It’s two days after the event and I’m just now fully recovering… That’s what happens when there so much wine that just tasting everything is difficult… and of course, since Traci was there and volunteered to drive, I was drinking merrily away for a good 5ish hours… Hats off the Mitch for a phenomenal evening and it really couldn’t have been better. It’s easy to take these events for granted but the amount of time, effort and money that goes into these things isn’t trivia and all I can say is that I am extremely grateful for being invited and hope to one day return the favor!

The food was a mélange with everything being about as fresh as possible. Trout that was caught that day to huge shrimp to beef roast to quiche to a spectacular tart tartin… I sure wasn’t complaining. On to the wine!

Sean is the master of bringing these champagnes that are right up my alley and the N.V. H. Billiot Champagne Cuvée Laetitia was no exception. I don’t know if this wine sees any oak but it has that rich, nutty, slightly oxidized style that I love. Both the 2004 Olivier Leflaive Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume and 2002 Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay Bâtard-Montrachet were excellent with the Coffinet-Duvernay showing deeper aromatic but left me wishing for just a little bit more weight on the palate. All of these were eclipsed by the Fking awesome 2001 Peter Michael Chardonnay Point Rouge. I will say that this came off rough at first but the palate continued to smooth out with air and was phenomenal. Amazingly long, concentrated and balanced with vibrant acidity keeping everything in check. Yeah baby… While I was chugging the Point Rouge, everyone was walking around with this freakish colored 1997 Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Herrenweg de Turckheim that looked more like a sauterne mixed with some pinot than any Gewurzt I’m familiar with. More on the dessert side of things, it was sweet, balanced and long.

At this point, while there was still almost half a case of unopened whites, we dove right into the reds and started roughly going from light bodied to bruisers and over all, I thought the order was perfect (aside from the Brunello.) The 1978 Maison Leroy Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets, while starting to crack up on the palate, showed a beautiful nose that while slanted in the forest floor, earth direction, showed lovely sweet fruit and was still kicking. I’m not sure on the air time of this wine but it would have been interesting to have tried it right from the bottle. I won’t lie, the 2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne was a disappointment to me. Sure, it’s good but I think you can get the same level of enjoyment from a number of less expensive bottles. At this point Rico opened a horribly corked 2002 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots.. The funny part about this is that it wasn’t two seconds later and he’s pulling out another identical bottle… now that’s being prepared! This was easily my favorite burg of the night and just had awesome structure and depth. The 2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Grands-Echezeaux followed and while it was probably drinking better than the Chaignots, it didn’t quite have the depth to me. Still, it’s silky, elegant and beautiful.

Funny, while it was possible to get multiple pours on all the whites, the reds were flying by and I got a dismal pour of the 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape so maybe that’s why it didn’t show as well but this bottle seemed slightly over the hill to me. Around this time, Paul walks up and hands me a glass of who knows what and I’m immediately in love with it. The wine turns out to be the 2004 Bodegas Peñalba Lopez Ribera del Duero Torremilanos Cyclo and it truly is spectacular! Structured, powerful and balanced. The 2004 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon was a complete surprise. After reading so many notes on this wine, I expected an over the top, flamboyant wine and that’s not what this is at all and I actually understand the reference to Bordeaux. Very structured, powerful and balanced but also restrained and dare I say, elegant. I’m a huge fan and aside from the slight headiness and blueberry notes, would easily pass for a top flight Bordeaux. Up next was the outstanding 1990 Château La Conseillante. This is the point where Rob sticks his nose in the glass and winces but that’s the beauty of wine and how boring if everyone agreed. I thought the wine was drinking amazingly well and loved it. All of these wines paled to the pure hedonistic pleasure provided by the unbelievable 2002 Pride Mountain Reserve Claret. Some called this wine a slut but I respectfully disagree and was amazed at how well this wine blended huge, lush fruit with power and a sense of style and restraint. Unbelievable juice in my humble opinion. For some reason, my poor mag of 2001 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino just now made an appearance and while it was following some tough wines, it was still delicious, powerful and balanced. I had opened this a couple hours before the tasting and poured a taste and I almost think it showed the best at that point… or could just be tasting it later in the context of so many other great wines makes you reconsider.

