By: AJ McClellan
After we finished with the Jones Family tasting, Jimmy fired up his new stereo system and sang a few songs for us. All the while our members dug into their cellars and pulled out some great jewels for the table to enjoy.
2008 Spottswoode Cabernet – Parker recently gave this wine 95+ points and I might be inclined to agree with him. The wine shows great potential but is in need of a decade in the bottle before it gets there. That being said, right now, the wine is tight and tannic and gives off little on the nose.
2001 Vincent Girardin Corton Renardes – I am a sucker for the Rouge wines from Corton… I love their light elegance and the grace they show on the palate. That being said I am having difficulties finding a great example of Corton rouge… The Girardin was huge on the nose and palate with big woody notes that were not well integrated and stuck out like a sore thumb.
2005 Hundred Acre – Big bold Cali Cab. Huge black fruits on the nose with cedar, tobacco, and pencil lead. The palate was gigantic with tight tannins and a big ball of black fruit that was so compacted together I was having difficulties distinguishing between the different fruits. This wine needs a good long while on its side before it will be approachable.
2007 Krupp Synchrony – Last year the Synchrony wormed its way into my favorite spot on the Krupp roster. This year they dialed back the Cab Franc to only 43% while the Cab Sauvignon jumped up to 45%, the rest of the wine comprised of a blend of the other Bordeaux varietals. That being said I still thoroughly enjoyed this bottle, it retained the great mouth feel that the Cab Franc lent to this wine but the structure tightened up a little and the Cab Sauv added more black fruit and tobacco to the mix giving added layers of complexities and more depth to the wine.
1990 Chateau Montelena – This is a very impressive bottle of wine. The nose was full of dark currants, smoke, leather, cigar smoke, and tobacco leaf. There was a soft velvety texture on the palate that made you want to go back for more every time you emptied your glass.
1996 Hudelot Noellat RSV GC – Hudelot makes a great bottle of wine and this 96 RSV was no exception to the norm. Soft cherries with warm earth and smoked herbs on the nose. The palate was silky with soft tannins and a long finish.
2005 Sine Qua Non Atlantis Fe203 1a – This bottle has smoothed out a lot since the last time I tried it. The tannins are starting to become palatable without five hours in a decanter and the wine is falling into place nicely. The bottle still needs some time on its side but it is coming along…
1978 Las Cases – This bottle continues to surprise me. The nose is of old shoes and compost with dried cherries and cloves while the palate is soft and elegant. I think this wine is nearing the end of its peak, time to drink them up!
1988 La Mission Haut Brion – I love Bordeaux… The 88 La Miss is drinking like a champ right now with big black fruits and cherry liquorish. This is a great example of wine from Graves.
1990 Pape Clement – Another great bottle of Bordeaux. The nose showed coffee, mocha, forest floor, and dried red flowers. The palate was as expressive as the nose with great fruit and a prominent earthiness.
1982 Lynch Bages – 82 was a magical year for many Chateaus in Bordeaux but Lynch Bages may have produced their best bottle ever in that acclaimed year. The wine was in perfect balance with wonderful blue and black fruit surrounded by a fresh earthiness and a brilliant array of spices form the spice rack.
1999 Prince Florent de Merode Corton GC – Another GC Corton Rouge that was disappointing… The nose was closed down and the palate gave off little to none. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to wait around for this wine to open up as we were approaching the end of the night when the wine was opened.
1983 Guigal Cote Rotie – This wine was stellar! The nose was a slice of warm apple pie thrown in a mud bath with a hint of red rose petals to accent the earthy aromas. The palate was all barnyard with some dried fruits strewn around.
1989 Remoissenet Gevrey Chambertin 1er Les Cazetieres Magnum – Finishing with the magnum of Remoissenet was a brilliant idea. The Burgundy showed brilliantly with a complex nose and palate of red fruit and bramble combined with a soft floral note and lingering coffee bean.