Back on March 15th, Gerry Morrisey invited me, two other wine lovers and our wives over for a delicious dinner and what proved to be some very good wines. The wines were served blind, with the exception of the starter whites and the dessert wine.
Starter whites:
2005 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet. This has lots of herb and forest fern aromatics on the nose, along with smoke, river rocks, crisp pear and lime pith notes. It is mid-weight on the palate with moderate concentration of flavor. It is a bit watery around the edges and sports some sour lemony notes throughout. It is clean but drying on the fairly long finish, with some pear, lemon and chalk notes mingling with some toasty oak accents.
2005 Newton Chardonnay Unfiltered Napa Valley. Initially, this surprises with its restrained, elegant nose. As it warms in the glass, however, all kinds of richer aromas come through, like caramel, fig, honeysuckle, lime zest and oaky vanilla and peppermint accents. It is relatively full-bodied in the mouth, with a heavy glycerin feel, intense fruit and a strong oak influence. It has a notable big-bottomed feel that acts as an anchor to the gentler, more open-knit poached apple and citrus flavors. There is a hint of alcoholic warmth, but overall it shows very good length.
Blind whites:
2002 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Mount Carmel Santa Rita Hills. The bouquet has a nice chalk dust note that soars right up the nostrils. However, in support of that, there are also very tart, sour citrus aromas, flagstones, forest ferns and a stainless steel edge. It is rather mouth-filling, with good intensity and richness of fruit. It has a generally thick texture with very soft acids hidden underneath. It is both tangy and leesy on the finish, with a soft kiss of oak that somehow feels out of place after that steely note on the nose.
1996 Rochioli Chardonnay Estate Grown Russian River Valley. The nose leads off with a soft kiss of lush oak, classy smoke, and notes of toasted caramel, delicious apple, lime zest and yellow pixie stick. In the mouth, it has a nicely balanced entry and expands quickly through the middle, where it is mid- to full-bodied. There is a fair dollop of oak spice and the fruit seems simultaneously elegant yet lush. The acidity pokes through awkwardly at times, but over time it seems to integrate into the wine better and better. It finishes a bit sweet, but with tangy overtones that leave a sense of lasting classiness.
Blind Chateauneuf du Papes:
2000 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. The nose here sports fresh raspberry fruit, some clean leather, earthy bark and gentle undergrowth. It has nice lift and is extremely engaging, especially as it folds in a soft ground coffee note later on. In the mouth, it is quite fresh and lively, yet rich and intense. Flavors of dark chocolate, black cherry, smoke are draped over a fairly low acid profile. It is open and seamless much of the night but it tightens up later in the evening as the tannins begin to emerge more notably. Still, this is a pleasure.
2000 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee. This features a dark nose of lush chocolate and deep mocha framing sweet kirsch. There’s a deep well of other red fruits lurking further underneath, but right now there are some top notes of garrigue and bell pepper more prevalent. It is meaty-textured in the mouth with flavors of blackberries and Baker’s chocolate. There is a cool acid streak for freshness and balance and the tannins are gentle and rounded, especially in the gorgeous and voluptuous mid-palate. It features very good length on the fine finish. It is almost impossible to choose between this and wine #1 for Wine of the Flight.
1998 Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape. Sporting the lightest color of the flight, this wine features a pretty, elegant and moderately mature nose of soft leather, violets and powdery spearmint countered by notes of beets, dried blood and meat lurking deeper down. It seems traditionally-styled as it folds in aromas of mulled orange peel, soft caramel and persimmon. I really like the complexity and maturity this is showing on the nose. In the mouth, it doesn’t have the weight or the concentration of fruit of the previous two wines and is probably showing a bit more mature than its vintage date. The fruit is clean and tangy, with cranberry, black raspberry, tea and chalky flavors. The tannins are well-resolved through the middle, but still gently coat the palate toward the finish. Overall, it is drinking well now but seems to be on a relatively fast track.
Blind Bordeaux:
2000 Chateau Malescot St. Exupery Margaux. Bordeaux #1 has a brooding but compelling nose of black currants, cassis, lead pencil, tapenade, flower bouquet greens and sweet red fruit deeper down. This shows a lot of class to go along with that sense of richness. In the mouth, one really notices the outstanding balance right from the start. There’s a beautiful balancing twang to the meaty ripe red fruit in the mid-palate and the cooler blue fruits found toward the back. There are very refined tannins, a tensile structure and a refined, yet giving nature to this beauty. I especially like the way it flows so gracefully through from entry to finish, showing different but linked facets of its personality. Clear wine of the flight for me.
2003 Chateau Faugeres St. Emilion. Served from magnum. This is a completely different animal. It shows a much sweeter, more unctuous and exotic bouquet featuring espresso roast, gooey jam, mint, cassis, twigs and white pepper. Notes of cedar and eucalyptus emerge as it opens up further. In the mouth, it shows sweet and rich with some oak and a modern California sensibility. The fruit is rather rounded, with no hard edges and a creamy texture. I shockingly guessed the correct vintage and appellation.
Blind California Cabernets:
2004 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. This wine hit me right in the sweet spot on this evening. It has a captivating bouquet of cool dark fruits like black currants and perfumed blackberries to go along with dark fruitcake and cool minerality. It has blockbuster levels of extract in the mouth, yet pristine balance. It has incredible richness and density of flavor, featuring more of a red fruit profile to go along with flavors of chocolate and grilled herbs. There is a gorgeous sense of purity running throughout this wine and it finishes very long, with pretty cedar accents. Yes, it is young and in places still tight, but I would not hesitate at all to open another bottle right now. My WOTN.
1999 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select Napa Valley Stag’s Leap District. This wine has a nose that gives up notes of forest greens, white flowers, cassis, dusty chalk and pencil shavings. It just grows and grows with time in the glass, eventually folding in blacker fruits. On the palate, it is wonderfully exotic and rich, with attention-grabbing and attention-holding intensity. Like wine #1, this also has impeccable balance. This is more luxuriant, with fine, softly teeth-coating tannins and flavors of blackberries, black currants and cocoa powder. There is a fine hint of warmth on the finish, suggesting that this will be better with some more cellar time.
1992 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Napa Valley. The nose is just plain nasty, with nutella, rotting fruit and porta-potty aromas. There are premature oxidation notes in the mouth. I just gave up on it. This had to be a damaged bottle.
Dessert wine:
2001 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes. Fine aromas of crème brulee, orange zest, honey and spices get richer and more layered with time in the glass. It is unctuous and creamy in the mouth, with sweet mango fruit, raw sugar, and fine acids. This was a lovely end to a very nice dinner.
-Michael