Brian, great lineup!
What did you think of the Moussé? I’ve been considering picking up a bottle of Les Vignes des Mon Villages for a bit.
The Mousse is fantastic. The ‘14/‘20 perpetual has been one of my favorites of the blend. The extra year it’s spent in bottle after purchase allowed it to pick up some nice autolytic notes. I think it was my last of 4.
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@Brian_Tuite Dang it, I was hoping you would tell me “Ehhh, not worth it.” 
I happened to have a chance to try an apparently far rarer bottling, a “Longue Garde,” that completely blew my socks off. I’ve been going back-and-forth over and over trying to decide whether to splurge for that or to pick up two of these, so I’m glad to hear it’s worth it. I’ll probably buy two of these, and now I get to still try and make up my mind about the Longue Garde, lol.
The Longue Garde was 50% 2014 and 50% 2015 if I recall correctly, still zero dosage, and 96 months on the lees. The finish lasted foreverrrrrrrrrrrr. It was fantastic.
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It’s definitely new world and Kobayashi has somewhat of his signature style, but my experience with white Hermitage is in the lower % of my wine drinking, so I’m probably not the best to answer accurately as others. I’d definitely continue to buy, along with his Viognier.
2019 Quinta da Rede Vinha da Seara
My dad made a pork cheek and chestnut stew with a side of purée, and wanted to open something young and on the chewy side. On paper, this should be one of those Douro reds that errs on the side of elegance, made by one of the most famous oenologists of the Dão (Paulo Nunes) in Mesão Frio terroir at 450 meters of altitude, right at the border of the Baixo Corgo with the Cima Corgo. But no, this is much closer to the Douro that I remember when I started cutting my teeth into wine in my college days, and it felt all the more comforting for that reason on a cold winter night with comfort food. There’s the inky opaque crimson, a telltale sign of Sousão in this complex 30 grape field blend, there’s the gorgeous nose of bold dark fruit with esteva and balsamic essence - the type of nose that was always “dark forest green” to my synaesthetic sensitivity - there’s the viscous, luscious front palate followed by firm, dusty tannins and a dry, puckering finish. It’s broad shouldered, masculine wine, as bold as it is fresh and austere. It tastes like home, like nostalgia for the days when every wine experience was brand new for me.
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Clouet was a great one with aged notes and bright structure and flavors. And I don’t care what anybody says the 20 Des Marnes Blanches bright salty and great body, in short delicious.
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Supposed to grab the 2015 BdN, this spent 7 years en tirage and DG 5/2024. Tightly coiled and reductive, super fresh with lemon and unripened red berries, rainier cherries with some yeasty flavor mid palate. Steely, chalky long finish. Good acidity. 2015 is polar opposite with very oxidative notes and more redfruited.
2022 Domaine Alain Gautheron Chablis Premier Cru ‘Les Forneaux’ Vieilles Vignes
Superbly structured, highlighting classic Chablis interplay between mineral intensity, deliciously crisp acidity and some very decent wood notes. Youthful now and cellaring these for a long while would be the coolest and most exciting thing to do.
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You know you’re a WineBerserker when the lineup is all board favorites.
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Good description. I love the Cuvée 1911
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Agree Warren love the 1911 and so far only had one that was not all that it should be, although not knowing disgorgement dates etc kind of makes me crazy 
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Monday Night with friends. All wines exemplary! Restored my faith in DP…citrus, ginger brilliant acidity rounded by age. A clear voice. Lovely. Comte Lafon always a favorite. Krug 164 just coming into it’s maturity…
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How was the Fargues? Did you open a few hours ahead?
I’m surprised his lever didn’t give up by the age of five! 
Hi Doug…no, popped and poured. A real stunner…darker than I would have liked by a shade, we drank this because it was a “leaker” after suspicious golden drops were seen on some bottles in our Sauternes Wall that lead to the discovery of this bottle. Not the first time…this is the third '71 Fargues that we had to drink because of a leak. Thankfully, the wine was great. If you have any or are looking to purchase, this is about as dark as you should expect, lighter is better, but black Sauternes are likely over the hill. In this condition, it rivals d’Yquem in this vintage. I actually prefer it.
As an aside, I find it takes about 20 minutes in the glass for an older Sauternes to reconstitute itself after decades of slumber.
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Thank you Fred! This is great to know. Interesting that it was a ‘leaker’ and that the wine still was great. I have the 2004, and I’ve been wondering about its ‘drinking window’ and optimal serving method.
Doug:
Not sure about drinking windows or optimal serving other than the pop and pour plus 20 minutes. Honestly, I stopped extensive tasting and purchasing with the 2001s so don’t know about 2004 specifically. Generally, Sauternes drinkability are a combination of age, vintage and chateau style. Fargues is medium sweet, and at 20 years of age should just be starting to drink well.
I found that understanding Sauternes was also hard because of expectations. Comte Alexandre said d’Yquem was a “sweet wine” but that has totally different meanings depending on the person. If you want a dessert wine, go with Rieussec, Lafaurie Peyraguey, Suduiraut, Rayne Vigneau in big vintages. If you want a lighter sweetness to go with duck or chicken or even fish, try Coutet or Doisy Daene. To illustrate the vintage thing: off vintage d’Yquem is great as an aperitif or with food ('69, '79, '99?) while bigger vintages are dessert in and of themselves…maybe with cheese, shortbread or my favorite, caramelized walnuts. Older wines can be drier ('37, '45, '52) while big vintages can retain their sweetness ('20, '21, '29, '59).
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