 points.

1987 Montelena Estate Cab– Wow! I would drink Cali Cab all the time if they were like this. Great depth, grip and concentration with layers and layers of flavor. Finish is medium long . 95 points.

1982 Grand Puy Lacoste – A great GPL with loads of black currants and cassis flavors. Very firmly structured with good delineation of flavors. Strong and lingering finish. 95 points.

1993 Togni Cab – I brought this blind and thought it was Bordeaux. [swoon.gif] In a good place now and hard to believe it will get better. 93 points.

1997 Togni Cab – Riper, more concentrated and brawnier than the 1993. This needs another 5 years. 94+ points.

Overall, not a bad weekend spent with good friends.

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I had the 1996 Chave rouge on July 4, too! I was surprised by how unevolved the bottle seemed… really primary with a very strong (almost distractingly so) black pepper nose. I bet it was killer with those lamb sliders.

I know though that I’m going to let my few remaining bottles sleep for another couple of years before I check back in.

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Hey,
I just popped the 93 Togni and i thought it was dead.
Wow,about 84 phelps

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'93 Togni is far from dead. Since this was my bottle I can tell you it was purchased on release and has rarely moved in 15 years in my cellar.

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Wonderful notes and great having you and Sandy at our BBQ! Indeed, the Chave was great with the sliders, and I loved the Beaucastel with the hamburger.

I went back to the Beaucastel the next day (yes, there was a bit left) and it was really singing still!

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Great notes Paul, glad you were paying attention, I was busy drinking. What a wonderful time, The Bristol ROCKS. Going there twice in a week was a real bonus, and it was good seeing old friends again.

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It was nice to entertain all of you NYers here in Chicago, even if it took a transplanted NYer to get you guys out here…

The whole weekend was a lot of fun and Wilf and Craig sure know how to host a Fouth of July BBQ… I think there was enough food for 300. Those sliders were awesome, I put myself into a food coma eating them…

Glad you guys liked the Bristol, I think it is special… heading there in a couple hours :slight_smile: