By: AJ McClellan
Last night ended up getting kind of crazy. We had a great group of members around the table, each popping some remarkable bottles. We all thought the night was finished when Simon and a member decided to pop a magnum of 66 Beychevelle and a bottle of 62 Haut Brion for the table to enjoy, you always have to finish strong….
2008 Chanson Puligny Montrachet – This bottle was drinking very well with subtle popcorn and apricot extract on the nose; the palate opened up to show some soft tropical fruit with roasted vanilla beans and a pleasant mineral finish.
2009 Patrick Piuze Terroir de Chichee – Patrick’s wines are always a pleasure to drink. He makes very classic style wines with a pure linear simplicity that makes his juice a joy to drink. The nose shows lemon and lime with shale and some floral components. A crisp acidity on the palate leads to acacia and key lime pie on the finish.
2002 Vieux Chateau Certan – This bottle was drinking great for a younger wine from a less than stellar vintage. The nose showed purple flowers with rich leather notes and plenty of red and black berries. The palate was soft with a tight tannic core. This bottle shows great promise for the future…
1997 d’Auvenay Lalou Bize Leroy Auxey Duresses Les Clous – An amazing bottle. The nose showed quince, apricot, caramelized pear, toffee, honey, lilies, and honeysuckle. The palate had a wonderful minerality to accompany the crisp acidity and wonderful fruit notes. Long finish with great balance, this might have been the wine of the night for me…
1969 Remoissenet Gevrey Chambertin Les Combottes – These 69’s blow me away every time. The nose shows scorched earth, hints of leather, dried flowers, and a big mineral finish. The palate has a distinct black currant and dry plum note followed by a shovel full of compost soil and floral notes.
1996 Remoissenet Richebourg – A wonderful bottle of wine. It was a little muted when we first opened it, but after a good two hours of sitting in the glass the wine developed a beautiful bouquet of crushed raspberries, currants, and black cherries followed by a subtle earthy aroma and a touch of spice on the back end. The palate was wonderful with a firm tannin structure that suggests this bottle has another good 20 years in it.
1962 Haut Brion – This was a real treat. The Haut Brion had a slightly low fill but when the bottle was opened the wine showed surprising liveliness for a wine with almost 50 years in the bottle. The nose was full of smoke, leather, tobacco, and graphite. The palate was very soft with big forest floor, prune, and a slight smoke note. After some time in the glass the graphite grew to take over the wine with a great earthy backing.
1966 Beychevelle Magnum – The Beychevelle was holding up very well with a handful of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon on the nose followed by dry black fruits and crushed rose petals. The palate was soft and very approachable; the wine fell off a little after an hour in the glass but a very good bottle all around.