We wound down with a couple sauternes and a Baumard. Both the 1988 Château Suduiraut and the 1983 Château La Tour Blanche showed fairly typical sauterne notes with the Suduiraut having more depth. This is the second bottle of the La Tour Blanche I’ve had and while it’s good, both times it’s come across as excessively heady. The 1990 Baumard Quarts de Chaume was open and singing with some unique cream corn and funky fruit notes. Just to push me ever further over the edge, Mitch cracked a NV Broadbent 10 year Malmsey that was crazy good with the monster cigars provided by a kind hearted soul.

I was able to walk out on my own two feet but it wasn’t pretty. Woke up at 2AM on the floor cuz I apparently fell out of the bed and I was quite proud while leaving work the next day in that I didn’t wimp out and go home sick.

Thanks to everyone there that night and especially to Mitch and Karen!

• N.V. H. Billiot Champagne Cuvée Laetitia - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne
  Second bottle of this I’ve had and I just love this Champagne. Rich, nutty and complex with medium body, a silky texture, great depth and a long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Olivier Leflaive Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
  Beautiful nose with ripe fruit and mineral notes. The palate is medium bodied, balanced and crisp. (89 pts.)
• 2002 Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
  Just a stunning nose that is rich, deep and complex. Nutty, spicy and ripe with subtle earth and mineral notes to go along with the beautiful fruit. The palate was a slight step down from the nose and was medium bodied, balanced and crisp but just lacking that extra power to really be great. Still, this is excellent and showed plenty of length on the finish. (92 pts.)
• 2001 Peter Michael Chardonnay Point Rouge - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
  Wow, this thing boasts a deep gold color as well as a massive, killer nose. Rich tropical and peach fruit, smoke and buttered popcorn all come screaming out of the glass. The palate started out slightly dumb and jagged but this came together with air. Full bodied, massive but with tons of acidity, beautiful texture and a long finish. (95 pts.)
• 1997 Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Herrenweg de Turckheim - France, Alsace, Turckheim, Alsace AOC
  This has a deep gold, almost glowing amber color and shows massive apricot, citrus rind and honeyed fruit notes on the nose. Full bodied, sweet and unctuous with a long finish. (93 pts.)
• 1978 Maison Leroy Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
  This had a murky red color as well as a beautiful nose of decaying leaves, dusty cabinets and sweet cherry fruit. The palate was medium bodied and weak but there was some interesting length to the wine and along with the lovely nose, really enjoyable. (86 pts.)
• 2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
  This had been decanted for 3 hours and while fairly evolved for such a young wine, still improved in the glass. The nose shows plenty of sweet cherry and cranberry fruit that is backed up by subtle spice aromas. The palate is medium bodied and slightly tart but with nice acidity and a medium finish. (88 pts.)
• 2002 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
  Wow, now we’re talking and this burg blew me away. The nose is very rich, dark and clean with black cherry, blackberry, cola and spice notes. The palate is medium bodied but oh so structured and powerful. Silky, smooth and seamless with a long finish. Loved it. (94 pts.)
• 2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Grands-Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
  While this didn’t have the structure or power of the Chaigonots, it possessed similar aromatics with cherry, spice and floral notes. The palate is medium bodied, silky and elegant with a beautiful texture and a long finish. (93 pts.)
• 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  This didn’t live up to the last bottle I had but was still excellent. The nose showed plenty of fruit, meat and spice notes but more forest floor and earthy notes than I remember. Medium bodied and while lacking the power and structure I remember, was smooth, silky and long. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Bodegas Peñalba Lopez Ribera del Duero Torremilanos Cyclo - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Good Lord, phenomenal stuff. This bottle had been open for 3 days and I was still blown away by this wine. Just packed with amazing raspberry, cassis and earth notes and even with being open for so long, this was still singing. The palate is full bodied with rich fruit, awesome concentration and a super tannic, long finish. Structured, powerful and amazing juice. (96 pts.)
• 2004 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington
  After reading all of the tasting notes on these wines, I was amazed to find this so structured, powerful and precise. Extremely concentrated with amazingly rich fruit. Cassis, blueberry, tar, vanilla and tobacco notes all show up and there’s a killer minerality to the wine that is similar to a 2003 Leoville Poyferre. The palate is structure and concentrated but also precise with nice acidity, lots of tannin and amazing texture that leads into a long finish. (97 pts.)
• 1990 Château La Conseillante - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
  Yeah baby, this is killer stuff with a huge nose of rich fruit, spice and mineral notes. Medium to full bodied with awesome texture and a long finish. Only got a small pour of this but it’s probably the one wine I’d like to have a whole bottle to myself of. (96 pts.)
• 2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Pretty much perfect to me and I think I’d easily rate this perfect if I could have drank more. The nose was loaded with rich dark fruit, licorice, oak and vanilla but this wine still had a sense of restraint and elegance to it that was amazing. The palate is full bodied, seamless, elegant, powerful and perfect. (99 pts.)
• 2001 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  Just filled with sweet cherry fruit with subtle earth and spice notes coming though in the background. Medium bodied, balanced, powerful and long. (93 pts.)
• 1988 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  This showed excellent with ripe, honeyed fruit, great texture and a long finish (93 pts.)
• 1983 Château La Tour Blanche - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  This showed better than a previous bottle with plenty of honey, caramel and vanilla. The palate is full bodied and heady.. (89 pts.)
• 1990 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume
  Some stunning stuff that is sweet, balanced and long. (94 pts.)
• N.V. Broadbent Madeira Malmsey 10 Years Old - Portugal, Madeira
  Shows a gorgeous, clear caramel color along with stunning aromatics of honey, caramel and cigar. The palate is sweet, rich and balanced as well as beautifully textured. (92 pts.)

