By: Ryan Tedder
We were hiding out from the hundred plus degree heat the last weekend before most of the kids go back to school and had to drink some amazing wines! Half “celebrating the near end of summer” and half “just because it’s Graileys” we decided to drinks some great wines. The selections were as diverse as they were delicious. Two of our favorite gracious clients book-ended a fantastic day of drinking!
1996 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet was one of the best bottles of white wine Burg I have tasted from 96! The richness and depth was unbelievable as well as the baked apple and pear tart with hazelnut, honey, yellow flowers and limestoney minerality. The wine was fat with flavor but focused and long on the palate. The verve between richness and acid played out beautifully and the finish lasted for over a minute. It was truly special wine.
The 2006 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir was showing young and vibrantly. The wine was juicy with strawberry, bing cherry, pomegranite and citrus peel. Roses, spices and a nice underbrush finished out this lush wine that was simply hedonistic.
The 1999 Ceretto Bricco Rocche was similarly young and it took darn near 2 hour to open up in a decanter. The dried fruit, cranberry and fig notes were a minor note as the dried leaves, pine needles, dried rose petals and tannins took center stage. The wine was massive and needs another 5-8 years or more decanter wine to show better-I think next time a full day should be allowed.
2006 Ornellaia was popped early-it drank like a spicy bottle of Pauillac from 2005. The oak and grippy Cabernet fruits of cassis, black licorice, green peppercorn and tobacco dominated the nose and palate. It fleshed out with some air and the coffee, espresso, mocha and chocolate from the french oak added a sweet / savory element to the wine. Quite a young beauty.
1994 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon from the masterful hands of Tony Soter was a real delight in the middle of these young wines. The 1994 was drinking at maturity and made you believe in the quality and ageability of old Napa Cabs-we all just hope the current round of Cabs ages anything close to the last 40 years. These 1994 Napa Cabs drinking the fruitier versions of great left bank wines with 20 years of age on them. The secondary spice, pipe tobacco, meat, eucalyptus, cassis, graphite and raspberry liquor were fantastic in this wine-wow!
2009 Spottswoode Cabernet was showing gorgeously as always-this is a top notch site in St. Helena that has been turning out great Cabs for over 20 years. The 2009 is meaty with saturated red and black fruit, creamy milk choclately oak and a powerfully smooth bottle of great wine. Luxurious vino.
The 2008 Next of Kyn no. 2 Syrah from Sine Qua Non was the star of the show as far as reds go. The wine reminded me of a new world expression of La Landonne. Plump, lush, round and never ending on the palate-the Next of Kyn was possibly the best new world Syrah I have ever had-it was more to my liking than Burning the Midnight Oil from SQN-which was my previous favorites. Mr. Krankl and his people make the best Rhone varietal wines in the new world hands down. If you think of every lush and delightful element that a wine could have-this wine has it.
All and all-the 96 Drouhin Montrachet and 2008 Next of Kyn made the perfect power couple to start the weekend. Delish!