Six of us got together in Annapolis for a dinner with wines before the holidays arrive. First, I have to say, the wines for the most part showed extremely well. It’s rare that so many wines demand your attention in one sitting. Hell, even the whites were phenomenal! Here are some informal mental notes taken:
09 Ygrec (Yquem dry white)- this one is so much richer with more structure than the recently tasted 06 and 08. Just amazing what Yquem was able to pull from this grape. I’d be happy to own many cases of this in my cellar. Not cheap by any means for a white but still worth the tariff IMO. (96pts)
2010 Antica Terra Phantasi- Shizam! This Rousanne is a whopper! Giant oily slickster that just coats the mouth. Beautifully balanced. Not for the faint of heart. I love it! (93pts)
2009 Beaucastel Blanc- the VV I tasted recently way too young. The standard bottling is right in the sweet spot. Fat, oily, rich, decadent with everything showing nicely. I’d say wait 3-5yrs on the VV and instead drink this one in the meantime. Great! (94pts)
2009 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc- what a beautiful young Bordeaux blanc! This one is still a baby but has a TON of structure. Already drinking well but will improve with 3-5yrs of age. BUY BUY BUY! (96pts)
06 Morlet La Proportion Doree- while I’ve always enjoyed Morlet’s chards, I’ve never tried their Semillon/Sauv Blanc. This one was a treat. Six years in, this one will drink well for quite awhile. For $60 on the mailing list, a cool white to own. (91pts)
78 DRC St Vivant- I was curious to find out how this bottle would show not completely comfortable with the provenance. The label was beat to hell and had the Leroy importer label still attached. What we found inside was absolutely breath taking! My first impression…this is tasting WAY too young. Beautiful nose and palate of sweet ripe fruit with confectionary sugar. Beautifully ripe fruit and drinking like a Burg with 10-12yrs of age. Was it a fake? All signs based on the physical bottle alone said no way. After 30 minutes in the glass, this COMPLETELY changed. It started showing age with beautiful tertiary flavors of leather, soy, earth while the fruit kept giving. Words just can’t describe the experience. (99pts)
01 Leroy Savigny Narbantons- cloudy in the glass that continued on for the duration. A simply stunning nose of sweet ripe fruit with not the slightest hint of green or vegetables. The palate took about 30 minutes to catch up to the nose but did come around and fleshed out nicely. Not quite the velvet mouthfeel that made the DRC so special but amazing none-the-less. I don’t have all that much experience with Leroy but after last night…I’m a buyer! (97pts)
06 Rayas CdP Reserve- Was REALLY looking forward to having the 06 and 07 back-to-back and these did not disappoint. The 06 was pure white pepper in the glass with beautifully elegant soft red fruit. I’ll say it again…Rayas is year in and year out the BEST CdP…PERIOD! Such a feminine wine that just slid across the palate with grace and ease. (97pts)
07 Rayas CdP Reserve- If the 06 was a Porsche, than the 07 is the Ferrari. Less white pepper and more cracked black peppercorn with sweeter, richer fruit. Perfectly balanced and a wine that no one would ever consider heavy or overripe. Pure velvet. How they do it I’ll never know. I only wish more CdP producers would lean towards this style as too many today are making blackberry liquors. (98pts)
97 Dalla Valle Maya- Once again, this wine disappoints. I’ve never had a good bottle. No…I didn’t say great…I said never even had a GOOD bottle. This wine is nothing but pine sap, alcohol and a funk that just doesn’t fit. If you own it, sell it or give it away to your enemies (83pts)
06 Kapcsandy State Lane- this wine is a fruit bomb but in a good way. Lots of vanilla and creamy raspberries and blueberries. Completely fun wine that is just fun to drink. Great quality. (93pts)
05 Beaucastel- none of the classic Beaucastel funk. Clean fruit and well balanced. One of the better Beaucastel’s I’ve had. (93pts)
98 Mon Aieul CdP- slightly corked.
05 Mordoree Plume Peintre- this is just a massive wine! Silly concentration. Opened hot and disjointed but after a few hours of decanting, it started to come together. Not a style for the more restrained classic CdP drinker but interesting none-the-less. (93pts)
