Category Archives: Bordeaux

2012-1 Four Decades of Margaux

Four Decades of Margauxat Bull & Bear

March 31, 2012 at 6:00 pm

It had been many years since we did a vertical of a first growth. Linda and I have been collecting Chateau Margaux for almost 30 years, and decided it was time to give them a try. I split our collection into two tastings. This first batch begins in the middle, a tough time for Bordeaux and Margaux in particular.We tasted the wines in reverse chronological order, from 1975 to 1949. Margaux was a property in decline during the 60s and 70s, and the first seven wines really reflected this. Even the 70 and 75 were uninspired. The 75 is probably the worst price performance ration of the bunch. The 66 and 64 were the first wines I would actually have consumed!

The reward was at the end While the most famous Margaux is perhaps the 59, it has never blown me away, but this was an excellent example. However it was eclipsed by the other three. 62 is an often overlooked year, having occurred in the shadow of the great 61s. This 61 did not disappoint. Despite an extremely low shoulder, it was a beautiful wine with many flavor profiles. But the stunner was the 1949, an extraordinarily fresh, feminine and complex wine that evolved in the glass for hours. A real treat to end on.

In September we’ll complete this tasting with vintages from 1977-1990.

1975	Ch Margaux	Smoke bacon, tart, sour finish	84pts	432
1973	Ch Margaux	Overripe fruit, stewed, sweet finish	85pts	175
1972	Ch Margaux	Sawdust, oak	88pts	286
1971	Ch Margaux	Face powder, cherry, balanced, coffee	89pts	225
1970	Ch Margaux	Bug spray, ashes	88pts	212
1969	Ch Margaux	Candy, funky, chemicals	83pts	220
1967	Ch Margaux	Madeirized, bacon	84pts	158
1966	Ch Margaux	Eucalyptus, mint, dust	89pts	188
1964	Ch Margaux	Big fruit, wood finish, much disagreement about mildew, chocolate, caramel, the group was vehemently split on this wine, with some hating it	90pts	293
1962	Ch Margaux	Fruity, young, violets, red fruits	94pts	629
1961	Ch Margaux	Extremely low shoulder yet beautifully fresh, roses, sawdust, soy, earthy, waxy	97pts	910
1959	Ch Margaux	Young and fresh, smoke, waxy	93pts	1,167
1949	Ch Margaux	Cherries, bright fruit, light color, cinnamon, crisp, apple	99pts	1,643
				6,538

Other wines:

2008	“Y”	Steve	botrytis, very fruity, dry but doesn’t seems so, semillon	99pts
1981	Alzeyer Sybillenstein Spatlese	Ron	medium amber, mint, floral, surprisingly sweet	89pts
2006	Adobe Road Pinot Noir	Steve	Varietal, cherries, leather	90pts
2006	Chateau Beaucastel CNDP	Dick	Cherries, vanilla	92pts
2000	Clos de Papes	Ron	Menthol, tar, cherries	94pts
2001	Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova Brunello di Montalcino	Dick	tar, chewy, black fruits	95pts
2006	White Oak Syrah	Andy	Vanilla, meat	90pts
2001	Marquis Phillips S2	John	Syruppy, canilla	90pts
1999	Pride Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	Ron	Wood, a bit uni-dimensional considering its pedigree	95pts
2002	Torbreck “The Factor”	Ron	Black fruits, vanilla, bacon	92pts
1992	Hacienda Henline Conquistador Port	John	This wine was made in 1992 by John Henline from grapes from a vineyard at Martin’s old house that were planted by Steve, Linda and Martin. It is no longer a port, although I don’t know where the sugar and alcohol went. It’s now a medium weight fairly dry red. Amazingly, the Conquistador has retained its color, and the wine was quite drinkable, an impressive feat for such an old hybrid.	83pts

