Category Archives: Bordeaux

Young and Old

at Eddie V’s

January 18, 2020 at 6:00 pm

Wines served in pairs. The 1961 Château Latour à Pomerol absolutely lived up to its billing, and was the overwhelming favorite! Glad it turned out to be the real deal, and what a deal it was!

The Wines

1985 Philippe Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combes aux Moines 124
2008 Philippe Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers 78
1945 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Beaumont 298
2015 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing 100
1961 Château Lafite Rothschild 963
1997 Château Lafite Rothschild 595
1980 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 143
2013 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 195
1961 Château Latour à Pomerol ($7513.33) 2990
2009 Château Latour à Pomerol 95
1983 Dominus Estate 124
2010 Dominus Estate 283
5988

Upcoming Events

Syndicate?

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance$6339.75
Dues Payable+5500
Wines for this tasting-5988
Dinner-2392
Balance$3,459.75

French Blind Pairs

at Jaleo at Disney Springs

https://www.jaleo.com/location/jaleo-disney-springs/

November 2, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Wines served blind in pairs. Favorites: Haut Brion Blanc, ’64 Leroy, ’86 Mouton.

The Wines

2004Domaine Pinson Frères Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Chardonnay 50
2010Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos  122
2001Château Haut-Brion Blanc Pessac-Léognan  612
2013Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Pure Roussanne  59
1949Maison Leroy Beaune 1er Cru 478
1964Maison Leroy Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Épenots 551
1967Château Cheval Blanc St. Émilion Grand Cru 271
1969Château Cheval Blanc St. Émilion Grand Cru 362
1976Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan  357
1986Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac  905
2000Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Deux Frères  104
2010Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes  164
4035

Upcoming Events

Syndicate?

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance$6741.75
Dues Payable (including Marc as a guest)+6000
Wines for this tasting-4035
Dinner-2367
Balance$6339.75

Blind Pairs

at The Chef’s Table at the Edgewater Hotel

April 27, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Ten wines, puzzlingly similar or not? Served blind in pairs.

Favorites were the Ridge and Dominus. The first three pairs were good puzzlers.

Very dry sherry, and nicely balanced Madeira

The Wines

1975Château Cheval Blanc St. Émilion Grand Cru493
1975Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon York Creek116
2000Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac214
1999Dominus141
2011Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée34
2010Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée85
2014Opus One319
2013Crown Point Happy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon148
1905Pérez Barquero Montilla-Moriles Solera Amontillado293
1875 Malvasia (property of Syndicate)555
Value of all wines for this tasting$2398

Upcoming Events

SyndicateJuly 27

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance$5487
Dues Payable+5500
Wines from Steve for this tasting-1843
Dinner-2157.25
Balance$6,986.75

Find the …? by Ron

at Eddie V’s

August 4, 2018 at 6:30 pm

Four flights of three wines were poured blind. The challenge was to “Find the …”

Only Ron got them all right. Favorite wines in each flight are starred

The Wines

“Grand Cru White Burgundy”
2008 Aubert Lauren Chardonnay* RP 97
2014 Arnot Roberts Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay VN 94
2005 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru BH 95, VN 98
“Grand Cru Red Burgundy”
2000 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf –du-Pape Reserve* RP 93
2012 Comm. G B Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero VN 95
2005 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin (Clos Des Beze)* BH 94
“Cote Rotie”
2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series* RP 98
2003 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva RP 98
2003 Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque RP 100
“First Growth Bordeaux”
1991 Dominus Cabernet* RP 99
1990 Antinori Solaia Toscana RP 94
1989 Chateau Margaux* RP 90

Acquisitions

Wines for this tasting $3100

Upcoming Events

Syndicate January 19

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance $1635
Dues Payable +5500
Purchases -3100
Dinner -2081
Balance 1954

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple to the event.

Sort This Out

at The Chef’s Table at the Edgewater

May 5, 2018 at 6pm

The Wines

All we needed to do was sort them out. All wines were served blind. No one got them all, but several people did very well, with Ron getting 8 of 10.

The favorites were the 1949 Leroy, 1971 Haut Brion, 1986 Mouton and 1994 Dominus.

John added a 1986 Bechevelle which contributed to the challenge and was definitely the best price/performance ratio!

1964 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve $212
1971 Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan $285
1977 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac $288
1977 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard $433
1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac $823
1989 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon $70
1994 Dominus Estate $304
1949 Maison Leroy Beaune 1er Cru $478
1961 Pierre Ponnelle Clos St. Denis Grand Cru $515
1969 Maison Leroy Echezeaux Grand Cru $885
$4,293

The Menu

Acquisitions

Wines for this tasting $4293

Upcoming Events

Syndicate August 4

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance $3025
Dues Payable +5000
Purchases -4293
Dinner -2097
Balance 1635

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple to the event.

The Price is Right

at Eddie V’s

January 13, 2018 at 6pm

The Wines

This was a completely blind event. Wines were served in pairs. One wine in each pair was much more expensive than the other. The group had no difficulty discerning the more expensive wine in each case. The fact that there were no surprises was in itself surprising!

Value Cost
1928 Château Cos d’Estournel 975 775
1928 Château Chambert-Marbuzet 55 55
1959 Château Prieuré-Lichine 113 35
1959 Château Gruaud Larose 569 300
1959 Ph. Chapelle & Fils Santenay 1er Cru 50 50
1959 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Dames Hospitalieres Maison Leroy 518 535
1983 Opus One 271 50
1983 Château Gloria 30 60
2013 Dominus Estate 334 285
2013 Dominus Napanook Red 75 50
2014 Orin Swift Machete 61 48
2012 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love 77 38
3128 2281

Acquisitions

Wines for this tasting $2281

Upcoming Events

Syndicate April 14

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance $2228
Dues Payable +5500
Purchases -2281
Dinner -2422
Balance $3025

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple to the event.

Haut Brion vs. La Mission Haut Brion

at Capital Grille I-Drive

November 4, 2017 at 6pm

Five decades of Haut Brion vs. La Mission Haut Brion in a blind format. This should be very educational and may make a case that La Mission Haut Brion can rival Haut Brion in most vintages.

 

The Wines

Flight 1

1993 Haut Brion Blanc
2000 Laville Haut Brion Blanc

Flight 2

2001 Haut Brion
2001 La Mission Haut Brion

Flight 3

1986 Haut Brion
1986 La Mission Haut Brion

Flight 4

1978 Haut Brion
1978 La Mission Haut Brion

Flight 5

1964 Haut Brion
1964 La Mission Haut Brion
(1966 La Mission Haut Brion, gift from Ron)

Flight 6

1990 Haut Brion
1990 La Mission Haut Brion
( Both flirting with perfect scores.)

Cost of wines: $4950, which is below Ron’s cost.

Acquisitions

Wines from Ron for this tasting $4950

Upcoming Events

Syndicate Jan 13

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance $3558.13
Dues Payable +5500
Purchases -4950
Dinner -1880
Balance 2228.13

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple to the event.

Odd Man Out

at Chef’s Table at the Edgewater Hotel

August 5, 2017 at 6pm

The group did very well at identifying the “odd man out” in each blind group of three, and in fact in sorting out each wine. Martin got all of them, and most people got nearly all of them. My favorite wines, which were more or less the groups’ favorites, too, were the Ex Voto, Scarecrow M. Etain, Spottswoode, and Lynch Bages, in that order. Surprisingly, the two Burgundies were the least interesting.

The Wines

1961 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend $521.64
1961 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection Napa Valley $190.00
1961 Château Cos d’Estournel St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend $452.06
2014 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny Pinot Noir $152.56
2009 Domaine Thomas-Moillard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts Pinot Noir $55.73
2010 Evan’s Ranch Pinot Noir Lone Oak Sta. Rita Hills 1.5L $95.12
2013 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Monsieur Ètain Rutherford $169.51
2014 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles Willow Creek District Red Rhone Blend $120.75
2012 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love McLaren Vale $70.31
2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend $128.09
2007 E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Hermitage Syrah $126.54
2007 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate St. Helena $235.31
$2,317.62

 

Acquisitions

Wines from Steve for this tasting $2,317.62

Upcoming Events

Syndicate Noveember 4

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance $2533
Dues Payable +5500
Purchases -2317.62
Dinner -2157.25
Balance 3558.13

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple to the event.

2017-2 The Ultimate 1970 Bordeaux Comparative Tasting

at Capital Grille (I-Drive)

April 29, 2017 at 6pm

This event focuses on a horizontal tasting of 1970 Bordeaux. 1970 was the last good year for a while, as the 70s were hard on Bordeaux, which wouldn’t really recover its former glory until 1982.

These wines are from Ron’s cellar, and he’s given us very good prices. I have also donated seven from my cellar to round out each flight to 4 wines.

I can’t recall a tasting where we’ve had so much cork trouble! 17 out of 20 were complete disasters, either falling into the bootle, or breaking into pieces. Ron and I were really worried. And yet I also can’t recall another tasting with such consistently perfect wines! So the corks did their job.

