Here are my TN’s from a night up in Billerica at Stelios Restaurant. The theme was cabernet based wines from the years between 1985 and 1995. It turned out to be a battle between California and France. Thanks to Ron Kramer for hosting.
Flight 1
1989 Domaine De Chevalier Rouge
Very pretty nose of red fruits, rustic cellar dust with small hints of black olives. Palate is very focused with tart raspberries, touches of wild game, thyme and soft oak. Nice dab of baking spices with more tart fruits on the finish. Lightest colored wine of the flight with noticeable bricking in color. Tannins are almost fully resolved. Started to fade a bit in the glass, probably time to drink up.
1994 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou
Much more concentrated nose than the last wine. Dark black fruits with a lot more muscle. Oak, blueberry, crème de casis that is extremely layered and intertwined. Nose also gives many secondary nuances with cool forest floor, underbrush and earth. Palate is very structured with really nice balance and finesse. Toasted cinnamon, ginger and fresh ground pepper dominate the spice profile. Wraps up with sweet glycerin like tannins and a long sticking finish. Lovely sweet fruit, charred oak and peppercorn wrap it all up, great wine!!
1989 Chateau Meyney
Much more earth and fresh greens nose than the last wine. Fresh black olives, brambly fruits with blackberries and boysenberries. Hints of plum and pomegranate which really made this fruit profile interesting, all packed into the nose layered with herbs. Fresh sage and a hint of cool menthol round out the herbs. Mouthfeel is very dry with mouth puckering tannins still present. Fruit is expansive, covering all the taste buds with balance. Soft muted dusty plums with more olives and basil fill the mouth overwhelming the senses. Very complete wine and enjoyable.
1995 Chateau Pichon-Longueville-BaronWow, what a monster right out of the glass. Smoky oak, fresh road tar, dark black fruits with a huge perfume aspect to the nose. Dry palate with plenty of tannins to make this wine last for many more years. Softens up a bit right after the entry with silky glycerin like fruits, fresh whipping cream and blackberries. Lots of secondary nuances as well like fresh redwood, sappy molasses and oak. Seems like this wine is just starting to come together, give it a few more years.
Flight 2
1990 Ridge Monte Bello
OMG, what a beautiful nose that jumps out of the glass and fills the senses. Extremely perfume, toasty oak, the smallest touch of sweet fruit, loads of Asian spices and herbs. Hard to describe the nose but it was just so damn sexy, it was hard to not like it. Palate is even more refined as a beautifully made wine with impeccable balance. Soft red fruits intertwine with ginger, earth and oak to make this the complete package. Tannin structure is hiding in the background as well. You can tell it is still there, but it does not dominate any one profile. Everything in this wine comes together in perfect harmony. By no means is this wine done evolving, but it would be hard not to drink as it is so damn good.
1990 Dominus Estate
These wines seemed very Bordeaux like within the flight and rightfully so. Very earth nose with floral notes, lilacs, mossy tree trunk all rolled with luscious raspberries. Palate is still pretty big with good structure and a decent amount of back end tannins. Fruit in the middle is very luscious and it compliments the oak nicely. This wine came together a bit once it sat in the glass. It seems as if it needed air for all the elements to balance out. Secondary nuances built up a bit such as cellar dust, menthol and sweet fruit peeking in the back. Nice wine that needed air to show its full potential.
1995 Chateau Rauzan-Segla
Back to Bordeaux in this flight, just for a second. Much more muted nose which need air to open up. Sweet cherry cola in the most delicate way possible. Nose is extremely delicate with the fruits being extremely soft, supple but not boring at all. Hints of red apple skin, ground walnuts and olive branches make for a complex nose. Palate is very interesting as well. Wet stones, silky soft fruit, earth and sweet oak make for a beautiful wine. It was hard to come up with descriptors for this as it was all so intertwined. Really balanced and drinking nicely.
1994 Ridge Monte Bello
Tight nose but peeking through is sweet cherries and strawberries. Very creamy nose with hints of vanilla, oak and more fruits. This wine seemed very new world in comparison, to the other but still very enjoyable. Palate is loaded with more sweet glycerin fruit, graham cracker pie crust, cinnamon and other baking spices. Fruit intermixes with the spices to give it a brambly touch. Too young when compared with the other wines, but still enjoyable even though the tannin structure seems a bit disjointed with all of the other components. This wine is a baby rock star in training and just needs to sleep for a few more years.
Flight 3
1991 Andersons Conn Valley Reserve
Complete balance is what this wine is all about. Although it screams CA, balance and finesse are still present. Tannins are fully resolved and the fruit may just start to be fading, but enough to keep it going. Nose gives off sweet cocoa powder, cola fruits and cassis under the slightest hint of vanilla oak. Palate is graceful and balanced with a lot more dark baking chocolate, red fruits, cooking spices and toasty oak. Started to pick up some secondary nuances like eucalyptus and the ever so slightest touch of mint. I thought that this wine started to fade a bit in the glass and it might be time to drink up. Nicely made bottle of wine which really represents the old Napa style.
1992 Beringer Private Reserve
Nose gives off sweet candied cherries intermixed with a strawberry reduction sauce. Lots of sweet vanilla oak, fresh whipping cream and fruit are all present. Palate is an exact duplicate of the nose with tons of candied fruit, strawberry syrup, and spice. Glycerin fruit describes this wine the best with a very silky and creamy mouth feel. I love that this wine was very sweet and extracted, but some how managed to not go over the top. Balance was here on the palate where nothing got too out of control. Good tannin structure is still present and this wine could age gracefully for a few more years.
1994 Chateau Angelus
I was having a tough time with this bottle. I thought it may have been a bit off and not showing as well as it should have. Nose was completely wild and very CDP in nature. Touches of horse hair, gamey meats and coffee are all present. Seemed a touch bretty, but nothing out of control. Hints of dark fruits and cocoa were also peeking behind everything else. Palate was also very interesting as well. Stewy raspberries, tree sap and oak are all present. Interesting as this has a lot of structure still left, but it may have needed more air. Fruit was a little thin and I was slightly disappointed with this wine. I expected much more from it.
1993 Cain Five
Interesting nose with not too much going on. Dusty fruit, small hints of spice and oak which got better in the glass, gaining weight. Palate was refined with all of the tannins resolved for the most part. I don’t think this wine was made for the long haul as it seemed a tad soft and underwhelming. Muted red fruits, fresh herbs, eucalyptus and pepper dominate the palate. Enjoyable wine, but I think its best years are behind it. Nice and graceful but not overpowering.
For the finish:
1975 Chateau Caillou Sauternes
Wow, this is a great bottle of sticky. Nose gives off fresh cream, crème Brule, candied apricots, peaches and pears. Very layered nose with hints of lemon meringue, orange zest and more cream. Palate was very luscious, but not too fat and oily. This wine seemed to be in a sweet spot right not with impeccable balance. Hints of vanilla, lilacs, more burnt sugar, and boiled peaches all topped with more fresh whipping cream. Not overpowering or cloying in any way shape or form. Beautiful example of what 30 years of cellaring can do to these wines!
1990 Hugel Tokay Pinot Gris
Had a few small sips but didn’t spend too much time with this wine. Nose had a touch of petrol to it, but not overpowering. Sweet nose of pears and apricots. Palate seemed to be very balanced and not too sweet, enjoyable!