We hope you all enjoyed your weekend. We sure did at Graileys with this sweet lineup to kickoff the weekend. It wasn’t our busiest Friday night, but the members that were in and the wines that were opened made it a very extraordinary night. We started with the 1999 Montrachet GC by Remoissenet. Let me re-phrase this: we started with opening two other Montrachets, first affected by premature oxidation and the second being corked. “Three times” really became the charm with the 1999 Remoissenet Montrachet; not showing at its best, but was also not affected by pre-mox and cork taint. It was somewhat perfumed, with white and yellow wild flowers, caramelized pear and toasted hazelnut. Sweet/savory characteristics were carried through from the nose to the palate with loads of spice, candied sage, and white mushroom. A touch of brown butter, sweet pear, and toast lingered on to give this GC an extended, delicious finish.
After that white Burgundy calamity settled, we opened a bottle of one of my (and I think it is safe to say, Ryan and AJ’s) favorite Riesling producers: 2012 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese. When people think great Riesling, many instinctively think Mosel. But it is the dry Nahe that brings us one of the greatest producers of Riesling of all time. With just above three acres, the Brucke vineyard is Donnhoff’s monopole from the town of Oberhausen in the Nahe. This monopole is the source of their luscious Eiswein and produces Rieslings with precision. A pure expression of Brucke’s slatey soils and Helmut Donnhoff’s classic winemaking style, this baby of a Riesling showed zesty citrus, juicy apples, loads of fresh magnolias and Riesling’s typical ripe stone fruits. There was a touch of flint on the nose and vibrant acidity on the palate. I can’t wait to revisit this wine as time will release new characteristics and add complexities to this stellar wine.
Going into reds, a series of late vintage Bordeaux were opened. Two Calon-Segur from the 1995 and the 2000 vintage, a 1983 Haut Brion, and a 1999 L’Eglise Clinet. The 2000 Calon-Segur was opened at 2:30, (but not decanted) and the ’95 Calon opened and decanted around 4:15 were both showing admirably by 5 o’clock and drinking well into the evening, showing more depth with each hour. Based on the few Latours I have tasted (1989, 1997), I concur with the Nicolas Alexandre de Segur, who at the time owned Lafite and Latour, when he said “My heart is in Calon”. The 1995 Calon-Segur was the winner with rich, ripe black and red fruit not only present in its age, but boasting on the nose and palate. Loads of black peppercorn spice, with nuances of red and black tea added a charm to this Calon. A lot less tar compared to the 2000 Calon, the 1995 Calon’s earth elements were beaming along with the ripe fruit. Think old leather, fresh turned soil, dirty mushrooms and espresso grinds. The tannins, well rounded with age, left an impact on the palate that was long-lasting with savory components. The 2000 Calon-Segur, excellent in its own right, offered gripping tannins, tarter red fruit and was lighter in complexity all together. The finish was somewhat closed compared to the ’95 Calon. But what I loved about the ’00 Calon was a presence of licorice that I did not pick up in the ’95 Calon. With hints of herbs, earthy minerality, brighter acidity, this wine should be just as impressive as the ’95 Calon-Segur in time.
The next two Bordeaux are examples of why off-vintages can still be a great buy. From vintages that were more challenging than others, the 1983 Haut Brion and the 1999 L’Eglise-Clinet were showing beautifully, especially the 1983 Haut Brion. The nose expressed a plethora of red cherry, raspberry, brambly (hints from the unusually hot and unfortunately humid growing season of ’83) blackberry, cedar and a hint of dill. More herbs and spices picked up on the palate with strong flavors of dried thyme, sage, and cinnamon, hints of dirty Bordeaux gravel and forest floor with wet bark made me think of damp dirty mushrooms (in a good way). This wine was so complex with layers of old leather and tar. The finish was really savory and just as complex as the palate with more spice, black pepper, umami and wood. The yields were too high in ’83, but choosing wisely in your Chateaux can obviously turn into a delectable decision in time. Prices are not as high for off-vintages too, which is always a plus.
1999 was one of those vintages in Bordeaux that could have turned less-desirable, but with advanced technology in the wineries and precise decisions in the vineyards during the heavily rained harvest season, and a freak hail storm in September, Bordeaux chateaux were capable of producing striking finished wines in ’99; marking this challenging year as a better vintage than it could have been. This is when knowing the quality of the producer, and knowing the vintage come into play. Pomerol produced some of the best wines from 1999 in Bordeaux and L’Eglise-Clinet is one of their shining stars. With opulent black fruits of currants, cherries, and wild black and blue berries, this powerful wine was elegant. Truffle like notes and earth balanced out the showy fruit. The tannins were present, not completely round, yet not gripping; the flavors possessed a purity of Pomerol: strength, richness, and grace. Although drinking beautifully Friday night, this wine could still live on in the cellar.
We also tasted wines in the opposite spectrum stylistically and regionally. Both Cabernet Sauvignons younger than the Frenchies illustrated above, both from Napa Valley and of the 2010 vintage, the Crocker & Starr and the Modus Operandi were as generous as Napa delivers. Opaque in the glass, rich is not even the word that can describe these palate-attention seeking wines. These wines showed strength like no other. With ripe black fruits, these wines were seasoned with chocolate, mocha, candied licorice and spice. Best to be drunk on its own as it can stand up for itself, these bold cabs drank like classic, sexy Napa champs.
Two Pinot Noirs Opened That Night…
2009 EnRoute Les Pommieres Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
2002 Hubert Lignier Morey St Denis Premier Cru La Riotte