Upcoming Events

June 9

Luma

Acquisitions

1964	Pierre Ponnelle Chassagne-Montrachet “Clos de la Boudriotte”	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1967	Pierre Ponnelle Fixin	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1967	Pierre Ponnelle Fixin	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1972	Pierre Ponnelle Vougeot Clos du Prieuré	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1966	Remoissenet Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Avery’s Bottling	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1966	Remoissenet Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Avery’s Bottling	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1966	Remoissenet Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Avery’s Bottling	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1970	Remoissenet Père et Fils Corton Diamond Jubilee	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011
1971	Remoissenet Père et Fils Corton Diamond Jubilee	Red	Burgundy	95	Bonhams 12/2011

1962	Corton Charlemagne, Patriarche	White	Burgundy	180
1971	Chassagne-Montrachet, A. Ramonet	White	Burgundy	180
1976	Chassagne Montrachet, Les Chenevottes, A. Lichine	White	Burgundy	180
1969	Chevalier-Montrachet, G. Deleger	White	Burgundy	180
1969	Puligny Montrachet, Clavoillon, Domaine Leflaive	White	Burgundy	180
1969	Puligny Montrachet, Clavoillon, Domaine Leflaive	White	Burgundy	180

I’ve transfered 26 bottles of Ch. Margaux from my cellar, to comprise two separate vertical tastings. The first will cover four decades of Margaux, working backwards from 1975 to 1949. They are the classic vintages of Margaux. The second, to be held after the summer, will work forward from 1977 through the famous 1990. This is the Renaissance period for Margaux.

1949	Ch Margaux	1,643
1959	Ch Margaux	1,167
1961	Ch Margaux	910
1962	Ch Margaux	629
1964	Ch Margaux	293
1966	Ch Margaux	188
1967	Ch Margaux	158
1969	Ch Margaux	220
1970	Ch Margaux	212
1971	Ch Margaux	225
1972	Ch Margaux	286
1973	Ch Margaux	175
1975	Ch Margaux	432

1977	Ch Margaux	241
1978	Ch Margaux	377
1979	Ch Margaux	285
1980	Ch Margaux	342
1981	Ch Margaux	340
1982	Ch Margaux	1,017
1983	Ch Margaux	582
1984	Ch Margaux	198
1985	Ch Margaux	445
1986	Ch Margaux	543
1987	Ch Margaux	335
1989	Ch Margaux	483
1990	Ch Margaux	1,077

		12,803

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	5924
Dues Payable	5000
Purchases	-14,738
Dinner	-1892
Balance	-5706

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

2011-4 Odd Man Out

Odd Man Out

at Luma

August 20, 2011 at 6:00 pm

A delicious dinner at Luma, far surpassing any meal we’ve had there before. The menu:tuna sashimi “thai style”
ginger juice, nectarines, thai basil, lemongrass sorbetvidalia onion-cauliflower soup
creme fraiche, siberian caviarflorida keys lobster hush puppies
cucumber-mint tzatziki, bermuda onion salad, sumacsteakhouse wedge
iceberg lettuce, cherry tomato, applewood bacon, red onion, gorgonzola dolceprato meatball
preserved chanterelle, parmesan, garlic breadcrumb

laughing bird shrimp tortellini
maitake mushrooms, brentwood corn cream, denise’s eggplant agrodolce

idaho rainbow trout
black and white quinoa, walnut, braised scallion, pickled peppers

heritage pork tasting
roasted pork loin, braised pork belly, chili sausage, bacon roasted la ratte potato

peach pot de crème & chocolate malt milkshake
peach jam, brown sugar sorbet & caramel, vanilla cream

The wines: Four flights of three wines, blind. In each flight, something doesn’t belong. Our job was to find it. We were about half right. The two biggest shockers were that nearly everyone had the ’64 Latour swapped with the ’88 Tignanello(!) and the ’83 Dunn swapped with the ’82 Margaux. I need more Dunn.

				My Rating
1955	Auxey Duresses, P Ponnelle	Red	Burgundy	95	159
1957	Auxey Duresses, P Ponnelle	Red	Burgundy	94	327
1955	Château Clerc Milon Mondon	Red	Bordeaux	90	137

1988	Tignanello, Antinori	Red	Italy	95	167
1964	Barolo, Giacomo Conterno			93	277
1964	Ch Latour			90	650

1983	Penfold’s Grange	Shiraz	Australia	98	190
1983	Dunn Howell Mountain	Cabernet Sauvignon	Napa	95	106
1982	Margaux	Red	Bordeaux	93	1078

1976	Petrus	Red	Bordeaux	91	1082
1976	BV GDLT PR	Cabernet Sauvignon	Napa	92	133
1976	Jordan	Cabernet Sauvignon	Alex Val	90	89

1875	Madeira, Sercial	Madeira	Madeira	99	571

					4966

Also, thanks for these wines:

2008 Clos Habert Montlouis sur Loire, Siegel (92 pts)
2010 Troon Rousanne, Crocket (89 pts)
1983 Gainey Limited Selection Chardonnay, Henline (97 pts)
2007 Louis Martini CS, Alcorn (92 pts)
2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino, Robinson (96 pts)
2006 Marquis Phillips Shiraz 9, Alcorn (92 pts)
2002 Torbreck The Factor, Siegle (95 pts)
2006 Gevrey Chambertin Champy, Crocket (88 pts)
1987 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Henline (88 pts)
2006 Teramanthia Toro Tempranillo, Siegle (90 pts)

Upcoming Events

November 19	Non-Syndicate Bring Your Own Flight to Luma
December 10	Wine Syndicate at Bull & Bear

Acquisitions

1955	Auxey Duresses, Pierre Ponnelle	159
1955	Auxey Duresses, Pierre Ponnelle	159
1955	Auxey Duresses, Pierre Ponnelle	159
1957	Auxey Duresses, Pierre Ponnelle	327
1957	Auxey Duresses, Pierre Ponnelle	327
1955	Château Clerc Milon Mondon	137
1988	Tignanello, Antinori	167
1964	Giacomo Conterno Barolo	277
1964	Ch Latour	650
1983	Penfold’s Grange	190
1983	Dunn Howell Mountain	106
1982	Margaux	1078
1976	Petrus	1082
1976	BV GDLT PR	133
1976	Jordan	89
1875	Madeira, Sercial	571

		5611

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	5559
Dues Payable	5000
Purchases	-5611
Dinner	-2319
Balance	2629

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

2011-3 The Price Is Right

The Price Is Rightat Capital Grille

June 4, 2011 at 6:00 pm

It’s time for a somewhat more challenging event.
Your assignment is:

Match the wine to the correct price (or feel stupid)
Figure out the type of wine, year or producer (for kudos)
Identify the wine exactly (for a prize)

So how did we do?

We failed.

Meeting at The Capital Grille, we poured six pairs of wine, completely blind except for knowing the wines’ prices, but not which price went with which wine. The results were eye opening. Here are the six flights, and how things turned out:

1988 Haut Brion Blanc ($490) vs. 2006 Ramey Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay ($50)

The group unanimously preferred the Ramey (ash, oak butter, opulent, 95 pts), and thought it was the better wine! After a couple of hours the Haut Brion became a lot more interesting (waxy, candy, minerals, gigs, nuts, vanilla, honey, 90 pts), but my scoring was unchanged. No one caught the almost 20 year spread between the wines, and everyone thought the Ramey was a white Burgundy.

1973 BV Special Label “Burgundy” ($75) vs. 1983 DRC Echezeaux ($680)

This was the only flight where the group was evenly split as far as popularity. Most identified the true Echezeaux (mint, delicate, 93 pts), and Debbie named the BV Special Label (redwood, sweet, 92 pts). Good job Debbie!

1979 Opus One ($357) vs. 1979 Inglenook Petite Sirah ($30)

The group unanimously preferred the Inglenook (paint thinner, wood, figs, 89 pts). This was the first vintage of Opus (mint, vanilla, pencil shavings, 87 pts), and it was the worst wine of the tasting.

2007 Jean Royer Chateauneuf Prestige ($40) vs. 1989 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle ($230)

The group almost unanimously preferred the Hermitage (meat, smoke, bacon fat, mint, 90 pts) which was correctly identified by Ron. Good job Ron! The Chateauneuf was odd (candy, berries, fruit wrap, jam, smoke, 88 pts).

