By: AJ McClellan
Crazy night. I only got a small taste of the wines, but they were fantastic!!! The 89 Peteus was probably the wine of the night with spearmint, forest floor, blackberry, and plum. The 94 Colgin Herb Lamb is stunning as always with blueberry and blackberry jam.
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Not sure about you, but for me, this year flew by in a flash! My first year at Graileys has been one hell of an oeno-dream with eye-opening wine experiences of mind-boggling, bucket-list kicking, unicorn finding, palate-growing wines; but most importantly, this year has introduced me to the amazing persons whom we have shared these beautiful wine moments with and the perpetual knowledge, camaraderie and friendships that have grown from a glass of wine, no matter what liquid is ever inside the glass.
Looking back over the year, from all of the amazing tastings, events and those cherished quiet, one table nights, we have gone through astonishing bottles of wine. I am taking the last day of 2015 at Graileys as a day to reflect on the passion that drives us and brings us all together: wine, of course.
Mind-Boggler of the Year: 1959 Clovis Lefevre Vouvray. Never in my sommelier life would I think a 56 year old Vouvray could deliver such intricate flavors, depth, texture and one of the deepest finishes a wine could ever hold. This bottle expresses the longevity and power of Chenin Blanc and the beauty it can bring with pristine aging conditions.
Game-Changer Bottle (for me): 1994 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon. This is what a great, no, exceptional, California Cabernet is. Broad and expansive flavors with the perfect balance of sweet fruit, earth and spice; great depth, smooth out tannins and a haunting finish. Before coming to Graileys, I had a sommelier’s infamous Cali-hater umbrella over almost all things Cali. But Colgin opened a door to a whole wine world that was always there, but always overlooked.
Best Bordeaux: This is so hard….. Between all of the amazing Growth Bordeaux and the rare Right Bank wonders, how is a somm to chose?! So I am picking my Top Ten Bordeaux of Graileys 2015:
Unicorn of 2015- 2002 Haut Brion Blanc- [mic drop]
Champagne Campaign of 2015
Burgundy Top Charts
What the What?! Of 2015
Wine Resolutions for 2016
It has been a spectacular year of wine at Graileys and we cannot thank you enough! I look forward to what 2016 has to bring!!
Happy New Year!
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What a crazy night!!! It’s not a party until you bring out the big guns and we did last Thursday for our members for this year’s Graileys’ Holiday Party! As a 3 Liter bottle of 2014 Azur Rose was splashing around the tables, our beloved members were greeted with a 6 Liter- that is correct- a SIX LITER bottle of 1986 Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and wow was it showing at a beautiful place!! Blind this bad boy and anyone would have called it an aged Bordeaux. Talk about dried berries and tobacco!! The flavors were beautifully seamless; black berry, black currant and raspberry with chunks of gravel, condensed baking spice, leather, dried herbs, compost and dug up forest floor with wild eucalyptus and black tea. It was stunning!
Well one 6 Liter bottle wasn’t enough… In Graileys’ fashion, we opened another one- another 6 Liter 1986 Joseph Phelps that is! This time, Backus Vineyard. Compared to the Eisele, the Backus was big and meaty with sweet condensed, purely black fruit. Crazy rich, crazy huge, crazy good, but I enjoyed the Eisele Cabernet a little more.
This year, Simon changed things up a little bit. In previous years, our members discreetly shelled out their finest for a mega blinder for us sommeliers to conduct. Last year we blinded around 40 bottles of wine, which was a lot for any palate. This year, we turned the tables and our members who were the ones to blind the wines! After a flight of six wines, two white wines and four reds; great food; many laughs and more great wines, Simon announced the top three winners of our blind tasting.
Wines From The Blind Tasting
2012 Donelan Nanci Sonoma Chard
2013 JM Boillot Domaine Les Roques Roussanne
2012 Domaine Arlaud Chambolle Musigny
2008 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Margaret River Cabernet Merlot
2006 Pontet Canet
1992 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel
There were many terrific wines but these were the wines that shined throughout the night…
2009 Leroy Domaine d’Auvenay Meursault Les Narvaux!!! Holy Grail wine!! Popcorn, candied pear, caramel, pink salt, crushed rock, sweet herbs and golden flowers. Merry Christmas indeed!!
