The joy of double blind tasting… there’s nothing like it to really make you question exactly what you’re smelling, how the wine tastes and what you think of it.  A hefty dose of humble pie is normally thrown in for good measure. This month the theme for the Fort Collins group was a loosely defined “Truth or Dare” scheme.  This involves all wines served double blind with the person bringing the wine writing on the bag (or announcing prior to unbagging) the name of a wine… It’s then the taster’s job to either agree with the declared wine… or cry BS.

I arrived late and the 2005 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbés had already made its rounds on the table. The pretty floral and slightly honeyed notes paired with some sweetness and minerality on the finish had me guessing Chenin Blanc… err, negative ghost rider and a big swing and a miss…strike 1.

The bag on the next bottle claimed 1999 Monbousquet… and it was a good lie.  The wine was deeply colored with ripe cassis and plumy fruit mixed with chocolate and spice notes on the nose.  The palate was integrated and had a smidge of maturity with beautifully integrated oak and just enough earth and meaty notes to have the right bank Merlot label seem feasible… The 2001 Paloma Merlot is a stunning bottle of wine but for the life of me, I can’t remember what my guess was… I seriously considered the right banker though.

The group’s Italian lush produced the next bottle… so of course the wine screamed Barolo. Seriously… tar, lots of dirt and dusty notes…  If I tried, I could have conjured up rose petal aromas… with air however, this original thought slowly bit the dust as the wine fleshed out to show graphite, cassis and mature Cabernet notes.  At one point I even called this the 1988 Montelena (after being told it was an ‘88) but then changed my guess to a Super Tuscan right before the bag came off… Damn! Fantastic showing by the 1988 Chateau Montelena Estate and even better than a previous bottle a couple months ago.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 2003 Château Pipeau. Sporting ripe and lifted aromatics (and a little VA), this seemed slightly candied and while it showed nice ripeness, it lacked mid-palate depth and came across as hard and angular. Certainly good but I’d drink these sooner rather than later.  I did not think this was Bordeaux…  strike 2… or 3… who’s counting.

The fully mature 1978 Miguel Torres Gran Coronas Reserva Black Label was impressive! I guessed mature California Cabernet… and Rob had even told me he was bringing this bottle earlier that week… Another swing and a miss but this is a unique 100% Cabernet from Spain so while I’m only 4000+ miles off on the region… I did get the variety… small victories right… Beautifully mature and nuanced, this still showed noticeable oak and vanilla paired with ripe (although fading) fruit. A slight hint of mint and eucalyptus lead me to Cali but the palate was rich, smooth, completely integrated and long. A treat to drink but this bottle seemed on the downward slop and owners should drink up.

The next brown bag labeled Penfolds screamed high end California Cabernet to me. Decadent and simply stunning with dark fruit, cassis, earth and chocolaty oak leading into a perfect, full bodied palate, I was in love and thought it was an ’03 or ’04 high end Cali cab… even mentioned Foley’esk…so was happy to see this turn out to be the 2004 Robert Foley Claret.  Despite the size of the wine, there wasn’t a hint of heat and it was polished, balanced and incredibly long.

The 2005 Château Pipeau was an interesting twist and was billed as a duplicate ’03 Pipeau. Very similar aromatics between the two but I thought this was better than the ‘03 on all accounts. Smokey with spicy oak and ripe dark cherry and cassis fruit paired up with a medium to full bodied, concentrated, tannic palate that showed nice acidity, I thought this was a modern Tempranillo from Spain… swing and yes, another miss.  Regardless, a beautiful bottle of wine.

Unfortunately, the 2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois wasn’t showing at its best due to inadequate decanting… the blame lays squarely on me as I’ve had numerous bottles of this… Screaming good the next day, this was a wee bit disjointed and showed a hint of alcohol and serious tannin on the blockbuster finish. I’m nit picking though as even though this wasn’t showing its best, it’s still one stunning bottle of wine. The closest guess was an ’05 Janasse VV and my billing it as an ’03 Leoville Poyferre fooled more than one person… and if I hadn’t brought the wine, probably me as well.

A great group of people and another monthly tasting in the books!

Thanks for reading!

- Jeb

Wines:

Wine	Rating
2005 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbés	NR
2001 Paloma Merlot	95
1988 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate	93
2003 Château Pipeau	86
1978 Miguel Torres Gran Coronas Reserva Black Label	92
2004 Robert Foley Claret	97
2005 Château Pipeau	91
2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois	95

Alere | Beckman | Betts & Scholl | Big Basin | Bonaccorsi | Chono | Clos du Caillou | Core Wine | Denner Vineyards | Domaine de l’Oratoire | Domaine La Bouissiere | Epiphany | E. Guigal | Jonata | Marilyn Remark | Paul Lato | Perrin & Fils | Pierre Gaillard | Saxum | Sean Thackrey | Stolpman Vineyards | Tablas Creek | Torbreck

Alere

2005 Alere Vineyards Grenache, Blue Oak Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)
No tasting note. (84-86 pts.)

2006 Alere Vineyards Grenache, Blue Oak Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)
No tasting note. (84-86 pts.)

2006 Alere Vineyards Syrah, Blue Oak Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)
No tasting note. (87-89 pts.)

2006 Alere Vineyards Mourvedre, Blue Oak Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)
No tasting note. (85-87 pts.)

Beckman

2007 Beckman Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
Big, earthy and intense, the 2007 Beckman Estate Syrah is packed with earthy dark fruit, asphalt, scorched earth and pepper nuances. Clean and pure on the palate with nice acidity, medium to full body, rich fruit and a long finish. (92 pts.)

2006 Beckman Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
The 2006 Beckman Estate Syrah Purisma Mountain Vineyard offers up clean, fruit driven notes of blackberry, cassis, spice and fresh cut flowers. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this shows nice precision and acidity, impressive balance and a long finish. (92 pts.)

Betts & Scholl

2006 Betts & Scholl Grenache The OG (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)
Sweet and heady, the 2006 Betts & Scholl Grenache The OG is filled with cherry, meat, spice and garrigue aromas that lead into a full bodied, glycerin infused palate. Soft, massively fruited and sweet, I’d drink these over the next year or two. (88 pts.)

Big Basin

2006 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Rattlesnake Rock (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)
The 2006 Big Basin Rattlesnake vineyard Syrah is a dense, structured wine with fantastic aromatics of smoked meat, tobacco, dark fruit and striking minerality. The palate is medium to full bodied, rich, tannic and structured. This needs time. (91-93 pts.)

