Wine Focus: Open that Bottle MONTH ... EXTENDED!

[David M. Bueker]

Bedrock only produced the Exposition Series for two vintages, so by definition any bottle is that bottle.

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Exposition One Weill Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (6/8/2020)
Night two was wildly better than night one, so I have clearly not learned my lesson about decanting. Rich fruit, aromatic spice, perfect balance, and a finish as long as the last two minutes of an NBA playoff game. Yowza!

The style/era of 1990 Bordeaux is dead and buried.

A few years ago, Franck Dubourdieu, brother of the late lamented Denis, published a list of Saint-Émilion châteaux which from his experience were then still making wine in a more traditional terroir respecting manner. I posted this and it gave rise to some discussion. Of course, many of those named then may have since turned "modern" and others may even have turned back the other way.

I'm wondering which, if any, of the prominent Médoc and Graves châteaux have remained "traditional". I largely stopped buying GC Bordeaux since the 2001 vintage, except for occasional bottles of "little" but accessible vintages like 2012, so I can't really give an opinion. Some of the lesser Bordeaux from ripe vintages like 2009 and 2015 are certainly a lot sweeter than their equivalents 30+ years ago.

Some people think that, over time, "modern" styles converge with "traditional" as the puppy fat and luxurious wood treatment ages away. Others disagree. I recall a study by, IIRC, Denis D claiming that many Parkerised right-bankers were so unbalanced that they would dry out or oxidise in the medium term.

[David M. Bueker]

My recent foray into aged "semi-modern" Graves/Pessac Bordeaux was the 2001 Smith Haut Lafitte. It was very good, though nothing like aged 1980s Bordeaux was in 2000 or so to my recollection. I'll continue to check in, as I have 2000 and 2001s from a few of the chateaux that skewed modern while not going fully to the dark(est) side.

Actually, my most treasured bottle is a scotch. A MacCallan issued for Charles and Diana's wedding. Only 1000 bottles were made. The scotch is a blend of their birth years...1948 and 1961. I received the bottle as a gift a number of years ago. I've been waiting for an incredible occasion to open it. But seeing I'll never see 70 again....time is short.

As to wine...several very good Bordeauxs and a couple of excellent Champagnes...those I have been drinking.

And on this. topic, I have reached an age where I have less and less interest in trying lots of new wines. I know what I and my better half and I like and I find that I just want to go back to them. Our tastes run to CDP, Margaux, Burgundy and Pinot Noir, California red blends and lots of Champagne. And we have makers of all of those who are reliable.

Happy drinking all....stay well.

Actually, my most treasured bottle is a scotch. A MacCallan issued for Charles and Diana's wedding. Only 1000 bottles were made. The scotch is a blend of their birth years...1948 and 1961. I received the bottle as a gift a number of years ago. I've been waiting for an incredible occasion to open it. But seeing I'll never see 70 again....time is short...

So does that mean we can expect a note on that bottle in the upcoming weeks?

[Jenise]

Here's another bottle I'd been holding back but whose time came yesterday when I made chicken and onion pel mini (a Russian stuffed pasta) in a broth with sauteed shitake mushrooms and fresh rosemary:

1994 Beringer Vineyards Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Carneros
Warm maroon color. Good pinot nose with something very mildly medicinal that might have been more like iodine or Chloraseptic in the past than it is now. On the palate, good fruit with aged soy flavors but remarkably still more secondary than tertiary. And throughout, very American. You'd never mistake this for Burgundy. Admirably persistent too--good to the last drop. Mild silty sediment removed by pouring the last 20% thru an unbleached coffee filter.

[Jenise]

So last night with corned beef, sauteed cabbage, sauteed carrots with mint and a bulgur wheat pilaf, my one last precious bottle of:

1995 Beaucastel
Dead. And it had been dead a long time. Brown and cloudy dead, swampy and cooked dead. I know this vintage can be iffy, and I've been around some bad bottles, but this was the baddest of them all! Whereas its replacement still had a hearbeat but just barely:

2001 Delas Cote Rotie La Landonne
Brick color. Thin, screechy, very little fruit.

One of those nights!

2001 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes

Another scary stunner from the 2001 Sauternes vintage. This is every bit as good as the La Tour Blanche. The Suduiraut's aroma is a tad less exuberant, but the complexity and balance on the palate is amazing, and the finish goes on forever and ever. Another triple Curly with an extra Woo!

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

So last night with corned beef, sauteed cabbage, sauteed carrots with mint and a bulgur wheat pilaf, my one last precious bottle of:

1995 Beaucastel
Dead. And it had been dead a long time. Brown, cloudy, swampy. I know this vintage can be iffy, and I've been around some bad bottles, but this was the baddest of them all! Whereas it's replacement still had a hearbeat but just barely!:

2001 Delas Cote Rotie La Landonne
Brick color. Thin, screechy, very little fruit.

One of those nights!

oof

1995 was back when Beaucastel was really struggling with their brett problem. I'm sure that didn't help.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

1995 was back when Beaucastel was really struggling with their brett problem. I'm sure that didn't help.

