Monthly Archives: September 2012

2012-4 Burgundy We Can No Longer Afford

Burgundy We Can No Longer Afford

at Capital Grille

November 17, 2012 at 6:00 pm

We’ve had a lot of these wines close to ten years, and some are now about three times this price! These will be tasted in the order shown.

8 20 1949 Corton Bressandes, Charles Vienot Red Burgundy 550
6 17 1955 Auxey Duresses, Pierre Ponnelle Red Burgundy 159
8 30 1964 Pommard, Grand Epenots, Leroy France Burgundy 200
7 29 1966 Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Avery’s Bottling, Remoissenet Père et Fils Red Burgundy 95
7 27 1967 Fixin, Pierre Ponnelle Red Burgundy 95
8 21 1969 Echezeaux Leroy France Burgundy 320
8 18 1970 Corton Diamond Jubilee, Remoissenet Père et Fils Red Burgundy 95
7 13 1978 Nuit Saint-Georges – Pierre Bouree Fils Red Burgundy 90
7 19 1983 Grands Echexeaux Domaine de la Romanee Conti Red Burgundy 300
8 15 1993 La Romanee – Bouchard, Pere et Fils Red Burgundy 190
8 8 1996 Echezeaux Reserve Bocquenet Red Burgundy 90
8 14 1996 La Romanee du Chateau de Vosne Romanee Comte Liger-Belair Bouchard Red Burgundy 55

Wine Notes

We started the tasting with a Riedel glassware comparison, and I think it’s safe to say that everyone now believes that even subtle differences in glasses have profound effects on the tast of the wine!

1949 – youthful, iron, mineral, leeather, sweet, long, chclate covered rasins, coffe, cooked meat, wood. The wine evolved for two hours. This is exactly what I’m looking for in Burgundy, and it was worth every penny. Wine of the night, and the group’s unanimous favorite. 97 pts.

1955 – slightly Madeirized, iron, fading fruit, stewed veggies, rhubarb, awkward. 88 pts.

1964 – tight, steely, minerals, metallic to the max, pot roast, coffee. 92 pts.

1966 – very ripe, vanilla metallic, cherry, quite weird. 86 pts.

1967 – balanced, good color and fruit, vanilla, a shocker given its year! 94 pts.

1969 – closed, plastic, short. 90 pts.

1970 – balanced, good fruit, caramel, slightly woodsy. 90 pts.

1978 – charred wood, toasted marshmallow, metal. 92 pts.

1983 – bug spray, mineral spirits, vanilla, candy, cherry, floral, asian spices. 94 pts.

1993 – closed, caramel, short, thin finish, high acid. 92 pts.

1996 Exhezeaux – smoked meat, good fruit, wood, black cherry, soy, mushroom. 93 pts.

1996 La Romanee – meaty, cotton candy, youthful. 91 pts.

 

Acquisitions

none $0

 

Upcoming Events

February 2 Syndicate
April 20 Syndicate

 

Treasurer’s Report

Previous Balance -1756
Dues Payable 5000
Purchases 0
Dinner -1790
Balance 1454

 

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

2012-3 Margaux Babies

Margaux Babies

at Bull & Bear

September 29, 2012 at 6:00 pm

Climbing back out of the hole Margaux was in during the 70s to taste some of the greatest vintages of all time.

Well, this was a very disappointing tasting. Very little great wine was made in the 1970s in Bordeaux, and Margaux made none of it. But while the other first growths were releasing knockout after knockout during the 80s, Margaux was still struggling. It was not until 1989 that things really came together. The tasting was not helped by the fact that two of the better vintages–the 1978 and potential 100 point 1990–were corked. Overall a very lackluster group.

Fortunately the members brought some great wines, so we drank well during a fabulous tasting dinner that featured an octopus sort of crepe thingie, amazing mussels, and cod that was laboriously prepared using locally gathered pine needles(!) The new Italian sous chef was in charge, and really knocked it out of the park.

1977 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 241
1978 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 377
1979 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 285
1980 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 342
1981 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 340
1982 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 1017
1983 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 582
1984 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 198
1985 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 445
1986 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 543
1987 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 335
1989 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 483
1990 Ch. Margaux Red Bordeaux 1077
6265

Wine Notes

1977 – classic Bordeaux nos, iron, coffee grounds, smoke, meat, thin, short, 88 pts

1978 – corked. some underlying fruit and tannin, coffee grounds, no score

1979 – a bit of caramel, medicinal, iron, meat, wax, vanilla, tannin, 87 pts

1980 – chalk, dust, decent structure, spice, coffee candies, 86 pts

1981 – spicy, coffee, refined fruit, 90 pts

1982 – coffee, curry, big structure, simple, 94 pts

1983 – tannin, not a lot of fruit, salty, 91 pts

1984 – chalk, soft, short, 82 pts

1985 well-structured, tannic, iron, 89 pts

1986 – mint, tannic, thin, short, 91 pts

1987 – gamey, mint, thin, 85 pts

1989 – smoke, earth, gamey, lead pencil, 95 pts

1990 – corked, big fruit, no score

Other Wines

2000 Pavillon Rouge by Margaux – Dick – big fruit, long, blackberry, ocean, 95 pts

2007 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon – Steve –  vanilla, pepper, meat, mint, shell, herbs, chocolate, coconut, chewy, long, 99 pts

2008 La Cigare Blanc – Andy – interesting Rhone blend, nutty, balanced, butter, 91 pts

2005 Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Cuvee Theo – Ron – petrol, armpit, elegant, 93 pts

2008 Evans Ranch Chardonnay – John – butter, toast, big, balanced, long, 91 pts

2010 Bonny Doon Sparkling Albarino – Andy – caramel, butter, high acide, fascinating, 90 pts

1967 Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Boudots” Georges Noellat – Ron – Cigar, sweet cherries, 89 pts

2002 Clos de Vougeot Maison Champy – John – closed, cherries, short, 84 pts

2004 Evans Ranch Lone Oak Pinot Noir – Andy – vanilla, spice box, baking spices, 92 pts

2000 Segla – Dick – 2nd wine of Rauzan Segla, tannic, not much fruit, 88 pts

1986 Laurel Glen Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon – Ron – chewy, tannic, vanilla, cherry, peppers, acid, old style CA that will age well, 90 pts

2007 Ch. de Fonsalette Rhone by Rayas – Ron – cherries, anilla, chalk, herbal, kirsch, raspberry, young, 92 pts

2004 Noon Eclipse GSM – Ron – great structure, long chocolate finish, 92 pts

2003 Henry’s Drive Reserve Shiraz – Steve – extremely aromatic, wood, vanilla, intense mint, 94 pts

1969 Beerenauslese Osterreich Assmannhauss – Steve – balanced, good acid, wax, 92 pts

1975 Ch. Les Justices Sauternes – Steve – botrytis, simple, 88 pts

2007 Argyle Minus Five Cryo Cluster Riesling – Andy – petrol, varietal, 90 pts

 

Acquisitions

 

none $0

 

Upcoming Events

 

November 17 Syndicate

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

Previous Balance -4856
Dues Payable 5000
Purchases  0
Dinner -1860
Balance -1756

 

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