WTN: Heitz, Beychevelle, Trimbach, Fevre, VCC, more

Over to friends Sat for dinner, started out with Ron’s homesmoked salmon appetizer, then moved inside for baked bluefish, wild rice, green beans, followed by cheeses and coconut macaroons.

2021 Massiac Sauvignon ( VdP d’Oc)
Lemon and grass, tangy acids, good value. B/B-

.2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile
Young and steely, wet rocks and petrol, very good showing A-

2022 Baudry Chinon Rose
B+ (plenty of previous notes)

2021 Camino de Navaherreros
Lighter -styled Garnacha , easy raspberry, pepper, celery seed. B-

Sun came out, and Sunday was lovely day for a birthday dinner on patio. Sadly, one couple found out an hour before dinner that they had dined Friday with someone who tested positive for COVID Sunday, so we were only 3 couples.

2021 Jadot Macon-Villages
Cooking wine, totally fine for level, pear and melon, decent acids, nutty finish. B/B-

Started with smoked fish canapes, then some oysters (with mignonette or lemon)

NV Jacques Robin Prestige Petit Bourdon Champagne
New producer to me, no need to look for it. Sweet attack, golden delicious apple, somewhat short. Should have opened a different Champagne but by then onto oysters so opened Chablis. C+

2014 Fevre Bougros Chablis Grand Cru
Pear, appleskin, orange peel. Big, young, minerally finish. Could use time. B+/A-

Main course was leg of lamb, garlicky spinach, and new potatoes
1987 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
I think I enjoyed this more than Mark. Berries, black cherry, cocoa, and a big dose of Martha’s eucalyptus. Long, firm, complex. A-

1959 Beychevelle
Refined and Burgundian (Mark tells story of taking a bottle to La Paulee and serving blind), floral, sweet red fruits,herbs, delicate but not fragile. There is just a touch of caramel on finish, but it holds up well through night. A-/A (I admit sentimentality of serving to 2 1959 vintage family members colors my perspective)

2005 Vieux Chateau Certan (375 ml)
Great wine, a bit more approachable in half vs 750. Deep cassis fruit, mocha and spice. Lots of structure, but the balanced sweetness of the fruit makes it fun now. B+/A- with A potential.

An orange almond cake and cheeses (Jasper Hill Willoughby, Comte, Challenhocker, Rogue River Blue).Revisited many wines, and poured one more, the only (slight) disappointment of the night, the 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile VT. Deep color, new Kabinett/old Spatlese level sweetness, this is fully mature, I enjoy but much more advanced than regular 2001 night before (for that matter more advanced than an ‘89 CFE VT recently tasted). Peaches, apricots, and petrol, with a touch of toffee on finish. Enjoyable enough, but CT says I have more of these, need to fine and consume sooner rather than later based on this bottle. B
‘
2 fun nights with good people

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.

Fun set of wines.

I cut my teeth on the ‘99, ‘00, and ‘01 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emiles (I’ve not had any older than those) and they’ve always been great. Post-01, though, the Cuvee Freddie’s I’ve had haven’t been nearly as exhilarating, still good but softer.

Good to know that Heitz was still going strong in the late 80’s. When was Joe Heitz‘s last vintage there?

I've found some recent CFEs a bit softer, but think it's more vintage dependent, not change in style. The CFEs of the 80s remain my benchmarks.
Joe Heitz died in 2000, but I think David Heitz had been winemaker for quite a while (with his dad evolved). I think this was one of the last full old vine vintages of Marthas's , as it was replanted late 80s/early 90s (I think no 1993-1995).

I just recalled that we had the 59 Beychevelle at Fabio’s, a bottle that Salil brought.
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