Graileys Fine Wines Blog

By: AJ McClellan

Friday night was truly epic. We tasted our members on some killer white wines from our cellar and then the members started to pull some bottles from their lockers. The wines opened number to many to mention but below are a the highlights from the night….

1997 Remoissenet Richebourg – A great bottle of wine with subtle red cherries and a big mineral earthiness. After a while in the glass the wine blew up to show slight spice with a long finish.

1999 d’Auvenay Bize Leroy Auxey Duresses – I was amazed with this wine. The nose showed apricot, pear, almond extract, and honeysuckle. The palate was creamy and rich with the texture of honey and brilliant balance.

1996 Dom Perignon Oenotheque – This was my first time to try a Oenotheque, and after tasting it I can see why it commands such lofty prices. The wine had just the right amount of effervescence, a slight simmer of bubbles. The nose was intoxicating with pealed peaches, quince, limestone, and lemon. The palate was wonderful with apricots, and fresh granny smith apples.

1999 Hudelot Noellat Richebourg – Each time I taste this wine it blows me away. The nose shows classic Burgundian notes of tilled soil, red cherries, wild mushrooms, and a rocky minerality. After some time in the glass this wine blows up showing notes of plum, and vanilla bean with a wonderful finish of forest floor and cooking spice.

2001 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon – This wine is fast becoming my go to bottle for a delicious California Cabernet. The nose reminds me of the purple smarties with a light coating of milk chocolate paired with a fine cigar. The palate shows excellent fruit with a backing of spice and a long finish.

1999 Vincent Giradin Chevalier Montrachet – This is a great bottle of wine but it takes some time to come around in the glass. Upon opening the wine has a distinct popcorn nose with a hint of sulfur. If you have the discipline to leave the wine alone for an hour and a half you will find that the wine fills out keeping the popcorn but blowing off the sulfur and gaining in its stead a soft fruitiness and a zingy minerality.

1982 Pichon Lalande – This wine has been in my top five since I first tasted it. This bottle was absolutely perfect, the tell tale green pepper nose with a hint of jalapeño that I normally find off-putting is a integral part of this wine adding to the complexity and completing the wine.

NV Jacques Selosse Extra Brute – Another first for me, this bottle was amazing. The small production NV Champagne tasted as if it had been aged for 20+ years showing a nuttiness that you would expect in well aged Vintage Champagne.  After the almond extract was a layer or shaved green apples and peaches followed by a subtle floral note and a massive minerality.

1996 Claude Dugat Charmes Chambertin GC – Phil opened this bottle almost three hours before service. When I first tasted the wine it was massive and tight but with a beautiful core of fruit and tannin. I tasted the wine again at the end of the night (6 hours later) and it was singing. The tannin, while still prevalent, had mellowed out considerably and the fruit had blow up showing black and red cherries with currants and raspberries.

1998 Meo Camuzet Vosne Romanee 1er Cros Parantoux – Yet another first for me. Cros Parantoux is a tiny vineyard nestled in next to Richebourg and produces wine that is, in my opinion, worth a Grand Cru designation. This bottle was fantastic showing great fruit notes of dark cherry and blackberries. The palate was full of earth and minerality with dark forest floor and a long finish.

1998 Armond Rousseau Chambertin GC – Another fantastic bottle of wine. Rousseau is quickly becoming one of my favorite producers with their earthy style of wine making. This bottle showed sour cherry and forest floor on the nose. The palate was soft and lush with a brilliant finish.

1989 Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin 1er Clos st Jacques – Very similar to the Chambertin but with a little more funk on the palate.

1978 Cheval Blanc – I love good Bordeaux and this bottle is just the ticket. Trumpet mushrooms with a rocky minerality and dark dried fruits on the nose. The palate is a dream with just the right amount of earth and a finish of cigar box.

1969 Remoissenet Nuits St Georges 1er Les Cailles – Mossy with a note of dusty black and red cherries dusty earth notes with a big barnyard lurking in the background. The palate shows old pruned fruit with big barnyard and old funky forest floor.

