by | December 19, 2016

#12 Wine of the Year Spanish Killer, Under $30

I’m sure you have gathered by now that I have been on a huge Spanish kick this year. With the new Top 100 wines coming out from Wine Spectator I am happy to see that this stunning “little” Ribera del Duero made it on the top quarter of the list. I have tasted through almost all of the top 25 (you might recognize a good handful from my previous offers) and I think that this 2012 Abadia Retuerta is one of the best values you will find! For less than $30 you can get one of the fastest improving wineries of Spain. Their 2001 bottling got “Worlds Best Red Wine” at the International Wine Challenge in London in 2005. And now in 2016 they have the pleasure of being the #12 best Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator!  Grab some while it lasts!!

 

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2012 Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial $29.95

#12 Wine of the Year – Wine Spectator
93 Points Robert Parker | 93 Points Wine Spectator

93 Wine Advocate | 93 Wine Spectator: A polished texture carries harmonious flavors of black cherry, cola, licorice and mineral in this focused red. Well-integrated tannins and balsamic acidity lend this a balanced structure. Reserved but deep. Drink now through 2022. 

From the outskirts of Ribera del Duero in the Duero Valley of Sardon, the hot days and cool nights create an ideal growing environment for the rugged Tempranillo grape. This wine has the richness of Tempranillo combined with the powerful fruit of Cabernet Sauvignon and the structure of Syrah. The river basin where the vines grow is the product of thousands of years of erosion, alluvium, sediment and changes in soil composition. This has created a very diverse terroir in this unique wine region, where the texture, the proportion of minerals and water absorbed or retained by each plot in the estate varies. The vineyards extend along the North-facing slopes, climbing from the river bank to heights of up to 2800 feet. This difference in altitude, together with the different soil types, creates variations in the yield from each vineyard and, therefore, grapes with very different characteristics. The Selection Especial (as you may guess from its name) is a Special Selection of 54 different plots that they blend together to give the wine the most complexity. You don’t need to break the bank for pure red wine bliss… Stock up on this Spanish stunner today!!  kim@graileys.com

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by | December 15, 2016

97 Pt First Growth Malbec – 2012 Cheval des Andes Rocks

Happy holidays! I seldom send out South American wines offers but today I have an exception after drinking this stupendous 2012 Cheval des Andes!! This is a top 3 South American wine off all-time to me and the best Cheval des Andes ever! I immediately got on the phone and got the rest that I could get my hands on! First Growth Saint Emilion producer Cheval Blanc makes this killer 2/3 Malbec, 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot blend from the best high altitude vineyards that Terrazas owns in Argentina. The results in 2012 are staggering! 2012 Cheval des Andes is a dense, rich and ripe red, with sexy aromatics of violets and lillies and well-structured flavors of blackberry, blackcurrant, dark cherry, plum and chocolate. This is hedonistic with a creamy finish that is filled with Asian spice and minerally notes, revealing lingering, lush blackberry accents. Even if young, this is polished and can be drunk starting now for a least another decade. Grab a six pack today for the best price in the USA! Act fast to grab this marvelous Malbec blend!

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2012 Cheval des Andes Malbec Blend

Graileys Price: $79.95 per bottle

James Suckling 97: Fabulous aromas of blackberry, spice and flower. Perfumed. Lavender, rose and lilac too. A wine that grows on the palate with extreme finesse and complexity that shows ultra-fine tannins, currants, and flowers. Super length. Mostly mablec with cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Best Cheval des Andes ever? Drink or hold.

This is the best Cheval des Andes I have ever drank and a top 3 Argentinian wine of all time to me! Act fast to grab a six pack or two for the best price in the country while they last! kim@graileys.com

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by | December 1, 2016

Great Deal on Benchmark 97 Pt Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru

We have the best deal ever on Grand Cru White Burgundy for you today! We have always considered Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru as a true benchmark wine for the whole of Burgundy. We had the pleasure of hosting the 16th Generation Mr. Louis Latour at Graileys last year for a memorable 8-year vertical of this amazing wine and every bottle was spectacular in its own way! I just got offered a handful of 2013 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru for a stellar deal! In 2013 Latour only made 1/4 of the normal amount of Corton Charlemagne to keep the resulting wine amazing! This 2013 Corton Charlie tastes better than other domaines 2013 Montrachets for a fraction of the price! Apple, pear and spice aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of this rich, expressive white. Creamy in texture, this displays intensity and a long, spice-filled aftertaste that will drink great for a decade easily! This bold wine would be great for the holidays and is rich enough for red meat! Grab some for this great deal while it lasts! This is the epitome of a classic Grand Cru White Burgundy for a steal!

