It’s been quite some time since our local tasting group met, so we made arrangements, and chose Pessac Leognan as a quasi theme. Everything turned out great!
We started with cheese, chestnuts, caramelized onions and crackers and a 2021 Ultramarine ‘Blanc de Blancs’ [Sonoma Coast], disgorged recently on 12/1/25. This was the first time I’d tried this cult favorite and I agreed with others that there was some white pepper on the light bodied sparkly. My better half quite liked it.
Sitting down to a green salad, we had a pair of 2019 whites which were the 2019 Thomas Rivers Brown ‘B. Theriot Vineyard’ Chardonnay [Sonoma Coast] and the 2019 Ch. Climens ‘Asphodele’ Grand Vin Blanc Sec [Bordeaux]. I liked the TRB but didn’t seem to take any notes on it, focusing instead on the dry semillion from Berenice Lurton. It’s lower alcohol at 12% abv, but has a rich waxy mouthfeel. Unsurprisingly, it tastes like a dessert wine that is not sweet. I remember listening to a podcast on this (new) bottling and it seems like a rational response from the producer to the soft demand for botryized wines.
Next were a pair of Sonoma pinots, with fried trout and cold beets. The 2023 Williams Selyem ‘Terra de Promissio Vyd’ Pinot Noir [Sonoma Coast] was youthful, purple and showed allspice plus fall baking notes. 13.5% abv. Next to it was the 2017 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir [Russian River Valley] which was all lush fruit and cocoa / cola types of flavors. 14.3% abv. Both of these are producers I seldom taste so that was a pleasure.
We then cleared the table for the main course, beef bourgogne over polenta, and the red Graves. The 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion [Pessac Leognan] was deep in flavor, with a red fruit character. 13% abv. If an enthusiast was worried about how this hot year has/would/will develop, it’s is doing fine today. At the same time it’s little brother, the 2000 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion is very good. Tannins are now soft, but there is still some structure. 12.5% abv. Fun to see this again, as I had not had one in 15+ years. We discussed how although the name remains the same, the grapes / vats going into this today are different now. The 13.5% abv 2000 Pape Clement [Pessac Leognan] was another very complete rouge - chewy, tobacco, grippy. Just lovely. The last of the quartet was the 1999 Haut Bailly [Pessac Leognan] which was balanced, sweet, with pipe smoke aromas. 12.5% abv. Just a little more elegant that the 3 other powerful Graves. Nearly all the wines had been cellared from release and we just slow ox’ed them, opening them upon arrival.
After taking a breather, we committed our second Geneva Convention infraction (the first was red wine with white fish) and had a Barsac with a fabulous chocolate cake. The 2003 Coutet [Barsac] continues to be a honeyed, glaceed apricot styled example of this usually lithe property.
It was a great time, and we were lucky with how superb all the wines showed. All the red Graves would be solid A’s in my ledger. I look forward to getting the group together more often!