1976 Chateau Gilette – A great way to finish the night. This wine was amazing with soft quince, pear, white peach, and honeysuckle on the nose. The palate was thick and honeyed with a surprising amount of freshness for a wine that has been around for 35 years. Although only in the bottle for 13 years

By: Philip Robert

We had a great dinner catered by Derrick Paez served featuring an outstanding lineup of Ivan’s wines. Each wine pairing matched wonderfully with the dish but the end pairing of French toast topped with foie gras and gilled cherries with the Los Collas blew my mind!

2008 Kesner Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay – This was a stunning example of how good California Chardonnay CAN be when done right.  Reminiscent of a Kistler or Marcassin, it had full body yet was light enough on its feet that it was not cloying.  Lovely pineapple and citrus with peach pit and wet stone fruit.  Great minerality and cut with a delightfully long finish.  Superb.

2005 Favia Cerro Sur – A great bottle with notes of dark chocolate, blackberries, and mocha on the nose. The Cab Franc really comes out on the palate bringing a soft velvety texture to the wine paired with lush black fruits and a subtle earthy note.

2006 Favia Cerro Sur – The 06 was a little more subdued than the 05 showing less fruit but with a more pronounced spice of sandalwood, vanilla, and coffee. The palate was excellent and well balanced with a long finish.

2007 Favia Cerro Sur – This was my favorite of the three Favia vintages showing fresh fruit and dark chocolate notes that were vibrant on the nose. The palate was soft with plush tannins that were well integrated into the wine.

2007 Robert Foley Howell Mountain Cabernet – This 1bottle is as delicious as it is hard to find. With only 100 cases produced this bottle can frustrating to find at times. The nose explodes with big cassis, nutmeg, vanilla, and dill. The palate shows great fruit with subtle floral notes and a load of cooking spice.

1946 Chateau Los Collas – A wonderful paring with desert the Lod Collas was soft and rich with spicy cherry, whole vanilla bean, and a orange zest.

After dinner it was time to pull out a new lineup of fantastic wines to enjoy while relaxing around the table.

1997 Chapoutier Chatenuef du Pape – This wine had all the lovely characteristics of a traditional CdP.  Iron, beef blood, and bacon dominated the nose.  Well balanced with a dose of black fruits, plums and black cherries.  Enough acidity to carry it through the palate and a healthy finish.

2008 Thibault Liger Nuits St. Georges “Charmotte” – A lovely taste of classic burgundy.  Restrained yet packed full of strawberries and red cherries.  A spicy mouthfeel with black tea and Asian five spice.

1994 Ridge Montebello – This was a real treat.  Deep dark color showing no bricking at the rim.  This is what I love about older classically styled California Cabs and Montebellos in particular.  This had all kinds of things going on in the glass, with cassis, leather, cocoa powder and black cherry flavors.  A magnificent wine that was showing perfectly.

1998 Pichon Lalande – Another great example of Pichon Lalande.  A nose of French funkiness, with gravel and slate, leather and a touch of coffee.  Still rich and dark this has years to go before it truly matures.

2006 Corra Cabernet Sauvignon – Wow this was an absolute killer bottle.  The last 06 I had was shortly after release and this bottle showed what a couple of years in the bottle will do.  Thick and rich, dark chocolate, cassis, black fruits, currant and vanilla, this had everything going on.  Wonderfully balanced at this stage.

2008 Rivers Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – Nice little Sonoma Coast pinot.  A little bigger framed than I am used to but nothing special.

2007 Conn Valley Right Bank – Lovely little right bank styled Bordeaux blend.  Soft velvety tannin and ripe plums with a touch of cocoa.  Love what CVV is doing with these moderately priced wines.

By: AJ McClellan

Friday was great. Our spirits were high from our win over the Heat on Thursday and it was time to drink some wine!

2007 Lafon Macon Chardonnay – A great way to start the night. Coming in from the Texas heat to a cool glass of Burgundy is the way to go. Lemon zest with a hint of summer flowers and a light spice characteristic.

2007 Delille D2 – A great Washington wine that shows big deep juicy black and red cherries, black currants, and a wave of wood spices. The palate is full and heavy with thick tannins and a crisp acidity.

2001 Poggio Rosso Chianti Classico – A stark contrast to the Delille with a lighter body and softer fruit followed by a earthy notes of barnyard and hay stacks. A great example of a Chianti in its prime.

