The Bubbles:
- 2000 Philipponnat Champagne Cuvée "1522" Grand Cru - France, Champagne
This showed great last night with the various appetizers. I don't know that this is an intellectual Champagne, but it sure is a fun one. Imminently drinkable with a very fine, delicate mousse, toasty and citrus flavors with a medium length finish. It comes across as a serious Champagne though and nicely walks the line between opulence and finesse. - N.V. Vilmart Champagne Rosé Rubis - France, Champagne
After the more feminine Philipponnat, this Champagne roared over the palate with powerful strawberry and raspberry flavors. Long finish and lots of life ahead in this wine. Very nice, and certainly a good match for the heartier appetizers last night. Could be a good match for roast meat without problems.
- 2003 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Upon opening, this wine was surprisingly dark and opaque. Unfortunately, it was also completely shut down. Multiple decants and hours of aeration ended up yielding a really stunning wine. Purchased at release from a reputable merchant and cellared perfectly since, this is very very young. Tremendous nose of red fruit and black olive tapenade. On the palate, there's plenty of blackberry and red fruit with stern tannins and a nice dose of earth, leather, and spice. The tell-tale bacon fat that this bottling is famous for isn't really showing yet. Too young for that to be front an center. That said, this is a terrific bottle of wine that has 10 more years before it's really ready and another decade or even two of life left. Very impressive wine. - 1998 Château Troplong Mondot - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Just like the Guigal Brune at Blonde, this came out of the bottle completely closed. I would actually describe the wine at first taste as "unyielding", "hard as nails", "massively tannic". and black as night. I purchased this bottle at Chateau Troplong in St. Emilion, I transported it home in the OWC and stored it at 55 degrees since. I was expecting it to need some decanting to be in the window, but even hours of aeration and multiple decants couldn't produce what I was looking for in the end. I will say that this still drank nicely. It had a great degree of typicity, showed of a really nice nose towards the end of the evening, and it was a great match for the grilled steak. It just never showed the sweetness of the fruit and voluptuousness that Troplong Mondot can show when it is singing. Based on my tasting of this bottle, I would say that my remaining bottle is at least 10 years away from being in the earliest part of its drinking window and that it should last another decade or two past that without any problem. This wine is made in an old-school, uncompromising fashion. I will enjoy this one on my 50th birthday. - 1998 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore
Very impressive wine. It's a hypothetical blend between a top-notch St. Emilion and a top-notch Napa Cabernet. The nose is entirely old-world and could be mistaken for Bordeaux (which I did). On the palate though, there is richer fruit and less acidity than Bordeaux usually shows, not unlike a very good Napa Cab. Bing cherry, chocolate, earth and spices on the palate and a long, long finish that has just a trace of the "funk" I love in Italian wine. Showed incredibly young. I had guessed early 2000s on the vintage, so I was off by quite a few years. Really quite a spectacular wine.
- 2001 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Killer Sauternes. I might point out that I guessed this blind as Sauternes, upon confirmation, I correctly guessed 2001 as the vintage, and upon confirmation of that, I correctly guessed Rieussec...I was really lucky last night. As far as the wine is concerned, this is as good as Sauternes gets. Rich and creamy yet light and with plenty of acidity. Lemon custard flavors and a finish that goes an and on. I am embarrassed to say I don't think I quite finished my pour as I had to drive home, but it was as good as any YquemI have had the pleasure of tasting.
Posted from CellarTracker
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