1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild ($900) vs. 1991 Dominus ($220)

The group unanimously preferred the Dominus (green pepper, gravel, lead pencil, mint, 97 pts) and thought it was old world and the more expensive wine! The Mouton (coffee, smoke, tar, green peppers, rubber, bacon, smoke, 95 pts) was a Parker 100 point wine that everyone thought was new world!

1963 Graham Port ($300) vs. 1992 Guenoc “Port” ($20)

A solid majority identified the real port (soft, delicate, complex, red-wine nose, 92 pts). The Guenoc (woody, 90 pts) was a fine product but was overshadowed by a great vintage of the real thing.

The Bottom Line

Out of six flights, we were unanimously wrong half the time, identifying the cheaper wine as the more expensive! Spend those dollars wisely, folks!

Upcoming Events

August 20

Wine Syndicate

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	2972
Dues Payable	5000
Purchases	-813
Dinner	-1600
Balance	5559

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

2011-2 It’s Vegas, Baby!

It’s Vegas, Baby!March 5-13 (or some portion thereof), 2011

Events and locations

March 6 at 7pm – Love at the Mirage followed by dinner at Robouchon (party of 8 – their limo will pick us up at Love)

March 7 at 7:30 pm – Tasting and dinner at the Chef’s Table at Pinot Brasserie

March 8 at 7:30 pm – Tasting and dinner at AquaKnox

March 9 at 7:30pm – Tasting and dinner at Delmonico’s

March 12 at 7pm – Ka at MGM Grand

The Wines

			Burgundy: Real and Fake – Pinot Brasserie – March 7

			This was more challenging than it might look, although the first flights were easy, and almost everyone had 100% until the last flight. The 73 Special Label Burgundy turned out to be the wine of the night. Who knows what’s in that!
				pts	$
5	24	1949	Charmes-Chambertin, Liger-Belair Citrus, bug spray, flawed bottle	75	317
2	26	1959	BV Beaumont Pinot Noir Leather	82	130

6	28	1958	Echezeaux Domaine de la Romanee Conti Earth, leather, mint, dried cherries, coffee	92	675
2	25	1958	BV Beaumont Pinot Noir Like thin BVGDLTPR	85	130

7	12	1961	Bonnes Mares – Drouhin-Laroze Light color but intense nose and flavors, cherries	93	550
2	27	1960	BV Burgundy Earth, chocolate	90	50

7	14	1967	Chambertin Clos de Beze P. Gelin Cherries, wood smoke	94	75
2	28	1967	BV Burgundy Classic BVGDLTPR character, lucious fruit	94	50

7	9	1971	Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus Bouchard Coffee	95	75
2	30	1970	BV Beaumont Pinot Noir Coffee – these wines were actually surprisingly similar	95	75

5	17	1976	Clos de la Roche – Pierre Bouree Fils Vanilla, not very Burgundian	93	90
2	22	1973	BV Special Label Burgundy Wood, was, york peppermint patties with dark chocolate	96	50
					2267

			A Serious Case of BVGDLTPR – Aquaknox – March 8

1	8	1963	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Very light color with a classic old BV nose, sweet cedar on the palate, cream sherry finish, past its prime by a decade or two	80	90
4	16	1964	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Redwood nose, restrained; still some fruit on the palate	80	130
1	11	1966	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Sawdust nose, good fruit, a bit of tannin	90	90
1	27	1968	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Sawdust and cherry nose, big and chewy, long; this has always been my favorite	97	125
1	12	1969	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Very similar to the 68; menthol, youthful coffee, wood smoke, sweet balanced vanilla	96	90
4	8	1970	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Iron, minerals, wood, mint, sweet fruity tannins, medium finish	94	150
2	9	1971	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve alcohol nose, decent fruit, acidic, hot short finish	89	70
h6	25	1974	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve I got the dreggs of this tenth, so I can’t really rate it; caramel oxidized	tenth	20
2	18	1975	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve plummy, mint, alcohol,red fruits, acidic finish	86	110
1	15	1977	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Elegant fruit, vanilla, cherries, creamy finish	92	90
1	17	1978	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Young, coffee, red fruits, sweet	92	90
1	21	1979	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Wood, mint, very young drinking, vanilla	94	90
					1145

