TN: February HDH Auction Wines

WINE TALK
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Had a fun post-birthday at Tru during the HDH auction and luncheon. Thanks to the HDH and Tru teams for their hospitality and genorosity…always a first rate event. Also, thanks to everyone who was so generous with sharing their great wines with me.

HDH AUCTION - Tru - Chicago, IL (2/8/2014)

  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée - France, Champagne
    Nice bready notes. with pears, minearls and yeast. Nice way to kick the day off. (91 pts.)
  • 1971 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
    The assemblage this year must have been a bit heavy in the cab franc as the nose had beautifully peppery and red-fruited tones. I loved the palate here, it was soft, floral and had some really nice dusty red fruits. Hints of balsamic make me think this is pretty close to its apogee. Super yum. (93 pts.)
  • 2004 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Wait. Is this JJ Prum? No, it’s just sulphured out the wazoo! Palate is still very young, but has nearly perfect composition. Wonderful concentration of lime, flint, pear, and lemon with sizzling acidity. Love the flinty notes, and sweet lemon character. Super chardonnay. (95 pts.)
  • 2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
    Nose of key lime, sweet lemons, and flint. Loved the tropical notes on the palate and how rocky and flinty it was. Great Meursault that has the appellation’s weight and elegance. (91 pts.)
  • 1961 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
    Beautifully spicy nose of red fruit, tobacco, and balsamic. Palate was lush, vibrant, layered, and just perfectly balanced. Loved this wine and thought it had the elegance, power and complexity you’d expect from this Chateau in this vintage. (95 pts.)
  • 2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
    Lots of vibrant, juicy, powerful fruit. Good deal of flint, pear, and apple. Nice length, and vibrancy…certainly a powerful wine. (91 pts.)
  • 2002 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Nice wine with a lot of sweet fruit, mineral and some mushroomy notes. Fresh palate, but had a distinct sweetness to it. Liked it a lot. (91 pts.)
  • 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Lots of structure, but the berries/tar/florals were singing. The tannins on the end were sweet and firm. Should provide a lot of enjoyment over the coming decades. (92 pts.)
  • 1989 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
    Super fresh champagne. Layers of florals and orchard fruit notes on the nose. I was just blown away with how firm, fresh and exciting the palate was here. Lots of freshly squeezed citrus nose, with a subtle funky earthy note. This is what champagne should taste like. (95 pts.)
  • 1967 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Nose was gorgeous. Lots of funky earth, tea, fallen leaves, and pomegranate. Palate had some edgy notes, high-toned red fruits, damp earth and florals. I liked this quite a bit, lots of charm and elegance. (92 pts.)
  • 1988 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
    This is the kind of spicy, dense aromatic nose I just love in Burgundy. Some brown sugar on the palate, but mostly a melange of cherry, currant, pomegranate, earth, and florals. Great length, and balance too. Lovely stuff. (93 pts.)
  • 1991 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
    A really nicely composed Meo. Funky (in a good way) nose of fallen leaves, red fruit and earth. Still a powerful wine at 23 years of age with the denser Meo-esque palate, Some brown sugar, some black cherry, and lots of damp earth. Beautiful wine with tons of elegance and class. (94 pts.)
  • 1967 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Showing so well right now. A nice dose of balsamic isn’t off-putting but came across more elegant and floral. Lovely stuff from start to finish. (93 pts.)
  • 2011 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
    P O W E R H O U S E. Intense lemons, and rocks. I loved its smokey, flinty notes and how rich and acidic the lemons/limes were. (95 pts.)
  • 2000 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
    Wow, this was amazing. So dusty, and meaty. Incredible complexity and layers of fruit, earth and florals. Hard to ask for much more. (96 pts.)
  • 1971 Domaine Pierre Gelin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
    Showed some corky notes at first, but soon those morphed into just plain funky notes. The palate was awesome with lots of savory, and meaty notes. Mushrooms, floral notes, and earth. Showing incredibly well. (94 pts.)
  • 2005 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
    Lovely riesling with lots of pears, lychee and peach. Palate had the 2005 lushness but wonderful balance too. Another great bottle. (92 pts.)
  • 2003 Nicolas Potel Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
    Lots of sweet red fruit on the nose. Super sap. Big fruit, and lacking in complexity. At the end of the day, this is a very delicious pinot but the heat in 2003 stripped this of the earthiness it could have developed. (88 pts.)
  • 1949 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
    Beautifully dusty nose with red fruits and balsamic. Palate had lots of sappy red fruit and dried florals. Still had great concentration and balance. Amazing bottle. (95 pts.)
  • 2002 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein #18 - Germany, Nahe
    Beautiful amber color. The has tones of sweet peach, lychee, mushroom, and pear. Intense apricot and pear on the palate, but searing acidity too. (96 pts.)
  • 1985 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru
    Beautiful earthy notes on the nose. Lots of roses, earth, and red fruit. Not a powerhouse on the palate, this was more elegant and charming. Lithe cherry, pomegranate and floral notes. Served a bit cold, but I thought this was quite good. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Some very nice wines there.

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Wish I had gone!

I managed to snag a 1990 Produttori Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva which seems to have come from this same collection via HDH retail; seems like it should age for a few decades yet, eh? I have zero experience in Barbaresco at this point, but the price was too good to pass up what looked like a killer bottle.

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Great line up of wines. Might have to pick up some 00 Dujac CdlR if it’s showing as well as your TN.

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Looks like a nice lineup.

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sweet 6 pound, seven ounce, baby jesus.

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May 17th… [cheers.gif]

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Marking my premiere at hdh? :stuck_out_tongue:

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I can’t make the March auction but I’ll def be back for the May one.

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I’ll be there too! Party time friday night? flirtysmile

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Sounds like a plan.

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I’ve never been to an HDH auction/tasting at Tru. Hoping to make the next one my first. What’s the protocol/etiquette? Do people bring their own to share? I used to go to the pre-auction tastings for the firm that was bought by Acker (can’t remember the name), but that was set up by the auction house and for a fee (I will say that I miss those tastings…). Thanks

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I think you are thinking of Edward Roberts.

For the auction at Tru it is up to you… People do bring wines and that is becoming more of a trend at the HDH auctions. HDH does provide wine throughout the sale, always a champagne to start then different wines throughout the day. You can always order from the Tru wine list which does have some nice things on there at reasonable prices. The Tru staff is there to help and assist. You can share if you like but obviously there is no obligation to do so. I’d say try and meet up with some other WB’ers, share a table and enjoy.

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Cool. Thanks. My cellar has nothing of the caliber of the above, but it sounds like a good time.

Yes, Edward Roberts. I always enjoyed those tastings.