1987 Le Pin!! The holy liquid in the Holy Grail!! Sexy Sexy!! Opulent, dense, smoky goodness with beautiful rich red and blue fruit with soft, sweet leather, damp soil and the perfect amount of spice. No words on a screen will do this wine justice; this wine might go on my top 10 best of 2015.
1996 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne Romanee Premier Cru Les Beaumonts- Woah… this is still a young one! Ripe red cherry, cranberry and bright spice with a killer structure that could put any big boy Cabernet to shame. As much as I wanted more air to hit the glass, it was just too good not to keep sipping.
1982 Pichon Lalande- it’s ’82 Pichon Lalande- need I say more?
2011 Tusk- Tusk is my jam!! Rich, supreme fruit with sweet petals, licorice, spice and everything nice from Pritchard Hill.
The Many Terrific Bottles of the Night
1998 Dom Perignon P2
2002 Piper Heidsieck ‘Rare’
1993 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘Le Pavillon’
2004 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame
1983 Leoville Las Cases
2007 Jack Quinn
2009 Buccella
2011 Le Dome, St. Emilion Magnum
1986 Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard CS 6L
1986 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard CS 6L
1996 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Beaumonts
2014 Azur Rose 3L
NV Jacques Selosse Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
2009 Domaine d’Auvenay Leroy Meursault Les Narvaux
1978 Lafite Rothschild
2000 La Conseillante, Pomerol
1998 Domaine Ponsot Chapelle Chambertin
1982 Pichon Lalande
1981 Pichon Lalande
NV Krug Grande Cuvee Brut Champagne
2010 Quintessa
2003 Leoville Barton
2012 Domaine Arlaud Chambolle Musigny
2009 Deus ex Machina Clos St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape
2005 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Syrah
2006 Marita’s Vineyard Select Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Rudius Panek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Domaine d’Ardhuy Grand Cru Corton Charlemagne
2011 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 O’Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
2011 Robert Foley Claret Mag
2012 Futo OV|SL
2011 Tusk
2013 Guiberteau Clos de Guichaux Monopole Bizay, Saumur
2007 Monprivato Mascarello Giuseppe E Figlio
2004 Le Brun Servenay Exhilarante VV Brut Millesime Brut Champagne
2007 Vazart Coquart Special Club Grand Cru Couilly Brut Blanc de Blancs
2007 Arnaud Ente Clos des Ambres Meursault
2007 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape ‘La Crau’
2005 Match Baconbrook Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Switchback Ridge Merlot
Krug Brut Rose Champagne
1981 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Magnum
2009 SQN The Thrill Of Stamp Collecting
2013 Antica Terra Botanica Pinot Noir
1998 Clinet
2004 Quiceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Red Mntn Cabernet Sauvignon
2011 Futo Big Futo
2012 Domaine Arlaud Chambolle Musigny
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By: AJ McClellan
Great beginning to the night! The 2002 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet is stunning, as usual, a little tight but still showing expressive Lemmon, limestone, quince and Asian pear.
The 1996 Pichon Lalande is again stupendous! Needing a hour to decant but once it gets there the wine showed dark dust cherry, barnyard, straw, leather, and anise. The plate is full with soft tannins he fruit is more predominate on the palate showing plum, black cherry, and violets. Ten we get to the 2009 Hundred Acre Ark vineyard which was still tight but starting to soften around the edges. Big black fruit with some blueberries and notes of cedar and cooking spice.
This 1987 Dunn Howell Mountain is so stunning! Great sweet red fruit with vanilla, toast, and tobacco. With 30 min in the glass the wine moved to blackberries and dark chocolate with a long finish and silky tannins. to finish the night we hit the 1986 Certan which was on the verge of getting old with barnyard out the wazoo! The fruit was still hanging in there with dusty old red cherry.
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I love it when my colleague goes on a Grower Champagne binge- our cellar is stocked full of terrific Growers Champagne ready to spread holiday cheer for this upcoming season. Although no one has come close to knocking over our little tightrope man, each bottle we have opened thus far have stunned our palates with every cork pop! From the list of the best Growers, my favorite has been the 2006 Vilmart & Cie Coeur de Cuvee- this is how I want my glass of Champagne to be- rich and toasty with ultra creamy bubbles. The flavors are not as wild and austere as most Grower Champagnes can be- more sophisticated, weighty and powerful in style fully loaded with poached pear, hints of caramel and salted almonds, deep minerals and warm pie crust.
