by | February 14, 2014

Right Where I Love to Be

By: Ryan Tedder

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Day in and day out it is easy to realize that Graileys is one of the best wine places on Earth! On a random Tuesday we were just hanging out typing away listening to a droll of Olympic news when two of our great members walked in to make things interesting. After a quick hello the attention turned into what to drink. If left up to me I think I would spend an ever increasing amount of time in this life drinking great aged Champagne and vintage Burgundy. The evening just so happened to take that path-yippy!

We started with a bottle of 1988 Veuve Clicquot Rare Vintage. This wine was a relative steal given the perfect provenance and quality of the juice. The perfectly aged bubbler still retained a somewhat subdued effervescence that was still noticeable and quite delicious! The yellow apple, pear, fresh spun honey, hazelnuts, and buttered croissant were downright delicious. Perfectly vinous and wonderful-need more now!

Next was a kicking bottle of 1997 Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers du Dents de Chien.  After having recently drank a bottle of 2011 En Remilly that was uber minerally and tight as nails in what was is supposed to be a rather forward vintage, I was motivated to give the one a spin. What a stunner. Another great bottle of white from this rock star of Saint Aubin. Rich and round, honey, apple pie, brioche, vanilla, hard spices, hawthorne and lillies-this was a profound bottle of vintage white Burgundy that was completely absent of Pre-Mox. Divine juice.

Next we went into red country with a bottle of 1998 Dominique Laurent Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru that was rocking! This is the wine that showed so well at our grand blind holiday party. The soft red fruit was perfectly ripe with a balanced richness and a fine, caressing tannin that made the wine wonderfully supple. The wild strawberries, bright bing cherries, wild berries and light earthy notes of dried leaves and wild mushrooms. I guess the theme is wild, fruity and balanced with a never ending finish. Simply beautiful.

We finished with one of the aristocratic estates of Burgundy, Meo-Camuzet. We had a bottle of 2000 Meo Camuzet Corton Clos Rognot Grand Cru that was completely different than the Grand Ech. There was a profound minerality, saturated dark berry fruit, smoke, black truffles, light leather and divine, seamless yet omnipresent tannins that tickled the palate. Worth all of the acclaim and reverence, this Meo Cam certainly did not disappoint!

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by | February 11, 2014

Chateau Angelus’ Jean-Bernard Grenier @ Graileys

angelus

 

The amiable, Jean-Bernard Grenier, stopped by Graileys two weeks ago before his dinner event at a Dallas restaurant. He generously shared some 2006 and 2007 Chateau Angelus with us. And just to spice things up, Simon also pulled a bottle of 2005 Angelus to round up a three-year vertical.

First in the line-up was the very expressive and approachable 2007 Angelus. This showed fantastic harmony and balance for such a young wine. I loved the wine’s delicate and well-delineated aromatics; layers of blackcurrants,  black raspberries, plums, espresso beans, incense, and a touch of dark chocolate. The palate was full-bodied with ripe, vanilla-laced tannins, and vibrant acidity. Great freshness and lovely texture. Juicy finish. This is such a delight to drink now and frankly, I would have a very hard time keeping my hands off this wine.

The 2006 Angelus was next in line. The nose seemed darker with cassis, blackberries, blackcurrants, cedar, dried herbaceous tones, and spice.  Next to the 07, this showed more flesh and opulence but lacked the concentration and structure of the 05. I’d like to revisit this wine in another three years. In the meantime, I am drinking those 07s.

The 2005 Angelus was markedly a bigger wine. Bold fruit and big tannins. It is tightly wound right now with firm, mouth-drying tannins and concentrated black fruits.  Very youthful and primary. Intense, oak-derived notes (coffee, mocha, chocolate) along with blackcurrants, blackberries, black cherries, and blueberries are driving the flavor profile. Richly-textured and dense. This is undoubtedly an amazing wine but requires another 10-15 years, in my opinion, to mellow those tannins and start throwing the awesome truffle-earth-floral bouquet that I love so much in Angelus. I’m thinking, 1990 Angelus….

 

 

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by | February 5, 2014

Great Week of Wine Drinking!

