By: AJ McClellan
Last night was another great night with an eclectic group of members around the table popping some killer bottles of wine, everything from Tignanello to Grange….
1995 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon – The Dalla Valle was a great bottle of wine. Dalla Valle is a small vineyard in Oakville 400 feet above the valley floor, and in recent years the wine has caught fire becoming a cult Cabernet that is next to impossible to find. The ‘95 was in the perfect drinking window with soft red and black fruits on the nose followed by a silky palate of well developed tannins. I can see why this wine has such a cult following, it was wonderful.
1996 Grange – For a young Grange this wine was killing it! The tannins were in a good place, a little tight but quite nice considering the age of the wine. The nose showed notes of bramble berry, tobacco, jalapeño, and bell pepper. The palate was classic Grange with big dark chocolate, black fruits, and a hint of greenness.
2007 Jack Quinn – It has been almost half a year since I tasted this wine and it has vastly improved in that time. I liked this bottle before, I love it now. The nose showed plums, cherries, lavender, tobacco, and chocolate. The palate was soft and drinking like velvet with a finish of roses, tobacco, and plush fruit.
2007 Tignanello – Drinking surprisingly soft with a big dusty cherry and raspberry note on the nose. The palate showed dusty barnyard with dried leaves and old tobacco with a pleasant red cherry finish. A very nice bottle of wine that, with time, will become stunning.
2005 SQN Over and Out Pinot Noir – A massive bottle of Pinot that I would blind as a powerful CDP or syrah based wine. The nose forced itself on you with muscular black fruit and a bag full of barnyard. The palate was huge filling your mouth with earth, black fruits, and tobacco.
2006 Pape Clement – I have raved about this wine time and time again but I feel that it is going through a bit of a dumb faze right now. It is still showing considerable fruit with a nice backing of earth but the wine does not come into harmony like it was a few months ago. I think that putting this wine on the shelf for 6 months or so would be a good move until it can sort itself out.
1996 Pichon Lalande – Always a great bottle. The ‘96 was showing bramble, blueberries, and cherries on the nose followed by leather, smoke, and forest floor. The palate was still a little tight needing a few more years in the bottle to loosen up but it shows great potential.
1969 Remoissenet Gevrey Chambertin 1er Les Combottes – We have had this bottle several times but this one was one of the better examples of the wine. Drinking in true Burgundy style with black raspberries, cranberries, and currants followed by dry leaves, cloves, and brush. The palate was as relaxed as a day in the lazy river showing dried earth, tobacco leaves, and some dry red fruits.
1970 d’Yquem – A great wine to finish the night out on. Quince, peach, and honey on the nose. The wine was very heavy on the palate with a honey like viscosity and a long finish of caramel and toffee.