• N.V. Vilmart Champagne Grand Cellier d’Or 1er Cru - France, Champagne
  I didn’t think this showed quite as well as the previous bottles but it was still excellent with ripe fruit backed up by subtle toast and nut aromas. Medium bodied and just ever so slightly lacking in the mid-palate. Nicely textured with a creamy, clean finish. (90 pts.)
• 1998 Clos du Mont Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Wow, what a wine. This started out slightly closed but just continued to open up over the evening and offered a spectacular (seriously) nose of kirsch and raspberry liquor, garrique, leather, spice and earthy notes. Simply stunning and extremely perfumed and complex. The palate is medium to full bodied with sweet fruit, great texture and a balanced, long finish with silky tannins adding length and depth. This isn’t a blockbuster but is silky and almost elegant. A killer, traditional styled Chateaunuef that is drinking amazingly well. Outstanding. (95 pts.)
• 2003 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
  This wasn’t decanted and was drank over 3 hours. The nose is text book young napa cab with rich dark fruits, licorice, subtle vanilla and new, toasty oak notes. Very dark and rich but it’s also fairly restrained and elegant with a medium to full bodied palate, beautiful texture and plenty of depth and concentrated fruit showing up on the long finish. Not quite as seamless as when last tasted but still incredible juice. (94 pts.)

2005 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wow, I just love these wines and hopefully I can keep my hands off my remaining bottles. Just packed with rich dark fruit notes. Blackberry, cassis and even a hit of blueberry jump from the glass and with air it shows beautiful earth, licorice and subtle chocolate notes. Surprisingly, this showed much more typicity on the second day and picked up garrigue and mineral notes. The palate is full bodied, powerful and pure with just a stunning texture and a huge amount of fine grained tannins on the blockbuster finish. There’s so much fruit, it’s easy to miss all the structure in this wine but it’s there. (96+ pts.)