I’m sorry to hear about the smoke, hopefully they’ll get the fire under control quickly. But I am glad the WV showed well!
Daughter’s birthday (turned 40), so we (she, The Other Stupid, and I) popped a few after service last night.
This Burg was delightful, just elegant and balanced. When Chassagne rouge hits, it really hits.
Hand-carried back from France by The Other Stupid about 20 years ago. We opened it the night before and it was so incredibly youthful and tight that we corked it back up and had the rest for the birthday celebration. MUCH better on Day 2, despite being 25 years old, this should have waited another 10-15 years. Sigh. Blackberries and olives, incredibly complex and rich. Not even a hint of garnet on the rim. I was expecting it to be fully mature and maybe even a bit past, given that it’s a Cote Blonde. Nope, shows you my powers of prediction are pretty lousy.
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I hope Jim (aka TOS) is doing well.
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2006 Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet Sauvignon — my successful attempt to maximize the peace and quiet tonight.
Bought a bottle from K&L and gave formal tasting notes a couple weeks ago. Since then I went back and stocked up, wanted to check back in to assess potential bottle variation. Still singing, amazingly in no rush to work through my remaining bottles. I don’t pretend to be an expert on drinking windows, but if tonight was any indication, I don’t see any reason why I couldn’t open one of these at Molly’s 6th, 7th, maybe 10th birthday.
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On a whim, I asked CellarChat™ what I should open tonight and it recommended the 2021 Cirq among a champagne, a Barolo, and a couple of rosés, all of which I intend to save a while longer at least this year. Thankfully I still have a few of these left and some 2023 on the way.
Perks of having a smaller, more limited cellar, maybe?
I tried the 2000 last night and it was still great. No rush at all with those they age beautifully
Impressive! Have you tasted their recent vintages?
Of the Côte-Rôtie, no. I don’t make it to France anymore, and top-quality Cote-Rotie at US retail has gotten ridiculously high priced. It’s a pity, and I blame myself to an extent, having worked hard to popularize the region.
We did open Stephane’s Viognier from La Rosine the other day and it was wonderful. Elegant and precise.
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Looks like you gave Molly a glass too many….
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Yesterday afternoon our group gathered for another humbling round of blind tasting. The theme was American wines that don’t suck, with no set price point. The 2014 RMS kicked things off and was very good, nutty and with good weight from the long lees aging but with fresh acidity, it would give plenty of quality Champagnes a run for their money.
Each of the Chardonnays was very good but they were wildly different. The Walter Scott had the reduction I associate with them and reminded me of a good St. Aubin, which led me to Walter Scott as a guess. The Evening Land was rounder and more complete, with good complexity and balanced weight and acidity. I was impressed. The Brick & Mortar was precise and sharp, more reminiscent of Chablis with its copious acidity and minerality. The quality of all three were more than enough to win over most skeptics of New World Chardonnay.
The Pinots were the most perplexing. The Rhys still had a lot of fresh fruit with the typical menthol the high amount of stem inclusion cause in this era. I’m in no hurry to drink my remaining bottles. The DDC threw me for a loop. My initial instinct was Pinot as the nose reminded me of old Ken Burnap SCMV Pinots, but it was more savory than the nose suggested and had a fresh vegetal note. It was also turbid, making it hard to call an age. I eventually talked myself into Grenache as it reminded me of some older Jemroses.
The Rivers-Marie was textbook California Pinot, with dark cherry, hints of spice, and a touch of cola. My guess was Russian River Pinot, maybe Williams & Selyem. By the time we got to @Jim_Anderson’s 2022 Bearwallow, my palate was starting to lose it, but I should have done better given my familiarity with both Rhys and Patty Green. It was enjoyable but had quite a bit of structure and could probably use more time to fully come together.
We had the Daou after the Turnbull (notes to follow) and it was refreshing in comparison. It reminded me of Valrhona Guanaja with chocolate and fruit, which should have clued me in to the Merlot in the blend, but I missed the hint.
The 2007 Cabs were an interesting comparison. The Turnbull was extremely ripe without being overripe with a bit more vanilla oak than I would prefer and some heat from the alcohol. It cried out for a chargrilled steak to balance it. I correctly guessed Oakville Cabernet, but thought it was at least 3-5 year’s younger than it was.
My first thought on the Radiccl was To Kalon for some reason, but I never said it out loud. Then someone asked if it had American oak (though it didn’t), as it had a touch of dill, and my mind was off to the races, eventually settling on Ridge Geyserville with some age. It turns out that a member of our group made the wine himself at Crushpad (with the aid of one of their winemakers) from To Kalon fruit, though he wasn’t allowed to label it as such. He had told us about the project before and generously shared his last 750 ml bottle with us. It was a special way to conclude a fun but humbling afternoon and a further lesson to trust my initial instinct, as I far more frequently talk myself out of an accurate guess than into one.
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Enjoyed a couple of easy bottles to celebrate a Friday evening. 2005 Justin Jutification and a 2023 Cloudy Bay Te Koko. The Justin was from an auction lot of a variety of back vintages of isosceles, reserve, and savant. I wasn’t sure on the ageability of these wines but took a flyer at a good price. I have been happy so far.
I had previously opened an 03 Reserve Cab that was in a perfect spot and drank really well. Last night’s Cab Franc/Merlot blend was equally enjoyable.
The Te Koko is in an effort to get my wife to enjoy something a bit more complex than Kim Crawford - which is her typical go to. I have been having success with some Chablis and a few estate Sav Blancs. We both enjoyed the Cloudy Bay last night.
This is so so so good. Hard to not love everything about it. The matchstick / salty finish is everything. Only wish they would’ve made more!
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I snagged a few of these through K&L and grabbed a few more 13s through winespies last week. Looking forward to trying these as I really like other Santa Cruz Mountain wines from Ridge and Mt Eden. Glad to see a positive report, enjoy!
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Looks like a great time. How were the Voillot wines?
2021 Dowsett Gewürztraminer Columbia Gorge Celilo Vineyard
TN: my benchmark for West Coast Gewürztraminer; dry and utterly faithful to its varietal with delicate apricot and nectarine skin; I love it! ridiculously priced at $30 the bottle.
- 2019 Quinta da Pellada Dão Alto - Portugal, Beiras, Dão (1.8.2026)
3h after opening a rather smoky and minerally nose with dark fruit expression (plum, blackberry, fig), mint and a bit of leather and tobacco. A somewhat autumnal, wet leaves kind of a vibe, very nice. On the palate medium bodied, lighter than expected, with very good tannins that grip appropriately. A very savory wine, markedly less fruity on the palate than the nose. Showing some signs of maturation but quite clearly there is a long life ahead. Somewhat heady despite the moderate 13% ABV but by all means well balanced with terrific drinkability.
Posted from CellarTracker
And a brutal beef shot:
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Which vintage?
Sorry, 2018.
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