			Blind Pairs – Delmonico’s – March 9

		1988	Alain Thienot Grand Cuvee Brut	95
		1997	Delamotte Blanc de Blanc	90

8	15	2000	Montrachet, G. Amiot vanilla ice cream, nuts, melted butter, lemon, ash, chalk	90	260
9	10	2000	Ch ‘Y’ figs, spices, anise, honey dipped pecans, creme brulee, pears, long buttery finish, one of the most amazing white wines I’ve ever tasted	100	145

2	20	1968	BV Special Label Burgundy classic BVGDLTPR oxidized character plus a touch of Pinot Noir, sawdust, mint, smoke, candy, dried cherries, powder	96	50
5	18	1976	Clos de la Roche – Pierre Bouree Fils Drinking much younger than the bottle from two days ago. bacon, asian spice, cherry	93	90

4	17	1964	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Drinking much younger than the bottle from yesterday, no oxidation, fruit, curry	92	130
9	16	1955	Ch Cheval Blanc smoke, cherry candy, leather, balanced tannins, jerky, black pepper, roast pork belly	tenth 98	320

		2007	Mystery Wine #1 (Steve) Domaine Jean Poyer Chateauneuf du Pape meat, mint, chocolate, kirsh, bacon, cherries, jerky	93
		2007	Mystery Wine #2 (Steve) Ramey Rodney Vineyard Syrah vanilla, spice box, wood, meat	95

3	15	2002	Dominus huge alcohol, long fruit, wood, vanilla, wax	97	99
3	13	1986	Ch Mouton Rothschild sawdust, mint, meat, chocolate, tobacco, menthol, smoke, tannic, young	99	700

9	25	1999	Ch d’Yquem superb nose, but slightly astringent finish	tenth 95	85
9	29	2000	Ch d’Yquem restrained nose, but balanced, golden raisins	tenth 96	213
					2092

Acquisitions

Upcoming Events

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	3335
Dues Payable	0
Purchases (shipping)	363
Dinner	Pay for your own
Balance	2972

No dues for these events.

2010-4 Holy Crap! It’s 1961!

Holy Crap! It’s 1961!at Bull and Bear

September 25, 2010 at 6:00 pmWow, some great wines. The 1961 Haut Brion was the unanimous first place winner, with most people scoring it 100 points. That’s the first time that’s happened. Second place, with nine votes was the 1966 Haut Brion. A great tasting; thanks to all for bringing some magnificent wines.

The WinesPullin’ out all the stop for this one.

Year	Wine	From	Notes	Score	Price
1962	Ch Pichon Baron	WS	slight browning, caramel, hazlenut, vanilla, improved as it sat for about 30 minutes	88	140
1962	Ch Margaux	WS	light garnet, spices, violets, youthful, femenin, died quickly	92	225
1966	Ch Pichon Lalande	WS	somewhat brown, iron, sweet	84	140
1966	Ch Montrose	WS	garnet, mint, stil tannic, a bit short	88	140
1966	Ch Haut Brion	WS	dark garnet, classic haut brion nose, tannic, youthful, floral	95	210
1961	Ch Lynch Bages	WS	garnet, swamp water at first, then floral	94	380
1961	Ch Lafite (tenth)	WS	light garnet, sawdust, mint, acidic, great condition for a tenth	89	600
1961	Ch Mouton Rothschild	WS	very dark garnet, very young, early pours were turpentine nosed, sawdust, chewy	91	1700
1961	Ch Haut Brion	WS	one of the greatest wines I’ve had, dark garnet, classic haut brion nose, chewy, young, spectacular, a unanimous first place	100	1950
					5455
2006	Puligny-Montrachet, Les Referts, J.M. Boillot	Alcorn	butter, ash, fruit, caramel, long finish	96
2004	Evans Ranch Pinot Noir Lone Oak	Henline	cherry	93
2003	Ch. Carbonnieaux	Siegel	Citrus, floral	91
2005	Robert Young Chardonnay	Crockett	creamy, balanced	94
2006	Adobe Road Petite Sirah	Alcorn	jammy, chocolate, mint, spice, long	93
2008	Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel	Robinson	floral, spicy	92
2003	L’Aventure Optimus	Robinson	classic syrah blend	90
1984	Dominus	Siegel	tight, very Bordeaux like	93
1984	Ridge Montebello	Siegel	gravel, very Bordeaux like	96
1984	Robert Mondavi Reserve CS	Siegel	1970 Ch. Lafit nose	90
2005	Adobe Road CS	Henline	Floral, sweet, vanilla	89