2005 Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Cinq Terroirs – Mortet makes some great juice. This bottle showed an excellent balance with red fruits marching in tune with the deep earth notes of wild mushrooms and forest floor.

2006 The Sisters Cabernet Sauvignon – One of my favorite Cabernets in this price range. The Sisters is full of life and getting better with more time in the bottle soft black plums followed by dark red cherries and a light dap of clove and vanilla extract make this wine a delight to drink.

1998 Latour a Pomerol – Classic Bordeaux. Big earth up front with tilled earth, wet Labrador, stinky socks, and all the funky goodness of a great bottle of Bordeaux. There was still a backbone of fruit showing dark currants and cherries. A loang finish of excellent balance made this wine a great bottle to pop now but also suggest that it will get even better with more time in the bottle.

2008 Cheval de Andes – Ah, Malbec. Big and juicy it is easy to see why so many people love this wine.

2007 Livio Felluga Map Label Pinot Grigio – Possibly one of my favorite Pinot Grigio’s from Italy. Fresh pear with a hint of green apple and deep concentrated body.

2008 En Route Pinot Noir – An excellent Pinot Noir. This bottle has more body than most with a big head of fruit followed by easy going acidity and a handful of cooking spices thrown in for fun.

By: AJ McClellan

Not Your average Thursday, we had Justin from Gargiulo Vineyards in to taste us through the current lineup of wines. Justin was a blast, very knowledgeable with a great attitude towards wine. Gargiulo vineyards are located directly adjacent to the famed vineyard of Screaming Eagle and the quality of their wines are apparent. After the tasting we all hung out and drank some great wines while watching the Mavs beat up on the Heat!!

2007 Gargiulo Aprile – An impressive sample of Napa valley Sangiovese. Light and quaffable with classic dusty cherry and notes of apple pie spice on the back end.

2006 Gargiulo Money Road Ranch Merlot – A great bottle of Merlot, showing ripe notes of currant, raspberry, and blueberries. The palate was full of lush fruit and held an excellent balance.

2007 Gargiulo Money Road Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon – I was very impressed with this wine. Coming from a vineyard adjacent to the famed Screaming Eagle the fruit was fantastic with very pleasant tannins and a long finish of tobacco and leather.

2007 Gargiulo 575 OVX G Major Cabernet Sauvignon – Gargiulo’s Reserve, this bottle was excellent. Soft savory tannins with subtle notes of freshly picked cherries and plums on the palate. The finish showed light notes of barley, cooking spices, and worn leather. A great bottle of wine.

2007 Erna Schein Knockout – Big boy on campus with huge dark fruits and big spicy notes of black pepper.

1990 Chateau Monelena –  This was one of the camps of the night. The fruit was still kicking with currants, and cherries there was also a subtle backing of chocolate and a subtle minerality.

2008 Dominus – This bottle was so good we couldn’t not help but to open another bottle. Great fruit with surprising softness.

1999 Trapet Chambertin –I was obsessed with this wine about four months ago and tasting this wine again was like being united with an old friend. Smooth on the palate with succulent red fruits and a damp earthiness that was exactly what I look for an a great Burgundian wine.

2006 Arcadian Westerly Pinot Noir – A fun bottle with fresh acidity and bright red fruits followed by a subtle minerality.

2009 En Route Pinot Noir – A more boisterous style of Pinot with loud cherries and raspberries backed by a wall of spice.

2005 Materium – THs bottle was drinking great with heavy cooking spice and a subtle note of cedar. The fruit was big and bold without being over powering. Excellent balance and length on the palate.

2003 Sequoia Grove Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – I was surprised by this bottle. In a blind tasting I called it Australian Cabernet because if the hefty dose of Mint on the palate. A very nice wine for the price point.

1998 Pichon Lalande – Always a classic with old forest floor and dusty red and blue fruit Pichon never fails to show up strong in a tasting.

1983 l’Evangile – This wine is a stud. Fantastic floral notes of purple flowers and a subtle spice of nutmeg, and clove. The palate was full of life showing dry cranberries, and prunes.

1997 Rouget Vosne Romanee 1er Les Beaumonts – This bottle was a little disappointing with a almost flat palate and very little fruit, I kept it in my glass for an hour in hopes that it would rebound but it never did. Dave said that it got better towards the end of the night but I did not have the opportunity to taste it…