By: AJ McClellan
After the official tasting our members dug deep in their cellar to produce some real gems to offer up to these two producers of legendary wines…
1976 Jaboulet La Chapelle – Big bacon fat with tar, blood & iron, cloves, and baking spices right out of the gate. There was a nice floral note to the nose showing violets, and red roses. The palate showed red berries backed by vanilla bean, dried rose petals, more iron, and sugared plums. This wine always amazes me with its velvety tannins and crisp acidity even after more than 30 years in the bottle. Over the hours this wine continued to evolve showing tar, leather, massive tobacco, and ending with some good old Chapelle funk. I managed to hold this wine in my glass for about 5 hours and it got better and better till the last drop.
1986 Mount Eden Chardonnay – Honey suckle and limestone on the nose. The palate showed of schist, big Lemmon, sugar coated limes, nuts, and honey comb. This wine reminded me of one of my favorite childhood treats – Bit-o-Honey. Mount Eden is amazing how it stands up over time continuing to evolve. Even after holding this in my glass for 4 hours the wine refused to fall off and only smoothed out and became easier to drink… very dangerous… 10 more years
1985 Cos d’Estournel – An amazing wine that is always a treat to drink. When I first came to Graileys this was one of the first bottles of wine Simon opened for me and it has stuck with me ever since… Classic damp earth nose with notes of graphite and wet tobacco leaf. Full in the mouth with a broad and complex palate showing floral notes of dark red rose petals, hints of cinnamon, red liquorish, and scorched earth. The balance was superb with a silky finish.
2005 Sine Qua Non Atlantis Fe203-1b – I never knew that there was an extension of Cote Rotie in California… Very tight out of the bottle but with great potential, after 2 hours in the glass the wine started showing notes of smoked tobacco, plums, hard boiled leather, and dusty earth. After another 2 hours the wine started to show some dark chocolate with smoked bacon and chewy black fruits. I can taste the sunshine of California in the glass but with an unbelievable earthy texture that reminds me of Cote Rotie. I left a touch in my glass overnight and this morning the wine was singing, the fruit brightened up and the earth came out to play. This wine has the stuffings to go for a long long time… Possibly the best Syrah I have had out of California…
2004 Comte George de Vogue Bonnes Mares – I have a bad history with George de Vogue, every bottle I have had from this producer has let me down… When I opened the Bonnes Mares and poured a glass there might as well have been nothing in the glass the wine was showing such a muted nose. The palate was not much better showing hints of red and blue fruit and some meaty notes covered by a wet blanket. I set my glass to the side in disgust saddened by yet another disappointing bottle… At the end of the night, 5 hours later, I was revisiting the wines I had been saving and came across a lovely elegant nose showing ripe blueberries, milk chocolate, clove, soft blackberries, and a explosion of dusty minerality. When I tasted the wine I got Juicy black fruits backed by soft earth, crumbled chocolate, cooking spices, and blooming flowers. Lo and behold I was tasting my forgotten Bonnes Mares… Maybe I had judged the previous wines by George de Vogue to harshly and needed to give them another 4 hours in the glass… A great wine that needs another 15-20 years to plateau and will be drinking for another 30…
1999 Domaine Jean Trapet Chambertin – I am having a love affair with this wine. One of our members brought a bottle in for us to try and I did back flips over it. We immediately bought as much as we could get our hands on. This is my fourth bottle to try in two weeks and I can tell you it is true to Burgundian form with a somewhat irritating bottle variation… That being said whether it drinks straight out of the bottle or needs an hour or two… or four…. to come around, this bottle is fantastic. This particular wine was scary out of the bottle showing green jalapeño, and a earthy/meaty St Emillionesk palate. After a good long while in the glass (4 hours) the wine blossomed showing dusty cherries, dry sun baked earth, purple flowers, forest floor, and some great Asian spices. The body of this wine always impresses me with a silky elegance and a bold long finish.
Vieux Telegraph vs Rayas…
1998 Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf du Pape – Bright on the nose with raspberries and red cherries. There was a great meatiness to the wine with excellent earthy aromas of barnyard and hay. The palate was plump still showing nice fruit combined with classic leather, roast beef, and notes of tar. Excellent balance leading to a long finish.
1998 Rayas – We tasted this side by side with the Vieux Telegraph. The Rayas was more rustic and slightly lighter on its feet. Nose of rust, smoked quail, blood, and roasted strawberries. Lighter on the palate with great rustic fruit and seductive earth showing garden compost and forest floor. The finish showed a crushed rock minerality with black pepper and black liquorish. Great little wine, it is surprising how different two wines from the same region can be….
1986 DRC Echezeaux – WOW! What a great wine. The nose started with a note of burnt earth and sugarcane but quickly shifted showing plump plums, blackberries, and a wet soil. After some time in the glass a sly note of baked bread started to surface paired with a more rustic earth note. The more time spent in the glass the wine gains complexity like a snowball thrown from the tip of a mountain and rolling down hill to cause an avalanche of exciting aromas and tastes. The palate was surprisingly fresh showing great acidity dancing vibrantly. There were notes of dusty red and black fruits backed by clean forest floor and a pleasant limestone minerality. There is a note of old dusty shoe found in your fathers attic like old worn leather, dust, and old musty wood…
1988 Chateau d’Yquem – Can you think of a better way to end a night? This wine was phenomenal on the nose with banana foster pie topped with caramelized nuts, drizzled with honey and served with fresh pears and apricots. The palate was surprisingly young and vibrant with lively acidity and a brilliantly complex palate.
1983 Chateau d’Yquem – Ah ha! Two bottles of d’Yquem are better than one! The 83 had more petrol on the nose and showed more burnt pears and honey comb rather than pure honey. There were still some similarities in the caramelized apricots and a nice toffee note. The palate was a little tired and was thicker, chewier, and was not a vibrant as the 88.