Acquisitions

Qty	Year	Wine	Price
4	1986	Ch Mouton Rothschild (100 pts)	699
			2796

Upcoming Events

December 11

Wine Syndicate

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	-257
Dues Payable	5000
Purchases	-2796
Dinner	-1831
Balance	116

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple.

2010-3 Bring Your Own Flight

Bring Your Own Flight

at Ocean Prime

directions

June 5, 2010 at 6:00 pm

Bring Your Own FlightThis is sort of a pseduo Syndicate event, with wines provided by the attendees.

Each couple was requested to bring two or three wines for a mystery flight. Good wines. Preferably really good wines. The wines should be related in some sense — year, vintner, grape, whatever — and should cause us to look brilliant or stupid, depending upon the quality of our guesses. In the end, the most important thing is that we end up really impressed by your good taste.

The wines:

Chaney	2007	Chester Gap Viognier (made by Berndt)	92
Chaney	2007	Chester Gap Merlot (made by Berndt)	89
Chaney	2007	Chester Gap Cabernet Franc (made by Berndt)	85
Hoffman	1997	Eola Hills Pinot Noir	88
Crockett	1998	Rex Hill Reserve Pinot Noir	90
Crockett	2006	Rex Hill Jacob Pinot Noir	85
Hoffman	1993	Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir	83
Henline	1993	Joseph Drouhin Clos Vougeot	93
Henline	1990	Louis Latour Montagny	88
Robinson	1970	Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon	92
Robinson	1970	Simi Cabernet Sauvignon	91
Alcorn	1982	Ceretto Frochera Barolo	88
Alcorn	1982	Rodney Strong Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon	93
Alcorn	1982	Chateau Bellegrave	92
Montoya	2004	Montestefano Barbaresco	92
Montoya	2003	Aldo Conterno Il Favot Barolo	97
Montoya	2004	Marcehsi di Grecy Camp Gros Martinenga Barbaresco	95
Siegel	1990	La Capelle Hermitage	95
Siegel	1994	Arrowood Syrah	96
Siegel	1982	Grange	99

Upcoming Events

September 25	Wine Syndicate
December 11	Wine Syndicate

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	-257
Dues Payable
Purchases
Dinner	Pay for your own
Balance	-257

No dues are due.

2009-6 1970 Bordeaux

1970 Bordeaux

at The Bull & Bear
at The Waldorf Astoria

directions

December 5, 2009 at 6:00 pm

The WinesIt’s been a long time since we did a horizontal. This is a fairly comprehensive tasting of Bordeaux from an interesting year, when some lesser growths produced better wines than the first growths.All of our scores were better than Parker’s. My lowest scored wine was an 84. However our scores tended to track Parker’s. Favorite wines were Palmer, La Mission Haut Brion and Latour. It’s interesting that these three wines included the two half bottles. There’s still plenty of life left in those, and I would definitely consider them good buys.

