So many great bottles of wine were opened last week with Friday capping the week with the Jones Family Wine Dinner and the amazing labels that were opened afterwards. Some of the most impressive wines I have had all year were opened last week with the 1982 Cos d’Estournel topping it all. This bottle was like a Bordeaux time capsule as it was surprisingly so fresh!! The aromatics were so vibrant and boastful with plump black and blue fruits and lush purple florals. The palate was even better with smoothed down tannins giving this wine an elegant silky texture rich in sweet licorice and loads of spice, cedar, deep minerals, and a touch of smoky sweet BBQ roast. The finish was long and seductive as its flavors jumped out to grasp your attention one after the other: “Hollah~~!!”
My second favorite wine(s) of the week was a tie of two extremes: the 1971 Camille Giroud Chambertin Grand Cru and the 1981 Penfolds Grange Hermitage. The 1971 Camille Giroud Chambertin GC was one of those wines that I will always remember. It was so complex with flavors that were still incredibly vibrant, tannins still present but not gripping, and a finish that wouldn’t end. This 43 year old wine still possessed dense black cherry and dark wild berry fruit while intricate layers of dried herbs, dirty mushrooms, and rich earth coated the palate. This is one of the best 70s Burgundy I have had at Graileys yet! The 1981 Grange was mind-blowing on the opposite end of the spectrum. Only four years older than me, this world-famous multi-appellational Syrah has aged wonderfully. Its once youthful, brooding flavors and masculine tannins matured into a beautiful wine that expressed notes of deep cedar, crème de cassis, and smoky charcoal; with sweet and smoky spices that lingered along as the night went on.
We ended Friday night with two great vintage Champagnes: the 1999 Salon Blanc de Blancs Brut Les Mesnil and the 1996 Dom Perignon OEnotheque Brut. I keep going back and forth on which of the two I preferred, but in the end, the 1996 Dom Perignon OEnotheque Brut won by a thin strand. The ’96 OEnotheque was marvelous! It was toasty, it was powerful, and it was better than good! There were lighter notes of lemon and sweet brioche upfront while the mid-palate offered a powerful structure and deeper flavors of toast and smoke. The bubbles were creamy and elegant and the finish was clean and long. The ’99 Salon had a gamut of nuts, from fresh hazelnuts to toasted Marcona almonds. This Champagne showed more baked apple and pear fruit with more nuances of baking spices in the mid-palate and a stretched out minerally finish that was equally appealing.
I can reflect on all the great bottles that were opened last week and especially on Friday; but I do not want to take up your time in reading a novel-like blog. So take a look at the list of amazing wines that were enjoyed by your friends and ours at Graileys and do not hesitate to let us know your own experiences on these great wines.
Wines from Friday Night
1971 Camille Giroud Chambertin Grand Cru
1982 Cos d’Estournel
1986 Georges Noellat Nuit St Georges Les Boudots Premier Cru
1995 Domaine Lourent Clos Vougeot
1996 Dom Perignon OEnotheque Brut
1998 Jean Grivot Nuits St Georges Les Boudots Premier Cru
1999 Champagne Salon Blanc de Blancs
2004 Jones Family Cabernet Franc
2005 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard
2006 Arnaud Ente Meursault
2006 Chateau Palmer
2007 Henri Bonneau Reserve des Celestins Chateauneuf du Pape
2009 Rudius Panek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Tusk Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Daniel Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (only 55 cases produced)
2010 Jones Family Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Georges Noellat Vosne Romanee
2012 Bevan Summit #1376 Pinot Noir
2012 Jones Family Sauvignon Blanc
2012 Jones Family “The Sisters” Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Relic “The Archive” Rose
2000 Graham’s Vintage Porto
Favorites of the Week
1981 Penfolds Grange Hermitage
1982 Cos d’Estournel
1983 Chateau Rausan-Segla
1983 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou
1986 Georges Noellat NSG Les Boudots Premier Cru
1990 Clerico Barolo
1992 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux
1993 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Echezeaux
1996 Chateau Montrose
2000 Louis Jadot Le Musigny
2003 Dom Perignon Metamorphosis Rose
2011 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Montrachet
2012 Georges Noellat Vosne Romanee
2012 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny Cabernet Sauvignon