Nice night.
No mention of the Ray Walker autographed St. Cloud. Huh.
Another Blake Brown Comes To Town event! (Taittinger, Bereche, Produttori, Williams-Selyem, Giacosa)
The Merlot was spectacular - I’ll happily buy one of those mags from you! Serve only with Berserkers, of course!
You found the Easter Egg!! Surprising it took someone this long. @Chris_Seiber had a small taste, nobody else wanted to try 
@Jim_Anderson sent it to me after he purchased and tasted it, so I could share with Berserkers!
Absolutely! Maybe that will be the next theme of the dinner when I’m once again assigned, and I’ll choose that so you can join
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By the way, most of the wines were taken by the guests, but a few were left here, and last night I was able to enjoy more of the Bellerose and the 97 Williams Selyem Rochioli - both survived and shone once again. Amazing stuff, particularly the W-S - what a treat.
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Blake - it was great seeing you!
I didn’t take any formal notes but here’s a few recollections - .
- The 06 Comte was drinking well in the beginning but 08 got better as the night went on. I could not get enough of the 08.
- 12 Bereche Le Cran was still a baby but it was delicious with lemon and sea spray on the nose. Neck-a-neck with the 08 Comte for my champagne of the night
- The 1967 Produttori was amazing. It still has a lot of life in it. Rose petals abound on the nose and red fruits still present.
- The Giacosa is super young but you can tell that there is a lot of great stuffing in it. Some tar and mint on the nose and an expressive mouth feel
- 1997 WS Rocchioli was to die for (thanks Blake) - Blake said that this may have been Burt’s last vintage. Boy… it is an amazing wine. A great testament to Burt’s prowess. One of my WOTY
- 02 WS RRV and 02 WS Sonoma County - Still drinking well but the SC was in a better place tonight than the RRV. SC was more balanced with red berries and a bit of mint. The RRV was a bit flabby this evening.
- 1983 Bellerose Vineyards Merlot. Thanks Todd! This was another treat. Had wonderful cassis and tobacco on the nose. Silky mouthfeel. Still have life ahead of it. Never heard of it until Todd related the story. Too bad they are no longer here.
A wonderful evening indeed.
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This was my 6th journey to Orange County to meet up with some on the fine folks who I met on WineBerserks over the last 10 years or so. It was apparent we needed to get face to face and carry this to another level and it happened thanks to Chris Seiber who orchestrated it.
First of all, a shout out to Jen and Todd French for not only hosting this stellar evening, but for inviting me to stay over in their wonderful home.
And another shout out to all who came and brought their lovely wives and fantastic wines.
The attendees were:
Todd and Jen French
Frank and Jill Murray
Ramon and Fe Del Rosario
Steve and Mariko Nordhoff
Andrew and Sahba Christiansen
Chris Seiber
me
The tasty food came from Maison’s sister restaurant Giana Dana Point and our menu included:
Finocchio salad
Salsa di fagioli
Baked cavatelli and cheese
Citrus roasted chicken
Roasted salmon
And the wines were:
4 champagnes:
2012 CHAMPAGNE BERECHE & FILS LE CRAN EXTRA BRUT- dosed at 3 gpl; made of 50% Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; disgorged 7/19; following its yellow gold color came aromas of straw {we call it hay in Kansas}, honeysuckle and musk; the taste had a streak of minerals to support the nice tasty peach flavor; it seemed to expand and evolve in the glass, while being very good throughout. We are off to a great start.
2008 TAITTINGER COMTES de CHAMPAGNE BLANC de BLANC- I had a spectacular bottle 2 weeks ago and it was the WOTN amongst 5 other wondrous champagnes, 4 white and 8 red Grand Cru Burgundy; 4 previous bottles demonstrated its power and depth, but were not close to being balanced, nor ready to give their fullest expression; as it turned out, this bottle took its time before it all came together, but it did so almost to the level of the previous one; the smoke and toasty brioche in the nose sent a nice invitation to explore and it had a nice citrus fruit profile headed up by lemon and lime; it certainly demonstrated that it is a powerful wine, fully loaded with layered depth and complexity, but it still needs more time for consistency providing such. My self speak is to hold for another 2 years or so- good luck Blake.
2006 TAITTINGER COMTES de CHAMPAGNE BLANC de BLANC- this was simply the epitome of grace, charm and elegance, almost the antithesis of the 2008; everything was mellow and yet fully satisfying from the nose through the finish; it had bright acidity, a really fine bead and a mildly frothy mousse that carried the nice citrus fruit all the way to the back end; loved it.
NV CHAMPAGNE CHARTOGNE-TAILLET HORS SERIE EXTRA BRUT- dosed at 4 gpl and 100% Chardonnay, this was really good with nice honeysuckle and orange zest running all the way through; it was light and easy on the pallet and yet had enough substance and weight to be more than subtle; impressive.
We had one white wine and it was a dandy:
2017 DOMAINE THOMAS MOREY MORGEOT CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1er Cru- this comes from the 10th generation of the Morey family whose first vintage was in 2007; the fruit is sourced from 2 main plots of the large Morgeot vineyard, Les Brussonnes and Les Fairendes; it was rich in minerals, nicely honeyed with citrus fruit, lemon being most evident; it had a lovely feel and finished with everything coming together. Very special.