-Paul W.

And bad corks.

I think everyone in France was struggling with bad corks in the mid-1990s. I've lost a lot of grand cru Burgundy from that era to TCA and other cork-related issues.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

1995 was back when Beaucastel was really struggling with their brett problem. I'm sure that didn't help.

-Paul W.

And bad corks.

Of all the things this was, it wasn't bretty. Strange.

1995 was back when Beaucastel was really struggling with their brett problem. I'm sure that didn't help.

-Paul W.

And bad corks.

Beaucastel 1995 was one of my most disappointing buys. I have had no problems of TCA or brett, let alone death, but the bottles have been consistently unyielding and dull compared with what they should be. I still have one left. Open soon or hold further waiting for a miracle?

When I opened the 2001 Chateau Suduiraut the other day, I immediately put a nitrogen dispenser on it and purged the ullage with nitrogen. I poured a second glass last night. This was a bit more aromatic than the first glass, with distinct aromas of peony and lilac. Again that terrific endless finish.

-Paul W.

I opened a 2004 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon last night. You'd never guess this wine is 16 years old if it were served blind. Still dark purple, reticent aroma, strong blackcurrant flavors, and a bit of a tannic edge. This one needs more time.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

I opened a 2004 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon last night. You'd never guess this wine is 16 years old if it were served blind. Still dark purple, reticent aroma, strong blackcurrant flavors, and a bit of a tannic edge. This one needs more time.

-Paul W.

Not terribly surprised, but thanks for that, as I have some!

[Jenise]

Beaucastel 1995 was one of my most disappointing buys. I have had no problems of TCA or brett, let alone death, but the bottles have been consistently unyielding and dull compared with what they should be. I still have one left. Open soon or hold further waiting for a miracle?

A guy in my dork group has brought his last three bottles to tastings over the last year and a half. The first two were goners and the third decent, but not great. Pretty poor odds, Tim! I'd open it sooner or later--it's never too soon to find out if you're one of the lucky ones. And if you're not--well, there's more room in the cellar now!

Somehow, when we refurnished our apartment, I wound up with a smaller wine fridge. I think the missus is planning my upcoming demise.

So generally speaking, I've been opening a lot of borderline ready wines to resolve this situation. This is one of these bottles.

Bernard Faurie, Hermitage, 2007

Typical, if I may allow myself a sense of familiarity with that most venerable of Rhone appellations: black pepper, olives and iron on the nose, complementing black fruit with just a touch of sweetness. On the palate, the muscular black fruit winds up in a tannic, rusty finish. While the tannins contribute to the rusty seasoning of the fruit, they don't come off as rustic and they let the mellow sweetness of the mature fruit shine through. It's not especially long or deep, its charm lies rather in the spirit it evokes of that grand hill where the Rhone river turns.

Bernard Faurie makes several cuvées and apparently the only way to know which is which is by the color of the capsule. This is the Bessards/Méal cuvée.

For years, we've been a fan of Chalone Estates (not to be confused with their cheaper stuff, Chalone Monterey, etc. which I always thought diluted the brand).

Our favorites were the Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, and Pinot Blanc. Chardonnay was good, too, but preferred alternative whites. Foley now owns the Chalone brand. A few years ago, I visited the Foley tasting room at a Santa Barbara area hotel. They had Chalone Estate Grenache. A new varietal for us. So a bottle followed me home. Since frugal one had joined the Foley society or whatever (no fee), received 20% off the wine.

Chalone Estate Grenache, Chalone AVA, 2012: Distinct aromas and flavors of cherry, strawberry, hints of baking spices (maybe cinnamon, clove). Slow legs, medium body & acidity, medium finish. Those are Day 1 and Day 2 impressions. Definitely didn't open too early; may be at peak. Fortunately, more for tonight. Further study clearly indicated.

Weekend Cheers!

From the half-case I bought at Joel Peterson's Ravenswood library sale: Ravenswood 1991 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Gregory Vineyard. 75% Cab, 25% Merlot. 12.9% abv. This was singing from the first pull of the cork, and was easily the best of the five bottles opened so far. Slightly lifted, a dense and still-fresh beam of black cherry and currant fruit, but also interestingly meaty/sauvage; black pepper and a bit of savory spice on the long finish. There's still a bit of unresolved tannic grip there, too. If you try to break it down into its elements, this is really good but not exceptional -- but in this bottle on this night, anyway, this wine was way more than the sum of its parts.

[David M. Bueker]

Sounds delicious Patchen. I have opened three bottles from the case I bought in the sale. All have been very good. The Donnell Merlot was stunning.

I've got one left -- I think it's a '93 Cooke (not cooked, I hope) Zin.

Wouldn't have gone through them so quickly, but with the rest the cellar still elsewhere, we've reached for these when we've craved bottles with age.

[David M. Bueker]

I opened a 1991 Cooke that was really good, and a 1993 Monte Rosso that was also really good, so signs are poitive.