2007 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Rattlesnake Rock (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)
Still in barrel, the 2007 Big Basin Rattlesnake Vineyards is closed on the nose but shows a fantastically rich, full palate and impressive length to the finish. (92-94 pts.)

Bonaccorsi

2006 Bonaccorsi Syrah (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
The 2006 Bonaccorsi Syrah Santa Ynez Valley possesses perfumed aromatics of raspberries, spice, flowers and subtle vanilla notes, medium to full body, a smooth texture and nice length. Drink over the next 5 to 7 years. (90 pts.)

Chono

2007 Chono Syrah (Chile, Coquimbo, Elqui Valley)
Showing lots of herbal, peppery and earthy aromas, the 2007 Chono Syrah improves in the mouth with sweet, rich fruit, nice balance and a clean finish.Very well made and if you don’t mind borderline green and herbal aromas, you’ll enjoy this. (87 pts.)

Clos du Caillou

2006 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Blanc (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
The 2006 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Blanc shows pretty aromatics of peach, bubblegum and flowers, medium body and a soft, easy drinking style. (87 pts.)

2006 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Exhibiting clean, lifted and perfumed aromatics of raspberries and cherry laced fruit, garrigue and crushed stone and mineral notes, the 2006 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz is medium to full bodied, rich, textured and long. (92 pts.)

Core Wine

2005 Core Cuvée Fletcher Alta Mesa (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
Spending close to 28 months in barrel, the 2005 Core Cuvée Fletcher Alta Mesa possesses deep, dark blackberry, black cherry, meat, resin and spice aromas, medium to full body and a long, tannic finish. (92 pts.)

2006 Core Cuvée Fletcher Alta Mesa (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
Spending a full 10 fewer months in barrel than the 2005, the 2006 Core Cuvée Fletcher Alta Mesa sees 18 months in large barrel and offers up bright, floral aromas of cherries, meat and spice. In the mouth, this is medium to full bodied with a grippy, rich texture, beautiful density and a long finish. (92 pts.)

2006 Core Elevation Sensation Alta Mesa (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
Smooth, supple and balanced, the 2006 Core Elevation Sensation shows beautiful notes of blackberry, blueberry, earth and sweet spice that lead into a great palate. Full bodied, textured and mouth filling, this shows nice length to the finish. (92 pts.)

2005 Core Grenache Alta Mesa (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
Roasted herbs, bright black cherry and asphalt notes jump from the glass of the ripe 2005 Core Grenache Alta Mesa and on the palate, its medium bodied, textured and long. (89 pts.)

2006 Core Grenache Alta Mesa (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
The 2006 Core Grenache Alta Mesa shows more smoky notes than the ’05 and has plenty of bright cherry, smoke, earth and vanilla notes leading into a medium bodied palate. There’s noticeable acidity, a compact texture and clean finish. Not quite as charming as the ‘05 but still solid. (87 pts.)

2006 Core Hard Core (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
The 2006 Core Hard Core offers up pure black cherry, smokey earth, oak, and mineral notes. Medium bodied, balanced and clean, this shows nice richness, ripe tannin and a long finish. (91 pts.)

Denner Vineyards

2008 Denner Viognier (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
The slightly off dry 2008 Denner Viognier shows pretty peach and white flower aromatics, full body and a viscous texture. There’s notable purity and edge here to go with gobs of ripe fruit. (88 pts.)

2007 Denner Grenache (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
The 2007 Denner Grenache shows great aromatics of sweet black cherry, earth and spice, medium to full body, impressive concentration and a long finish. This has nice edge and precision to go along with very ripe, sweet fruit. (90-92 pts.)

2006 Denner “The Ditch Digger” (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
A blend of 37% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 26% Mourvedre and 9% Cinsaut, the 2006 Denner “The Ditch Digger” shows a mourvedre driven nose with loamy earth, dark black fruit, meat, leather and some down right funk thrown in for good measure. I love the complexity on the nose and the palate is medium to full bodied with a full, rich texture, impressive balance, pure fruit and a long finish. (93 pts.)

2006 Denner The Dirt Worshipper (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
Made in a Côte-Rôtie style, the 2006 Denner The Dirt Worshipper is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier and offers up lifted, bright aromatics. Meat, earth, herbs and subtle floral notes jump from the glass and this has deep, rich fruit, medium to full body, nice acidity and a medium to long finish. Drops off slightly on the finish. (91-93 pts.)

Domaine de l’Oratoire

2007 Domaine de l’Oratoire St Martin Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Cuvée Prestige (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne)
The 2007 Domaine de l’Oratoire St Martin Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Cuvée Prestige is impressive with rich black cherry and dark fruit, minerals, earth and peppery aromatics. This leads into a concentrated wine with solid structure, depth and length to the finish. (89 pts.)

Domaine La Bouissiere

2006 Domaine La Bouissiere Gigondas (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas)
No tasting note. (88 pts.)

Epiphany

2008 Epiphany Grenache Blanc Camp 4 Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
No tasting note. (89-90 pts.)

2007 Epiphany Roussanne Camp 4 Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
No tasting note. (87-89 pts.)

2007 Epiphany Inspiration (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
No tasting note. (89-90 pts.)

2006 Epiphany Revelation (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
No tasting note. (91-93 pts.)

E. Guigal

2002 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)
The 2002 E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline shows complex, meaty notes of both red and black fruits, spice, smoke and bacon that lead into a medium bodied, balanced palate with nice length. Drinking beautifully now and seems to have plenty of life. (92 pts.)

2005 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)
The 2005 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis is bright and crisp with raspberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with smoke, minerals, meat and spice. Medium to full bodied and balanced, this shows fantastic delineation, clean fruit and a tannic, structured finish. Tasted twice. (94+ pts.)

2005 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)
While the 2005 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde doesn’t possess the edge and cut of the ’05 d’Ampuis, it shows beautiful, smoky, meaty aromatics of dark fruit, tapenade, smoked meat and herbs that lead into a medium to full bodied palate. Textured and rich, there’s a healthy dose of ripe tannin adding length. (93 pts.)

2007 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu)
Showing pretty aromatics of flowers, spice and honeysuckle mixed with serious stone and mineral notes, the 2007 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane is medium to full bodied and possesses nice acidity to go with its rich, full texture. This firms nicely up on the finish. (92 pts.)

Jonata

2004 Jonata Winery La Sangre de Jonata (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
The 2004 La Sangre de Jonata is a big, ripe, full bodied wine with meaty blackberry, earth and asphalt aromas and flavors. The fantastic fruit really shows on the long finish. (94 pts.)

2004 Jonata Winery El Alma de Jonata (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
No tasting note.  Recommended.(92 pts.)

