An epic party with the OC gang; ~20 wines including 5 champagnes, 5 whites, 10 reds- from Cristal to Schrader

brigcampbell · July 3, 2022, 4:45am

Yes.

Carol Schrader brought her two To Kalon cabs and decanted them. She put the paper towel in there to keep out the flying critters. There were a few fruit flies buzzing around.

PeterH · July 3, 2022, 4:53am

Playing a stringed instrument, or piano, develops coordination between the two hands that few non-musicians can equal.
This correlates with higher math ability. Start your children learning music early!

Rohit_B · July 3, 2022, 1:52pm

Got it, thanks. I thought maybe the paper towel was used as a filter to remove sediment.

ToddFrench · July 3, 2022, 3:35pm

I would imagine paper towel would impart a very strong paper taste

PHuff · July 3, 2022, 4:10pm

Another great evening with this gathering of kind and generous souls. I really enjoy these, am fortunate to know the people in those photos. Blake, thanks for trekking down again to be the catalyst for us to fellowship again, and to Counselor Seiber for pulling together the details so we could do this again.

Here are my notes. Take them as you wish, for their inherent bias and sans numerals.

TASTING W/ THE GANG @ COUNSELOR SEIBER’S PAD - Orange County, CA (7/1/2022)

2014 Laherte Frères Champagne Les Empreintes - France, Champagne
Third bottle in this past month, all from the same source and January 2020 disgorgement. This one as good as the others. Dried cherry, citrus and more than enough concentration that finishes with length and energy. I’m convinced of the quality of the 2014 now, and it’s time to take a look at 2013 and 2015, which I have access to next,

2015 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Terre de Vertus - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Like the bottle from this past weekend, same April 2021 disgorgement. However, this was blinded on me and I can now start to get the sense of the L-B signature here, which is the aromatic of a lightly toasty note and some clove, both I would infer from the elevage. Green apple, slate, lemon pith, tangerine. And a similar inflection of banana, which is the same quality I got from the L-B 2019 base Latitude I had last month at the winery. If it wasn’t hot as piss right now in the US (and likely for the next few months), I would drag more of this from Florida and ship it West to add to what I have in inventory. A terrific cuvee, one I enjoy a lot.

2013 Savart Champagne Premier Cru Le Mont Benoit - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Disgorged January 2018. Almost completely Pinot Noir, with 3 grams of dosage. Creamy red fruit, lime chew and some finishing mineral. Honestly, I could have spent more time tasting this and I got to at the end of the flight so my notes here are brief.

2011 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged June 2019. 100% Chard with a few grams of dosage. This bottle reflected a strong almond quality, which I thought was pretty cool. And of course citrusy, infused with lemon and a light inflection of tropical fruit with some fennel in the finish. This vintage of VV is for me both elegant and yet has the L-B spiciness, in a medium weight. I do think that vintage and the 10 years that have passed already since harvest make the wine drink just fine right now, too.

2008 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Bechalin - France, Champagne
Not sure of the disgorgement here. 100% Pinot Noir (I believe). If blinded on this, I would not gravitate to PN as my guess as this showed to me flavors that I would not first associate to that grape. Yellow apple, stone fruit like a peach, juicy and what my notes have underscored as fresh. At nearly 15 years old, this drinks with a class and freshness.

2013 Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines - France, Champagne
I made it around to this wine within the flight too late. One of those moments were we had the fortune of a # of Champagne choices on the table and between talking and trying to dig into some other bottles, I got lost with this one. My brief notes say red apple, flint and a savory finish.

2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
Brief notes here as there were too many targets on the table and I just can’t do it all to the degree I would like. This seemed to have the bright acidity and powerful density of the 2008, with the wet rock tactile impression.

1994 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Man, almost 30 years old and a tribute to what really good winemaking can show with this kind of age. Tangy dried red fruit, some tea, orange peel (thank you, Carol!) and a cedary influence but this wine is neither tired nor lacking vitality. I sense with the cedar that perhaps this will start to become more dominant in the wine as the age ensues, but hell, we’re at nearly 30 years old so at this stage I can only express joy and thanks for being able to try yet again another piece of the old W-S history.

