Last week (4/10/19), we did a Tasting With Blair Swartz:
1. Louis Jadot Beaune-Chouacheux AC: Beaune 1er Cru (13.5%) Beaune 1990: Med.light color w/ light bricking;
rather mature cedary/pencilly rather earthy/dusty light PN/floral bit toasty/oak slight mushroomy complex
nose; lightly tart bit dried out mushroomy/earthy/forest floor somewhat cedary/pencilly quite complex flavor
w/ very smooth/silky tannins; A lovely fully mature RedBurg nose but starting to dry out a bit on the
palate but not showing the bitter/tannic character of an old Burg; a lovely old lady in the twilight of
her yrs, sitting around at the nursing home, who'll one day just not show up anymore. ($150)
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2. Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Couchereaux AC: Beaune 1er Cru (13.5%) 1990: Med.light color w/ some bricking;
same cedary/pencilly bit more floral/PN/oldBurg nose; bit tart some dried out earthy/mushroomy slightly bitter
flavor w/ smooth/gentle tannins; a lovely old RedBurg much the same as #1. ($120)
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3. Paul Jaboulet Aine LaChapelle AC: Hermitage (13%) LaRoche de Glun/Tain l'Hermitage 1989: Med.dark color w/
light bricking; beautiful roasted/espresso/smokey/smoked meats some w-c/peppery light blackberry/Syrah complex
classic Hermitage nose; soft very smooth/silky classic roasted/Hermitage/espresso/smoked meats light
blackberry/Syrah very complex old Hermitage flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering classic
roasted/espresso/smoked meats very smooth bit w-c/peppery classic old Hermitage complex finish w/ gentle/smooth
tannins; starting to dry out just a bit on the palate but a beautiful fully-mature classic old Hermitage in
wonderful shape. ($300)
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4. Ridge Calif Syrah LyttonEstate/DryCreekVlly (10% Viog; 13.9%; 31 brls; bttld March 2000;
Drk: 12/99-12/07-12/09: PD) 1998: Very dark color; very slight TCA/corked some vanilla/Am.oak some blackberry/
Syrah slight earthy/herbal/smokey bit rustic some complex nose; lightly tart bit dried-out some vanilla/Am.oak
slight blackberry/Syrah/blueberry bit complex flavor w/ light rather drying/gritty tannins; very long rather
Am.oak/vanilla some blackberry/Syrah finish w/ light gritty tannins; a rather blocky Syrah that speaks more of
Ridge than Syrah; hard to tell how much this was beaten down by the TCA.
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5. Dehlinger Syrah Estate/RRV (14.9%) 2008: Very dark color; beautiful blackberry/blueberry/Syrah some smokey/oak
slight peppery rather complex nose; bit soft some toasty/Fr.oak/bit smokey strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/
spicy slight dusty bit complex flavor w/ light fairly smooth tannins; very long strong blackberry/blueberry/
Syrah/slight peppery some toasty/oak slight complex finish w/ light tannins; still pretty youthful but not
quite the complexity that I expected; a classic Dehlinger Syrah that can use another 4-6 yrs at least. ($48)
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6. Grand Vin de Ch.Latour AC: Pauillac (12%; MeBaC) 1979: Med.dark color w/ slight bricking; very classic cedary/
pencilly/oak bit blackcurranty/Cab/herbal quite complex beautiful old/mature Bdx nose; soft rather cedary/
pencilly/oak light herbal/Cab/blackcurranty very smooth/silky quite complex flavor w/ light smooth tannins;
very long/lingering quite cedary/pencilly/cigar box light Cab/herbal/blackcurranty very smooth/graceful finish
w/ light silky tannins that goes on&on; a lovely quiet/gently/silky fully mature RedBdx w/ loads of cedary/
cigar box character; beautiful red. ($500)
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7. BeaulieuVnyd CabSauv Georges de Latour PrivateReserve NapaVlly (12.5%) Rutherford 1970: Med.light color w/
slight bricking; strong vanilla/Am.oak/pencilly slight herbal rather strong blackcurranty/Cab slight earthy/
dusty quite complex old Cab lovely nose; lightly tart strong vanilla/Am.oak some blackcurranty/Cab/herbal quite
smooth/silky slight earthy/dusty quite complex beautiful old Cab flavor w/ light smooth/velvety tannins; very
long/lingering strong Am.oak/vanilla/cedary/cigar box some ripe/blackcurranty/Cab light earthy/dusty very
complex finish w/ light smooth tannins; a beautiful classic old Calif Cab; still showing plenty of life and
no signs of fading or falling apart at all. ($175)
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8. Stag'sLeap WineCllrs CabSauv Stag'sLeapVnyds/NapaVlly (13%) Napa 1974: Med.color w/ slight bricking; slight
herbal/dusty strong blackcurranty/Cab plenty of Cab fruit some toasty/Fr.oak fairly comp-lex nose; soft very
strong blackcurranty/Cab slight herbal/dusty rather toasty/Fr.oak fairly complex still youthful flavor w/
light smooth tannins; very long/lingering bit herbal/dusty strong blackcurranty/Cab some toasty/oak complex
finish w/ light smooth tannins; a pretty classic NapaVlly Cab that still has lots of Cab fruit w/ no signs of
drying out or going downhill; lovel old-bones. $8.40 (SabinoVista/Tuscon) ($450)
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9. Ridge Calif MonteBello Estate/MonteBelloVnyd/SantaCruzMtns (76% CS/13% Merlot/8% PetiteVerdot/
3% CabFranc; 13.2%; 138 tons from 108 acres; 38% Slctn; bttld April 2006; Drk: 3/06-3/21-3/26: EB/PD) 2004:
Very dark color w/ no bricking; beautiful coffee bean/smokey/Am.oak very strong blackcurranty/Cab/slight herbal/
dusty classic mtn-Cab/MB very complex nose; lightly tart strong smokey/Am.oak/coffee bean/pungent very strong
blackcurranty/Cab/bit herbal/dusty fairly complex flavor w/ modest firm/chewey tannins; very long/lingering
very strong blackcurranty/Cab/bit herbal strong toasty/Am.oak/coffee bean quite structured complex finish w/
modest ripe tannins; a beautiful/classic rather youthful MB that still has yrs to go; more complex & interesting than
the Klein.
