A Coalition of the Willing showed up at Taverna Khione in Brunswick on Saturday for the 2nd edition of this now annual event.
The theme was wines that may be over the hill. Everybody brings their dubiousities, we taste, discuss, drink and eat.
I get a little frazzled preparing for this, so I took no written notes. Here are very abbreviated notes; hopefully other attendees will fill in.
Most of the wines were really good or better, showing their age but ageing beautifully.
Last year I provided all of the wines; this year most board people brought one or several bottles. Iâm hesitant to not praise any gift, but will call them as I tasted them⊠there were some bottles that were more noteworthy for survival than quality.
2016 Drouhin-Laroze Bourgogne La Roze Rose - Served blind, this was a nicely balanced Pinot Noir, I guessed it at 7 years; pleasant and balanced despite not showing much freshness.
1996 Duplessis Chablis 1er Cru âMontmainsâ - One of my wines, to me a star of the evening, still vivid with crisp acidity and nice stony and herbal notes.
1986 JasniĂšres Saint Jacques
1988 JasniĂšres SĂ©lecton de Raisins Nobles (vinified dry) -
I didnât taste the 1986 (apparently corked), the â88 was pleasant, still fresh but without the character of the best Chenins.
1999 Brundlmayer GrĂŒner Veltliner Alte Reben - By far the oldest Gruner Iâve had, this was a real pleasure, fully secondary but with nice wiry acidity and deep subtlety.
2011 Marc Morey Chassagne 1er Blanche Dessots - A classic, probably at peak, nice depth, a surprising hint of tropical fruit along with some flowers, excellent balance.
2015 Goubard Bourgogne Blanc Chalonnaise - My contribution and always a favorite. This entry-level (pricewise) Bourgogne Blanc overdelivers, ages easily a decade with a light to medium gold color, nice notes of mineral, herbs and a touch of grass. Tastes to me like a cross between a good entry-level Chablis and a village Saint-Aubin.
1969 Yquem - Deep gold, the aromas were astonishing, with honey and roses. The palate was amazingly rich and fresh, the balance impeccable, the texture as broad as an ocean. For me clearly the WOTN!
1988 Yquem - This excellent vintage (from 375ml) was at least as dark as the 1969, showed a lot of finesse but seemed callow next to the older, far less reputed vintage.
2001 Yquem - Considered a great vintage, it was still a light gold color. The aromas were less open, but the palate had great power, depth and breadth, an infant just beginning to show the world who it is.
2001 Rieussec - An excellent showing, more open if not as fine as the â01 Yquem, this was perhaps the best match with the buttered lobster we served with it.
2001 Suduiraut - Missed it, darn it.
1964 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos - Almost tar-black, great aromas of honey, molasses and still some fresh hints of citrus, very ripe orange. A real beauty.
2002 Bouchard Corton - Aromas of mostly black fruit (raspberry, cherry) in a fresh, solid vibrant bottle that is foursquare in a good way⊠big, burly, polite, trustworthy, a pleasure to have around.
2002 Michel Gros Vosne Romanee 1er Cru âClos des Reasâ - paired with the previous, this was lighter in body, but with more finesse; black and red fruits accompanied by lovely floral notes and an almost lacy texture, a beauty probably at peak. Bravo!
1975 Chateau Lanessan - My last bottle and at 50 years a sturdy, tough yeoman. Simple black fruit, a touch of tobacco, lots of fine mostly resolved tannins and good balancing acidity.
1975 Cantenac Brown - Served alongside the Lanessan, it was good but distinctly older, with some browning not just in color but aroma and flavor. Tannins resolved, there is enough fruit left to enjoy, but definitely fading.
1976 Pichon Lalande - Three 1976 wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone were served together. This was the undisputed star. Deep healthy color, clear red-and-blackcurrant aromas were followed by a rich but muscular palate with excellent subtlety and a long finish.
1976 Clerget Volnay 1er Clos de Versueil - In contrast to the previous, this was delicate, with some fine but fading fruit still present, but clearly thinning out and not of great interest.
1976 Clos des Papes - Some brown in the color, the aromas here offered some nice tomato fruit but also some dead-leaf earthiness. The palate was similar with enough fruit to enjoy but with tertiary anonymity beginning to take over. To me, the richness made it better than the previous; both quite drinkable, neither at the top of its game.
1979 Chateau Haut-Brion - Decanted about an hour ahead. Still good medium to dark crimson color. The aromas feature currant, plum and tobacco, with a nice hint of fresh-turned earth. On the palate this is medium bodied and balanced, but without the vivacity and intensity of great Haut-Brion. Still a wonderful glass.
1979 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion - To me, this was similar to the Haut-Brion, but showed more freshness in both aromas and palate. There was more vigor here. I preferred it to the Haut-Brion, but Iâd gladly have either again.
1982 Cantenac Brown - Served with two other Cab-based 1982s. In much better shape than the 1975, this was mature, harmonious, polite, well-balanced with good mostly red fruit and nice solidity.
1982 Branaire - This was a little better than the previous, with more freshness and vivacity. More black fruit than red, this tasted deeply of Cabernet, with a nice but surprising briary note.
1982 Montelena Estate Cab - The aromas were still nicely fresh, a little more so than the previous bottles, even balance of red and black fruit, medium-bodied but solid and complete all the way through. There was a nice cedary note and a long finish. For these three wines, a toss-up between this and Branaire, with Cantenac Brown a respectful step behind.
1986 Montelena Estate Cab - I missed what was apparently one of the best wines of the evening!?!
1989 Beringer PR Cab - This was showing well, fully secondary but far from gone. Pleasant, a little weedy, lots of plum showing through and tannins fully resolved. Tasted blind, I might have guessed Merlot.
1989 Sociando-Mallet - Another sterling showing for a Cru Bourgeois, this had loads of fresh red fruit, a distinct peppery note, lots of vigor and fine balance.
1990 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape âCuvee Reserveeâ - I liked this just fine, but last year my last bottle of the 1989 was a shooting star while this was a pleasant bottle of Chateauneuf. Others liked it better. Open and still fresh tomato and herb aromas, rich in body, warm and friendly, but lacks the immediacy of great Pegau.
1966 Louis Martini Zinfandel Mountain Cuvee - This was excellent, lots of black fruit, surprisingly still a little stony and mineral, not remotely showing its age, a brawny mouthful that brought a smile to my face and went superbly with my lamb chop.
1953 Bodegas Bilbainas Rioja Viña Pomal Reserva Especial - Another treat, aromas more secondary than tertiary, amazingly still some strawberry fruit that was a treat although it faded quickly. Earthy and intricate, this was noteworthy for much more than Ÿ of a century.
WOTN: 1969 Chateau dâYquem
Runners-up:
â96 Duplessis, â64 Tokaji, â02 Vosne, â76 Pichon, â82 Montelena, â66 Zin
Whew! What a wonderful evening.
To all the board members who were there: Please please add your tasting notes to my very incomplete sketches.
As always, Taverna Khione offers exceptional food and service. The warm and welcoming staff even helped us drink! The camaradarie, this year as last, was wonderful, with my local friends mingling freely with wine geeks trying frantically to absorb all of the good and sometimes wonderful aromas and flavors of the wine and food.
My deep thanks to everybody who came and contributed.
. Needless to say, I am always reassured & excited to have them next to me at my table.
. Many thanks to Greg for bringing a rare 2016 Drouhin-Laroze Bourgogne La Roze Rose (en Magnum) for a beautiful blind. I had thought southern France Rose (or possibly Loire), but the fruit is Gevrey. It had lovely aromatics and a relaxed finish. Very much in the Provencal style of high quality table rose.