By: Ryan Tedder

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A bad week at Graileys is a great week almost anywhere else in the world. So imagine how amazing a great week at Graileys is?? It boggles the mind…Last week was just such a week!  We had some many stunners it woul dmake your head spin. Some Highlights included 1970 Bollinger, Krug Rose, and Colgin Herb Lamb!

We had a good friend stop by with a wiley crew and popped these lovelies! We started with some 1999 Dom Perignon - this version of Dom P is very open and lush. It was pure toast, citrus, honeysuckle and distinct minerality and quince. We followed that with some NV Krug Rose with 2 different disgorgement dates – and subsequently different capsules and ages. The younger of the two had lovely tart red fruit, flowers, starwberries, tangerine and a never-ending tongue teasing complexity few wines would rival. The second was a touch more vinous and the fruit was rounder and more flamboyant. The citrus notes had gone to orange blossom and orange zest. The wine drank like a rich red Burg with fruit. Just great. Last was the most stunning wine of the night-the 1970 Bollinger Vintage Brut!!!  Complex, large bodied, incredibily dense and memorable in every way. The wine actually tasted like it could have used a decant! It just got better and richer with air. Fresh croissant, pear, apple and lemon were present as well as a multitude of other flavors. I wish we would have drank it slower…

Some other great wines included:

Blog Colgin

1993 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet - This was a stunner! Full rich adn lively with all kinds of extract, fruit, sweet round tannins and beautiful length! The only thing we did not like about it was the fact that is was a 1993 – and alas-not a 1994… oh well!

Blog Morey Batard

1993 Pierre Morey Batard Montrachet Grand Cru - This was hands down the best white Burgundy of the week! Rich, round and refined in every way. When you drink a wine like this you realize how special great White Burgundy can be. Bravo M. Morey-you rock!

Blog Deiss Altenberg Bergheim

2008 Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru - The only Grand Cru in Alsace that allows blends, this was a special bottle of white wine. The length, dry extract, verve and complexity of this white wine leave me still thinking of it a week later. This will go for 50 years!

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by | January 29, 2014

Canon and Pichon Lalande

canon 1982

A couple of fantastic bottles were shared around Graileys last Tuesday.

The team just finalized the purchase of an amazing collection that featured a 17-year vertical of Pichon Lalande so, expectedly, Simon’s first cork fatality was a 1979 Pichon Lalande. This was a majestic expression of opulence and flesh. From the first pour, the nose was dramatic with licorice, creme de cassis, tobacco, and loamy earth. The palate was initially reticent. I thought it was dried out and weedy with a clipped finish. So I left my glass behind the bar and when I came back to it, a couple of hours later, the wine seemed riper and more consistent with the nose. Sweet black fruits layered with licorice, cedar, toffee, and wet earth notes. Drinking at peak.

Next in the line up was a 1982 Chateau Canon which was a knockout! Complex bouquet showcasing a sweet, red fruit core (plums, black cherries) layered with cedar and tobacco. Refined and feminine palate, silken texture, and a freshness that made this wine so pleasurable to drink. A nice violet component added a dimension of complexity. Simply, a pretty wine. Drinking at peak.

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by | January 28, 2014

Bubbles Make You Live Longer and More Prosperous

By: Ryan Tedder

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Okay so the title of this blog may be pure conjecture but it is a steadfast belief. Great Champagne makes every day better and you cannot drink it with a frown on your face-it is simply impossible! It’s like riding a roller coaster and yelling “boo!” the entire time. The lithium in Champagne also helps with your mood, the effervescence with your indigestion and the alcohol with your ability to dance. All in all: a win all the way around.

This last Saturday we had the delight of enjoying these 4 bubbly bad boys. All were great in their own right and they sum of the group further cemented my desire to become the Chamapgne expert of Texas…Or at least get drunk trying endlessly;)

We started with a killer bottle of 1988 Dom Perignon Brut – this was one the best bottles of the 88 we have had except for the mag we had a few weeks back. The autolytic richness was complimented by toasty buttered brioche, hazelnut, poached pear, apple tart, ginger and hard spice. The bubbles were starting to integrate more into the wine and were tiny and unaggresive. The finish was beautiful just as teh richness of the wine was impressive.