On a brighter perspective, the 2006 Pehu Simonet Millesime Grand Cru is strikingly charming! Brighter, almost crunchy minerality with river rock and ocean spray salinity, more stonefruits than orchard with fresh white peach and apricot with fresh white flowers. The flavors were more unrestrained and the bubbles were really tight and precise. This is an awesome Grower Champagne for the glass!
The 2010 Marc Hebrart ‘Special Club’ Brut is golden! The fruit is so bright and pure- think soft yellow peach, meyer lemon and white pineapple with hints of candy apple, lemongrass, white flowers and fresh parsley. The toasted almonds and brioche come through more in the palate which is just jaw-dropping! The bubbles are uber tiny and ridiculously creamy and it leads into a lengthy finish that starts with flint and crushed oyster shells, yet ends with baked apples, depth and profound weight. Focused yet expansive- this fascinating Special Club bottling made a huge impression this week.
In Graileys’ style, we cannot go a week without opening amazing Bordeaux and of the Bordeaux that we have had this week, the most memorable was the 1995 Grand Puy Lacoste showing beautifully straight from the bottle. Beautifully structured with rich black currant, dried plums, crushed gravel, dried licorice and deep soil, the texture was silky and polished. A beautiful bottle of Bordeaux indeed!
The 2000 Monbousquet was luscious and simply delicious! Dark chocolate with an abundance of juicy wild blueberry, black cherry and blackcurrant; wild purple petals, wild herbs and dark nutmeg, licorice, star anise spice. Really fleshy and boastful, ’00 Monbousquet was a hit!
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By: AJ McClellan
I just popped a bottle of the 2013 Clos Mogador and thought of you. The wine is drinking GREAT; actually more open than the 09 and 10 that we were drinking before…
Bright red fruit, with a touch of blueberry, slight clay and crushed slate minerality, a finish of chocolate and cooking spice. I really like this wine!! I have the wine available for 99.95 a bottle, and it comes in a beautiful wood 6pack. If you want me to snag you some let me know.
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The Christmas tree is up at Graileys with fantastic wines flowing graciously at the table. Last night was a one table wonder filled with phenomenal bottles each expressing the most impressive beauty from their respective region. You know the night is going to be terrific when you start with a 1996 Jadot Bonnes Mares- the fruit was just waking up with wild red and black cherry, plums and multidimensional layers of anise, fennel, mushrooms and crushed rocks. Powerful in structure, this bottle is an indestructible beast that will shine for decades to come.
We then went through a killer flight of wines from 2002 Salon to 1967 Gaja Barbaresco and 1990 Pichon Lalande, but the winner of the night was the 1959 Clovis Lefevre Vouvray Grande Annee… woah… we meet again. This bottle was more impressive than our previous one! The first time we had the ’59 Vouvray, it was profound and impressive, yes, but there was a little edge in the structure and its flavors were just a tad disjointed. Last night’s bottle was flawless and impenetrable. This is the reason why I love wine- I live for the moments shared with friends that wine gives by its breathtaking effects. Every time the glass hit the nose and palate, it revealed new and intoxicating elements while still leaving behind a little mystery. Light hay and toasted grain, dehydrated pear and golden apples, wild sweet corn, caramel, toasted hazelnut, white mushrooms, toffee, cinnamon, soft earth and brine. The flavors went on and on. Just as impressive as the wine was in the nose and the palate, the finish was equally compelling and everlasting with hints of brine, fruit and mineral.
We also tried a bottle of 1964 Volnay expressed by Begin-Colnet for the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. This bottle was rustic and wild! Earthy, rich moss, dried raspberry, pomegranate, charred marzipan, dense spice, wild herbs and hints of rustic inorganic minerals. Last night was truly one of the most memorable with only the best on the table- what a great way for our members to kick off the holiday season at Graileys. Cheers!