Marilyn Remark

2006 Marilyn Remark Grenache Los Ositos (USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County)
Showing crisp black cherry, herbs and spice aromas, the 2006 Marilyn Remark Grenache Los Ositos is medium bodied with sweet fruit, nice texture and slightly jarring acidity on the finish. (86 pts.)

2006 Marilyn Remark Grenache Wild Horse Road Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County)
Much ripper and lush than the Los Ositos Grenache, the 2006 Marilyn Remark Grenache Wild Horse Road Vineyard offers up sweet raspberry and wild strawberry fruit aromas paired with subtle herbs and earth notes. The palate shows nice fruit with a soft, lush texture and a medium length finish. (89 pts.)

2008 Marilyn Remark Roussane Loma Pacific (USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County)
No tasting note. (88 pts.)

2008 Marilyn Remark Viognier Loma Pacific (USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey)
No tasting note.(89 pts.)

2008 Marilyn Remark Marsanne Loma Pacific (USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County)
No tasting note.(90 pts.)

Paul Lato

2007 Paul Lato Syrah Cinematique Larner Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
Simply a fantastic Syrah, the 2007 Paul Lato Syrah Cinematique Larner Vineyard possesses stunning aromatics of sweet cassis and blackberry fruit mixed with spice, meat and chocolate notes. Full bodied in the mouth with a seamless, smooth texture, beautiful purity, ripe fruit and a long finish. (95 pts.)

Perrin & Fils

2007 Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône Villages (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages)
A screaming value, the 2007 Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône Villages shows good intensity with peppery, earth and dark fruit slanted aromatics leading into a great palate. Medium to full bodied with a full, soft texture, this shows nice structure, plenty of cut and acidity and a long finish. This has quality fruit. (89-90 pts.)

Pierre Gaillard

2007 Pierre Gaillard Cornas Les Combes (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas)
The 2007 Pierre Gaillard Cornas Les Combes offers up pretty aromatics of sweet raspberries, minerals and subtle smoked meat notes. Medium bodied, clean, pure, balanced with a streamlined, lean, medium concentration style. Ripe tannin, nice finish. (87 pts.)

Saxum

2007 Saxum Broken Stones (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
Very rich and dark, the 2007 Saxum Broken Stones has awesome aromatics of spicy, meaty and decadent dark fruit, tar, spice, herbs and stone notes all framed by classy, sweet oak. Full bodied on the palate, this has a superb full, thick texture, beautiful balance and a blockbuster finish. (94-96 pts.)

2007 Saxum Syrah Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
Brighter and more lifted than the ‘07 Broken Stones, the 2007 Saxum Syrah Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard has perfumed notes of sweet black and blue fruits, flowers, and spice that lead into a stunning palate. It’s full bodied, amazingly textured and just expands in the mouth. Despite the size, it shows nice delineation, balance and a blockbuster finish. (94-96 pts.)

Sean Thackrey

1997 Sean Thackrey Orion (USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena)
Boasting fantastic, complex and nuanced aromatics, the 1997 Sean Thackrey Orion has garrigue, raw meat, leather and beautiful fruit notes of black cherry and cassis literally jumping from the glass. These lead into a medium to full bodied palate that is concentrated, beautifully balanced, structured and long. Drinking fantastically well and an amazing wine! (96 pts.)

Stolpman Vineyards

2007 Stolpman Roussanne L’Avion (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
The white of the trip, the stunning 2007 Stolpman Roussanne L’Avion offers up gorgeously pure notes of stone and tropical fruits mixed with serious mineral and slate aromas. The palate is full bodied, very rich and full but also amazingly delineated and cut. Balanced, clean and long, this is a stunning rhone white! (93-94 pts.)

2006 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
The 2006 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown possesses impressive, bright aromatics of pepper, cassis, blackberry and earth, medium body, a smooth, balanced character and a long finish. (90 pts.)

2006 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown Hilltop Selection (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
Richer and fuller than the ‘06 Estate, the 2006 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown Hilltop Selection is stacked with beautiful blackberry fruit, flowers and mineral notes that lead into a medium to full bodied palate. Beautifully balanced, pure, clean and long, this should drink well over the following 10 to 12 years. (92 pts.)

Tablas Creek

2006 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
With deep, rich aromatics of dark, earthy fruit, minerals, meat and leather nuances, the 2006 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel is a southern Rhone look alike that would hold up well in any Chateauneuf lineup. Full bodied, rich and tannic on the finish, this should drink well for 10 to 12+ years. (92 pts.)

Torbreck

2006 Torbreck Grenache Les Amis (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)
Simply stunning, the 2006 Torbreck Grenache Les Amis possesses fantastic, massive aromatics of blackberry and cassis fruit mixed with licorice, meat and toasted spice. Complex, intense and nuanced. The palate is full bodied with huge fruit, beautiful balance and a structured, tannic finish. A gorgeous wine! (97-99 pts.)

2006 Torbreck Mataro The Pict (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)
Showing big, rich aromas of chocolaty blueberry and blackberry fruit mixed with flowers, spice and loamy earth notes, the 2006 Torbreck Mataro The Pict (100% Mataro) is full bodied, decadent, structured and long. Despite the ripeness level, this has superb structure and acidity keeping everything fresh and interesting. (93-95 pts.)

2005 Torbreck Run Rig (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)
Unbelievably rich and decadent, the 2005 Torbreck Run Rig shows bright, slightly volatile aromas of dark fruit, meat, blood, campfire, chocolate and sweet oak. The slight volatile notes detract but the overall size and intensity here is something. On the palate, the wine is perfect with full body, massive fruit, stunning balance and precision, perfect structure and a long, long finish. (96-98 pts.)

This past Sunday I hosted a 10 year retrospective of 1999 Châteauneuf-du-Papes and seeing as how I’m on record calling the vintage “mediocre”, I almost feel the need to apologize. While not up to ’98, ’00, ’01 or ’03, the region has had an amazing run of strong vintages and 1999 is certainly part of that group. At 10 years of age, these wines are drinking beautifully and offer classic, textbook aromas and flavors with most still offering a solid 5+ years of prime time drinking.  Another strong plus for the ‘99s is that they’re still affordable and most bottles, even the special cuvees, can be purchased for less than 100 dollars.

We started the evening off right with a rocking bottle of 2007 Alban Vineyards Viognier. Full bodied, lush, rich and pure, this had bright minerality and a core of acidity that kept it honest and interesting.