Next we enjoyed a bottle of Jacques Selosse Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV. One of our best members brought this beautiful bubbler and it rocked. The wine was wild and slightly yeasty. Yellow apples, butterscotch, roasted peanuts, buttered brioche and a wonderful creamy / mineral interplay that was intoxicating. Hard spices, fleur du sel, oyster shell, mushroom and quince all made appearances as well-quite complex and layered!

Next 2 killer bottles of Billecart Salmon brought it home. First we had the 2000 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois which has really matured in the last year. The first time I had this wine it was incredibly taught, minerally and spicy. Now the wine is marked by mint, smoke, apple pastry, honey, exotic spices and that same mineral umami. The wine is precise, pure and focused with beautiful balance and a lip-smaking finish.

We finished with one of my favorite 2002 roses- the 2002 Billecart Salmon Elisabeth Salmon Rose. The creamy strawberry, bing cherry and pomegranite red fruit is simply delightful. The wine is playful yet very serious at the same time. Roses and tangerine comes through with some air and a rather vinous, round palate impression surprises. The fruit is pure Pinot red fruit love and the finish is lovely! Quite a stunner.

 

 

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by | January 23, 2014

Some old Friends and some New Ones.

By: AJ McClellan

Yesterday was a fun opportunity to taste a few wines that don’t get opened all the time. One was the Clos st Hune from Trimbach. This Riesling was drinking very well for how young it is with crisp fruit and excellent balance. The Liger Belair was another fun bottle that you don’t get to try very often.

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1990 Chapoutier Cote Rotie La Mordoree – Classic Rhone with tar, leather, blackberry, smoke, and wild game nuances. This wine was in a very good drinking window with soft tannins and a very pleasant finish.

2011 Liger Belair Vosne Romanee 1er Les Chaumes – I was very impressed with this wine. 2011 is not known as the best vintage in Burgundy, especially when compared to the stunning 2010 vintage, but this bottling made me stand up and take note. The fruit was ripe and walked the tight rope of acidity and fruit perfectly each balancing each other to keep the wine in harmony. Beautiful on the finish and impressive complexities makes this wine one I will keep my eye on for the next 10 years…  If I can find any more that is.

2002 Trimbach Clos st Hune – I have always been a fan of Clos st Hune. The wine is a wonderful example of what Alsace can do with Riesling. This wine was full of lemon zest with searing acidity and surprisingly massive body. We decanted the wine for two hours before service and that was still two hours too little. A massive bottle that needs another decade in the bottle before you think of trying it again.

1979 Pichon Lalande – An old favorite of mine the 79 Pichon Lalande is unfortunately starting towards the end of its life… It is still drinking well right now with dusty red cherry and the tell tale green bell pepper but the tannins are dry and brittle and the acidity has run its course. I would drink this wine now or over the next two years…

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by | January 17, 2014

1995 Lafite-Rothschild

1995 lafite

The so-called emperor of wine certainly took its sweet time to reveal the innate complexity and beautiful perfume that it is coveted for. It was reticent in the first hour, slowly revealing subtle notes of cedar, blackcurrant, tobacco, herbs, iron, graphite, and forest floor. The palate was medium-bodied, elegant in structure, with a seamless texture that effortlessly glided from the front to the back of the palate. Two hours later, the wine showed a sweeter vanilla undertone, more fruit intensity and a bittersweet chocolaty finish. This 1995 Lafite-Rothschild is the most unevolved of any 1995 Bordeaux I have tasted and I think this wine needs another decade in bottle to show its true potential. Pretty wine, nonetheless.

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by | January 15, 2014

The 69 and the 61!

By: AJ McClellan

Some days are a real treat here at Graileys, and the funniest thing is that they typically come on the most unassuming days… Yesterday was one such afternoon. It was a quiet day with very little going on but all that changed with one client, a few guests, and two absolutely stunning bottles of wine.

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The first bottle to be popped would make wine of the night on almost any day in Graileys – a 1969 Krug Magnum! The wine was in pristine condition and when we popped it there was still plenty of pressure in the bottle. Once poured the toasted almond and cooked quince notes overtook the room carrying me away to a world of fresh French baguettes smattered with peach preserves then lightly toasted and served with a drizzle of honey. Just thinking of the wine makes my mouth water all over again.