1995 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Geez, as if tasting the 1994 W-S Sonoma Coast next to it was not good fortune enough, then this wine comes right after it. Plenty of flavor here, and to me more denser than the 1994 SC. Blue fruited, suave red berry, actually what my notes say a jammy red quality. With air, then herb emerges and some soil/loam. Damn, this was good and shows you that CA PN can age well, especially under the stewarding of the W-S approach back in the day.

1990 Williams Selyem Zinfandel Leno Martinelli Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
The last of a trio of older W-S (we also had 1994 SC PN and 1995 Riverblock PN). So, this was the oldest. Still seems fresh to me and I believe the ABV was north of 16% on the label but truthfully I didn’t sense it. Starting to show a bit of color change but there is no fade to the fruit. Like with the 1994 and 1995 Pinots, this Zin shows that these wines are ageworthy.

2014 Switchback Ridge Merlot Peterson Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
This was served blind and the guesses were pretty much all over the spectrum. This is a big, rich wine with some hedonistic qualities. I didn’t jot notes but I was leaning to wards Napa Cab, as the fruit and intensity were dark, and the wine was seeming to emerge out of that modern style.

1999 Ravenswood Icon - USA, California, Sonoma County
Served blind. I too a swag at this as Syrah, as it seemed to have the rosemary and blue fruited tones of what CA Syrah can do. I then put the wine on Carlisle, like a Papa’s Block. Notably was the wine’s freshness, which led me to believe the richer fruit was in the Syrah style that Mike makes. Well, I got part of it but I would not have put this on a wine that is pushing close to 25 years old. Blue and red fruit, with some saddle leather influence. Lots of fruit concentration and some tannin in the back end of the finish. Holding together really well, and a thanks to Todd for blinding us on it.

2007 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
We had the good fortune of dining alongside Carol Schrader who has joined us in some of our local dinners before. She is a warm soul, the kind that makes you feel important, seen. I dig that about Carol. And as is usually her custom, when she comes to a dinner, with her comes Schrader. In this evening, she brought the 2007 and the 2013, and we did them side by side. I’m uncertain when she opened them but when they were served she had them each in a decanter so they were seeing air. The 2007 was more irony to me, with dark cherry fruit, some herb buried in the wine and a finish that was long. This is 15 years old and yet I sensed very little aging on the wine, as if it is aging glacially. I wish I could have tasted this again say the next day, when I was just alone with the wine singly but I got a few pours of it and I’ll stand by my positive and accurate although brief note. As to the 2013, my core sense and something I told her across the table was that this vintage seemed very primary to me, as if the wine was a barrel sample. Grapey, primary, with black cherry, brewed coffee bittersweet chocolate (thank you, Brig!), a wine that is stuffed with depth and concentration but I didn’t find big-shouldered or out of balance. My final notes on the 2013 say structured, coiled, concentrated, to be long lived. In sum, I tended to prefer the 2007 and the way it showed, more developed yet not oozy or modern Napa, at least that is my recall, and the 2013 being very young and still a long runway ahead to develop. Thank you yet again, Carol!

2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
We had the good fortune of dining alongside Carol Schrader who has joined us in some of our local dinners before. She is a warm soul, the kind that makes you feel important, seen. I dig that about Carol. And as is usually her custom, when she comes to a dinner, with her comes Schrader. In this evening, she brought the 2007 and the 2013, and we did them side by side. I’m uncertain when she opened them but when they were served she had them each in a decanter so they were seeing air. The 2007 was more irony to me, with dark cherry fruit, some herb buried in the wine and a finish that was long. This is 15 years old and yet I sensed very little aging on the wine, as if it is aging glacially. I wish I could have tasted this again say the next day, when I was just alone with the wine singly but I got a few pours of it and I’ll stand by my positive and accurate although brief note. As to the 2013, my core sense and something I told her across the table was that this vintage seemed very primary to me, as if the wine was a barrel sample. Grapey, primary, with black cherry, brewed coffee bittersweet chocolate (thank you, Brig!), a wine that is stuffed with depth and concentration but I didn’t find big-shouldered or out of balance. My final notes on the 2013 say structured, coiled, concentrated, to be long lived. In sum, I tended to prefer the 2007 and the way it showed, more developed yet not oozy or modern Napa, at least that is my recall, and the 2013 being very young and still a long runway ahead to develop. Thank you yet again, Carol!

