I was graced with an invite to a wine dinner in Riverside by one whose turn it was to provide the wines for his group.
As it turned out, it was not just another wine dinner nor wine group as it was one of the world’s pre-eminent wine connoisseurs, the legendary Bipin Desai’s local Riverside group, Bipin’s Insider Group aka BIIG. This group has been in existence for over 30 years featuring some of the finest wines on the planet, shared by Bipin and some of his fine, righteously wine passionate friends.
Bipin Desai
Another guest/ friend and I were embraced and welcomed by all. The orchestration of tasting the flights was followed by each of the 9 of us sharing our impressions, insights and profiles for each wine, a format I dearly love and one that affords greater appreciation and understanding about how each wine was perceived and assessed by varying palates.
I found it interesting to see what areas of emphasis others placed on their evaluations which on this night generally included remarks regarding the level of acidity, state of balance, fruit profile, mouthfeel and favorite in the flight.
You get to know someone a little deeper when you hear and feel them express their deep passion and knowledge about anything and I knew I was in the right place and the right time with like minded, like hearted people.
This event was held in a private dining room at Mario’s Place, https://www.mariosplace.com/, a fabulous Italian restaurant and their venue of choice for all dinners located in downtown Riverside across the street from The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, https://www.missioninn.com/, a historic landmark hotel which is where Roelanda and I stayed.
Mario’s Place
The Mission Inn & Spa
Our fabulous menu consisted of an amuse, 4 courses, a cheese course and a dessert. We were professionally served by one of the restaurants most capable staff members who also did the wine service.
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We were ideally seated at a spacious round table within the large private dining room that allowed for a table conversation and full participation by all.
photo by Chris Seiber who’s seat was bottom center
We had a starter champagne followed by 4 flights of wines all poured in numbered glasses and finished with a sparkling rose that was a last minute purchase treat by our host. All bottles were opened 15-20 minutes prior to serving.
As we all know, each of us have different palates as well as different parts per million perceptions for various compounds and chemicals even during the same occasion, not to mention the changes that occur with food pairings; so, as always, my notes are just that, what I perceived on this wonderful occasion over the course of the evening as I saved and revisited all but the champagne which I consumed to the last drop:
2008 TAITTINGER COMTES de CHAMPAGNE- I’ve had about 8 bottles of this vintage and was more than delighted to see it was selected for our first wine; the last few bottles had been superlative and much more expressive of the finer nuances while still showcasing its amazing power typical of this vintage; the color was a youthful medium yellow and the aromatics included lemon dominate citrus fruit along with a strong hint of bright acidity; the first taste was smile provoking as honeyed lemon, lime and yellow apple with an accent of mildly toasted brioche graced our palates; it was rich and full bodied and seemed to expand with each taste, finishing long and on an upbeat; amidst all of this, it’s hallmark was its amazing balance; this was the best bottle I’ve had yet and IMHO, one of the best releases amongst this highly regarded vintage.
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As an aside, the 2008 represents the 37th release of the Comtes since 1952 and was sourced from 100% Grand Cru vineyards from the Cote de Blancs, especially the best lots from Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil, and Oger. The wine is fermented in stainless with only 5% going into oak before it was aged over 10 years on the lees before being released.
With our palates properly prepared, we moved on to the first flight of 3 white Burgundy from the same producer that paired beautifully with the amuse and first course.
First flight of 3 H. Boillot Cortons:
2011 HENRI BOILLOT CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRU- medium yellow color; it had an inviting nose redolent of mineral and honey accented lemon, lime and yellow apple that continued on to be joined by tangerine, honey dew melon and a touch of coconut while being delivered in a creamy, wondrous textured medium all the way to the back end; it had some body, layered depth and nice balance and was my fav of the 3 early on and later on.
2014 HENRI BOILLOT CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRU- as with all 3 wines, it had a medium yellow color; the aromatics included some really nice toasty lemon apple that was joined by a streak of minerals and an accent of coconut once tasted; although it had some weight, it had a much lighter fruit profile than the ’11 and as such, had more elegance and charm; its hallmark was its bight acidity. Initially, there was a note that suggested it was advanced, but the toasty brioche became more pronounced and somewhat dispelled that notion that it was a bit caramelized.
2016 HENRI BOILLOT CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRU- medium yellow color; this offered really nice flint and mineral accented apple and citrus fruit from the nose through the tail while being delivered in a creamy, smooth, feel good texture; it had bright acidity and a hallmark of some subtle power that became more apparent over time as it evolved in the glass.
All 3 showcased the power and finesse I have observed from Corton Charlemagne over many years, in this case, a little power and a little finesse. There was also a common thread of nice acidity, creamy mouthfeel and tasty citrus apple fruit. Loved them all.
Second flight of 4 L’Apparitas:
1987 CASTELLO DI AMA L’APPARITA TOSCANA IGT- 100% Merlot; I’ve heard/ read others state it’s time to open this vintage as there were low temperatures in the spring that delayed flowering by a couple of weeks and the weather during the rest of the year was uneven in these high mountain vineyards; the color suggested it had some age and the nose was redolent of stewed fruit that never blew off nor did the bell pepper notes from the pyrazine compounds; other notes included coffee and dark chocolate in this full bodied and heavily weighted wine that became more Port like after 20-30 minutes.