Next up, a lineup of 11 reds:
2015 COPAIN KISER EN HAUT ANDERSON VALLEY PINOT NOIR- this sported some really fine fresh and ripe red fruit with slightly sweetened red cherry most prominent; it was medium to full bodied, had a soft mouthfeel and finished nicely on an upbeat.
2002 WILLIAMS SELYEM RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR- my childhood theater candy treat of jujube was present here so it served as an extra treat in addition to its pleasant sandalwood accented tasty fruit profile; on the palate, I got spicy red cherry/ berry, black raspberry and red plum while being delivered in a medium bodied smooth texture.
As an aside, this wine was made by Bob Cabral who took over the winemaking reigns for Burt Williams who, along with his partner Ed Selyem, sold in March, 1998 due to Ed’s poor health issues. Burt was supposed to consult for 5 years, but never could bring himself to do it in favor of allowing the winemakers to do their own thing as he recognized many stylistic differences.
2002 WILLIAMS SELYEM SONOMA COUNTY PINOT NOIR- when this was released, the winery indicated a drinking window of 2005- 2012; well, they kind of underestimated the length as this was just about at its apogee and in a great place; this is a blend of some of the “ leftovers” from some of the vineyard designates; actually the RRV was priced higher and expected to be the more serious wine, but on this night, the County had more of everything and was just a bit better IMHO; tasty red and black cherry with accents of wood spice was present all the way through.
1997 WILLIAMS SELYEM ROCHIOLI VINEYARD RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR- I pulled this bottle thinking it might be the best of all of the Burt made Pinots I have to share with the OC group as I’ve brought one for all past gatherings; I was surprised to discover it was nothing like any I’d had before; this release had more serious dark fruit than most others featuring black cherry and blackberry fruit and have been full on with density, power and complexity; however, this bottle was way different in many respects although quite good, just different; the nose had an atypical musty component, the fruit profile was more red cherry/ berry and red plum and it was medium bodied and weighted and more on the side of finesse and ease; some stated they got a cinnamon accent which I did not detect, but have found in many of Burt’s wines, especially Allen and all of the Sonoma Coast SVDs {including Coastlands, Hirsch and Summa}. Note the fill was high neck prior to decanting and the cork was atypically looong.
2005 SERAFIN PERE et FILS VIEILLES- VIGNES GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN- loved this village wine which was ready and capable giving spicy red raspberry, red cherry/ berry fruit; it had a nice feel, body and finish.
2011 MONTEVERTINE LE PEGOLE TORTE TOSCANA ROSSO- 100% Sangiovese; here’s another wine I’ve had from this hot vintage that is shining and over performing and a treat on this night with its dried red cherry/ berry fruit and accents of anise, tobacco and minerals that came in early on and held on to the end. Very enjoyable and ready.
1983 BELLEROSE VINEYARD MERLOT DRY CREEK VALLEY SONOMA COUNTY- the color was still vibrant and somewhat youthful; the nose was very fruit forward with dried red fruit which on the palate translated into wild, red cherry, red currant and cranberry; it had such a soft and smooth texture, was full bodied and showing some age with some underlying tannins and dried fruit. A treat.
1967 PRODUTTORI di BARBARESCO- speaking of treats, this was especially one that actually gained momentum with time and more air; following its light red color came fabulous aromatics of smoke and leather laden nice dried, mature red cherry/ berry that continued on in the taste profile; it was medium to full bodied with a really soft mouthfeel and held on for a pleasing finish.
2003 BRUNO GIACOSA LE ROCCHE del FALLETTO di SERRALUNGA d`ALBA- this was a wowzer and perhaps my WOTN; the lovely nose was so inviting with fresh, ripe blackberry fruit that was joined by black cherry along with accents of tar and licorice once tasted; it was rich and full bodied demonstrating lots of power and thrust yet loads of finesse and charm; the underlying tannic structure suggests this has miles to go before reaching its apogee. A solid winner.
1995 DEHLINGER RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY ESTATE BOTLE BORDEAUX BLEND- this was a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot; it was new to me and a super fine wine loaded with serious dark fruit that was suggested from its almost inky dark purple color; fresh and ripe black currant highlighted the taste profile while it was being delivered in a soft, silky smooth medium to the back end; very impressive now and has the stuffing to go many more years.
2013 RIVERS-MARIE PANEK VINEYARD ST. HELENA NAPA CABERNET SAUVIGNON- we finished the night with another fine wine, this time a young and upcoming star for future times although really good now; it had a dark purple color and started off with huge nose of black currant that was joined by licorice laden blackberry on the palate; this is big, full bodied and amazingly balanced already and would be a treasure to have in the cellar.
What an evening! The OC gang knows how to do it right and the vibe of love and passion and sharing good times, energy, wines and food abounds. I continue to count my blessings for having connected with so many wonderful folks, all made possible by forums on WineBerserkers. Thank you Todd.
Cheers,
Blake