The first flight of reds consisted of a pair from Marcoux and the 1999 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape was one of the more mature bottles of the evening. Ripe, rich and with roasted herb, licorice and a meaty, port like character, this should probably be consumed over the next 4 to 5 years. The 100% grenache (from 90+ year old vines) 1999 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes was in another league and while it started out completely closed, it slowly opened up over the evening to show fantastic, pure dark fruit, cassis, licorice and spice notes. Structured on the palate, this needs an hour or more in a decanter for drinking now and has plenty of structure for further aging.

Flight two showcased the wines of Vieille Julienne and both were drinking beautifully. The 1999 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape started out closed but improved in the glass whereas the 1999 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve was firing on all cylinders! Fantastic aromatics, stunning purity and solid structure all show up and this will offer spectacular drinking over the next 10 or 15 years.  My third bottle this year and each one has been stunning.  Interestingly, more than one person commented on the graphite and almost chocolaty richness to the wine and questioned if this sees any barrique.  All old foudres per the domaine.

The third flight was a personal favorite and these both showed similar profiles with pure, up front and dark fruit driven personalities.   Aromatically, the 1999 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz was very similar to its big brother with thick, rich cassis and dark fruit mixed with beautiful spice aromas and a mineral driven core. The 1999 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Reserve showed more restraint and structure on the palate but had decadent, rich fruit, beautiful balance and stunning purity. Both of these wines are on the upward slope with regards to aging.

The age worthy 1999 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul was structured, tight and slightly burly with rich fruit, minerals and iron aromas.  A candidate for another year or two in the cellar, it was the complete opposite of the 1999 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac. Light, perfumed, floral and spice laden, this is a beautifully balanced, hedonistic wine that seems to be drinking at point.

A slightly controversial bottle of 1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape had some calling foul. I wasn’t one of them and found nothing objectionable and thought it showed solid fruit, spice, roasted herb and mushroom notes, medium to full body and plenty of length on the finish. Possibly softer than a bottle earlier this year, this was still more than a little enjoyable. A cruel joke was the corked bottle of 1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. The only corked wine of the evening and my second corked Hommage in a row.  While this was still drinkable, the nose was hideously corked.  I sucked down my share before the TCA could completely saturate the palate.

The 1999 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée was showing the typical, stunning Pégaü spice aromas along with a masculine, structured, awesomely fruited palate. I’m not sure what the going rate for this is but it offers gorgeous Pégaü terroir in a classic package. Another textbook, classic Chateauneuf, the 1999 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau was impressive with intense aromatics, beautiful balance and a savory, rich texture.  Certainly more accessible than the ‘98, this still seems young to me.

The final flight capped the evening nicely and the 1999 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin showed more southern Rhone typicity than normal with deep, rich and thick fruit, garrigue, smoke and mineral aromas and flavors. This is young and has plenty of years left. The hedonistic 1999 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape offered up stunning sweetness paired with a rich, lush and perfectly balanced palate. Pure pleasure and I’d drink these over the next 10 years. The 1999 Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pape was a step down from the other wines with straightforward aromatics and a rich, meaty palate.  Still very enjoyable and I’d drink bottles over the coming 4 to 5 years.

Thanks to everyone involved and this was another fantastic event with great friends, wine and food!

Wine	Rating
2007 Alban Vineyards Viognier	91
1999 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape	90
1999 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes	94
1999 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape	90
1999 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve	95
1999 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz	93
1999 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Reserve	95
1999 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul	93
1999 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac	92
1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape	90
1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin	NR
1999 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée	93
1999 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau	93
1999 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin	93
1999 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape	94
1999 Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pape	88

Traci and I meet up with a small subset of the local Denver crew last night for a fantastic evening with some great bottles. The venue was Mark’s fantastic abode in downtown Denver and due to showing up late, the festival was in full swing when we arrived.

The night started off with a beautiful bottle of 1990 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. Rich, aromatic and full bodied, this didn’t seem quite up to a previous bottle but was drinking fantastically none the less. There’s still some tannic grip on the finish and this doesn’t seem to be fading to me.

A corked bottle of 1990 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve was a let down but just to put it in perspective, Mark had the bottle sitting next to his corked 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild… suddenly the disappointment for the Rayas was transferred to the Mouton. Hilariously, Mark had opened this bottle weeks ago but was still hanging onto it… probably just to remind himself to sell his remaining bottles.  I had to try it… and can confirm that it was corked… and had been open for some time.

A still young and enjoyable 1998 Louis Bernard Châteauneuf-du-Pape was followed up by the 1995 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I’ve had this multiple times recently and it’s still a pup in terms of development. Clean, pure and very aromatic, this is still tight on the palate. Unfortunately I didn’t get around to trying the 1994 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape and you have to be quick around this crowd as the 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape had long since disappeared.

The 1999 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve was fantastic. Rich, complex and with a sense of elegance, this is beautifully balanced with youthful fruit and complementing oak, fantastic texture and a long finish. Would easily pass for a Bordeaux.

The mammoth 2002 Alban Vineyards Pandora didn’t seem to go over too well with the group but was stunning in its concentration, depth and richness. Heady notes of blackberry, cassis, violets, minerals and scorched earth come leaping out of the glass of this beauty and the palate is full bodied, textured, precise and very long. Still extremely young, this needs 4 or 5 years in the cellar.

Despite having Mitch Hersh in the crowd, burgs/pinots were in short supply. A slightly tired 1985 Echezeaux (I failed to get the producer) improved over the evening but was eclipsed by a rocking 2004 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir East Block. Filled with sweet cherry flavors mixed with vanilla and spice, this had a great palate that was balanced, rich and long.

At this point in the evening, Mark graciously opened a staggering bottle of 1990 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire that was filled with massive garrigue, spice box and stone notes blended with sweet red fruit aromatics. Despite seeing close to 18 months in new oak, this doesn’t show a hint of wood and is intense, perfumed and complex. This continued to flesh out in the glass and showed a full bodied palate with rich fruit, awesome texture and a finish that just wouldn’t quit. Drinking at point and simply a stunning Chateauneuf!!

Prior to capping the evening with cigars (and some laser pen debauchery) a rocking bottle of 1988 Château Rieussec was sucked down with an orange glaze coated vanilla cake. Sweet, balanced and filled with marmalade and apricot jam notes, the palate is balanced, rich and long.

