White Burgundy
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2009 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
I’ve rarely seen a wine this pale before. The wine has shed any primary fruit in favor of saline, briny, and mineral flavors. There is also perceptible oak still that will no doubt integrate with time. The texture and density were quite sleek and I would also hope that it fleshes out over time. Still the wine is very good now and has the materials to really shine with future time in the cellar. I would hold off on drinking these for 3 or more years. (92 pts.) -
1996 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
The wine is a dark shade of yellow and beginning to show its age. The flavors are starting to turn a bit secondary with some nuttiness to compliment citrus fruit and minerals. There is also still good delineation of the flavor components and freshness. I would say this one is at peak or perhaps on a long gentle decline. The Pucelles is my favorite wine with the Leflaive lineup and this bottle enforced that assertion. (94 pts.)
Riesling
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1999 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
The color is still straw yellow but the wine has entered into secondary development. This is an old school spatlese and is not very sweet or heavy. It still has ample acidity and is stacked with minerality and balanced by crisp apple fruit. Some at the table thought this may have been better in its youth, but I think it’s perfect now. (95 pts.) -
1997 Nikolaihof Riesling Vinothek - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Golden yellow and very youthful for a white wine at 20 years old. This is wine that is aging on it’s acid and still has plenty to burn. Its chalky and crunchy and reminds me more of the white burgundies from a few flights ago than the Muller Spatlese that it is paired. Quite an interesting wine and I can’t say I’ve had too many dry Rieslings like this. (93 pts.)
1999 Austrians
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1999 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Von den Terrassen - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
From the Roy Welland collection. Perfect bottle. The color is still quite light yellow and the wine shows incredible freshness. This wine demonstrates the density and layers that can be found in a lot of the 1999 Austrian wines. The fruit was in the lemon/grapefruit spectrum but very intense and layered attacking in waves. The texture of the wine was perfect. It coats the palate but feels so refreshing with subtle acidity that lends completeness and makes you want to come back for sip after sip. Great showing. (95 pts.) -
1999 Nigl Grüner Veltliner Senftenberger Piri Privat - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
The color is light orange and the wine is tired. I’m not sure what happened here. Maybe a bad cork. NR (flawed)
2002 Burgundy
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2002 Domaine René Engel Clos Vougeot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Corked. Doh! NR (flawed) -
2002 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
The regal pedigree of this wine is undeniable. The texture is classic Fourrier - incredibly plush and just pampers the palate. This is a cerebral wine which offers savory elements, spices, and minerals as opposed to glossy ripe fruit. This is drinking well now but patience may be rewarded as the fine tannin recedes and the wine continues to develop. (94 pts.)
Mature Bourdeaux
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1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Corked! NR (flawed) -
1989 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Popped and decanted for an hour. I was worried that this might be too young but boy was i wrong. The wine was incredibly rich and oozed cassis fruit. The tannin was fine and integrated. There was no obvious oak. I’d say this is clearly in the zone and will stay there for quite some time. This is classic Montrose at its best. (95 pts.)
The Rhone
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1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
There was some spritz in the wine and this just wan’t quite right. NR (flawed) -
2001 Thierry Allemand Cornas Sans Soufre - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
At fifteen years of age this wine is still quite dark in color and exhibiting quite a bit of glossy, sweet, fruit. The fruit reminds me of ripe blackberries. The purity and concentration of the flavors is striking. I would say this is bordering on modern but it never feels heavy or overdone. (95 pts.)
Sauternes
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1967 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Dark orange in color. There is still plenty of acidity left but the fruit has left this wine. There are some burnt sugar and caramel notes. It is interesting but not exactly my thing. I think I might have liked this better 10 years ago. -
1986 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
My third bottle over the past 7 years and it’s amazing how similar this showing is to the other 2. Here is what I had to say the other two times. This wine is in a great place right now. Baking spices and honey on the nose. Layered with spice, sweetness, and acidity on the finish. Over time the sweetness became more pronounced, but not overly so. A very enjoyable, complex, Sauternes. (94 pts.)