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You don’t see this benchmark Grand Cru White Burgundy for this low price every day! Act fast to grab some while it lasts! kim@graileys.com

 

2013 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru

Graileys Price: $115 per bottle

James Suckling 97: OMG. This is so layered and dense with dried pineapple and apple. The concentration and depth is amazing. Full-bodied and dense plus super fruit. This is less than one fourth of the production. A crazy white. Drink, if you can find it.

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by | November 22, 2016

40th Anniversary of the Judgement of Paris- Graileys’ Style

Last week I was so grateful to host a group of Graileys members and their international colleagues to a Graileys’ wine dinner they will never forget! We re-created the wines from the tasting that not only placed California on the map for wine fine, but truly opened the doors for all regions to make extraordinary wine: the Judgement of Paris Tasting of 1976. Although we didn’t have the opportunity to open any of these bottles from the 70’s, we were able to recreate the same exact producers and vineyards, but from younger vintages; and what a very interesting tasting this was…

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The red wine that became an American icon in the 1976 tasting was the 1973 Stags Leap SLV in a lineup tasted blind against 1971 Ridge Monte Bello, 1970 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard and First and Second Growth Bordeaux such as 1970 Mouton Rothschild, 1970 Montrose, 1970 Haut Brion and 1971 Leoville las Cases.

The winning white wine was 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, up against Burgundy’s finest such as 1973 Charmes Roulot Meursault, 1973 Ramonet-Prudhon Batard Montrachet and 1972 Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. After forty years and even over multiple dynamic changes in these wineries, it seems like our palate has not changed too much in style…

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To everyone’s surprise, the winning red wine was the 2013 Ridge Monte Bello! A fantastic, iconic Cabernet that many thought it was from Bordeaux. The Ridge Monte Bello was absolutely gorgeous with rich ripe fruit, dark chocolate, warm vanilla and toasted cedar with deep, dark minerals pulling everything together. The finish was lengthy and its layers were seductive.

2nd Place: 2010 Promontory- The Graileys twist on this historic lineup, the 2010 Promontory was better than I remember… and I do remember it being quite bad ass the first couple of tastings… Youthful, powerful and demanding with incredible aging potential, this is a must have in any serious Napa Cabernet lover’s collection.

3rd Place: 2012 Stags Leap SLV

4th Place: 2003 Haut Brion

 

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The final ranking of the wines, from right to left, winning red being the 2013 Ridge Monte Bello!!

 

From the two white wines, Chateau Montelena takes the win again!! The 2010 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay out-tasted the 2012 Domaine Leflaive Les Pucelles. It didn’t have my vote that night, but the Montelena Chard is a beautiful wine that clearly had a very strong outcome in the blind tasting. The ’12 Leflaive Les Pucelles was on fire with opulent, warm tones in the mid-palate and beautiful minerals and yellow citrus and golden apples leading the way.

 

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Dinner prepared by Top Chef  Tre Wilcox.

 

 

 

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by | November 15, 2016

Ba-Ba-Bad to the Rhone

Last Friday, we had an epic night of Northern Rhone’s finest that has stunned me for eternity. In a blind tasting set up, our members went through four Rhone varietals, decoding its flavors, structure and finish to determine each bottles’ vintage, composition and origin. We started with Rhone varietal’s most iconic producers and ended the night with a fifty-five year-old Bordeaux and perfectly aged Dom Perignon. Oh, what a night and we couldn’t have had such a memorable time without our generous members!

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1996 Jean Louis Chave Hermitage- The overall wine of the night from the tasting! The fruit was bright and lively driven by dried, ripe red fruit complimented by wild rose. Wonderfully meaty with the perfect amount of granite, dried spices, red licorice and herbs all expressed in a silky, polished texture, leading into focused, lengthy finish.

1998 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Cote Blonde- The aromas jumped out of the glass in this one with wild rosemary, dried lilacs and thyme. Beautifully herbaceous, wild and rustic; also the savoriest wine from the lineup with notes of roasted meats, smoke, olive tapenade, licorice, iron, star anise, herbs de Provence galore! The finish was as wild as the wine itself, going in all directions for over a lengthy period of time.