Year	Chateau	Region	Parker	Notes	Price
1970	Leoville Las Cases	St.-Julien	77	2nd growth, next to Latour	85
1970	Talbot	St.-Julien	78	4th growth	80
1970	Gruaud Larose	St.-Julien	87	2nd growth	85
1970	Margaux	Margaux	76	1st growth	Steve
1970	Palmer (tenth)	Margaux	95	3rd growth	135
1970	Figeac	St.-Emilion	90	2nd growth	145
1970	Cheval Blanc	St.-Emilion	85	1st growth	205
1970	La Mission Haut Brion	Pessac-Leognan (Graves)	94	Arguably a 1st growth	155
1970	Haut Brion	Pessac-Leognan (Graves)	84	1st growth	225
1970	Lafite Rothschild	Pauillac	79	1st growth	175
1970	Mouton Rothschild	Pauillac	92	1st growth	285
1970	Les Forts de Latour	Pauillac	84	Second wine of Ch. Latour, regarded as a 4th growth	109
1970	Latour (tenth)	Pauillac	99	1st growth	205

					1889

Acquisitions

Purchased from Bonhams & Butterfields 11/21/09:

1949 Corton-Bressandes C. Vienot $550

Upcoming Events

February 20	Wine Syndicate
April 17	Wine Syndicate

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	-757
Dues Payable	5000
Purchases	-550
Dinner	-1697
Balance	1996

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple.

2009-5 BYOF (Bring Your Own Flight)

BYOF
(Bring Your Own Flight)

at Capital Grille

September 26, 2009 at 6:00 pm

The ThemeThis is sort of a pseduo Syndicate event, with wines provided by the attendees.

Attendees: Ron, Bev, Susan, Bruce, Gary, Trish, Dick, Priscilla, Martin, Steve, Linda

Thanks to everyone for the great wines! It was a fabulous event. Here are my ratings of the wines:

Year	Wine	Provider	Rating
1964	Santenay – Clavalier	Steve	93
1964	Ch. Leoville Las Cases	Steve	91
1964	BVGDLTPR (tenth)	Steve	87
2005	Fleur Cardinale St. Emilion	Dick	92
2005	L’Ecole No. 41 Apogee – Washington State	Dick	88
1971	Freemark Abbey CS	Martin	88
1975	Christian Brothers CS	Martin	95
1978	Gallo CS	Martin	91
2000	Domaine de la Solitude Chateauneuf du Pape	Gary	93
2005	Aquilon Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha	Gary	99
2003	Ch. La Gonerie St. Emilion	Bruce	93
1999	Togni CS	Bruce	91
1999	Ch. Valandraud St. Emilion	Bruce	90
2003	Cuvee de mon Areul Chateauneuf du Pape	Ron	94
2003	Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape	Ron	95
2003	Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape	Ron	96
1982	Meursault Louis Jadot	Steve	99
2002	Mont de Milieu Chablis Premiere Cru Billaud-Simon	Gary	93
2003	Chassagne Montrachet Michel Colin-Deleger & Fils Les Chaumees	Ron	95
1998	Barbaresco	Dick	86
1976	Corton Clos du Roi	Martin	93
2006	Sine Qua Non Raven Grenache No. 1	Ron	94

Acquisitions

none.

Upcoming Events

December 5	Wine Syndicate at The Bull & Bear at The Waldorf Astoria
February 20	Wine Syndicate

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	-757
Dues Payable	none
Purchases	0
Dinner	buy your own
Balance	-757

2009-4 Blind Pairs

Blind Pairs

at Luma

August 29, 2009 at 6:00 pm

The WinesThis time we return to a classic theme, with pairs of wines that might easily be confused when we taste them blind. Various members will add a ringer to each flight.

9	11	1998	Ch Haut Brion Blanc	290
9	9	2000	Ch ‘Y’	145

7	15	1967	Chambertin Clos de Beze P. Gelin	75
5	20	1969	Echezeaux Leroy	320

2	29	1970	BV Beaumont Pinot Noir	75
2	23	1973	BV Special Label Burgundy	50

3	9	1966	Ch Cos d’Estournel France St Estephe	200
3	10	1970	Ch Cos d’Estournel France St Estephe	100

4	20	1987	Berringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	75
2	24	1992	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	70
				1400

Results:

The Chateau “Y” was significantly more popular than the Haut Brion Blanc. My Evans Ranch Las Brisas Chardonnay was obviously out of its league.

