by | November 2, 2011

Capture Wines

By: AJ McClellan

Yesterday was an unexpected day.  It all started as a typical Tuesday… put together an offer; sell some wine, blah blah blah… Then in walks Andre Boada, the VP brand manager of Capture wines, and he plops down a lineup of 2009 California wines on our table telling us that this wine is a must try. At first, I am intrigued for the simple reason that I had not heard of the wines before, as it turns out that is because the 2009 is the first vintage that they bottled their reds…

As I taste through the lineup, I am more and more impressed by the wines. They are elegant, complex, and seductive in their own way. This is what California should be about, not overpowering fruit and an alcohol burn that would put a shot of whisky to shame.  After speaking with Andre in more depth the name Denis Malbec comes out, third generation winemaker for Chateau Latour, and all the pieces start to fall together. Denis, who made the wine in Chateau Latour from 1994 – 1999, had packed up his bags and moved to California to pressure a winemaking venture of his own, and that venture was Capture.

 

2010 Capture Sauvignon Blanc – This was a great bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. I was very impressed with the balance of the fruit and acidity in this wine. There was a touch of minerality that brought out the tropical fruits on the back end.

2009 Capture Chardonnay – Of the Capture line up I was least impressed with this wine. The Chard was over oaked and slightly flabby on the palate. If you like super oaky wines with classic chard characteristics then this is a great bottle for you…

2009 Capture Alliance – Now we are talking. The Alliance is comprised of 77% Cabernet with 12% Merlot and a touch of PV and Cab F. The wine was soft on the palate and if tasting blind, you would never call it young. There were subtle notes of black cherries, plum, Bing cherry, liquorish, and chocolate on the nose. The palate was elegant and perfectly in balance with a long finish.

2009 Capture Harmonie – Captures tribute to the left bank with a blend of 51% Merlot, 43% Cab S and a dash of Cab F and PV for spice. The wine was a dead ringer for Pomerol with soft blue fruits on the nose and notes of forest floor, apple pie, and soft velvety plums on the palate.

2009 Capture Revelation – This was the big dog of the bunch with 84% Cab S the wine was big in the mouth but still showing restrained tannins. It was refreshing to have such well made wines that were not kicking you in the teeth at every sip.

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by | October 27, 2011

I Will Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours….

By: AJ McClellan

“You Show Me Yours’, I’ll Show You Mine” has always been one of our favorite tastings here at Graileys. Ten behemoth wines come together in a coliseum comprised of a great wooden table scarred by use and ten mismatched chairs to be judged based on their skill on the nose and palate. Some rely on deftness and finesse, others on pure power and brute force. But in the end, only one can emerge victorious as the “Wine of the Night”…

 

1944 Latour – This was a very interesting bottle. I opened the wine right before service with fears that a wine with almost 70 years in the bottle would fall off quickly. Quite the opposite was true, the wine started off with a slight metallic note on the palate and very little on the nose. After almost two hours, I was astonished when I went back to the wine and found it flourishing with bright dried currants and raspberries followed by a wonderful earthy note and a very complex minerality. This wine was beautiful and I am amazed with how it has held up over the years.

1990 La Mission Haut Brion – This wine won the “Wine of the Night” award by an overwhelming amount. The nose was soft and earthy with notes of gravel and crushed black fruits. The palate was broad and complex with a long finish. A great bottle of wine that was well deserving of first place.

2001 Haut Brion – This wine won third place in the tasting. With 50% Merlot this was an interesting vintage of Haut Brion. I was very excited to taste the wine because of the unusual varietal composition. I was rewarded with a soft nose of blue fruit and stony minerality. Cinnamon covered cherries with a subtle earthiness that was just starting to come out of its shell.  All in all, I think this wine will be a great bottle in the next decade or two.

1978 Jaboulet La Chapelle – This was really the wine of the night for me. The bottle was opened late so it did not show well during the tasting, but a few hours after, the wine exploded to show wild game, soft leather, smoke, tar, chewing tobacco, black ripe fruit, warm earth, and a heaping handful of schist and limestone. A wonderful bottle of wine, one of the best I have had this year.

1988 Lafite – This wine got second place in the tasting. I have been underwhelmed with Lafite in general as of late and while the 88 was good it still had some room to improve.

2003 Mouton – Everyone called this Cali Cab and for good reason. The wine was dark and bold with huge black and red fruits and big wood notes.