Posted from CellarTracker

Nice notes Frank…did you not drink any of the Dehlinger Pinot? Or did you just not take any notes on that wine? I fondly remember the Dehlinger Pinot’s from the 90’s. The Estate and all of the single vineyard wines were superb and right up my alley…

Rohit_B · July 3, 2022, 4:22pm

Only one way to find out!

alan_weinberg · July 3, 2022, 4:53pm

the Bouchard Bechalin V8 is 2015, not 2016 or 2008, funny that I had it last night also. Both you and Blake have it listed wrong. Great wine but just a baby.

B_Buzzini · July 3, 2022, 5:13pm

It is Vintage 2008(V8)…disgorged April 2015.

Blake_Brown · July 3, 2022, 5:50pm

I misread it. The reference to 2016 on the added label is a Zach’s sticker. The bottle label clearly states “disgorged 4/15 and vintage 08”. Thanks for heads up.

alan_weinberg · July 3, 2022, 6:07pm

I stand corrected. Sure didn’t taste that old.

Frank_Murray_III · July 3, 2022, 6:25pm

Another great evening with this gathering of kind and generous souls. I really enjoy these, am fortunate to know the people in those photos. Blake, thanks for trekking down again to be the catalyst for us to fellowship again, and to Counselor Seiber for pulling together the details so we could do this again.

Here are my notes. Take them as you wish, for their inherent bias and sans numerals.

TASTING W/ THE GANG @ COUNSELOR SEIBER’S PAD - Orange County, CA (7/1/2022)

2014 Laherte Frères Champagne Les Empreintes - France, Champagne
Third bottle in this past month, all from the same source and January 2020 disgorgement. This one as good as the others. Dried cherry, citrus and more than enough concentration that finishes with length and energy. I’m convinced of the quality of the 2014 now, and it’s time to take a look at 2013 and 2015, which I have access to next,

2015 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Terre de Vertus - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Like the bottle from this past weekend, same April 2021 disgorgement. However, this was blinded on me and I can now start to get the sense of the L-B signature here, which is the aromatic of a lightly toasty note and some clove, both I would infer from the elevage. Green apple, slate, lemon pith, tangerine. And a similar inflection of banana, which is the same quality I got from the L-B 2019 base Latitude I had last month at the winery. If it wasn’t hot as piss right now in the US (and likely for the next few months), I would drag more of this from Florida and ship it West to add to what I have in inventory. A terrific cuvee, one I enjoy a lot.

2013 Savart Champagne Premier Cru Le Mont Benoit - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Disgorged January 2018. Almost completely Pinot Noir, with 3 grams of dosage. Creamy red fruit, lime chew and some finishing mineral. Honestly, I could have spent more time tasting this and I got to at the end of the flight so my notes here are brief.

2011 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged June 2019. 100% Chard with a few grams of dosage. This bottle reflected a strong almond quality, which I thought was pretty cool. And of course citrusy, infused with lemon and a light inflection of tropical fruit with some fennel in the finish. This vintage of VV is for me both elegant and yet has the L-B spiciness, in a medium weight. I do think that vintage and the 10 years that have passed already since harvest make the wine drink just fine right now, too.