The Chambertin narrowly beat my ringer (a 1969 Mondavi Pinot Noir) that was very difficult to spot as new world in the flight.

Ron’s 1992 Williams Selyem Piniot Noir won the third flight, but all three of those wines were the best of the tasting.

Ron’s 1986 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon won the fourth flight. The two Cos d’Estournels were extremely similar.

The Berringer won the third flight, narrowly beating Andy’s ringer, a 1991 Gainey Cabernet Sauvignon. Opinioin was very divided on the gainey, with people loving it or hating it. I loved it. The worst wine of the tasting by far was the 1992 BV GDLTPR, scoring only 1/2 point.

Thanks also to Dick for a couple of excellent dinner wines including a 2000 Cos D’Estournel, and John for a great Shiraz and a really neat dessert wine from Fess Parker, that fell somwhere between Shiraz and port.

Acquisitions

Surprisingly, there were some good deals to be found at this month’s Bonhams auction…

1961	Ch Lynch Bages France Pauillac	380
1966	Ch Pichon Lalande France Pauillac	130
1962	Ch Pichon Baron France Pauillac	130
1966	Ch Haut Brion France Graves	130
1966	Ch Montrose France St. Estephe	210
2000	Montrachet, G. Amiot	260
2000	Montrachet, G. Amiot	260
2000	Montrachet, G. Amiot	260
1834	Madeira, Malvasia	555
1875	Madeira, Malvasia	555
1901	Madeira, Malvasia	260
1948	Madeira, Malvasia	260
1885	Madeira, Verdelho	320

		3710

I also put together an interesting horizontal from a cellar newly acquire by Cellaraiders…

1970	Les Forts de Latour	109
1970	Leoville Las Cases	85
1970	Lafite Rothschild	175
1970	La Mission Haut Brion	155
1970	Haut Brion	225
1970	Figeac	145
1970	Gruaud Larose	85
1970	Cheval Blanc	205
1970	Latour (tenth)	205
1970	Mouton Rothschild	285
1970	Palmer (tenth)	135
1970	Talbot	80

		1889

Upcoming Events

December 5

Wine Syndicate

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	2025
Dues Payable	5000
Purchases	-5599
Dinner	-2183
Balance	-757

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple.

2009-3 Decades

Decades

at Luma

June 20, 2009 at 6:00 pm

The WinesSome great wines from eight different decades!

m2	23	1924	Ch Grand St Lambert France Pauillac magnum	244
5	22	1949	Charmes-Chambertin, Liger-Belair Red Burgundy	317
6	8	1955	Ch Petrus France Pomerol	1540
6	12	1961	Ch Lynch Bages France Pauillac	478
2	14	1974	BV Georges de La Tour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa	110
6	25	1983	Romanee St. Vivant Domaine de la Romanee Conti Red Burgundy	300
3	20	1993	La Romanee – Bouchard, Pere et Fils Red Burgundy	190
3	18	2002	Joseph Phelps Insignia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa	199
				3378

A wonderful flight of wines, with most scoring in the high 90s. The Petrus was the exceptioin, and was deemed to be a fake. The 100 point Lynch Bages was eclipses by the amazingly preserved ’24 magnum of a cru bourgeois, and all the burgs. The favorite wine was the ’83 Romanee St. Vivant, followed by the ’74 BV GDLTPR. After the formal tasting it was fun to try the ’05 Gainey Limited selection Syrah next to the ’05 Evans Ranch Syrah; same area, winery and winemaker, different wines. The former was vanilla and fruit, the latter more elegant and complex. A similar contrast existed between Martin’s ’06 Blue Eyed Boy Syrah and Ron’s ’02 Pax Syrah. John’s ’05 Adobe Road Cabernet was an amazing wine, and Dick’s ’96 Mercurey was an ashy, elegant white burg.

Acquisitions

none

Upcoming Events

August 29	Wine Syndicate
December 5	Wine Syndicate

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance	-1445
Dues Payable	5000
Purchases	0
Dinner	-1530
Balance	2025

Please bring your dues of $1000 per couple.