By: AJ McClellan
Last night was our annual Graileys Christmas party. The event was a stunning success with so many great bottles pulled that I can’t possibly try to describe them all… Simon, La, Ryan, and I Blind tasted 32 wines and after all the dust settled we came up with the top three – #3 1999 Dominique Laurent Echezeaux - this same wine got second place in last years tasting! It was refressing and drinking very well but not good enough… #2 2000 Pichon Baron – A wonderful bottle and only 1 point off from the number 1 wine. This bottle was stunning but just a little too young to take the crown this year. #1 Wine 1978 Pichon Lalande – I feel that its fitting that this wine got the crown last night. Pichon Lalande is our house wine here at Graileys and drinking it is like greeting an old friend. 78 is not the best of vintages but for the night it was perfect! Below is a list of the wines in the competition and how many points they merited….
| Bottle | Points |
| 1978 Pichon Lalande | 110 |
| 2000 pichon baron | 109 |
| 1999 Dominique Laurent Echezeaux | 101 |
| 1999 Philip Togni | 93 |
| 1995 grange | 93 |
| 1998 Montrose | 92 |
| 2012 cast zin | 90 |
| 1998 chapoutier pavillion | 89 |
| 2000 pape clement | 87 |
| 2010 Entre Nous | 86 |
| 2011 Dissident | 86 |
| 1996 Pahlmeyer red | 85 |
| 2007 Buccella CAB | 85 |
| 1985 Huet Le mont – vouvray | 83 |
| 1997 CHAPOUTIER LA MORDOREE | 83 |
| 2001 Penfolds Bin 707 | 81 |
| 2005 Rayas | 79 |
| 1999 Hillside Select | 77 |
| 1997 Heitz Bella Oaks | 74 |
| 1997 insignia | 73 |
| 2009 Maybach Materium | 73 |
| 2001 leoville barton | 70 |
| 1996 beringer merlot bancroft ranch | 68 |
| 1997 araujo esile | 67 |
| 2002 penfolds bin 389 | 67 |
| 1996 Guigal Ampuis | 65 |
| 2000 groffier bonnes mares | 65 |
| 2000 Monbousquet | 64 |
| 2001 Costers Priorat | 59 |
| 1994 armand rousseau charmes chambertin | 57 |
| 2008 clos apalta | 56 |
| 1993 cos | 42 |
After the tasting everyone popped some wine and we celebrated in true Graileys style. As I said the wine we opened were too numerous to write tasting notes for all of them but I feel that the 1990 Cos needs special mention as well as the 2008 Neely Hollys Cuvee Chardonnay, 2002 Hudelot Noellat Clos Vougeot, 1990 Dom Perignon, and 1994 Araujo Eisele Vineyards Cabernet Magnum. Just for fun I have listed all of the wines that we tasted below…. Enjoy!
| 1994 Armand Rousseau Charmes Chambertin |
| 1997 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino |
| 2007 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon |
| 2010 Decimus Chardonnay |
| 1991 Ritchie Creek Cabernet |
| 2008 Neely Hollys Cuvee Chardonnay |
| 2002 Hudelot Noellat Clos Vougeot |
| 2003 Pavie |
| 2010 LeVinsde Vienne Cote Rotie Les Essartailles |
| 2010 Decimus Pinot Noir |
| 1999 Elderton Command Chiraz |
| 2001 Vincent Girardin Batard Montrachet |
| 2008 Lapostolle Clos Apalta |
| 1990 Dom Perignon |
| 2009 Materium Maybach |
| 1998 Bosquet des Papes CDP |
| 1982 Chateau do Tertre |
| 1989 Beaucastel |
| 1983 Gilette |
| 1998 Dominique Laurent Grands Echezeaux |
| 1997 Solaia |
| 2004 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose |
| 2000 Lynch Bages |
| 1996 Beringer Bancroft Ranch Merlot |
| 1993 Pio Cesare |
| 1990 Cos d’Estournel |
| 1999 Clos des Goisses Champagne |
| 2011 Turley The Label Cabernet |
| 1989 Jean Tardy NSG Les Boudots |
| NV Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier |
| 2007 Dominus |
| 2001 Vincent Girardin Batard Montrachet |
| 2010 SQN Five Shooter Grenache |
| 1997 Grange |
| 2001 Penfolds Bin 707 |
| 2002 Leroy Bourgogne Blanc |
| 2003 Pape Clement |
| 2011 Foley Pinot Noir |
| 1985 Domaine Huet Le Mont Vouvray |
| 2009 Columbia Crest Rserve Cabernet |
| 1996 Venge Cabernet Reserve |
| 2000 Pape Clement |
| 1009 Bernard Moret Puligny Montrachet Sous le Puits |
| 2000 Pierre Peters Les Chetillons |
| 2010 Entre Nous |
| 2010 Decimus Cabernet |
| 2010 Barbour |
| 2012 Cast Zinfandel |
| 2009 Leviathan |
| 2007 Louis Roederer Blanc de Blanc |
| 1996 Hudelot Noellat Romanee st Vivant |
| 1999 Ponsot Clos de la Roche VV 375ml |
| 1989 Heitz Marthas |
| 2000 Pichon Baron |
| 1994 Araujo Eisele Vineyards Cabernet Magnum |
| 1996 Remoissenet Bienvenues Batard Montrachet |
| 2000 Monbousquet |
| 1989 Pichon Baron |
| 1990 Troplong Mondot |
| 2008 Verite La Joie |
| 1994 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay |
| 2005 Rayas |
| 1999 Dominique Laurent Echezeaux |
| 2001 Costers Igneus |
| 1995 Grange |
| 1998 La Gomerie |
| 1997 Insignia |
| 2002 Penfolds Bin 389 Cab/Shiraz |
| 2005 Araujo Eisele Cabernet |
| 1997 Araujo Eisele Cabernet |
| 2001 CVNE Rioja |
| 1998 Chapoutier Le Pavillon Ermitage |
| 1997 Heitz Bella Oaks Cabernet |
| 2001 Leoville Barton |
| 2000 Billecart Salmon |
| 2012 Mercer Pinot Gris |
| 1996 Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis |
| 2009 Favia Cerro Sur |
| 2006 Canon la Gaffeliere |
| 1999 Shafer Hillside Selection |
| 1992 Louis Carillon Puligny Montrachet Les Perrieres |
| 1993 Cos d’Estournel |
| 2009 Foley Claret |
| 1998 Montrose |
| 2000 Groffier Bonnes Mares |
| 2006 Egelhoff 6 Liter |
Looking forward to another great year! Thank you to all of our members for making this last year great!
