I am grateful to Mike to organize a dinner at El Encanto. Food was, many said, the best they’ve had, and service was also very good. @Blake_Brown was unable to attend this one, but I was very happy to have an hour with him beforehand to catch up. Good discussions about a lot of things and wonderful wines. Thanks to all. We were 8 in total and I particularly enjoyed meeting and talking with Noah, a younger member of the group (Tom, Bill, Tom, Dennis, Mike and Dennis rounded out our group).
2006 Taittinger CdC
Brioche and lemonbread combined with apple pie waft up the glass. Oh-so-yum. Blissful mouthfuls of wine here Flows through the mouth and down the throat beautifully with equal part yellow and white fruit. Truly classic Champers showing in a great place, it’s almost unfair to start with this. Narrowly for me, WOTN
2008 Gosset Celebris Brut Rose
I brought this. Grapefruit and unripe watermelon. Tangy citrus. Super drive and precision. Raspberry and grapefruit in equal shares for me. A ton of runway for sure, but very good here. My first try of the Rose.
2020 PYCM St. Aubin Le Chateniere
Unfortunately corked
2017 PYCM St, Aubin Le Chateniere
It’s been interesting tasting through various 17 Burgs. Some are quite open and ready. this one seems password-protected in the bouquet. Eventually does give some apple and very light flint. Starts tight in the glass, but does unfurl with time and very good building blocks of citrus, rocks and unripe pear. What’s not questioned is precision and excellent balance.
2022 Latour-Giraud Meursault Narvaux
lemon-lime, a sense of ginger in sniffer. Needs time to unfurl, rather laser-focused on the palate. Does give you a little more with time in the glass. A bit hard to assess for me tonight.
2022 Michelot Meursault Narvaux
This is quite expressive on the whole. Lots of flint around binned apple. Smooth and slightly round presentation on the palate, there is hidden depth to apple and pear fruit, maybe missing some minerality but I still like this expression quite a bit,
1986 Cos D’Estournel
2 hours decant. A bit of brett maybe at the start, but it seems to blow off. Pretty plumcake and sweet currant is the lead to lovely, fairly classy drink here. Red fruit takes its place and latent spices. Not quite magical, but very enjoyable expression.
2000 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
Special nose, tobacco, coffee grounds, blackberry and latent plum. Powerful entry leads the way to expressive and full plum, cassis and sweet cofee. There’s Bordeaux and then there’s Bordeaux. #3 on the night for me.
2005 Chateau Larcis-Ducasse
Plum and Christmascake are the aromatics for me here. I didn’t, unfortunately, note down palate, but my memory is of a darker-fruited presentation that is still balanced and in its early drinking window.
2008 Abreu Madrone Ranch Cab
Cracked pepper, dark chocolate, sweet basil maybe? Very, very structured still. It is not a gentle lamb. I do like it.
1966 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste
We chatted about this, which Tom had brought, and at my request he did decide to pop it. I am so appreciative. Oo-la-lah. Quietly gorgeous bouquet. Leather and cherries join with tamped tobacco. Chinese 5 spice is a good aromatic catch. But this makes it on the beautiful, ethereal mouth, with subtlety and freshness. My #2, best of the reds and majority table best red as well.
2015 Guigal Ex Voto Ermitage
Right now a tale of two wines. Gorgeous pure strawberry coulee nose, roses and glints of mocha. On the palate, this is still somewhat striated to me at the moment, but I do think that part will sort itself out with more time.
Again, thanks to this group for rallying.
Mike