2010 Merry Edwards Sav Blanc
Melons and spice and everything nice. Big, round and deep. Creamy, light on acidity but still with some crispness. Modern expression, lovely style. Kiss of oak. (second bottle this evening drinking splendidly as well - can Merry Edwards misstep with Sav Blanc?)
2007 Copain Syrah Thompson
Pop and pour. Purple to black. Black olives, Asphalt freshly poured. Tarry, meaty with opulent dark fruits. Slight salinity. Touch of heat on the finish, expected from the souther location of this vineyard. Thompson is not a great expression of this winery’s new focus, but a damn fine “big” California syrah that has not blown to the dark side. (circling back four hours later with the 1/2 glass remnants in bottle, the wine has picked up some earthy truffles and mushroom notes finished with dark coffee). Begrudgingly, given my Francophile tendencies, this is my WOTN and appears to be the group favorite as well. Should have poured the Copain with the filet bourguignon dinner.
2009 Joguet Chinon Clos de las Dioterie
Tough to follow a monster like the Copain Thompson with a typically more nuanced wine like something from Chinon. but 09 Chinon is big, ripe. Still amazed by how purple this Chinon is. Decanted for two hours. Florals blew out from the decanter during a swirl, leaving me in anticipation. Still tight, but delicious green apple peel and bell pepper plus spice. Very drying, clamping tannins at this point. A prior pop and pour showed better. Forget about this wine for now.
2003 Chateau Saint-Pierre
I will profess to not being a huge fan of this very ripe vintage, but I have been beguiled by this wine. Luscious baby fat in its infancy, lovely earth-tones at eight years of age. Very approachable with moderately chewy tannins. Relatively moderate alcohol for this vintage. Sweet black fruits, black licorice and tar. Lovely wine, if not modern in style.
2007 Vieux Telegraphe
Stylistically well out of place in the line-up. Lighter In weight but not alcoholic punch. Sweet dark liqueur, black licorice. Heat, too much heat. I cannot get my hands around this vintage. It’s a love-hate thing going on. Some 07s have stunned me; some have crushed me. The VT is a typical fave of mine, but I withhold judgment for 07. My first VT from this vintage.
2005 Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey
Yummy baby fat. Not an overly complex Sauternes, but a lip-smacking pleasure following a heavy dinner. Honey, quince and spice cake. Cuts a mild Cuban cigar well. An early maturing Sauternes.
2007 Chateau Myrat
Another very youthful and fatty Sauternes, but this one richer and more flamboyant. Perhaps one of the better values right now in this otherwise exceptionally well priced appellation in Bordeaux. I bought a case of 375s and have probably killed half of them. Opulent, honeyed fruits, lower acidity citrus based fruits. Dried apricots. Papaya. Nutmeg. Almost, almost a subtle perception of maple syrup. Pure, unadulterated pleasure. Would prefer more lift, but digging this youngster.
Append: Enjoying leftover Joguet this evening, Sunday (about 1/3 bottle remained). Humbling how the evolution of wine, even over a 24-hour period, can baffle. Sometimes it’s like catching a fleeting whisper. This wine is open tonight. Still chewy and requiring maturation, but the drying tannins have resolved to a more chalky note. Wild raspberry purée and cigarette ash come to the fore. Grainy. Course. Earth and minerals. Tangy finish. Simply gorgeous.
PS. Gotta love the iPhone “notes” App. Allowed me to sneak away for 30 or so seconds to record notes contemporaneously. Wife thought I was texting girlfriend, though.