Wines:

Wine	Rating
1990 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée	95
1990 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve	Corked
1986 Château Mouton Rothschild	Corked
1998 Louis Bernard Châteauneuf-du-Pape	90
1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape	NR
1994 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape	NR
1995 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape	92
1999 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve	93
2002 Alban Vineyards Pandora	94
2004 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir East Block	93
1990 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire	98
1988 Château Rieussec	95

We had a great turnout for this and the theme was aussie Shiraz that had been rated 95 or better (Parker, Tanzer, WE, etc.) All wines were served blind and we had no idea what wines were in the tasting. Despite the bumm rap these wines get, I haven’t had this much fun at a tasting in some time and loved drinking these. They also went with just about every course as well so the food theory doesn’t fly with me either.

Flight 1

The 2006 Marquis Philips Shiraz 9 was slightly controversial with half of the table really liking it and the other half claiming it was rubbing alcohol. I think my score shows which camp I was in and this is drinking spectacularly well. Make no mistake about it though, it’s a full bore wine that doesn’t leave much for the imaginaton! This was the best bottle of 2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. I’ve had and it was very different from the bottle in the next flight and a previous bottle I’ve had as well. Tight and with good structue, this improved in the glass and was stunning.

• 2006 Marquis Philips Shiraz 9 - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  Wow, an impressive wine that has big, perfumed and stunning aromatics of blackberry, licorice, paine grille and toasty oak. This is followed up by a full bodied, silky palate that is seamless, lush and long. (96 pts.)
• 2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  This showed a boatload of reduction on the nose but cleaned up quickly to show interesting, dark and earthy aromatics. Subtle herbs, meat and bitter chocolate are supported by fantastic dark fruit aromas that carry over into the full bodied, structured palate and long finish. (94 pts.)

Flight 2

This bottle of 2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. was very different from the previous bottle of the same wine and was much more straightforward, ripe and sweet. Still excellent and I think it would have integrated its fruit and sweetness on the palate with more air. The 2004 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. shows spectacularly well and is seamless, silky and long. While I’ve no doubt this will age fine due to its impeccable balance, it’s stunning now and I’ll be drinking my remaining bottles sooner rather than later.

• 2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  More in line with a previous bottle, this shows straight forward notes of dark fruit, blueberry, earth and toasty oak. The palate was a let down though and lacked structure and depth, coming across as borderline sweet and a little simple. Still, this has serious fruit, a lush texture and a long finish. (90 pts.)
• 2004 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  Just beautiful on the nose and this gained complexity with air. Massive blackberry notes are supported by spice, paine grille, graphite and toasty oak notes and the palate is close to perfect. Full bodied, smooth, seamless and not a hard edge to be found anywhere with the finish going on and on. (97 pts.)

Flight 3

Noticeably different than the previous two flights, these showed more acidity, structure and a slightly different fruit profile with more red fruits to go along with the typical black and blue notes. The 2002 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra McLaren Vale was still a young pup with obvious structure and tannin. This is drinking beautifully but if I was lucky enough to have any bottles, I’d put em in the back of the cellar. The 2006 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley was utterly fantastic and I like this one even more than the 2005… and I thought a hell of a lot of it!

• 2002 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra McLaren Vale - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  Still seemingly very young and compact, this is gorgeous stuff and does almost everything right. Fantastic aromatics of bright, spicy and peppery blackberry and raspberry fruit, earth, smoke, leather and ripe eucalyptus notes lead into a full bodied, rich, balanced and long palate. This has noticeable acidity, structure and tannin. (96 pts.)
• 2006 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  My favorite wine of the night and just packed with earthy, bright and mineral laced fruit, leather and chocolate ganache flavors that cover the palate. Despite the size, this has fantastic acidity, amazing purity, perfect balance and a kick ass finish. (99 pts.)

Flight 4

The 1998 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve was similar to a bottle I had a couple years ago and it’s not showing a hint of its age. Perfectly balanced, smooth and with amazing structure, this is a reference point Shiraz and anyone who thinks these wines can’t age should taste this! The 2001 Barton Vale Shiraz The Challenger was tight and structured with a slight medicinal note on the nose. The 2001 Clarendon Hills Grenache Old Vines Kangarilla Vineyard was the Ringer and is a strange wine and while it improved in the glass, I don’t think there were many people at the table who liked this.

• 1998 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  The second time I’ve had this wine and it’s one of the best aussie I’ve ever tasted. Cassis, blackberry and earthy underbrush aromas are balanced out by pine resin and subtle balsamic aromas and this is as smooth and pure as can be. The palate is full bodied, perfectly balanced, structured, precise and amazingly long. I could drink this every night. (98 pts.)
• 2001 Barton Vale Shiraz The Challenger - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  This shows bright blueberry fruit with spiced meat, herbs and thyme aromas on the nose. Slightly compact and dense, this is full bodied with rich fruit and a long finish. (91 pts.)
• 2001 Clarendon Hills Grenache Old Vines Kangarilla Vineyard - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon
  Strange, strange, strange and I thought this was flawed and borderline undrinkable at first. While the nose was interesting with huge notes of rosemary, dried cherries, earth and roasted herbs, it also showed an alcoholic edge… and the palate was a complete nightmare that had me looking for a spit bucket… and I wasn’t spitting. I left this in the glass though and the alcohol on the nose became less apparent and the palate lost its hard edge as well… so, not a good showing but judgment reserved. If you got em, decant.

Dessert

Not sure what the going rate is for this but if you’re a fan of Sauternes, give this a whirl.

• 2002 Step Rd Sémillon Reserve Selection - Australia, South Eastern
  A dead ringer for a 2003 Sauternes, this has straight forward notes of honeyed tropical fruits, beautiful purity, a precise texture and a long finish. (91 pts.)

And I mean the fly over part tongue in cheek because hanging out with the likes of Brad England, Chris Larson, Chris Palm and Steve Sigmond make the lovely city of Minneapolis a destination unto itself. Absolutely class act folks and I’m more than a little happy to have family in the area to give me an excuse to visit.

Starter Whites at Steve’s

We started this evening at Steve’s where we sucked down the 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé and after just having a bottle of the 2006, I’m even more convinced that these wines are the best right out of the gate. This had a similar structure to the 2006 but had a big wallop of juicy fruit as well. The N.V. Taittinger Champagne Prelude Grand Cru is a special N.V. cuvee sourced all from Grand Cru vineyards and was big, full bodied, soft and lush.

• 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol
  Along with the 2007 Mordoree Tavel, one of the best Rosé wines I’ve ever had. Just stacked with ripe, juicy strawberry fruit on the nose, this picks up minerals, flowers and orange rind notes with air. The palate is medium to full bodied and is perfectly balanced, structured, completely dry and looong. While this doesn’t have the massive fruit component present in the Mordoree, it makes up for it with amazing structure, precision and edge. (94 pts.)
• N.V. Taittinger Champagne Prelude Grand Cru - France, Champagne
  Very yeasty with tons of toasted bread aromas, this shows plump, soft, full bodied fruit backed up by nice mineral notes. Not terribly structured so this isn’t something I would hang onto for too long but man is it drinking well now. (93 pts.)