Killer Lineup
2002 Salon
1964 Volnay Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin by Begin-Colnet
1967 Gaja Barbaresco
1993 Latour
2009 Kosta Browne RRV
1994 Chapoutier Cote Rotie La Mordoree
2002 Nicolas Potel Echezeaux
NV Egly Ouriet Extra Brut Vieillissment Prolonge
1990 Pichon Lalande
1999 Pavie
2006 Montrose
2007 Herb Lamb Cabernet
2005 Pichon Lalande
1996 Mondavi Cabernet
2012 Les Griffins de Baron
2011 Spottswoode
2009 Arnaud Ente Goutte d’Or
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By: Ryan Tedder
Every once in a while a truly special night of celebration occurs at Graileys where close friends take the opportunity to get together and drink some of the best wines ever made to mark the occasion. Before Thanksgiving we had such an epic night of fun, drinking, eating and laughing to celebrate or dear friend and valued member William. He is one of the most generous people I have met in my life and seldom a day goes by here that he is not opening up a stunning bottle of wine to share with friends new and old. A little shit will get talked and some dirty jokes fly but all in all, few people exist in the world with the quality of character that Mr. Stuart has. I was blessed to be able to commune at this wine dinner for the ages! As you can see, things started out great with some 1976 Pichon Lalande that was drinking with that pure Pauillac charm of red currant, tobacco, gravel, cigar box and a nice green note that is a signature of the estate. We drank several more wines before the meal which I will summarize at the bottom of the page but the dinner table was where the magic really happened!
It was a full table of good friends with stunning wines to go around. I think we could use some more glasses;)
The full line-up of wines was one of the best I have ever had.
We started with a blind side by side of 2007 Domaine Ramonet Puligny-Montrachet Champs Canet 1er Cru (from 3L!) & 2011 Hensteeth Chardonnay. The Hensteeth was showing great with precision, minerality and wonderful class. Most people thought it was the White Burgundy until they tasted the Ramonet. The Ramonet was simply outstanding! White peach, ripe grapefruit and lemon thyme, with crushed stone and floral nuances. Juicy, precise and firm, with dry, elegant floral, mineral and hazelnut flavors currently dominating underlying citrus notes. This wine was stunning and a great wine. The 3 Liter format didn’t hurt either!
Then the craziness ensued… a bucket list wine for me and my wine of the night was the Magnum of 1983 Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage. It was seamless and silky, but also with a firm backbone of mineral, wet earth, plum, blackberry and leather notes. An old-fashioned red with a long finish that could inspire prose. It was the classic pepper, garrigue, old library books, animal and sois bois notes with a finish that I could taste the next day. Bravo!
We had four crazy good red Burgundies:
1992 Domaine Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin – These 1992s are drinking great and it was perfectly vinous and mature. Great stuff.
2003 Thibault Liger Belair Clos Vougeot – A great producer in a warm year that was showing great with juicy fruit, heady aromas and integrated Nuits flavors.
1976 Gros Freres Richebourg & 2007 Gros Freres Richebourg – HOLY CRAP THESE WERE AWESOME! The 1976 still had primary fruit and a certain wild, sauvage quality that made it a wine I could hardly put down. the 2007 was more forward and drinking in the perfect window. The 2007 was the quickest wine drank of the night! Bravo Bill “Richebourg” Stuart-you outdid yourself!
Ivan the Fiver was here so some superlative Cali gems and a rare Aussie made an appearance as well:
2001 Clarendon Hills Astralis Shiraz – this was a tribute to Mr. Stuart and his humble Aussie origins. the wine was like figgy pudding with brambly fruit, black pepper, clay minerality and a super round, supple palate. Great juice from an iconic producer in McLaren Vale.
2011 Tusk – This is the best 2011 Napa Cabernet produced in my opinion and it did not disappoint. Bereft of the typical green 2011 vintage notes, the wine is black in color and flavor. Cassis, black cherry, mocha, gravel, and sweet spices with a powerful tannin profile and a seamless, lengthy finish. Delicious!
2011 SQN Patine Syrah (Extended Barrel Aging) – Wow, wow, wow! Every EBA bottle I have tried has been amazing. This one has aromas and flavors of graphite, sweet oak, smoked meats, pepper and black raspberry and cassis-like fruit. While it shows the vintage’s cooler nature, it has a stacked mid-palate and will evolve gracefully. This will be legendary for 30 years or more.
We even had a stunning older bottle of Bordeaux, 1959 Cos d’Estournel! The label was falling off but the wine certainly was not! This was Bill’s favorite wine of the night I believe and I can see why. 1959 is such a great vintage and Cos is a top 3 Super Second to me. Imminently complex, refined, thought-provoking and lengthy, the 1959 Cos drank great from the bottle and started to fall off after a bit of time in the glass as you would expect. When it was on, it was as good as the 1959 Pichon Baron and 1959 Pichon Lalande that I tried this year with some typicity still intact from this great piece of land across the border from Lafite.