I rated the first flight in the 80s, but all the other wines were solidly in the 90s. The group had a lot of trouble picking favorites, and in the end the ranking could have changed back and forth every few minutes. The top wines were: Latour, Mouton, La Mission Haut Brion, Haut Brion and Cheval Blanc. I suppose that was somewhat predictable in the end. Only the Lafite seemed a bit questionable, light in color and a bit thinner than the others, but still good.

It was very interesting to have the wines grouped by appellation, as we could clearly see the differences of each area expressed, with the aromatic St. Emilion, feminine Margaux, gravelly Graves and lead pencil Pauillac.

I also found the nuances between Latour’s first and second wine fascinating after 47 years. The Forts de Latour was actually both more tannic AND fruitier than the Latour, but somehow less integrated. The buy of the night was the Giscours, which was playing WAY out of its league. I’d look for more of this.

One of the most educational tastings ever!

1970 Bordeaux

My scores are shown below:

The Wines

Flight 1 (St. Estephe)
70 Calon Segur (88 pts)
70 Cos Estournel (84 pts)
70 Montrose (89 pts)
70 Beychevelle (Steve – St. Julien) (86 pts)

Flight 2 (St. Emilion)
70 Evangile (93 pts)
70 Ausone (95 pts)
70 Cheval Blanc (96 pts)
70 Pavie (Steve) (96 pts)

Flight 3 (Margaux)
70 Palmer (93 pts)
70 Margaux (95 pts)
70 Giscours (Steve) (94 pts)
70 Lascombes (Steve) (90 pts)

Flight 4 (Graves)
70 Pape Clement (95 pts)
70 Haut Brion (97 pts)
70 La Mission Haut Brion (98 pts)
70 Coufran (Steve – Haut Medoc – Magnum) (92 pts)

Flight 5 (Pauillac)
70 Mouton Rothschild (98 pts)
70 Lafite Rothschild (92 pts)
70 Latour (99 pts)
70 Les Forts de Latour (Steve) (94 pts)

Acquisitions

Sold remaining bottles of 1937 Vosne-Romanée at HDH $774
Wines from Ron for this tasting $2850

Upcoming Events

Syndicate August 5

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance $1135
Dues Payable +5500
Purchases -2850
Sales (2 bottles of 1939 VR 375+399) +774
Dinner -2026
Balance 2533

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple to the event.

2017-1 Blind Pairs

at Eddie V’s

January 21, 2017 at 6pm

We had a great time in Chicago in November, featuring the very exciting World Series conclusion, a very comprehensive Bordeaux tasting, and some great dinners. A few blog entries on the subject:

Comprehensive Bordeaux Tasting: 1989/1990

When the Cubs Won the World Series

Oriole With Our Wine Group

This event cleans out the Syndicate cellar except for three Madeiras. The wines were poured in blind pairs. All showed well except the Vos Romanee, which was heavily sedimented. a group favorite was the Pape Clement. In most of the other flights the vote was evenly split. 2001 Yquem is indeed much more aromatic and balanced than the 2000 when tasted blind.

Other notable wines: John’s 2010 Domaine des Senechaux CDP Blanc, Dick’s 2004 L’Aventure Stephan Vineyards Syrah/Cab blend from Paso Robles, Martin’s 1973 AngeloPapgni Alicante Bouchet (which I sort of identified blind), Martin’s 2003 Integrity, and Ron’s 2007 Clos de Vougeot by Raphet.

The Wines

2005 Guigal Ex Voto Blanc White Rhone 110
2009 Ch Pape Clement White Bordeaux tenth 130
1962 Ch Margaux Red Bordeaux 414
1964 Ch Lafite Rothschild Red Bordeaux 356
1969 Antonin Rodet Echezeaux Red Burgundy 90
1969 Moillard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts Red Burgundy 180
1983 Dominus Estate Blend Napa 130
1991 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard Blend Napa 270
2013 Dominus Estate Blend Napa 261
2013 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Napa 170
2000 Ch d’Yquem Sauternes Bordeaux tenth 213
2001 Ch d’Yquem Sauternes Bordeaux tenth 300
2624

Acquisitions

Two remaining bottles of 1937 Vosne-Romanée are out on consignment, ?
Wines from Steve for this tasting $1341

Upcoming Events

Syndicate April 29

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance -870
Dues Payable 5500
Purchases -1341
Sales 0
Dinner -2154
Balance 1135

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple to the event.