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WTN: Mostly 84/85 California, with Champagnes and Bdx blanc

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Dale Williams

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WTN: Mostly 84/85 California, with Champagnes and Bdx blanc

by Dale Williams » Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:22 pm

A real wine tasting, with real people! 7 vaccinated winegeeks gathered on my patio Sunday. Cathleen brought great cheese, Craig brought an incredible spread of charcuterie, and I made a smoked bluefish mousse to go with the Champagnes, but forgot to unwrap it. The tasting was 1984 & 1985 California Cabs and blends. All reds double-decanted before transport.

We started with the 2008 Gaston Chiquet Special Club Brut Champagne I quite enjoyed this, vibrant and young, white fruits, chalk, and sourdough. Happy to be part of this club. B+/A-

1985 Buena Vista Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Weedy, seedy, I don’t think this is so much tired as never very good. C+/C

1985 BV Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
I think I drank quite a few of the Rutherfords in the 90s as they were released, but always young. This offers no evidence that was a mistake, tart and short. C+

1984 BV Georges de la Tour Cabernet Sauvignon
This had a roasted pruney note to it, I really didn’t enjoy, could be storage but while I used to regard GdlT as an icon of Cal Cab, I’ve had a lot of poor bottles over last couple decades. C+

1985 Sequoia Grove Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Finally a red I really liked. Mature but not tired. Soft black fruit, tobacco, and cedar, with a hint of minty green. B+

1985 Lyeth Red Blend (Alexander Valley)
I think I liked this more than most. Tannins gone, some acid, red and black fruit with a little bell pepper and forest floor. B/B+

1984 Flora Springs Trilogy (Napa Valley)
Full and fruity, I thought some signs of overripeness. Others liked more B-

A Champagne break while I grilled some hanger steak in a ssam marinade and sausages (Weisswurst, Andouille) to go with some previously grilled peppers and squash, and John’s delicious couscous.

1996 Pol Roger Blanc de Chardonnay Brut Millesime
I thought this was just stunning. Powerful, mineral, smoky, long. A/A-

Back to reds
1985 Niebaum Coppola “Rubicon”
Don’t cross this Rubicon, because then you can’t untaste it. Green bell pepper mixed with roasted/pruney notes, that’s not easy. Let’s just say FFC is a great filmmaker. C+

1985 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Surprise of the night probably. A bit delicate, but with lovely dark fruit, cigar box, green herbs. B+/B

1985 Dunn Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
OK, coming up on 40, still structured and tannic. But with the hanger steak I quite enjoyed. Chewy tannins, black plum and black currant, ferric notes, long finish. Eat with steak or wait forever. B+

1985 Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains

This was 13.7 abv (I think highest), and quite ripe, but I thought it freshened up with air and I quite liked by end.B.

1984 Beringer Chabot Cabernet Sauvignon

Still comes across as oaky,. Modest fruit, clipped finish. B-/C+

1984 Beringer “Private Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon

Vanilla, ripe black plum verging on surmaturite, B/B-

1984 Monticello “Corley Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon
I know I tasted this, but wrote nothing down.Don’t think I was a fan.

1985 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (mag)
Don’t normally open mags for these tastings, but this fit Zoom plan for Monday so I decanted and immediately bottled 5 5 oz bottles. Rest served a few hours later. Really needs the air in this format, big young wine, but rather lovely. Cassis, blackberry, truffles, coffee, spice. Long and complex. Wonderful showing. A-

I can’t let people leave my house without something blind, didn’t feel like dessert, didn’t want more red. So put 1990 Laville Haut Brion into a decanter. One errant guess of Loire, then they got white Bordeaux and soon LHB (though guesses were younger than 1990). Wax, peach and mango, vanilla, excellent length. B+/A-

When cleaning up I found a bottle pf 1985 Ch. Potelle Reserve that someone had brought but not passed. Tried next day, dead, but not a fair test.

Really wonderful to have people, in person, tasting wine and enjoying each others’ company.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C
drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
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Jenise

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Re: WTN: Mostly 84/85 California, with Champagnes and Bdx bl

by Jenise » Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:02 pm

Great notes, and congratulations on the camaraderie, I know how good that feels.

Not much to comment on those wines--anything I owned from those days is gone except for some pinots. Will add though that my experience with Georges LaTours mirrors yours, also that, if you didn't know it already, a warning that that French guy, Jean-something, who married Gina Gallo has purchased the Buena Vista name and is selling wimpy Cal Cabs under that label to discount grocery chains.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Joel D

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Re: WTN: Mostly 84/85 California, with Champagnes and Bdx bl

by Joel D » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:10 pm

This sounds like a great tasting, Dale.

You certainly busted out some of my favorites. Gaston Chiquet is amazing in 08. Highly recommend trying the vintage bdb as well if you haven't. I have had 3 bottles of each of the bdb and special and twice the bdb has outperformed the special.

Love older Napa too, although 84 isn't something i've had much. Good notes

Glad most everyone is starting to get vaccinated. Hopefully this summer will be the start of heading back to normalcy and wine tastings!
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David M. Bueker

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Re: WTN: Mostly 84/85 California, with Champagnes and Bdx bl

by David M. Bueker » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:22 pm

Hooray for normal!

That looks like an awesome tasting. Glad to see the '96 Pol Roger showed so well. 1996 has been an up and down Champagne vintage, but when it's on it is magic.
Decisions are made by those who show up
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Dale Williams

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Re: WTN: Mostly 84/85 California, with Champagnes and Bdx bl

by Dale Williams » Sat Apr 24, 2021 4:24 pm

I'll look for the vintage BdB. Of course, saying "special club" is half the fun.
I've had more ups than downs with '96, maybe my fave vintage forChampagne,
Not a big Boisset fan , either, Jenise.

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