1997 Harlan – When I was looking at the lineup I thought this would for sure win the tasting. I have had this wine twice before and each time it has renewed my faith in cult Cali Cabs. This time however the wine did not show up. The Harlan was almost Port-ish with an out-of-balance palate.

1998 Guigal La Mouline – As always this wine was killer. Like biting the hindquarters of a wild boar…

2007 Scarecrow – The famed Scarecrow awarded 100 points by Robert Parker… This was my first time to try the Scarecrow and I must say that I was less than impressed. However, the member that brought the bottle said the 05 is drinking much better so there may still be hope once this wine gets a little more bottle age…

1990 Quintarelli Alzero – This was the wine I was most excited to try and the most unique in the tasting. The Alzero is a very rare bottling from Quintarelli made from mostly Cabernet Franc done in the appassimento method which is used for Amarone where they dry the grapes on straw mats to concentrate the sugars in the grapes. The wine would be a delight by itself, but with the company of the tasting, the wine stuck out like a sore thumb. Some of the participants panned the wine, others loved it, but we all agreed that it was difficult to judge in comparison to the other bottles.

 

Taking a victory sip from the trophy… Classic!! 

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by | October 27, 2011

You Show Me Yours… Aftermath…

By: AJ McClellan

After the tasting, as usual, some great bottles were opened. Some to celebrate a great victory others would help nurse the wounds of defeat….

 

1994 Dalla Valle – This was a very nice bottle of wine showing blue and red fruits with a soft velvety texture.

2009 Niepoort Charme - I was very impressed with this bottle, drinking more like a Burgundy than a still wine from the Duro region of Portugal. The nose was wonderful with fresh black currants and black cherries. The palate was big and bold but not overpowered or over concentrated. The wine is drinking very well right now but I think it will be a stud in 10 years.

1979 Las Cases – A very nice bottle of wine; a little green on the nose and palate but not in an off putting way. The nose was complex with dark fruit and subtle green notes. The palate was soft and complex with a long finish. I held the wine in my glass all night long and it only got better throughout the night.

1998 Arnoux Echezeaux – This wine started with a slight stemmy note but it quickly integrated into the wine just adding another level of complexity. A very nice bottle and excellent example of a good Burgundy.

1979 Pichon Lalande – Classic Pichon. The bottle was wonderful and a great compliment to the nights lineup.

1986 Cos d’Estournel – This bottle was a little suspect for me. I have had this bottle before and it was showing much better than the one we had last night.

1995 Lafarge Volnay Clos des Chenes – This bottle was surprisingly delicious. The nose was seamless with subtle notes of forest floor and cooked cherries. The palate was smooth with a pleasant complexity and long finish.

1998 Maya – Not sure about this bottle. There may have been some heat damage in this wines history. The nose was showing slight signs of stewed tomato but the palate was fine…

1997 Dujac Clos de la Roche – Oh yah! This bottle was yummy. As usual the Dujac needed some time in the glass before it was ready to drink but once it saw plenty of air it evolved into a brilliant wine with a complex nose of earth, fruit, and minerality. The palate was a complex web of subtle flavors that grew with every hour in the glass.

1963 Fonseca – A great bottle of Port that was in a great drinking window. Carmel with toffee and raisined fruits on the palate and nose.

1981 Guigal la Mouline – Now this wine was a real treat. Giving the 78 La Chapelle a run for its money. Big smoke and meat notes with pipe tobacco and black fruits. A great bottle of wine.

As if we had not had enough great juice on the night Dave decided to pop open his Richard Hennessy Cognac as a night cap for the group. Now, Richard Hennessy is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy it there are few better treats that one can enjoy, one of our members lost himself in the glass for almost an hour emitting nothing but grunts of approval and groans of pleasure while he sipped his treasured Cognac. Richard Hennessy is a blend of over 100 eau de vie (grape brandy) that have been aged up to 200 years in the Hennessy cellar. The Cognac is superb with a light caramel and toffee note followed by warm spice pie and dry tea leaves. A brilliant treat to finish out the night.

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by | October 18, 2011

A Good Monday Afternoon

By: AJ McClellan

Monday was a good one. Just a few members dropped in, but sometimes you have more fun with fewer people around the table. The wines that were pulled were excellent and showing very well.

 

1995 Palmer – This is a fun bottle of wine. Still young but with a charm that makes you want to drink more. The nose showed black fruits and churned earth with subtle notes of currant and tobacco. The palate was still tight but with sometime in the glass the wine opened nicely showing great fruit and excellent balance.

