By: AJ McClellan
Every Friday we have a different tasting here at Graileys, and somehow every Friday we end up with a world class collection of wines scattered across the table. This past Friday was no exception with all the usual suspects coming through the door there was no doubt that we would have a killer night.
2000 Domaine Thenard – Remoissenet Le Montrachet – Lemon grass and honeyed tropical fruits such as kiwi, mango, papaya, and Asian pears on the nose. Big limestone/white rock minerality followed by fresh white flowers. More honey on the palate with great minerality and balance. Beautiful wine with a great mouth feel – pure elegance in the glass.
2005 Nicolas Rossignol Pommard – Ripe plums and cherries with cola and milk chocolate. There was a nice rocky minerality on the back end giving an excellent depth to the wine. Chewy tannins, crisp acidity, and a long finish give this wine a great potential to age.
1990 Domaine Bruno Clair Vosne Romanee Les Champs Perdrix – Slight oxidative character with notes of iron, muted dusty cherry and big minerality on the nose. Light rustic notes of autumn morning after a heavy rain with damp dried out leaves. The palate was more expressive than the nose showing big dry fruits, a kiss of peppermint, dusty cherry, moldy boulder, clove, and cinnamon with exotic spices on the back end. Showing a crisp acidity but the tannins are lost and faded. Seams a little tired and light on the back end.
1996 Haut Brion – Right out of the gate this wine was showing massive earth and gravel on the nose with big earth, plums, a note of gun powder, flint, and steel. There was a note of greenness but nothing obtrusive; it was like having green grass under a blanked of dry purple fruits… After the first 10 minutes the wine shut down and would not give anything else up. I thought the wine was done and maybe going through a dumb faze, but towards the end of the night Richard brought me what was left in his glass and the wine had exploded. After sitting for several hours the wine blew up with black tea, rustic spices, big stewed cloves, black cherry cough syrup, and a great earthy finish. The last sip was the best of the night…
1993 Faivley Corton Clos Des Cortons GC – This was the best Burgundy of the night showing classic earthy notes of dry crushed leaves, exotic spices, forest floor, and faded rustic fruit. The wine had all the complexities of age but with a vibrancy that made it sing on the palate. There were notes of brown sugar, ground coffee, burnt rubber, cooked blueberries, singed pine, and sandalwood. Very complex wine. The finish showed light notes of compost and a hint of barnyard. Brilliant…
1996 Sassicaia – At first I thought this wine might be corked, it was showing wet cardboard and notes of wood covered in sawdust. However after several hours in the glass this wine perked up and started to strut showing ripe red fruits, liquorish, earthy forest floor, and red roses. The tannins were dusty and well developed which helped with the excellent balance when combined with a crisp acidity and full body.
1996 Comte Armand Pommard Clos Des Epeneaux – This bad boy give the Faivley a good run for its money showing big ripe cranberry with scorched earth, a touch of coffee, charred red fruits, and a slight whiff of smoke. The palate showed noted of smoked quail, crushed rock, cranberry, and earthy goodness…
1983 Cheval Blanc – What a brilliant way to end the night. Classic Bordeaux across the board showing graphite, barnyard, compost, rustic dried fruits, a slight hint of crème de cassis, and bark. The palate was brilliant with earthy aromas swirling in the glass taking you the top of a hill in Bordeaux overlooking the vineyards and watching as the leaves turn brown and fall from the vine. This was a wonderful example of what Bordeaux should be. Wine of the Night….