The dinner was great but the wines stole the show! It was a night for the ages without a doubt! Before and after we drank several more bottles. Check them out:
1998 Henriot Cuvee des Enchanteleurs
NV Delamotte Blanc des Blancs
NV Andre Clouet No 3 Brut Rose from Magnum
2007 Chartogne Taillet Les Barres
1978 Remoissenet Volnay Clos des Chenes 1er Cru
2009 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
1999 Potel Grands Echezeaux
2002 Nuits St George Les St Georges 1er Cru
2007 Pierre Morey Meursault Charmes 1er Cru
2007 Fontodi Flaccianello
1989 Cos d’Estournel
1976 Pichon Lalande
2012 Gargiulo OVX G Major 7 Study Red Blend
2012 Blankiet Rive Droitte
2012 Peter Michael Au Paradis Oakville Cab (#1 Wine of the Year from Wine Spectator 2015!)
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By: AJ McClellan
We popped the WineSpectator #1 wine of the year earlier this week, and WOW! I can see how this stunning bottle got the title. The 2012 Peter Michael Au Paradis was showing black raspberry, red cherry, plum, black teas, leather, clove, with hints of vanilla, mocca, and lavender. This wine is smoking! With 5 more years in the bottle this wine will only get better and better!
After the Peter Michael we opened some awesome bottles. This La Chapelle is like a old friend. We drank tons of this at old Graileys. Stunning wine with old damp earth, worn leather, cranberry raisins, and coffee. The earth on this wine is gorgeous! Like walking your old hound dog though a damp autumn night breaking mossy twigs with every step…. The Ramonet was sunshine and flowers in a glass. Notes of white peach and Lemmon zest mixed with a fine mist of limestone.
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With the holiday season upon us, our evenings have not been as busy as we had anticipated; yet the wines that have been opened have been simply spectacular. Some of my most memorable wines in the past couple of weeks have been both old Burgundy and a horizontal of Francois Lamarche, another smoking 2012 Napa Cabernet and a magnum of aged Champagne!
I have to start with the 1961 Nicolas Charenton Vosne Romanee- it was such a nice surprise to experience a village wine with significant age, yet it offered beautifully and perfectly preserved red fruit, an expansive palate of soft compost, dried spice, red tea and rose with a touch of old leather all in a cashmere like texture.
We sampled a horizontal of Francois Lamarche from the shadow vintage of 2006. It was really cool to taste the two Premier Crus: Les Malconsorts and Les Suchots side by side. We also tasted the famous monopole (singularly estate owned vineyard) Grand Cru La Grande Rue. The two Premier Crus had personalities that were worlds apart! The Les Malconsorts was more precise and focused. A more serious wine with righteous power, depth, and firm structure. The Les Suchots was the wild child- untamed juicy fruit in almost every berry species you can find, dark spice, nearly brooding, hedonistic richness, reflecting a Pinot Noir more from the New World than of Burgundy. Both phenomenal bottles that would benefit from a lot more with time in the cellar.
The 2006 Grand Cru La Grande Rue was a beast. Definitely needs more time to sleep. The flavors seemed a little edgy with tight and tart red and black cherry, fresh baking spice, wild rose and a slight touch of bitter minerals towards the finish. The structure seemed a little disjointed as there was weight, but not filled from its flavors as all of its elements have not settled this wine in yet. Should be compelling in the future and I anticipate to give this another go with at least another 5 years of sleep.
2012 Kata Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon- Sexy! Sexy! It was pretty open and giving straight from the bottle for its youth. Ripe and juicy black and blue fruit, bright cinnamon, clove, smooth vanilla, silky chocolate with hints of coconut oil and eucalyptus. The tannins were round and sweet with a velvety texture that lead into a lengthy finish that was as fruit forward as the mid-palate itself.
One of the most memorable wines I have had at Graileys yet was opened last week. It was the 1989 Krug Collection from magnum. Woah…. Now this is a serious glass of wine. Soft and creamy yet holding unbelievable power, precision and depth; the bubbles were miniscule while the flavors were some of the most complex I have had from a bottle of Champagne. Soft milk bread, toasted almonds and hazelnuts, caramelized brown pear and baked apples with savory layers that made the wine even more compelling. Dried spice, deep minerals and ever so subtle layers of organic earth were all seamless and quite perfect with a light lift in the finish that made the wine just as breathtaking in the finish as it was in the beginning and the mid.
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