1998 Pahlmeyer Red Blend – This bottle was drinking very well. The nose showed red currants, and black cherries with a powerful tobacco note. The palate showed some woody notes of vanilla, cedar, and pine. All in all; a very nice bottle with a great finish.

1983 Jaboulet La Chapelle – This bottle brings back so many memories of the Old Graileys. The 83 was drinking as well as I remember with loads of life left in the bottle and an earthy nose of smoke, chewing tobacco, and game. The palate is soft and silky but you can tell from the tannins that the wine still has another 5-10 years in its prime.

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by | October 14, 2011

Good things come in small packages…

By: AJ McClellan

Friday was a great day!  We had some killer Burgs with a few bottles of great Bordeaux thrown in for spice. I must say that the biggest surprise for me was the half bottle of Pichon Lalande. The wine was drinking great and showing well for a half bottle.

 

2008 Domaine Bertagna Vougeot 1er Les Cras Blanc- This is a very interesting wine, the only white out of this 1er. The wine was full in body with a slightly waxy texture. The nose showed ripe melon, lemon zest, and huge limestone and blue rock minerality. The palate was heavy and broad with a long finish.

1996 Branaire Ducru – Not a bad bottle for a Quatrièmes Crus. The fruit was bright and fresh with an excellent backing of earth and spice. The palate was also very pleasant with smooth tannins and a long finish. Not overly complex but in balance and drinking very well.

1999 Domaine des Lambrays Morey st Denis 1er Les Loups – A very nice bottle of Burgundy. The nose showed bright red fruits with earthy aromas and a subtle minerality. The palate was soft and drinking very easily.

1986 Pichon Lalande Half Bottle – This might have been the wine of the night for me. Pichon is always great but I have been viewing the 86 vintage dubiously for a while now. I think most of the wines from 86 are in need of a few more years in the bottle to come out of this funky phase they are in. That being said, this half bottle was drinking great! Perfect Pichon with wonderful earthy aromas and a palate of pure silk with surprisingly fresh fruit and a long finish.

1993 Clos de Vougeot GC – A great bottle from a great producer. We pulled this bottle to finish our night on Friday and it was drinking like a champ. The nose was full of dark earth and black fruits. The palate was soft and smooth with a long finish.

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by | October 7, 2011

I Love Wine!

By: AJ McClellan

I love wine! The best nights always come when you are the least suspecting. It was Dave’s last night in town and we had invited the whole world to come down and drink wine with us. I was expecting a crazy night full of debauchery and excess, what we got was not at all what I expected. Due to some outside circumstances several groups canceled their plans leaving us with a tight, core group of around 10 members to share wine around the table. One thing lead to another and a slew of great wines came out to see Dave off to Boise. One of the best nights I have had at Graileys, thanks guys…

 

1990 Domaine Burgaud Cote Rotie – This was the best bottle out of the three times I have previously tried the wine. The classic Cote Rotie marks were all over the nose with smoke, black fruit, and tanned leather. The palate was soft and very drinkable.

1995 Cheval Blanc – What can I say, I love Cheval Blanc. The 95 was very interesting showing a big cinnamon and vanilla note that reminded me of my mother’s spiced tea… The palate was very complex with ripe subtle earth notes, ripe fruit, and cooking spices orbiting around a ridged core of tannin. With another 5-10 years in the bottle this wine will be outstanding.

1979 Domaine Chevalier – We have tasted the 85 and 86 of this Chateau a plethora of times and I think for the money they were very good. This 79 was killer! With just the right amount of time the tannins have come out of their shell and softened to melt in your mouth with plush dark fruits and overwhelming pipe tobacco.

1986 La Mission Haut Brion – This bottle is a treat every time we get to try it. Classic Bordeaux with old earth notes covered by dry fruits and a long finish. Most of the 86’s we have been drinking have been very tight but every once in a while you find one like this that is superb right now.

2007 Thibault Liger Belair Corton Les Roguets GC – Infanticide I know. This wine will grow up to be one of the greats; I am calling it right now. The problem is it is SO GOOD that I don’t know if anyone can keep their hands off long enough for it to mature. The nose is soft with overripe Bing cherry and cola. The palate boasts a crisp minerality that makes my mouth water just thinking of it… A great bottle of wine.

1997 Tornesi Brunello di Montalcino – This is a fun bottle of wine. Simon sold it to a good friend and client of ours back in the day and over the past three years a bottle or four have snuck their way onto the table when he comes to see us. The wine shows dusty cherry with a cool breeze of earth and minerality.

