First off, I’m so glad to finally post on this forum. I actually thought I had registered before! I am a slacker though…
I also have to admit that this thread below appeared on a, “rival bulletin board”…if you know what I mean. I know…I know.
Brian London requested that I post the notes from our recent tasting. Brian, sorry I posted this so late.
Anyway, folks, here are my notes and my inaugural post. Enjoy!
Originally posted on 06-17-09
Last night a bunch of us San Diegans got together at the Love’s to celebrate the beauty of the pinot noir grape. The Love’s have an AMAZING venue for an Off-Line and I couldn’t wait to get started!
As I watch the Laker Victory Parade on TV right now…I have goose bumps and excitement running through my body. I can’t help but compare it to the same feelings I had when people started arriving last night. As we all started filing into the house, people started unwrapping and displaying their bottles on the table. Corks started to get popped (perhaps the most beautiful sound in the WORLD!)…stems started to get distributed…and lineups and flights started being organized on the table and in my head. Finally, we all started.
The Burgs
I was most excited to try these bottles. I’ve been reading about Burgundy a lot lately. This is a region I’ve wanted to try for a long time. So I raced to the left side of the counter and dived into the three bottles displayed.
Domaine De La Vougeraie, 2001 Charmes-Chambertin, Les Mazoyeres, Grand Cru
Little cloudy, light garnet, very youthful edges. Crush rock, slight red fruit, mushroom and earth on nose. Sour cherry and rhubarb, mineral and rock on the palate. Acidity is very bright…still a very young pup. I loved this wine!
Domaine De La Vougeraie, 2002 Clos De Vougeot, Grand Cru
Light red, very youthful edges. Very minerally, menthal, and very slight fruit. Palate consistent with big acidity. This one felt much more youthful than the first.
2004 Mortet Clos De Vougeot, Grand Cru
Beautiful garnet with slight brown/orange edges. Great minerality and fruit on nose. This was a medium body, earthy, red fruit beauty. Loved the acidity and weight.
This was a great flight. What a way to get introduced to Burgundy! Next up…
The Brewer-Clifton Flight
This flight was pure destiny. I saw Brian carrying a B/C (VERY recognizable) and I feared we might have brought the same thing. But no…he brought the same year, but the Melville. I was thrilled! I thought it would be cool to try it next to my B/C 05 Clos Pepe. THEN, like a mirage, a 05 B/C Ashley’s showed up on the table! What’s the chances?! Went in the following order:
05 Brewer-Clifton Melville
Brian’s wine rocked. Just over-the-top aromatics of dancing red fruit and rhubarb. “It’s got a root beer, sassafras note”, stated Brian. Acidity is high…showing a lot of youth. This one seemed the most concentrated of the three. Brian had opened this one for five hours before we even started!
05 Brewer-Clifton Clos Pepe
Wow, what a sparkler in the glass. This one just seemed a bit more elegant. Red fruit is prominent in this one as well. I love Wes’ vineyard and fruit so much. This one also youthful and could lay down a bit.
05 Brewer-Clifton Ashley’s
Out of the three, this one felt more mature. Again, the wine in the glass is beautiful. Ripe red fruit with minor blue fruit. Acidity even and finish great.
What a great flight…we all went back and forth on our favorite. I think we all changed our minds a couple times. I still can’t decide…but I think the Ashley’s was mine. But all three were amazing.
Next…
The Battle of Sonoma
Wow…we had some big labels representing this AVA last night. Let’s get started.
03 Kosta Browne Cohn Vineyard
Garnet with young edges. Slight red fruit on nose. Palate had some fruit and vanilla…but I thought it would jump through the glass. It just seemed rather muted to me.
04 Marcassin Blue Slide Vineyard
I have to admit…I jumped for joy on the inside when I saw this bottle on the table. I’ve wanted to try this label for a long time. All I gotta say is that it lived up to everything I’ve heard. Beautiful garnet sparkler in the glass with pink edges. Nose of cranberry, pomegranate, and other bright red fruit. Little earth and mushroom as well. Palate was like cherry pie…great acidity and weight. LOVED this wine.
99 William Selyem Allen Vineyard
I got the last pour of Steve’s gem. A tad cloudy with a bit of sediment. Ripe red and blue fruit that was consistent between nose and palate. Great acidity…and a bit chewy (just kidding!).
05 Sojourn Sangiacomo Vineyard
Ahhh…how some wines just feel like home. One of my first pinots I’ve ever tasted. Craig and Erich know what they are doing. Beautiful garnet color with pink edges. A lot of red fruit…I get raspberry the most. Some spice and oak.
The Carneros Kid
05 Donum Carneros
This one stunned me. Loved this bottle. Dark, DARK garnet with grilled meats and blue fruit on the nose. Consistent with palate with some smoke and great acidity.
At this time, most of the bottles were just about empty, if not completely empty. People were leaving and a few of us were left. Then, out of nowhere, Don pulled out three cigars. Then the after party began.
Fire pit ablaze, Everett, Don, Stan, Robin and I hung out and talked for a while. What an amazing night.
Some fun/cool observations:
Ron running around like a kid in a candy store when the Burgs were opened. Especially when Dan’s 90 Serafin Cazetiers was opened. Man, did that bottle go quick!
The vision of Everett’s cellar in real life…wow.
Mark and Steve “arguing” over the barrel their wine is currently being stored in.
Don’s face when he drank the Burg.
Don’s face when he drank the Brewer-Cliftons. I think we might have opened his eyes!
Dan running around with an Hermitage and clutching it like a baby. BTW, got a glass of this…WOW! Everett or Dan, what was that label again?!
Great, informative conversations with everyone…especially with Nancy and Ron. Ron, thank you for all the great info on Burg! Hope you like the “Nightfly”.
Everett, Lisa, and family, thank you so much for hosting us last night. Your hospitality was amazing. Your home is absolutely beautiful! Can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.
I know I missed some wines…for those who attended, please fill us in on your notes. Hope I covered the wines well enough for you guys. Charlie, we missed you!
Lastly, a big thank you to the wife. Almost four months pregnant with our first born, and her husband comes home around 1am, smelling of cigar smoke, and the first thing out of her mouth, “What wine was the best?” I’m a lucky man.
BIG Bummer of the Night:
Nancy’s corked Arcadian Sta. Rita Hills pinot. Man, I wanted to try this one BAD! Felt like a punch in the gut.