At Graileys, we are regularly steeped in unbelievably amazing wines throughout the year. This regular debauchery culminated in the Members Appreciation Event when we blind-tasted 32 wines hoping to find the best one of the lot.
Let me tell you, sniffing and tasting 32 wines is one thing, but to decide the Wine of the Night is another.
Well, at least for that particular night, the 1978 Pichon Lalande took home the bragging rights. It was a comeback that was a year in the making. No, not for Mary F who entered the winning 1978, but for Pichon Lalande whose 1982 bottling lost out to the 1994 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet in last year’s blind tasting. The 1978 impressed with balance, silky elegance and aromatic complexity defined by a delicate herbaceousness backed by blackcurrant notes.
But, I think, I would be remiss if I just focused on this one particular night and didn’t try to come up with my own list of wines that have defined the year 2013 for me. So, below is my list of ten memorable wines. This list is by no means exhaustive but these are all knockout wines that have made me remember how fortunate I am to do what I do.
1966 DRC Echezeaux
I’m thinking this should not be alive….
This is one of those amazing bottles that Courtney E always seems to regularly share around the table. The nose is enthralling with red cherries, meat, smoky earth, spice, dried rose petals, and undergrowth. On the palate, it was vibrant with a precise acidity that held the wine together. The bouquet on the nose is echoed on the palate. First the red fruits and the spice then the earth slowly unfolds in the palate. Seamless in texture, medium-bodied, with a long finish.
1971 Dom Perignon
This was truly a memorable experience…Doc Scott popped this Champagne and generously shared it around the table on a random Friday here at Graileys. As the group nosed then sipped, there was palpable silence for a good minute then gasps all around. The nose was exotic and persistent with baked dough, coffee, honey, hazelnuts and butterscotch. There was barely any effervescence left yet somehow it worked emphasizing the wine’s creaminess, depth and structure. Admirable freshness and vibrant structure.
1983 Chateau Palmer
In a word, gorgeous. I had the privilege of trying this wine twice this year and this is truly a compelling and life-changing wine. This is a complete wine that enthralls you with a spectacular nose showing black cherries, licorice, dried flowers, raspberries, Asian spice and hints of earth peeking in. The palate is seamless with the silky tannins laced with cherries, plums, raspberries, creamy licorice, and a touch of minerals and just a hint of earth. Elegant and fresh.
1990 Angelus
This wine started out with aromatic herbaceousness (green tobacco and jalapeno) layered with licorice, vanilla bean and sweet black fruit flavors. Then leather, sandalwood, and roasted espresso started peeking through as the wine sat in the glass. Over a two-hour period, the wine emphasized more ripeness leaving a sweet and creamy cassis note. Full-bodied and opulent with supple tannins and a finish that won’t quit. Yep, it was exquisite.
1987 Drouhin Musigny
I had the 1987 Druhin Musigny three times this year and there was one particular day when the wine was simply at its finest and most sophisticated. In fact, it was almost a year ago when I blogged about this wine which was bewitching enough that I was temporarily rendered incapacitated by its magical potion. You will, too, when you sniff its seductive and oh-so-elegant perfume of hibiscus, red fruits, and crushed red currant with a delicate touch of mushrooms, spice and earth… and the velvety, sweet and luscious mouthfeel will calmly lull you to sleep.
1994 Colgin Herb Lamb
Back in mid-June through early July, Simon was in the UK to deal with family obligations. His first day back, he was behind the bar at 4:55pm uncorking a bottle of 1994 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon. I made a mental note of how this wine demands your full attention. From the intense and flamboyant blueberry, black raspberry jam, licorice, and mocha with whiffs of lavender and vanilla, to a palate that echoes the same opulence yet markedly gains in density and richness as the wine flows from the front to the back… you can’t help but sit in rapt attention. Sumptuous! And just for good measure, a second bottle was opened that same day and it was just as riveting.
2007 Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape
This was gorgeous in its purity and definition. Succulent black raspberry, wild berries, ripe cherries, cassis and sweet spice define the nose. The palate echoes the ripe nose; it is lush and concentrated with velvety tannins and a persistent, vibrant finish. We drink a lot of older wines at Graileys and this was a pleasant surprise. I appreciated the wine’s approachability and fruit-driven structure.
1987 Chappelet Cabernet Napa Valley
This was a pleasant surprise. We opened this when we first took possession of a Cabernet-centric cellar from a local collector and it was very Bordeaux-like on the nose: minty/eucalyptus, cedar, licorice, cigar box with blackcurrants. It was fully mature with resolved, silky tannins and a seamless mouthfeel that effortlessly glides on the palate. I’m glad we opened it when we did. This is on my list because this opened my eyes to the quality and ageability of some Napa Cabernets.
1998 D’Auvenay Meursault Les Gouttes D’Or
When you nose this wine, this can’t be anything else but a D’Auvenay… intense and exotic perfume displaying toasty notes, buttered popcorn, lemon meringue pie, poached pears, quince, walnuts, with an elegant minerality that turned smokier as the wine sat in the glass. The palate is rich and dense, chewy for a white wine yet unbelievably balanced. The key was the stony minerality and a thread of acidity that cut through that remarkable richness. Killer wine!
1994 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay
This is not for everyone… very oxidative in style with honeycomb, almond paste, quince, lemon cream pie with a touch of mushrooms. The palate is luscious and rich yet there’s enough acidity peeking through that kept the wine brisk and provided a refreshing finish. I enjoyed this wine because it is really able to do the oxidative style justice; the honeycomb/almond paste provided compelling aromatics while the brisk acidity really does a lot to provide balance to the otherwise the mouth-coating and dense mid-palate.