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10. Ridge CabSauv Klein Estate/MonteBelloVnyd/SantaCruzMtns (12.8%; 100% CS; 13 brls; bttld 8/13; Drk: 6/13-6/28: EB)
2011Very dark color; very strong some herbal very strong blackcurranty/Cab/ripe/bit chocolaty some dusty/earthy
some smokey/Am.oak/toasty slightly rustic intense Cab nose; lightly tart intense Cab/blackcurranty/ripe rather
earthy/dusty/mtn-Cab some toasty/smokey/oak quite structured/rather rugged bit complex flavor w/ ample chewey/hard
tannins; very long/lingering intense Cab/blackcurranty/licorice/ripe earthy/dusty strong toasty/smokey/oak
finish w/ ample hard/ripe tannins; not as interesting as the MB but a rather rugged mtn-grown Cab that reminds
a bit of the HowellMtn Cabs; a bit old-timey Ridge Cab very structured/very young; a bit rustic/tough old-time
SCM Cab like from the late '60's under DaveBennion; a long future ahead of this wine.
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11. Ch.Bastor-Lamontagne AC: Sauternes (12.5%; MeBaC) C.F.F./Preignac/Langon 1983: Deep golden/caramel color; very
strong caramel/creme brulee/butterscotchy very strong botrytis/apricotty/peachy slight oxidized/nutty bit toasty/
oak rather complex nose; lightly tart quite sweet/lush very strong botrytis/apricotty/peachy rather butterscotch/
creme brulee some toasty/oak complex flavor; very long/lingering strong botrytis/apricotty rather caramel/
butterscotch/creme brulee very sweet complex finish ; showing a bit of age but will still go another 10-15 yrs
easy; outstanding old Sauternes from a lesser producer. $10.29 (KK)
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12. Ch.Coutet a Barsac AC: Barsac (1er Grand Cru de Sauternes; MeBaC) 1975: Deep golden color; rather toasty/oak/
butterscotch/creme brulee some botrytis/apricotty/ripe peaches some cedary/pencilly/oak quite complex nose; bit
off-dry strong cedary/pencilly/Fr.oak very creme brulee/butterscotchy some botrytis peachy bit fig newton/
Semillon complex flavor; very long/lingering bit off-dry strong butterscotchy/creme brulee/cedary/pencily some
botrytis/peachy complex finish; starting to dry out a bit on the palate & showing some age but still a beautiful
old Sauternes. ($90)
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13. Ch.Climens 1er Cru AC: Barsac (MeBaC) 1983: Light gold color; very strong peachy/apricotty/botrytis some figgy/
Semillon some toasty/oak quite youthful nose; quite tart strong botrytis/apricotty/peachy/peach compote strong
figgy/fig newton slightly sweet rather structured classic not-so-old Sauternes complex flavor; very long/
lingering strong botrytis/peachy/apricotty/ripe peach some figgy/fig newton/Semillon light toasty/oak fairly
tart slightly sweet bit complex finish; a beautiful rather youthful old Sauternes that should go another 20 yrs.
$32.50
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More bittekronkle from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. A good friend, BlairSwartz, died back in early January. Blair was a very astute & avid wine buyer and had
accumulated a very nice stash of wines. His daughter, Stacey, has been very generous in sharing Blair's stash
with his many friends. These are some of the (mostly) reds I harvested from his cellar that I thought had a good
chance to still be alive, if not spectacular. The wines were, across the board, excellent, to even better.
A thank you to Stacey. And to LauraCrucet of Pig+Fig Cafe for staying up into the wee hours of the morning to
make a lemon pound cake to accompany the Sauternes.
Prices in ($) are current estimated prices.
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2. A huge fan of old Sauternes. These wines are pretty much ageless. All three of these were exceptional with the
Climens my slight favorite because of its youth. They were terrific w/ Laura's lemon pound cake.
Tom