Chateauneufs at Heidi’s

What a lineup of wines… Aside from the Baron and Solitude, I thought all of these were borderline perfection and there wasn’t a dog to be found. Maybe the wines really are this good or maybe the company made them all taste better; one thing I do know is that it wasn’t the freaking heat making them show so well and while we waited for a table in the 85+ degree and 100 percent humidity entry way, I could only shudder when the trusty maitre d’ commented that he might have to seat us in the sauna room…

While we waited for a table, we sucked down glasses of the 2003 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Baron and it was served double blind. I’m a fan of this wine and while this didn’t seem as structured as some previous bottles, it was still a delicious, hedonistic and lush wine. The 1989 Domaine de la Solitude (Lançon Père et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape was a solid bottle but both of these were overshadowed by the next two wines.

Apparently, Brad special orders his 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape with only the good flavors of brett and this bottle had em in spades. Ripe, lush and silky, this wine is just fantastic and I’ll never grow tired of drinking it. The 2003 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape was as good as I remembered from a previous bottle and I thought it was hilarious when someone proclaimed that they wanted to dislike the wine since it was so fashionable to hate it. So true and I completely understand the statement. This bottle was my second favorite of the night and it had the sheer drinkablity and elegance of the Beaucastel but also blockbuster, ripe and spectacular fruit to go along with it.

The 2001 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul was just pure grenache to the core and hard to fault. One of the few wines of the night that seemed backwards and a little closed on the nose at first. This really opened up in the glass and was a stunning bottle. The 2001 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes showed just like they always do. Ripe, jammy, black fruited and slightly atypical… Actually, the damn things stick out like sore thumbs in lineups. I thought this bottle was fantastic though and really showed impressive fruit with plenty of underlying structure. As to when to drink these, they just don’t seem to close down and with the fruit quality here, I have to say I’d lean towards drinking these babies on the young side if you don’t mind ripe tannins.

This was my first taste of the 2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo and thank you, thank you and thank you to Steve for sharing this! Tight on the nose, this continued to open up over the evening and this wine is unbelievable on the palate. Would I be able to distinguish this from the Réservée? Tough to say but this was one seriously endowed wine and I think everyone at the table was a fan.

• 2003 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Baron - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  From Mag. Showing pure raspberry liquor and kirsch on the nose, this is ripe, heady stuff. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this bottle was slightly softer than previous ones but still had good density, nice balance and plenty of fine grained tannins on the finish. (92 pts.)
• 1989 Domaine de la Solitude (Lançon Père et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Very dark, earthy and almost bloody, this is packed with licorice infused dark fruit, spice and subtle balsamic aromas that lead into a medium to full bodied palate. While better on the nose, this has a rich, savory texture and decent length. Improved with air. (89 pts.)
• 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Not much I can say about this wine that hasn’t already been stated and this bottle was rocking. Seamless, silky and just drinking perfectly. I don’t think this bottle is going to fade anytime soon but I’d drink em if you got em cuz I can’t imagine this getting better than right now. (97 pts.)
• 2003 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  The only other wine of the night to come close to the silky seamlessness of the Beaucastel, this was screaming good and close to my WOTN. Aromatically, this is absolutely fantastic and shows pure raspberry liquor, kirsch, licorice and perfumed spice notes and while it is very ripe, everything works and the elegant, seamless character pulls everything together. Full bodied, lush, seamless, long and perfectly built, there wasn’t a hint of the heat or the roasted aromas that other have found in this wine. (98 pts.)
• 2001 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  While this started out almost broodingly backwards on the nose, it really opened up with air and is an amazing example of old vine grenache. Just packed with blackberry and raspberry fruit, leather and garrigue aromas on the nose, this has real depth and richness. I couldn’t find a fault with the palate and it’s full bodied, perfectly balanced with solid underlying structure, a lush texture and an amazingly long finish. (97+ pts.)
• 2001 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  These wines always come across as so modern and almost jammy that it’s difficult to put them in a lineup of other CdPs and really appreciate it. Regardless, this wine is utterly fantastic and is very similar to the 2005 with massive aromatics of blackberry, cassis, graphite, licorice and spice. Very fruit driven but this has structure to burn and is full bodied, perfectly balanced and amazingly clean with a finish that won’t quit. (97 pts.)
• 2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Very tight on the nose with dark, fantastically rich and dense fruit, spice, black pepper (lots) and meaty notes; this continued to open up on the nose over the course of the evening but still remained slightly backwards. The palate however is as good as it gets and is bursting at the seems with extract, fruit and structure. Full bodied, absolutely massive and with a finish that goes on and on; this is really just a beast of a wine. (99 pts.)

Just an outstanding time with great people, food and wine… and you know it’s a successful evening when you start getting glares and sporadic “shuss” from nearby tables. I think the da Capo was the clear favorite of the group but it spread out from there without any clear consensus.

Thanks again to the Minneapolis crowd for their amazing hospitality!

Jeb

Another outstanding Sunday with the Denver crowd and I was the lucky host for this event.. Benefits include not spitting and getting to sample the left over wine over the following days. We started off with a small flight of impressive whites and then dove head first into some serious reds.

Whites

While the 2006 Domaine Yves Cuilleron St. Péray Les Potiers was excellent, both the 2006 Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc and 2001 Louis Bernard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc were a noticeable step up in both complexity and richness. The Bernard was fantastic and showed some killer aromatics.

• 2006 Domaine Yves Cuilleron St. Péray Les Potiers - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray
  100% marsanne that sees 9 months in barrique with 6000 bottle produced. More on the subtle and understated side, this shows nice waxy and honeyed fruit with earth and nut notes coming through with air. Medium bodied and well balanced, it has a soft, lush texture and a medium length finish. (88 pts.)
• 2006 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  A great rhone blanc, this has ripe, waxy fruit, honey, flowers and smoke notes to go along with a medium to full bodied palate. Well balanced, this has nice acidity and a full, viscous texture. Excellent. (91 pts.)
• 2001 Louis Bernard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  This bottle showed fantastic aromatics with rich, ripe fruit, toasted almonds, creme brulee and wax notes. The palate is medium to full bodied, lush, full and well balanced. (92 pts.)