2000 Guigal Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis- (not a part of the blind tasting, but serendipitously opened this fateful night) A fantastic showing of the Ampuis! Absolutely dynamic in the glass starting off with graceful tones that opened up into a ravaging beauty.   

1985 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle-  (not a part of the blind tasting, but serendipitously opened this fateful night) The star of the night for me and the highlight to my week! This bottle of ’85 Jaboulet La Chapelle was truly spectacular! From the enticing nose to the haunting finish and all of its elegant qualities in between, this has been one of the best showings of La Chapelle I’ve experienced at Graileys yet. If you went on aroma and texture alone, this bottle will take you to fine aged Burgundy. Dried wild rose petals and perfectly preserved red and black cherry, pomegranate and dried plums were the leading elements in the nose. The palate offered incredible depth with seamless dimensions, one after the other, filled with dried meat, lavender, olives, dried clay, herbs, smoke and rich spice. What an amazing treat to kick off the weekend!

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2003 Penfolds Grange- An epic Rhone varietal blind tasting is not complete until a bottle of Penfolds Grange is present and this magnificent baby threw in a powerful punch to the lineup. Over ripe black fruit drove the palate with concentrated layers of dark baking spices, mint and tar. At thirteen years of age, this bottle proved once again the power and longevity of Grange.  

 

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1990 Dom Perignon- After all the Rhone and Grange was drunk and enjoyed, we opened up a bottle of the 1990 Dom Perignon. It seems that we always end with an exceptional bottle of vintage Champagne as anybody should when sealing a splendid wine night with great friends and this bottle nearly stole the show! After experiencing a fine Champagne like this, there is just no turning back.

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by | November 3, 2016

An Afternoon Blind Tasting With Jeremy Nickel

Yesterday afternoon, Jeremy Nickel, son of the late Gil Nickel who was the founder of Napa’s classic estates Far Niente, Dolce and Nickel & Nickel, stopped by Graileys to showcase how his personal wine, The Vineyard House, would hold up in a flight against the big boys of Napa in a very bold and very generous blind tasting. This Napa cult showdown was based on a scoring sheet created by the folks of The Vineyard House based on a point scale, generated by appearance, aroma, body, taste and finish. On their scoring sheet, higher extraction, concentration, weight, texture, balance and lengthy finish lead to higher points on the scale.

 

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From Left to Right: 2010 Bond Vecina, 2010 Grace Family, 2010 The Vineyard House, 2010 Harlan, 2010 Scarecrow, 2010 Schrader T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon,  2010 Colgin Tychson

 

There were seven powerful Napa Cabernets of elite status, all from the 2010 vintage. Going through each wine blind was like driving through a delicious, fruity brick wall, one glass at a time and the Graileys Team tasted through the lineup with grace. After Simon and each broker placed our judgement, coming in first place was the 2010 Scarecrow, it tallied the highest points due to the greatest extraction, explosive aromas, dense flavors, velvety mouthfeel and just as fiery palate.

2010 Colgin Tychson Cabernet came in second place with expressive, bright fruit, silky texture and beautiful balance.

2010 Schrader T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon was one of the most aromatic and concentrated wines in the lineup coming in at third place.

2010 Harlan and Bond Vecina followed suit as these beasts need more time in the bottle to even budge a release of its full expression potential.

2010 The Vineyard House had a strong showing against these big boys with generous fruit, lively aromatics and lengthy finish.

 

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After the tasting, the wines with the highest scores were revealed as shown in the lineup above. Jeremy also had a vertical of The Vineyard House for us to try; after the 2010, we tried the 2011 and the 2012 vintages. The 2011 was more compelling compared to other Napa Cabs from the infamous vintage and the 2012 was simply terrific with naturally ripe flavors, generous fruit and luscious texture.

 

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by | October 24, 2016

Cheval Blanc Takes Center Stage!

We kicked off the weekend with a lineup that’s larger than life last Friday! Our lovely friend from LVMH kicked off 5 o’clock for us with bottles of Krug Grande Cuvee and Krug Rose in honor of National Champagne Day, Krug Appreciation Day and hell, because it was Friday! Krug is truly King when it comes to fine Champagne and the Grande Cuvee was showing at its finest with seductive flair. Warm spices and toasty brioche dominated the palate through its sensational coating texture while notes of golden pear, almonds, white peach and preserved lemons added a wonderful lift. Krug Rose was beautifully elegant with light rose, raspberries, strawberry and citrus prickling the tongue.