2008 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Bechalin - France, Champagne
Not sure of the disgorgement here. 100% Pinot Noir (I believe). If blinded on this, I would not gravitate to PN as my guess as this showed to me flavors that I would not first associate to that grape. Yellow apple, stone fruit like a peach, juicy and what my notes have underscored as fresh. At nearly 15 years old, this drinks with a class and freshness.

2013 Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines - France, Champagne
I made it around to this wine within the flight too late. One of those moments were we had the fortune of a # of Champagne choices on the table and between talking and trying to dig into some other bottles, I got lost with this one. My brief notes say red apple, flint and a savory finish.

2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
Brief notes here as there were too many targets on the table and I just can’t do it all to the degree I would like. This seemed to have the bright acidity and powerful density of the 2008, with the wet rock tactile impression.

1994 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Man, almost 30 years old and a tribute to what really good winemaking can show with this kind of age. Tangy dried red fruit, some tea, orange peel (thank you, Carol!) and a cedary influence but this wine is neither tired nor lacking vitality. I sense with the cedar that perhaps this will start to become more dominant in the wine as the age ensues, but hell, we’re at nearly 30 years old so at this stage I can only express joy and thanks for being able to try yet again another piece of the old W-S history.

1995 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Geez, as if tasting the 1994 W-S Sonoma Coast next to it was not good fortune enough, then this wine comes right after it. Plenty of flavor here, and to me more denser than the 1994 SC. Blue fruited, suave red berry, actually what my notes say a jammy red quality. With air, then herb emerges and some soil/loam. Damn, this was good and shows you that CA PN can age well, especially under the stewarding of the W-S approach back in the day.

1990 Williams Selyem Zinfandel Leno Martinelli Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
The last of a trio of older W-S (we also had 1994 SC PN and 1995 Riverblock PN). So, this was the oldest. Still seems fresh to me and I believe the ABV was north of 16% on the label but truthfully I didn’t sense it. Starting to show a bit of color change but there is no fade to the fruit. Like with the 1994 and 1995 Pinots, this Zin shows that these wines are ageworthy.

2014 Switchback Ridge Merlot Peterson Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
This was served blind and the guesses were pretty much all over the spectrum. This is a big, rich wine with some hedonistic qualities. I didn’t jot notes but I was leaning to wards Napa Cab, as the fruit and intensity were dark, and the wine was seeming to emerge out of that modern style.

1999 Ravenswood Icon - USA, California, Sonoma County
Served blind. I too a swag at this as Syrah, as it seemed to have the rosemary and blue fruited tones of what CA Syrah can do. I then put the wine on Carlisle, like a Papa’s Block. Notably was the wine’s freshness, which led me to believe the richer fruit was in the Syrah style that Mike makes. Well, I got part of it but I would not have put this on a wine that is pushing close to 25 years old. Blue and red fruit, with some saddle leather influence. Lots of fruit concentration and some tannin in the back end of the finish. Holding together really well, and a thanks to Todd for blinding us on it.

2007 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
We had the good fortune of dining alongside Carol Schrader who has joined us in some of our local dinners before. She is a warm soul, the kind that makes you feel important, seen. I dig that about Carol. And as is usually her custom, when she comes to a dinner, with her comes Schrader. In this evening, she brought the 2007 and the 2013, and we did them side by side. I’m uncertain when she opened them but when they were served she had them each in a decanter so they were seeing air. The 2007 was more irony to me, with dark cherry fruit, some herb buried in the wine and a finish that was long. This is 15 years old and yet I sensed very little aging on the wine, as if it is aging glacially. I wish I could have tasted this again say the next day, when I was just alone with the wine singly but I got a few pours of it and I’ll stand by my positive and accurate although brief note. As to the 2013, my core sense and something I told her across the table was that this vintage seemed very primary to me, as if the wine was a barrel sample. Grapey, primary, with black cherry, brewed coffee bittersweet chocolate (thank you, Brig!), a wine that is stuffed with depth and concentration but I didn’t find big-shouldered or out of balance. My final notes on the 2013 say structured, coiled, concentrated, to be long lived. In sum, I tended to prefer the 2007 and the way it showed, more developed yet not oozy or modern Napa, at least that is my recall, and the 2013 being very young and still a long runway ahead to develop. Thank you yet again, Carol!