As if the magnum of Krug was not enough then we were treated to a legendary bottle of 1961 Mouton Rothschild!! The Moutons label was a little nicked but the cork came out with no problems. The nose was a old musty trunk containing all of your favorite things. Like a kid I jumped into the wine headfirst finding dried blueberries, classic graphite, cassis, and a beautiful earthiness that made me want to keep my nose in the glass for hours. The palate was softer than silk but with a surprising weight that filled the senses with stunning floral notes and massive fruit that I thought would be forgotten on a wine of this age.

After tasting both wines I don’t know if I could pick a favorite if my life depended on it. All I have to say is, WOW! What a night at Graileys…

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by | January 13, 2014

Robert Foley and His Lovely Wines

By: Ryan Tedder

BOB AND LA BOB AND OMARBOB WINESEvery year it is like Christmas all over again when we host the legendary winemaker Robert Foley in January and taste through his current releases. Not only do Bob’s wines sing with marvelous consistentcy and overly generous flavors, he is a wonderfully down-to-earth guy, a great host and just an all-and-all great guy.  We tasted through a good sampling of Bob’s wines and a great time was had by all!

These were the wines:

2010 Pinot Blanc: This was beautiful and crisp but still rich with lots of peach and jasmine with nice minerality and stone fruits.

2011 Pinot Noir: The second vintage of this showy Pinot was a crowd favorite! Sourced partially from Hudson vineyard (where I got married!) and with a nice kiss of oak. the 2011 Pinot had a silky tannin with ripe boysenberry and black cherries and a nice vanilla and hard spice nuance. Bravo!

2011 Charbono: A personal favorite because of its low alcohol, elevated acid and yet still extremely lush flavor profile-the 2011 Charbono was loved by all. Wild jelly flavors, light toast, soft, silky tannins and heady, violet aromatics.

2010 Merlot: The Best Merlot in Napa repeats as grand champion of the category! A Cabs drinkers Merlot in every sense-the black fruits, chocolate and espresso flavors combine with soft tannins to yield a rich Blockbuster.

2010 Claret: The Claret is the most unsung value in Napa today! Put it blind against wines 2 and 3 times the price and the Claret spanks them hands down! Brooding dark fruit, blackberries, chocolate and layers of espresso/coffee/vanilla bean, smoke and licorice make this a wine of extremely high depth. Having a had a bottle of 1997 last year, this will be a wine to stash and covet and if don’t drink it all!!

2011 Kelly’s Cuvee: The 2011 vintage is equal parts Syrah and Petite Sirah and the wine was definitiely a crowd pleaser!  Spicy blackberry explodes on the palate with great balance to the juicy fruit/floral/spice palate. A gorilla of flavor in ballet slippers

After the official wines, we drank our colelctive weight in great wines. More blogs to come about the other goodies from the night! Thanks Bob!

 

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by | January 7, 2014

Wine of the Hour

dal forno valpolicella

I’ve been eyeing this bottle over the last couple of months and the time to uncork it finally came last Friday when two Italian-centric clients walked in with ‘something different’ in mind.

Well, the 2001 Romano Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore “Vigneto di monte Lodoletta’ certainly fits the bill.

The wine was a rocking straight out of the bottle! The nose’ intense perfume initially filled the room with upfront fruit (wild raspberry, black cherry jam) with dried lavender and toffee undertones. This was backed by a rich, dense, and concentrated palate that showed some grip in the firmer, dry finish. With air, the wine displayed even more complexity; additional notes of clove, dried herbs (sage/bay leaf), and underbrush then turning spicier. As I swirled and sniffed this wine, I thought, “This is so easy to mistake this wine as a very good, youthful Napa Cabernet.” Valpolicella is traditionally a blend of three grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara (this last one is increasingly being phased out).

Dal Forno drying

Romano Dal Forno is one of the benchmark producers of Valpolicella and is widely credited for showing the possibility of producing superior, quality wines from outside the Classico zone. The winery employs modern technology to improve the quality of their wines without sacrificing typicity. For instance, Dal Forno has built this super modern, computerized drying rooms that help control temperature and humidity. The winery likewise ages their wines in new French barriques instead of the traditional Slavonian oak casks.

 

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