By: AJ McClellan
Sometimes you need a vacation from the vacation and Graileys is the perfect place for that. It is good to be home. We had a great group of semi-jealous members drop in last night to hear all about the trip. It’s hard to tell a proper story without a bit of vino to wet the windpipes so we cracked some classic wines for the table and regaled our members with stories from across the pond…
1997 Castello Del Rampolla – This was a very interesting wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese blend from Tuscany with a 97 point backing from Wine Spectator. When I first tasted it the wine was full of dark purple fruit with subtle black pepper and big spicy leather. I set the glass aside and came back to it a few hours later… the wine had fallen on its face, gone completely flat, and devoid of life… disappointing…
1993 Louis Jadot Chevalier Montrachet GC – Honey comb with a dusting of vanilla, great ripe pears, and sour apples. Beautiful complex mineral notes with more honey and a long finish of soft limestone, ripe pineapple, and good old home cooking spice.
1998 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne Montrachet 1er Les Vergers – Slight signs of oxidization with a touch of caramel and honeysuckle on the nose. The palate was much fresher than the nose showing crisp fruit and a gripping minerality.
1995 Camille Giroud Nuits Saint Georges 1er Les Cailles – An initial nose of nail polish but it quickly dissipates to show blueberry pop tart and cinnamon, this wine reminds me what spice on Dune would smell like. A slight note of star anise with huge earth notes of wet forest floor. Long finish of dark cherries.
1993 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Garantita – A great little Nebbiolo with pure earth nose and a palate of barnyard, leather, smoke, and tar.
1978 Ducru Beaucaillou – Classic Bordeaux with ripe red fruits and apple pie cooking spices. Pipe tobacco and leather straps show on a long finish with Washington apples and ripe red cherries. Classic Bordeaux earth.
1997 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux – Jean Grivot constantly delivers an exceptional bottle of wine. The 97 Echezeaux was superb. A bright nose of red cherry and crisp red currants followed by soft earth and a dash of cooking spice. The palate was well balanced with excellent length.