Happy Holidays: what's your wine?

to all WLP folks. I have a friend who uses the term "Merry Happy Holidays". It whatever way you celebrate, enjoy.

Our planned wine is Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley, 2003. A very old cork has been extracted by Dear Husband. A bit crumbled at the beginning but the final whole piece removed. Smells promising. But I have a backup bottle ready, just in case. May be the oldest bottle in our collection.

Cheers!

99 Musar!!

It's the first day of crab season here, so it'll be cracked crab. Wine will be Chardonnay, probably Joseph Swan Estate vineyard '16.

[David M. Bueker]

Tonight we had Pierre Péters Champagne NV, 2015 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay and 2003 Chateau Cantenac Brown.

It was a good night.

[Robin Garr]

We enjoyed La Spinetta 2017 "Il Nero di Casanova" Toscana Sangiovese.

It was mainly Burgundy with goose. And by accident, it proved an instructive lesson in terroir differences because I thought I was getting out two bottles of Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1995 from Dominique Laurent but one proved to be a lost bottle of Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1995. Absence of vintage and producer variables make this a useful comparison . TNs will follow.

BTW I don't understand the contempt for Laurent on the part of many Burg enthusiasts. These were both beautiful wines.

Crab and Swan Chard were good last night. The Chard was golden and deep and plenty rich to handle the crab.
Tonight will be raviolis, and I have a bottle of Nalle Henderlong Vineyard Zin '15 out to go along with it.

Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1995 from Dominique Laurent ...Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1995...
BTW I don't understand the contempt for Laurent on the part of many Burg enthusiasts. These were both beautiful wines.

Well you did have to wait 25+ years for them. Did you taste them when they were younger? I don't have much experience with Laurent, but if I remember correctly, the contempt was for the new oak that was so strong in the young wines.

Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1995 from Dominique Laurent ...Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1995...
BTW I don't understand the contempt for Laurent on the part of many Burg enthusiasts. These were both beautiful wines.

Well you did have to wait 25+ years for them. Did you taste them when they were younger? I don't have much experience with Laurent, but if I remember correctly, the contempt was for the new oak that was so strong in the young wines.

I first broached these wines around 2015 when they were already drinking beautifully. However, I have other experience of young Laurent wines. In 2001, IIRC, I attended a London tasting given by La Vigneronne wine merchants and attended by both Dominique Laurent and Michel Tardieu. A range of their wines from both Burgundy and the Rhône was shown probably from 96, 97 and 98 and I only recall a couple where the oak was disagreeably drying and obtrusive. In all the others, the oak seemed to me sufficiently in balance (much better than in comparable young Bordeaux) to justify some purchases of villages and 1er crus, most of which I have now drunk with great pleasure.

It was clear from listening to Laurent that he devoted enormous care to his selection of barrels and was very conscious of the trap of over-oaking. However, I don't think Laurent's slogan of "200% new oak" and Parker's praise has helped his standing with Burgundy geeks.

Chicken wings followed by braised pork chops in a mushroom sauce (Turkey tonight). Nice Lambrusco followed by a easy to drink style Barolo from Cantina di Soliera (2016). A co-operative and heavily discounted by the store downtown.
Dessert was Mincemeat Pie (way too rich) with a 2005 Pisano Liquer de Tannat from Uruguay. Excellent as usual.

1998 Musar blanc

with pollo de aranja

very nice match.

No wine Christmas eve (oysters, lobster) as I was driving to city later.
Christmas dinner (ikura/creme fraiche on potato chips, smoked mussels, shrimp, goose, goosefat potatoes, rib roast, broccoli with fried shallots & olives) :
2002 Pol Roger BdB
1989 DDC
2002 Pousse d'Or Clos d'Audignac Volnay 1er
Notes to follow
Also opened 1990 Bernard Morey Le Charmois Saint-Aubin 1er , but it was horribly corked, but didn't open a backup,

Tim, no contempt here. but many of the DL wines (especially the GCs that saw the 200% treatment) were pretty horrible in youth. Some seemed to integrate the oak with time (2002 Mazis), others remained a mess (99 Chambertin). I think actually my fave Laurent wines were cheaper ones (Bourgogne Numero 1 and CdBV).

... I attended a London tasting given by La Vigneronne wine merchants and attended by both Dominique Laurent and Michel Tardieu...justify some purchases of villages and 1er crus, most of which I have now drunk with great pleasure...