1998 Chateauneufs

A brilliant line of 98s and the more of these I drink, the more similarity I see between them. Lots of ripe fruit but also considerable structure and tannins on the backend. Of the trio, the 1998 Domaine Lucien Barrot et Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape seemed the youngest and had the most fruit while the 1998 Domaine St. Benoit Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Garde was still structured and tannic. The 1998 Caves des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Closiers is excellent but I’m not convinced it has the fruit on the midpalate to handle its tannic backbone.

• 1998 Domaine Lucien Barrot et Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  This bottle was singing and has some seriously good fruit. The nose is packed with earthy cherry fruit, herbs de Provence, pipe tobacco and smoke aromas and the palate is medium bodied, beautifully balanced with ripe fruit, a savory, mouth filling texture with gobs of tannins and structure kicking in on the finish. Big, ripe and slightly rustic, this is drinking great now but still needs more time for the tannins to integrate and should last for quite some time after that. (92 pts.)
• 1998 Domaine St. Benoit Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Garde - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Even better than the last bottles of this, this is a big, structured wine with licorice, earth and dried spice aromas, medium to full body, serious structure and a long finish. Well balanced and has a great meaty, savory texture on the palate. (92 pts.)
• 1998 Caves des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Closiers - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Much better than a previous bottle, this has awesome aromatics of licorice infused plums and cherries, spice, tobacco, hoisin sauce and some serious dirt. The palate is medium bodied, streamlined and almost elegant with some substantial tannins kicking in on the finish.. and I’m not sure that they won’t outlive the fruit in this wine. This does flesh out with air and has some impressive length on the finish… tannins though.. lots of em.. drink up! (90 pts.)

Flight 2

Hard to beat the 2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée and I’ve gone through close to 10 bottles of the stuff… and still can’t get enough of it. The 1999 Domaine Monpertuis (Paul Jeune) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition was structured and slightly hard and the 2004 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Croix de Bois was stunning. Given its fruit and profile, not a chance I’d have guessed it was from 2004.

• 1999 Domaine Monpertuis (Paul Jeune) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Big and spicy, this shows boatloads of red earth, pepper, cherry and licorice aromas and there’s nice complexity and depth. Medium bodied with killer fruit, this is balanced and just packed with backend structure. Tannic and concentrated, this has lots of upside but comes across as slightly hard and angular at the moment. (92 pts.)
• 2000 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Yeah… corked. NR (flawed)
• 2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Just an utterly profound wine and it never fails to disappoint… decant, don’t decant, one day, two day.. doesn’t matter and it seems to always show well. Just a massive wine, this has unreal levels of dark meaty fruit, spice, leather and game aromas, full body, perfect balance, awesome texture and a monster finish. (99 pts.)
• 2004 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Croix de Bois - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  First time trying this wine and it gets a serious Wow! Showing a modern slant, this baby has awesome levels of pure, clean fruit to go along with graphite, licorice, smoke and earthy notes. I’d be surprised if this hadn’t seen any barrique and there’s subtle vanilla and wood notes as well. Full bodied and just a hedonistic dream on the palate, this is lush, balanced, pure, and long. (93 pts.)

Beaucastel and Reine des Bois

A pristine bottle, the 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape was incredible and everything you could want in a mature Chateauneuf. Easily the best bottle I’ve had. The 2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape didn’t necessarily seemed closed but certainly wasn’t firing on all cylinders either. This bottle of 2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois was a revelation to me. While this has always been fantastic, it’s never shown the depth, richness or texture as it did this night. I’m thrilled to have a couple more of these.

• 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  The best bottle of this I’ve had, this was picture perfect with layers of red fruits, dried spice, leather and earthy notes, medium body, perfect, seamless texture and a long finish. Just an absolute joy to drink and thank you Steve! (97 pts.)
• 2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Not quite as open as a previous bottle, this possesses beautiful notes of ripe red fruits, saddle leather, spice and earth on the nose. The palate is medium bodied and beautifully balanced. Just seamless and with nothing out of place, this shows fine grained tannins hiding under the fruit on the long finish. (92 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Wow, easily the best bottle of this I’ve had and I’d almost guess I was drinking the 2001 instead of the 2005. This has a drop dead gorgeous inky purple color that just clings to the glass. The nose is packed with cassis and blackberry fruit, graphite, earth, licorice and smoky notes that lead into a full bodied, seriously concentrated palate. This bottle really showed the back end level of structure and concentration that some of the previous bottle had been missing and backed it up with a mouthfilling, lush texture. Structured and built from the back to the front, this is long, clean and freaking great! (97 pts.)

Sauternes & dessert

There’s a lots of notes about the 1983 Château Raymond-Lafon being over the hill but I don’t see it. While the sugar and sweetness isn’t fruit and center, this is complex, balanced and rich and there’s plenty of stuffing on the palate. We had another killer bottle of 1989 Sauternes but some rat bastard took that bottle home for themselves.

• 1983 Château Raymond-Lafon - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  A great bottle, this showed rich apricot, honey, creme brulee and earthy aromas, medium to full body, beautiful texture and a long finish. This really opened up with air and while it’s not incredibly sweet, there’s lot of complexity and more than enough fruit. (93 pts.)

As always with this group, just a stunning time with an honerable mention out to Susan and Terri for some rock star support in the kitchen!
Salut!
Jeb

• 2001 Prieuré Saint-Jean de Bébian Coteaux du Languedoc La Chapelle de Bébian - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc
  This started off with an interesting but subtle nose of spicy dark fruits, minerals and roasted herb notes but it also possesses a deep, earthy mushroom streak. An excellent palate that’s medium bodied with rich fruit, nice texture and a medium length finish. With air, this became surprisingly fruit forward and picked up more red fruit notes. (88 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine de Puech Chaud Coteaux du Languedoc - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc
  The nose on this literally jumps from the glass and shows bright, high-toned fruit to go along with boat loads of new saddle leather, garrigue, spice and brett. Medium bodied and well balanced with nice acidity, a smooth silky texture and subtle fine grained tannins. (88 pts.)
• 2000 Clos du Prieur Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St. Loup - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St. Loup
  Bright raspberry and cherry fruit aromas on the nose are backed up by dusty earth, roasted herbs, spice and forest floor notes. Medium bodied with sweet fruit, nice acidity and a smooth texture that leads into a medium length finish. This almost shows a chocolaty overtone on the palate. (87 pts.)
• 2001 Château Grande Cassagne Costières-de-Nîmes Hippolyte - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes
  While ever so slightly corked, this was still packed with dark, spicy fruit layered on top of subtle milk chocolate, raw meat, mushroom and earth notes. Medium to full bodied with a great palate. Rich fruit, awesome texture and impressive length on the finish where ripe, substantial tannins kick in. The fruit definitely leans towards the over ripe spectrum but this holds it together and is stunning. (91 pts.)