To follow up such a grand start to the evening, our dear friends from a Bordeaux negociant we work closely with droppped by to taste our valued members on a ridiculous lineup of amazing Bordeaux! From Second Growth Chateau Leoville las Cases from the Left Bank to a vertical of the Right Bank’s Grand Cru Classe A icon, Cheval Blanc and much more in between, our Graileys members reveled in a tremendous flight of wines Friday evening!


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Of the Left Bank, the 2010 Leoville Las Cases was the winner and the wine of the night!  This baby has hit its apex with ripe, beautiful black and red currants, rich forest floor, leather, dense spice, mocha, dark cocoa and explosive wild violets. This multidimensional Second Growth was absolutely dynamic from the nose to the extensive finish and the palate was flawless. I highly recommend you grab as much as you can of this stunner! If this stunner was that much impressive last Friday, I cannot wait to see how it develops in decades to come!

 

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We tasted through four vintages of one of the Right Bank’s most revered estates: Cheval Blanc, vintages 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2012. Each wine was impressive in its own stature but the vintage that blew our minds; dropped our jaws and knocked our socks off was the magnificent 2009 Cheval Blanc!! With insane power, yet seductive grace the 2009 Cheval Blanc was mystical, magical as holy a bottle of fine wine can get. The black and blue fruit was concentrated and ripe; the earth was dense and utterly profound; the floral notes were sweet and alluring; the texture was opulent, mouth-coating and velvety smooth; and the finish lingered for what seemed like forever. This wine has definitely reached one of my top experiences of youthful Bordeaux that has been had within the Graileys walls.

 

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by | October 18, 2016

Opus One 2013 Release Party!

Over the weekend, Graileys opened our doors on Saturday for a highly anticipated night to remember… our annual Opus One Release Party! We hosted the fabulous Karen d’Amour of Opus One and brought in Royal Chef Darren McGrady to prepare a fabulous meal for our very special guests. The lineup was marvelous to say the least! This year, we poured the following vintages of Opus One: 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013 for the dinner. In true Graileys’ fashion, Simon surprised our guests with 1993 Opus One! We also opened a bottle of 1996 Opus One, courtesy of our good friend Ned. All of the vintages showed very well, so much that there was a different vintage that stood out the most for each and every guest. Check out our lineup below and grab a few of your favorite vintages or grab them all to create your own Opus One event!

 

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2009 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne ($249.95/btl)-  Bright and fresh with ripe berry fruit, crisp pink apples and apricot. Wet river rocks and citrus gave it a great lift! 

Multi-vintage Overture by Opus One ($129.95/btl)- The Overture was drinking like a champ! Very approachable, creamy, mouthcoating texture filled with delicious red currant and blackberry fruit and dark savory tones. A fantastic wine to pop, pour and enjoy.

 

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Graileys Welcomes Karen d’Amour and our guests for a night of Opus One!

 

2006 Opus One- One of my personal favorites from the lineup, the ’06 Opus One was on fire!!  Beautiful dried red and black berry fruit, leather, warm mocha, dark chocolate and fresh turned soil all leading to a long lasting finish. 

2008 Opus One- Absolutely seductive! Dark chocolate covered Luxardo cherries, creme de cassis, dense dried baking spices; the flavors are all rich and compact with multiple dimensions all in a velvety expression. 

 

 

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A wonderful dinner created by Royal Chef Darren McGrady, former personal chef of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana of Wales, Prince Harry and Prince William, five USA presidents and more!

 

2011 Opus One ($189.95/btl)- Oh, the infamous 2011 vintage… and Opus One NAILED IT!!! Rich dark berry fruit and stunning savory tones, dried bay leaves, dried herbs, black pepper, eucalyptus, sandalwood and crushed gravel. If anyone can create an impress 2011, you know it is the team at Opus One and this wine shined just as strong as its fellow vintages on the table. 

2012 Opus One ($279.95/btl)- Flashy and Fabulous! The ’12 was roaring with brilliant aromatics and a palate just as confident to back up the explosive nose. Wild violets, ripe and juicy black and blue berry fruit lead the palate while layers upon layers of leather, mocha, sweet cream and dark chocolate, weaved in and out in a mouth-coating fashion. Everything was ridiculously seamless in this gorgeous wine. 

 

 

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Royal Chef Darren McGrady sharing stories of Princess Diana and the princes when they were young boys.