2001 Potel Clos de Vougeot GC – This wine attacked the nose out of the gate with a zingy smoked cherry and surprising meaty characteristic. The palate was wonderful and full of life, we finished this bottle much quicker than I would have liked because I am sure it would have opened up much more, but it was just so good!

1998 Dujac Charmes Chambertin GC – Who wants to get Dujacked?!?! This was a very interesting bottle, opened at the end of the night it stared out with great promise showing bright red cherries and subtle earth on the nose. Then the wine went into hibernation giving off nothing on the nose or palate. Two hours later (by 2am) the wine emerged from its cocoon radiating brilliant notes of black cherry, dried leaves, tilled earth, and subtle hints of fine cigar smoke and spice. I am only sorry that the rest of the group did not get the opportunity to taste this wine as it was one of the best bottles I have had in some time… The much sought after but seldom found White Dragon… Good thing I got some more in the back  :)

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by | October 5, 2011

Bordeaux on a Tuesday

By: AJ McClellan

Last night was great with a handful of members dropping in to share their wines around the table. The Bordeaux’s stole the show with their superb earthiness and complexities.

 

2004 Cristal – I think Cristal really picked it up for their 2004 vintage. The nose has a slight yeast appeal with lemon rind and great limestone minerality. The palate was crisp with a moderate effervescence and great fruit.

1992 Silver Oak Alexander – This bottle is a standard Silver Oak. The fruit was fading and the only thing holding the wine together was oak.

1998 Lamarche La Grande Rue – This bottle might have suffered from some bottle variation. Other Lamarche wines I have had were wonderful but this bottle was not showing well last night. The wine showed big earthy notes with fading fruit.

1978 Las Cases – When we first opened the wine it was a little green but the bottle quickly opened up and turned into a stunning Bordeaux. The nose was full of red fruits with dark earthy aromas and a long finish of spice and forest floor.

1993 Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Combettes – This bottle was extremely oxidized with huge caramel and honey notes followed by big lemons and limestone.

1979 Pichon Lalande – It was hard to pick a favorite between this and the Las Cases. Very similar in style but the Pichon was slightly softer on the palate while the Las Cases was more expressive on the nose.

2007 Guigal Corzes Hermitage – A great bottle for the price. Smoke, meat, leather and tar with great black fruits on the palate.

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by | September 29, 2011

Stolpman Wines

By: Philip Robert

Days like yesterday are why I really enjoy being in this business. Peter Stolpman came by to taste us on his wines, wines I was only familiar with via Joe Davis’ Arcadian Stolpman Syrah (which I dig).

08 Stolpman L’Avion, 100% Roussane - waxy stony fruit, super smooth and silky smooth. Really a nice surprise and I enjoyed this.

09 Stolpman Estate Syrah - I love cooler climate syrah and this was a classy example. Showing very well right now with dark berry fruit, iron minerality and a smooth finish.

08 Stolpman Hilltops Syrah - takes it up a notch with a bigger frame and bright bright fruit. Very well balanced with just the right amount of acidity and tannin structure.

We invited Peter back to have a couple of drinks later that evening if he was free and sure enough he came back around. Also meeting us was Natalie from Evening Land, a winery I had missed when they were in here last month. It just so happened that I had opened up an 00 Lafon Clos de la Barre for us to start with when she arrived. Coincidently, Dominque Lafon makes the Evening Land Chards so I had a chance to taste one side by side essentially.

00 Lafon Clos de la Barre Muersault - I love this wine for its creaminess and opulence. Every bottle I have opened has been very good. Lemon zest and key lime pie. No bracing acidity yet supple and silky.

09 Evening Land Seven Springs Chardonnay - I was really blown away by how good this was. None of the blousy popcorn crap that I dislike about Chardonnay. Flinty with minerality, showing lots of citrus and stone fruit. Another surprise for me is how good OR Chard can be.

Since Peter obviously loves syrah, I went and grabbed a 97 La Turque from my cellar to share with the table and it did not disappoint. Beefy, meaty with blood and iron, lovely floral component that I just dig about Guigal and Cote Rotie in general. Drinking perfectly right now.

All in all a really enjoyable evening getting to know more people who are passionate about wine while drinking some really good juice!

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by | September 27, 2011

Good Friday Night Drinking

By: AJ McClellan

Friday night was another good one at Graileys. We had some killer bottles of Bordeaux with a few tasty Cali Cabs thrown in the mix. All in all it was a great night with some fun wines…

 

1995 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon – This is a great bottle of Cali Cab. The nose was still ripe with sweet black fruits. On the palate I got subtle cooking spice with great fruit and a long finish.

