Notes from last night's Bordeaux and Chardonnay extravaganza at Masseto. All the wines courtesy of Jojo, who had us all sit at the bar while he played bartender. Aside from the usual cast of characters we were also joined by NY based WLDG member Ramon Cabrera who is in town for the holidays.
Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru 2000 - A Blanc de Blancs. Light to medium-bodied. Lemony finish but a rather floral nose. Very dry. Good, but I thought it had a somewhat clipped finish.
Jojo likes playing wine games with his guests so we were served a set of 2 wines blind.
Wine A - Chocolate, tobacco, soy sauce. Soft on the palate but a tannic finish. Still primary. I guess Right Bank Bordeaux but the style is quite modern. Le Bon Pasteur 1998.
Wine B - Obvious browning on the rim indicated this has a bit of age. Not as fragrant as the first wine but the palate shows a lot of sweet fruit. The finish is still grippy with tannin. There was also a curious off-putting metallic smell that developed. This needs drinking up as it seems a little past its prime. Also Right Bank I think. Le Bon Pasteur 1982.
Now a Burgundy:
Leroy Bourgogne 2004 - Cherry, strawberry, raspberry. Very bright wine. Light and easy. No pretense to greatness but a very for current drinking. I've had this 3 times before and this is the best bottle I've had.
3 Chardonnays followed:
Montelena Chardonnay 2000 - Light, sweet, lightly buttered but crisp finish. Very easy to drink. A rather elegant wine. Seems at peak now. Excellent.
Ridge Montebello Chardonnay 2003 - Medium-bodied. Buttered popcorn. Quite toasty and tasty. Lovely stuff. I'm not really a fan of the popcorn style of Chardonnay but this is so well done. My favorite Chard in this lineup. At peak now. Excellent.
Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay 2006 - Very young and rather bland after the American wines. This didn't make much of an impression. Maybe it should have been served before the other 2 wines.
Back to the reds with the next wine served blind from magnum.
Blind from magnum - Sweet fruit. New World? Quite modern. Johnny guessed Chateau d'Aiguilhe and he was right! From the 2000 vintage.
We went on to the last set of wines served blind.
Wine C - Bright acidity. Earthy. Tannic finish. Full-bodied and rather round. Quite complex and layered. I guessed Right Bank. Chateau Pape Clement 1998.
Wine D - Tannic, fleshy. Young and still a bit tight. I guessed Right Bank again. Chapelle d'Ausone 2000.
And lastly, a bonus bottle not originally on the program:
Lightish, not much on the nose. Primarily chocolate on the palate. For the most part, closed and unyielding. La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion 2000.
Many thanks to Jojo who will make a fine sommelier if ever he quits his day-job as a stockbroker.