 

2013 Opus One ($295/btl)-  Our 100 pointer of the night! The 2013 vintage was what we have all been waiting for! Intense, powerful, seductive, demanding, the ’13 Opus One is indestructible!! Generous black fruit, gravel, and black pepper pounded through the palate followed by layers of dark cocoa nibs, espresso and cassis. The tannins were ultra-fine leading into a smokey finish with a rush of blackberry at the end. 

1993 Opus One- The 1993 Opus One was beautiful! The most Bordeaux like compared to the other vintages of the dinner, the ’93 was stunning! Simon opened three bottles of this spectacular wine to go around for everyone and what a treat it was! Potpourri, clay, cigar box, dried florals of rose and violets with notes of gorgeous dried blueberries, dried cherries, leather, dried mint and dark spice. A beautiful showing and the perfect moment to share with our guests. 

 

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by | October 11, 2016

A Legend Is Born

Many outstanding bottles were opened last week but there were only two names that stood out above of the rest… The red wines of the week were two powerful Cabernet based wines that made the greatest impression to my palate leaving behind tactile memories of glorious Cabernets… 2010 Promontory and the 2013 trio of DANA Estates… Bullet-proof wines that merit serious real estate in any fine wine collectors’ cellar.

 

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2010 Promontory Proprietary Red- As Bill Harlan’s latest project, Promontory was born a legend and it was amazing to have experienced the 2010 vintage. When tasted right upon opening, the wine was explosive in aromatics and nearly brooding in texture. Opulence and fresh in flavors with ultra ripe black cherry fruit, molten ganache and sweet cigar and with its compelling, Bordeaux-like texture, this Cabernet blend, at first approach, completely seduces the palate. As moments passed by in the glass, the wine turned to another direction as it became more reserved in aromatics and its previous luscious mouthfeel tightened up showcasing what seams like an indestructible structure, foreshadowing its lifelong lasting potential. What a breathtaking moment it was to experience this beautiful beast in its youth. I look forward to that next moment when I can revisit the wine, if I should again ever be so lucky. And if you are more lucky than I, I highly recommend you grab what you can, if you can, of this monumental wine.

 

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Our dear friend and Master Sommelier Jason Heller gave us a visit last week and tasted us on the newest release from DANA Estates. I was greatly impressed with the 2012’s last year, but the 2013 lineup holds something entirely more magical than ever before! Each and every wine was jaw-dropping in their own way and I am thrilled to share our tiny allocation with our members!

2013 DANA Helms Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon- Fleshy, flashy and ready to roll! Incredibly approachable with creme di cassis, Luxardo cherries, chocolate, fresh potting soil, leather, violets, rich vanilla and sweet cream. Luxurious textures with fine tannins that lead into a lengthy finish. While a complete knockout now, I have no doubt the ’13 DANA Helms will continue to blow away your palate many years down the road.

2013 DANA Lotus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon- Not as grave as the Hershey, the Lotus holds a masculine backbone with more elegance in aromatics, brighter, more approachable fruit and densely packed baking spice. Rich cigar, sweet tobacco, bitter cacao nibs, black pepper and cedar adds another dimension to the Lotus that the Helms only slightly lacked. This is one to be laid down for decades of enjoyment.

2013 DANA Hershey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon- From a single vineyard in the highest slopes of Howell Mountain, the Hershey Vineyard Cabernet was my favorite from the flight! With its youth, it still had some edges, but once the wine hits the tongue, you could taste and feel its grandeur. This is a wine that is not to be missed! The Hershey holds all of my favorite flavors in a well-made Cabernet: crushed rock mineral driven with ripe black berries, black currants and plums, leather, dark chocolate, eucalyptus and mocha, each layer overcoming the other. Fine tannins with a great grip lead into a finish was nearly as powerful as the palate itself. This mere baby was crafted to be a legend.

 

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by | October 4, 2016

Simon’s Badass Dinner

After a week of back to back fantastic events, I finally found time to take a quick minute to share with you the unbelievable bottles that we have opened last week. Last Thursday, the table was filled in the back room with spectacular wine and even better company as Simon and AJ poured a lineup that fine wine collectors and wine aficionados dream about tasting all side by side. With a full meal prepared by Royal Chef Darren McGrady, a grand flight of amazing vino and seats filled with our dear friends and Graileys members, the night was set to create wine memories of a lifetime. If experiencing wine moments like this is wrong, then I don’t ever want to be right…

 

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We started with the 2002 Salon Brut Champagne- ABSOLUTE PERFECTION! Flecks of salt rocks, yellow field flowers, sharp cheese and sweet lemon. WOW!!!