2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
We had the good fortune of dining alongside Carol Schrader who has joined us in some of our local dinners before. She is a warm soul, the kind that makes you feel important, seen. I dig that about Carol. And as is usually her custom, when she comes to a dinner, with her comes Schrader. In this evening, she brought the 2007 and the 2013, and we did them side by side. I’m uncertain when she opened them but when they were served she had them each in a decanter so they were seeing air. The 2007 was more irony to me, with dark cherry fruit, some herb buried in the wine and a finish that was long. This is 15 years old and yet I sensed very little aging on the wine, as if it is aging glacially. I wish I could have tasted this again say the next day, when I was just alone with the wine singly but I got a few pours of it and I’ll stand by my positive and accurate although brief note. As to the 2013, my core sense and something I told her across the table was that this vintage seemed very primary to me, as if the wine was a barrel sample. Grapey, primary, with black cherry, brewed coffee bittersweet chocolate (thank you, Brig!), a wine that is stuffed with depth and concentration but I didn’t find big-shouldered or out of balance. My final notes on the 2013 say structured, coiled, concentrated, to be long lived. In sum, I tended to prefer the 2007 and the way it showed, more developed yet not oozy or modern Napa, at least that is my recall, and the 2013 being very young and still a long runway ahead to develop. Thank you yet again, Carol!

Posted from CellarTracker

Nice notes Frank…did you not drink any of the Dehlinger Pinot? Or did you just not take any notes on that wine? I fondly remember the Dehlinger Pinot’s from the 90’s. The Estate and all of the single vineyard wines were superb and right up my alley…

Phil, hi. No, I did not. I missed a handful of wines. I do better, meaning write better notes when there is less wine and more time to both taste a smaller flight of things and also hear some of the comments from others.

Jonathan_Jaggers · July 3, 2022, 6:33pm

Sounds like an epic evening!

Mark_C_Johnson · July 4, 2022, 6:23am

Nice job Gents & Gentlewomen. Wonderful notes too. and thanks for many pics to experience the event vicariously.

brigcampbell · July 4, 2022, 5:09pm

Didn’t take notes on a bunch of the champagne.

1990 Williams Selyem Zinfandel Leno Martinelli Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/4/2022)
John Gilman gave this wine a 83? When I stop laughing I’ll finish this note. (10 minutes later)

Special wine. 32-year-old California Zinfandel. That’s all you really need to say.

The 16% ABV was nowhere to be found in this bottle. Some bricking hints at it’s age but you probably wouldn’t get within 10 years if you were tasting blind. Mature zin berries laced with a creamy feel.

1994 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (7/4/2022)
Great treat here. This really reminds me so much of a Rivers Marie old vine summa. Washed out strawberry, Sandalwood and orange zest.

Then Blake and Steve start talking and say “there’s summa in this wine”. Alright then. These guys know there summa history.

1995 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/4/2022)
Lots of ripe red fruit on the attack. I’m very surprised at the amount of fruit for one of this age, incredible. Mixed spice box. Very much in the WS house style.
1999 Ravenswood Icon - USA, California, Sonoma County (7/4/2022)
Blind: guessed Nebbiolo but not Barolo or Barbaresco. Something like Nebbiolo d’Alba

This had a Cherry streak through it which sent me down the Piedmont path. Additionally, there was a leather note and a perfume that I wanted to interpret as rose petal.

Lots of people thought there was syrah in this wine and felt it was new world. I thought if it was syrah based it definitely wasn’t old world, at least not from Northern Rhone.

I also could have been talked into an old Grenache from Southern Rhone.

But none of the table talk could move me off of Nebbiolo and I died on that hill.

Great wine.

