Some wines from a recent dinner with good friends:
NV BOLLINGER SPECIAL CUVEE BRUT- made of 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier sourced from more than 300 crus, including 85% grands and premiers crus; 15% fermented in old oak barrels; this was had so much elegance and yet was rich and complex with nice acidity and fresh citrus notes all the way through; there is a bit of a toasty accent to the definitive creme brûlée, ginger infused lemon, baked apple and pear fruit; it was so easy on the palate and had enough substance to make this more than just an easy quaffer.
2005 QUPE BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD RESERVE BLOCK ELEVEN SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHARDONNAY- the golden color gave me pause to ascertain it was not oxidized and thankfully it was just the perfect hue to compliment this amazing Chard; the nose had inviting caramel and honeysuckle accents to the golden delicious apple which continued on to be joined by papaya, honeydew melon and orange zest; it had a creamy texture, lots of depth and layered complexity; in other words, it was in a really good place and enjoyed by all.
2017 GYPSY DANCER LEGACY WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT NOIR- I’ve been a fan of this label since 2005 when we visited the winery and met the owner/winemaker, Gary Andrus, formerly of Pine Ridge and Archery Summit, who passed in 2009; thanks to his wife, Christine, the brand has continued on as some of the winemakers Gary mentored have stepped in to make the wines; this one is a lovely, super fruity and pleasing Pinot that is showing well now and has enough structure to allow it to evolve and mature to even greater heights as evidenced by it continual change for the better in the glass even though it was decanted in the morning; the aromatics and taste profile included fresh red cherry with hints of raspberry and strawberry along with a touch of rose petals; it is lovely now with high expectations down the road.
2014 KENDALL-JACKSON JACKSON ESTATE MOUNT VEEDER NAPA CABERNET SAUVIGNON- aged 20 months in 84% French oak, 45% new; it was decanted in the morning; this cool climate Cab had an inky dark purple color complimenting its vibrant, energetic youthful persona; as big and bold as the wine is, it was still very approachable and generously giving up its treasures which consisted of cedar, tar and leather accented black currant, plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit; this is a very serious concentrated wine with lots of complexity, soft tannins and a long, satisfying finish; it’s built for the long run and probably has another 20 years to go before reaching its apogee, but we enjoyed it in its pubescent stage fully realizing its potentially high ceiling.
Cheers,
Blake