1999 Bouchard Chevalier Montrachet La Cabotte Grand Cru- Flint, dusty hay, dirty mushrooms, white truffle, honeycomb, dried melons and sunflower. Could have been past its prime, but not to worry, Simon always has more terrific wine up his sleeves. 

2005 Henri Boillot Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru- Toasty, brown mushrooms, butter, sweet cream and roasted almonds. Beautiful white but just wait and see what was opened at the end! 

1933 Mosse Rivesaltes- Delicate, elegant notes of espresso, plum pastry, figs, mocha and nutmeg. Texture as soft as silk.. 

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2009 Leroy Savigny les Beaune Les Narbantons Premier Cru- One of the wines of the night!! Crushed raspberries, dry strawberries, soft leather, red apple skin, peppercorn medley, sage, dried rose, nutmeg, cinnamon and clay pot, the flavors were ever expansive, the texture was wildly delectable and the finish left an infinite impression… A true wine dream in a bottle….

2008 Ausone- Sweet herbs galore with bright red and black currants, sweet black plums and concentrated spice intermingled seamlessly throughout. Sweet tobacco, ripe cedar, black pepper, eucalyptus and turned earth coats the mouth with power and grace. An incredible wine that is absolutely beautiful now and can age for another two decades; looking forward to visiting this wine, honestly- anytime in the future, but especially in ten years past.

2002 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon- A stunning wine, the ’02 Colgin Herb Lamb stood out in the lineup for me with its sweet black cherry fruit and densely concentrated spice. Licorice, candied blackberry, fuzzy mint and dark chocolate, vanilla bean and the flavors just keep on hitting!!

 

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**THE STARS OF THE NIGHT**- out of this entire lineup, these are the two producers we could not stop talking about… 

2011 Sine Qua Non Confessions Syrah- Wild florals explode from the glass followed by candied cherries, sweet butter, dark chocolate, slate, baking spice, rich vanilla and smoke, this SQN showing could be by far, one of the best SQN’s I have experienced!  

2006 Sine Qua Non Ravens Syrah- One of the night’s blinders and a stunning bottle of wine, the ’06  SQN Ravens Syrah was opened hours into the dinner and showed with upfront intensity. As rustic as its approach was, there was also purity and distinction that lead the wine with glorious flavors of licorice, candied raspberries, slate, star anise and eucalyptus. Each flavor was as dominant as the next in this powerful showing. The greatest thank you to our beloved Ivan the Fiver!!    

2002 Domaine d’Auvenay Meursault Les Narvaux- Meyer lemons, lemongrass, lime blossoms, sea salt and flint all balanced out by sweet cream and light note of salted caramel. The finish lingers with even more flint and briny stones. Ah-mazing unicorn white burgundy with the most haunting, most memorable, complex yet pure flavors.  

2009 Domaine d’Auvenay Meursault Les Narvaux- KNOCKOUT BOTTLE OF THE NIGTH, SCRATCH THAT- KNOCKOUT BOTTLE OF THE YEAR!! This wine singularly blew all of our immensely fantastic bottles out of the water! We couldn’t let go of our glasses, even long after the glass was empty. Popcorn, sea salt, caramel, sweet cream, crushed rock; straightforward yet mesmerizing flavors with a mysterious texture that stuns any palate who is lucky to even try it.  I think it is safe to say that everyone who experienced this wine was absolutely in heaven.  Our wine-hats off to Matt the Hat for this duo of unicorn Leroy!!   

 

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Look for the Gold Wax… 

 

 

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Stunning Leroy lineup that simply cannot be beat!

 

 

2005 Domaine Leroy Nuits St Georges Les Vignerondes- sweet herbs, fresh mint, fuzzy sage, sweet basil and thyme lead the palate with bright red fruits of cherries, cranberries and pomegranate close behind. A solid expression but this powerhouse vintage needs more time in the cellar to grow. 

 

 

2011 Leroy Chambolle Musigny- Bright candied red cherries, strawberries, raspberries and wild rose with layers of flinty minerals, clay and wild herbs with sprawling textures leading into a red fruit and mineral driven finish. A beautiful wine on its own and had a solid showing in the lineup with the big boys. But damn… it is nearly impossibly to follow up after the Les Narvaux…   

 

 

 

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