2007 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/4/2022)
Decanted for 90 minutes

I know 2007 was a nice vintage for Napa valley and this is probably an excellent representation of the high end of the spectrum. More black cassis than red and good structure but not the aggressive tannins associated with much younger wines. Served alongside the 2013 and I thought this was a superior wine.

2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne (7/4/2022)
The sparkler just continues to improve from the previous two tastings over the last 4 years. I don’t know if I would say it’s my favorite champagne but it’s been better than all the others had to head. So I guess it must be. It just hits on all cylinders with lemon and citrus fruit, acidity, chalk, velvety texture and all around enjoyment.
2008 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (7/4/2022)
Last tasted 8 years ago. What is it about Chardonnay from Chablis when it’s on? There’s nothing else in the world with the sophistication and complexity. The aromas coming from the glass scream frenchy. Terrific. Citrus, pineapple, spice.
2010 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills (7/4/2022)
I would say this bottle was flawed. Burnt rubber immediately when the cork was pulled. That’s volatile sulfur. The nose and palate had a strong asphalt presents which if you didn’t mind didn’t affect the fruit of the wine but I found it quite distracted.
2013 Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines - France, Champagne (7/4/2022)
Really good, no excellent. While it shows the weight and color of a PM, this bottling shows a lift of acid. Medium plus gold color. Red fruit, apple and currant. Very good complexity, good wine to noodle over.
2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/4/2022)
Compared to the 2007 this came across a little more disjointed or synchronized.

The fruit came acrosses much more sweet, a bit more blue fruit. There’s a nice foundation of bittersweet chocolate which is quite attractive.

2014 Switchback Ridge Merlot Peterson Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/4/2022)
Blind: thought Napa Cabernet

My experience with switchback is there’s not much difference between the Cabernet and the Merlot. They tend to be highly concentrated, ripe fruit, big creamy texture and sweet oak influence.

This bottle was no different. This was fun to taste blind and works as a crowd-pleaser but not in my wheelhouse

2019 Sandar & Hem Chardonnay Bruzzone Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (7/4/2022)
Superb Chardonnay. Chablis ringer with stinging acidity, bright yellow fruit and lime. Excellent

Posted from CellarTracker

Blake_Brown · July 4, 2022, 5:18pm

Always love your notes Brig. I come away with a smile on my face and some new and descriptive takes on wines I’m familiar with. We definitely need to sit together in these outings. I’m almost ready to provide Chris with dates for the next one.

brigcampbell · July 4, 2022, 5:23pm

Deal, we’ll sit together for the next one. It’d be my pleasure.

And I promise I’ll remember to take a picture of every course during the meal! Complete dereliction of duty on my part this time. LOL

Blake_Brown · July 4, 2022, 6:33pm

Hey, re the pics, I missed 3 wines. We might have to recruit help. Thankfully, Chris took a bunch.

Mike_Grammer · July 4, 2022, 6:43pm

Warms my heart to see these pictures and these notes of an evening with much-missed friends! Especially the photo of Todd double-pouring, a classic.

Frank, you must have been a happy camper with all that champagne.

Well done on all parts, a delight to read and absorb. As Blake knows, I had my own third taste of the 08 Cristal a few months ago:

"2008 Roederer Cristal

It’s moved and developed…just a little (my last taste was, I think, about 3 years ago). Honeycrisp apple and some graham cracker waft up the glass. To taste, it is still quite kinetic, but in a more conversational way now. Touches of lemon, tiny hint of flint and matchstick. It has gorgeous firm lines. The elegance is undeniable."

Interesting indeed to read your note on the Switchback Ridge–I haven’t had the Merlot in some time but the 2007 Petite which I poured at MEOW also probably needs another 15-20 years

Hope to see a lot of this group in a few months when the planned Mike-on-Tour Cali edition takes place.

Mahalo

Mike

Steve_Nordhoff · July 5, 2022, 3:15am

You did not miss them I just drank your pours

ToddFrench · July 5, 2022, 5:13pm

Freakin’ BlueEyes