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…
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..
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!!
**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!!
Look for the Gold Wax…
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…