2005 Henri Gouges Nuits st Georges Les Pruliers – This was an interesting bottle. The nose was shut down giving off nothing at all while the palate was quite tasty. It would have been nice to see how this wine opened with sometime in the glass but it was so good that I finished the wine before it had much more than an hour…

NV Gonet Medeville Rose – I love this wine. For the price it is hard to find a better bottle of Rose out there. The nose was strawberries and a touch of yeast. The palate was light and creamy with great fruit and brilliant minerality.

2008 Continuum Cabernet Sauvignon – I feel like this bottle has shut down a little since the last time I tasted it. When the 08 came out, I was very impressed, but right now it is not giving off as much as I would like. Let this bottle sit for another 6 months to see if it will come around….

1988 La Mission Haut Brion – A brilliant example of Bordeaux. The nose was earthy with tilled compost, dry leaves, and a rocky minerality. The tannins on the palate were still prevalent but with a velvety edge to them. A wonderful finish of currants and black cherries finished off this wine nicely.

2000 Pierre Peters Les Chetillons – This bottle gets better and better every time I taste it. The wine was full of peach, pear, and lemon with limestone minerality and a sourdough finish.

2008 Keplinger Syrah – A big beefy wine that sat in the decanter for a good three hours before it was approachable. The nose was boisterous showing black fruits and cedar. The wine was inky in the glass and thick on the palate. A good bottle of wine, but in need of some serious bottle age.

1982 Leoville Barton – The nose was showing old dried fruits with a pleasant earthy backing and hints of cooking spice. The palate was soft and very approachable with classic old Bordeaux notes and a long finish.

1978 Las Cases – This bottle was drinking very well. 78 was not the best vintage in Bordeaux but you wouldn’t think it drinking this bottle. The nose showed old earth and dry red fruits. The palate was delicate and complex with a great back end.

1996 Le Bon Pasteur – I was pleasantly surprised by this bottle. The nose was still young with ripe fruits and subtle earth. The wine was soft on the palate, drinking well for a younger Bordeaux.

1998 Guigal Cote Rotie – This bottle was great! The nose was earthy with leather and smoke and black fruits on the back end. The palate was drinking very well with firm velvety tannins and plush fruit.

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by | September 23, 2011

John Duval Wines

By: Philip Robert

Had an opportunity to taste through some of John’s lineup yesterday. Let me just say, these wines are so polar opposite the stereotypical overblown aussie fruitbombs that gave Syrah/shiraz such a bad name. I found them to be well structured, very approachable, clean fruit and nicely balanced. For the prices, these are excellent. (full disclosure we sell these wines)

2010 Plexus Marsanne – Citrus and pear. A little acidity to round it out, can see this going well with food.
2008 Plexus GSM – Red and black fruits with a nice soil component. Was very surprised at how bright and fresh the fruit was.
2008 Entity – Dark fruits of black cherry, blackberry, nice spice on the nose. Very pleasing to drink
2008 Eligo – pure clean fruit, focused and balanced, takes it to another level. Blueberry pie, touch of smoke and rich savory elements. Excellent

Afterwards:
99 Fougeray de Beauclair Clos Marion – a burgundy producer I am not familiar with but delivered the goods. Black tea and asian spice, really crept up in the glass after being opened for some time. A delicious wine.

69 Remoissenet Combottes – another classy wine that we have had many times. Keeps changing in the glass.

83 Chave – this was beautifully elegant and stylish right out of the glass. So feminine and delicate yet filled out its frame as it stayed in the glass. Strawberry jam and cherry on the nose, a touch of minerality added focus to an already well balanced wine. Gorgeous and such a treat to drink.

93 Chateau La Nerthe CdP – big, brawny and bursting with grilled meat and smoke. Dense and dark still, can see this going a lot longer.

91 Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde – another dark dense wine, but this one showed a more feminine side compared to the Nerthe. Move savory leather elements coupled with dried plum and currants. Definitive earthiness and smokiness going on. Loved this wine.

76 Chateau Gilette Sauterne – a little more advanced in color but drinking nicely with a bit of nectar and honey, ripe apricot. Softer and supple, delish with a cheese tray.

45 Chateau Collas Rivesaltes - fortifed Grenache if I recall correctly. So much like a tawny port, was a perfect way to close it all out

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