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.