Sounds like you made some wise purchasing decisions. Always nice when it works out!

Here are my fuller notes on Christmas day wines. Note the contrast between Les Amoureuses et Les Suchots, which are plots only about a couple of kilometres apart.

With starters, mainly mini-boudins and a delicious savoury brioche -
NV Sadi Malot Champagne Villers-Marmery Premier Cru Brut Authentique - France, Champagne (25/12/2021)
With my memory fresh from Christmas Eve's Coup de Foudre 2012 from the same house, this was a bit of a let-down. It is also a BdeB but softer, less focussed and less elegant with more banal, if pleasant, fruit and other flavours. Without that comparison, it would be very acceptable for its fruit, fresh balancing acidity and fair backbone. Quite good.

With foie gras d’oie and brioche with a fig inlay provided by Patrick as was the wine –
2015 Fruitière Vinicole de Voiteur Côtes du Jura Blanc Tradition Savagnin - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (25/12/2021)
This was, for me, a novel pairing for foie gras bit it worked with the wine's trenchant edge cutting through the liver's fat. This was very much in the oxidative style (under voile?) with a quasi dry sherry type edge, crisp acidity and nuttiness but a lot more mouth filling and fruity than sherry. Very good.

With succulent stuffed goose, stuffing and vegetables –
1995 Dominique Laurent Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (25/12/2021)
The colour was so pale that I feared fading but a sniff and sip corrected that impression. This was a seductive medium/light bodied wine with fragrant pinot fruit, a touch of forest floor, some underlying roundness, silky texture, not a lot of backbone but with lingering aromas. At its peak, I think. Excellent.

1995 Dominique Laurent Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (25/12/2021)
Following on Les Amoureuses, this immediately showed deeper colour and more structure and depth on the palate. Medium+ bodied with round cherry tinged pinot fruit, some spice, good depth, velvety texture and ripely structured backbone, it did not have quite the fragrant seductiveness of its predecessor. Preference was divided round the table. It probably has more life left than Les Amoureuses. I loved them both in their different ways. Excellent.

With a fruity and a chocolatey bûche de noël –
1985 Marc Parcé Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel élevé 35 ans en barriques - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Rivesaltes (25/12/2021)
I try to get the latest release of this superb colheita style wine every year and can almost repeat verbatim my note of the 82. A really lovely Rivesaltes ambré with the typical light golden pink colour and light/medium body. Seamless and ethereally subtle with its cherry tinged fruit, nuts, gentle sweetness, perfectly balanced acidity and enough backbone to handle both the fruity and chocolate bûches and, I expect, Stilton cheese. Excellent.
Posted from CellarTracker

My Christmas wines were Rene Engel 1990 Clos-Vougeot and 1988 Suduiraut Sauternes.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

A couple of kilometers apart is like being on another planet in Burgundy!

Last night had this Italian red a great match with Bulgogi pizza...2018 Ciro Rosso Superiore Cantine Lavorato. $26 Cda.

You sparkling fans..a NV Pere Ventura Chic Barcelona Cava. Wonderful and only $18 Cda. Their high end wines are almost $100 up here

Circling back to the Hewitt:
Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Vly, 2003

Purple fading to garnet; rim variation consistent with age. Medium + legs. Aromas are primarily red fruit: red currant, raspberry. More subtle are blueberry, baking spices and soy. Medium + body, smooth and polished texture. On the palate, blueberry & spices intensify; overall, palate intensity exceeds aroma. Medium - acidity. Long finish. Tasted over 4+ days. The finish had staying power. Wine was purchased in 2006. A very special treat for the holidays. Elegant. Drink now. Be wary of the cork; ours crumbled and the last half had to be carefully extracted. Stood vertical for 3 days prior to opening.

Backstory: Years ago, I bought stock in Chalone Wine Group. Shareholders got a discount on wine and an invitation to a fab party each year at the vineyard, near Pinnacles National Monument. Went to a few of those soirees'. Chalone was then acquired by Diageo. Several iterations later, Hewitt is part of Treasury Wine Estates, along with at least one other Chalone brand, Acacia.

No way would this frugal soul spring for Hewitt now, and this was our last bottle. At 18 years old it has renewed my faith in old wines. Just have to be handled with care.

For us, a bottle of cava to smooth the cooking process and a modest but decent claret with dinner a 2001 Ch. d'Aiguilhe (Castillon).