1990 CASTELLO DI AMA L’APPARITA TOSCANA IGT- after the ’87, this was a nice treat as it gave generously of its treasures; the color was a youthful red purple and the nose included some lovely ripe blueberry and blackberry that was embellished with a hint of mint; it had a soft and smooth texture and layered depth and nice length while maintaining impeccable balance throughout; if this bottle is any indication as to where others are, it has not yet reached its apogee although quite stunning and exceptional now; it was my fav of the flight and one of my favs on the night.
1994 CASTELLO DI AMA L’APPARITA TOSCANA IGT- the color had some red, brown, purple suggesting aging; the aromatics had some earth and mushroom laden black cherry which actually expanded to become more expressed in time along with some nice black currant and blackberry in the taste profile; this bottle needed much more time as it kept changing for the better, but it took 30 minutes or more to become more approachable and the final taste an hour later was like another wine as it had evolved into being much more delicious, showcasing its velvety texture and sporting talc and sandalwood accented dark fruit.
1995 CASTELLO DI AMA L’APPARITA TOSCANA IGT- as with the ’87 and ’94, the color suggested aging, but the nose and taste were replete with more youthful fresh and ripe black currant and blueberry with accents of licorice/ fennel; it had a soft and smooth mouthfeel until it finished with a bit of astringency.
My final thought on this flight was that all probably would have benefitted from at least an hour decant.
Third flight of 3 1966 Bordeaux:
1966 CHATEAU COS d’ESTOURNEL SAINT-ESTEPHE- the color was a surprising unadulterated red purple and the nose offered earth and graphite accented blue plum and wild dark berry notes with a strong hint of bandaid/ barnyard, all of which continued on to be joined by mildly spiced black currant; it was medium bodied with a medium expressed taste profile and finish; some underlying tannins cut into the softness, especially at the end.
1966 CHATEAU DUCRU-BEAUCAILLOU SAINT-JULIEN- the color definitely showed some age with a bit of bricking around its brown, red purple hue; the nose made me take pause to ID whether I was getting some TCA or brett, but after time, it was clearly the 4 ethylphenol brettanomyces compound with its barnyard character; in this group, I can use my favorite descriptor borrowed from childhood memories of theater candy, jujube, with its red cherry/ berry flavors; this had medium body and weight and finished dry.
1996 CHATEAU BEYECHEVELLE SAINT-JULIEN- as with the Cos, the color did not indicate the age being a dark, vibrant red purple; and as with the Cos and the Ducru, this had some brett in the form of the barnyard character that stayed in the background of the medium expressed earthy, tobacco, eucalyptus and leather laden red cherry/ berry fruit; later on, it got raisny and more aged while still being quite enjoyable.
When it came time for me to offer my remarks about this flight, I was the 7th in line and no one had mentioned brett or anything close to it; so, I almost hesitated to share it, but did so with the caveat that I found it in all 3 wines, but never to a detriment or deterrent from enjoying them as it was always subtly in the background.
Fourth flight of 3 Clos des Lambray:
2005 DOMAINE des LAMBRAY CLOS des LAMBRAY GRAND CRU- of the 3, this surprisingly had the darkest, most youthful color with its vibrant, dark red purple; the nose was so intriguing with briary, wild berries being most prevalent; on the palate, some spicy, fresh red cherry and blueberry fruit that also highlighted the finish came in; the operative word for this wine was “lovely” as it was refreshing, tasty, tactile pleasing and exuding classy elegance; I loved it initially and later on, confirming it was my #2 fav of the flight.
2008 DOMAINE des LAMBRAY CLOS des LAMBRAY GRAND CRU- following its medium red purple color comes aromas of applesauce laden red fruit which on the palate translated into red raspberry and red cherry with some black raspberry coming in past mid palate; a nice streak of spice ran through as it improved over time and just kept expanding and yet gaining more finesse and charm with its smooth mouthfeel and soft tannins; my fav of the flight.
2010 DOMAINE des LAMBRAY CLOS des LAMBRAY GRAND CRU- as with the ’08, the color was a medium red purple, but the nose had interesting aromas of jujube, the sweet red cherry of yesteryear’s childhood movie going candy; later on, some blood orange and red raspberry showed up as it also gained in expression of flavors, depth and complexity over time; it was easy on the palate and elegant throughout and finished up this flight admirably, contributing to a consummate experience.
But, we are not through just yet as our gracious host purchased a fitting bubbly to seal the deal:
NV SCHRAMSBERG BRUT ROSE- this delicate sparkling wine served to soften and lighten up our palates; it had a pink, salmon amber color and a nose full of rose petals that gave way to a taste profile of sweetened strawberry, red raspberry and watermelon accented with a touch of saline; it had a frothy, almost cotton candy like mousse and paired beautifully with our strawberry topped dessert.
The gratitude I felt for being invited grew throughout the evening and what a fabulous evening it was. Not only were the wines superb, but the food and service was equally so.
And, as it is with some of my Santa Barbara wine groups, it is also about the fellowship and the shared passion and I met some genuinely fine folks who have that same of level of appreciation along with perhaps a greater depth of knowledge and experience and as always, I learned a whole lot more.
Obviously, there was one who has probably experienced more of the finer wines on the planet than most and I was blessed to have been seated next to Bipin and hear his perceptions on some of the wines as well as discuss a few previous occasions and personalities we had shared in the past.
I continue to count my blessings.
Cheers,
Blake
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