• 2000 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/30/2007)
  Unfortunately, this bottle was slightly corked. The worst part being that had it not been corked, this would have been the finest bottle I’ve had of this to date. The nose showed awesome raspberry, spice, licorice and tea leaf aromas but every third sniff would yield damp concrete and card board notes. The palate didn’t seem to be effected and was brilliant. Lower acidity than previous bottles, it’s silky, smooth, lush and almost creamy with perfect balance. If not for the corked aromas, 96 points. (FLAWED)
• 2000 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/30/2007)
  This was drunk over two days and really took some time to unwind but when it did, yaazow, it’s some killer juice. Garrigue, garrigue and more garrigue show up on the nose and mix with spice, licorice, pepper and tree bark notes. The palate really shines and has gobs of rich fruit overlaying some serious structure. Rich, deep and amazing long, this is an outstanding bottle of wine. (96 pts.)
• 2003 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/30/2007)
  A blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, this shows spectacular aromas of bright raspberry, cherry, spice and tea leaves. The palate is full bodied with an amazing, full, lush and almost creamy texture, perfect balance and seriously sweet fruit. While not extremely complex at this point, this possesses such a wow palate and finish it’s hard to stop drinking it. The finish shows substantial fine grained tannins. (98 pts.)
• 2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/30/2007)
  A blend of 70% grenache, 15% syrah and 10% mourvèdre that is dark, rich and meaty with licorice, garrigue, roasted meat, pepper, leather and earth notes on the extremely perfumed nose. The palate is full bodied and perfectly proportioned in every way. Amazingly rich fruit, stunning texture, massive sweet tannins and incredible length. I don’t know how it could be better. This bottle was drunk over two days. (100 pts.)

A small group showed up at Table 6 in Denver, CO to do a tasting of the Torbreck wines with the wine maker, David Powell, and similar to the Ben Glatzer tasting that was held there close to a year ago, the food, wine and ambiance were excellent.

The two whites were poured first to go with a Pork Belly and Watermelon first course and a white fish in a potato broth second course. It was a interesting comparison between these two wines and while I like the 2006 Torbreck Semillon Woodcutter’s White more at first, it lost some precision and crispness with air. The 2006 Torbreck Marsanne/Roussanne is excellent with vibrant acidity, depth and complexity and this continued to drink well over the two courses.

The 2006 Torbreck (Cuvee) Juveniles was poured next beside a Foie course with plum jelly and toast.. that’s called one decadent PB&J… It was educational to taste this wine knowing that it sees no oak and is brought up completely in stainless steel. Despite seeing no wood, the vanilla, spice and creaminess that I normally associate (apparently incorrectly) with oak were still present and overall, this left the impression of being a soft, straightforward but delicious wine. Along side a Kobe Hamburger with fries, the 2005 Torbreck Shiraz The Struie and the 2004 Torbreck Shiraz The Factor were a noticeable step up and I could not decide which of these wines I liked more. The Struie is simply an awesome wine and has this pure, precise edge that is so often lacking in Aussie Shirazes and made it so enjoyable to drink. This is not a wine you’ll have trouble drinking more than a glass of. It lacked the exotic qualities and sheer power of the Factor but both are simply stunning wines and beautifully built.

We finished up with a peach and cream dessert and the 2005 Torbreck Muscat The Bothie. The Bothie was like pureed peach and pineapple with a shot of hard liquor and while the aromatics were beautiful, the alcoholic zing on the back end of the palate wasn’t my favorite.

• 2006 Torbreck Sémillon Woodcutter’s White - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  An easy drinking, ripe and rich white that has plenty of up front fruit with some subtle butter, wood and nut aromas. The palate is medium to full bodied with decent balance, nice texture and a enjoyable finish. Delicious stuff. (88 pts.)
• 2006 Torbreck Marsanne/Roussanne - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
  Beautiful stuff with a slightly reticent nose of citrus fruit, minerals and roasted almonds. The palate is medium to full bodied and balanced with a precise and clean texture, ripe fruit and a long finish. (90 pts.)

• 2006 Torbreck (Cuvée) Juveniles - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Soft and straight forward with beautiful black cherry and raspberry fruit mixed with spice and white chocolate aromas. Full bodied with a soft, slightly creamy texture, ripe fruit and a medium length, enjoyable finish. (89 pts.)
• 2005 Torbreck Shiraz The Struie - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Absolutely stunning with an almost cool climate fruit profile. Rich cassis and blackberry fruit aromas are backed up by toasty oak and subtle vanilla notes on the nose and the palate is full bodied with amazing precision, purity and length. Just a beautiful wine that is a joy to drink. (96 pts.)
• 2004 Torbreck Shiraz The Factor - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Slightly exotic and a bruiser at the moment. Amazingly rich dark fruit, meat, earth, flowers, chocolate and bacon notes literally jump from the glass but there’s not a trace of heat. The palate is full bodied with nice structure but so much fruit overlaying everything that it’s easy to miss. Beautifully balanced, textured and complex, it’s hard not to love this wine and the finish is long and rich. 96+ (96 pts.)

• 2005 Torbreck Muscat The Bothie - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  A beautiful nose of sweet peach and pineapple but the finish seems hot and slightly disjointed. (82 pts.)

Once the tasting was over, a small group of us consisting of Brad Vanderpool, his lovely wife Pam, David Powell, Sean O’leary, Steve Carpenter and Paul David did the quick drive over to Brad and Pam’s house for more wine and food. We certainly had some interesting conversations that unfortunately got cut short but the wines were stunning. The 1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage possessed one of the most captivating bouquets ever with tons of dirt, spice, blood and rich fruit aromas leading into a silky, streamlined palate with beautiful length. I’m a fan. The 2005 Pax Syrah Obsidian Vineyard was a complete surprise to me in that it was compact, tight and fabulously structured. Other commented that it seemed disjointed and while I wouldn’t go that far, it was young and angular. If I had any more, I’d wait some time before opening it. The 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Gallina di Neive capped the evening and did so in style. Open and while evolved, it’s simply delicious, fragrant and stunning and the fact that it’s drinking so well right now shouldn’t be a mark against it in my opinion.

• 1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Wow, the aromatics on this wine are just about as good as it gets with rich, spice laden red and black fruit mixed with some serious dirt, smoke and raw meat aromas. Full bodied and beautifully textured, it’s precise, pure and almost silky with a long finish. Drinking perfectly and I love it. (95 pts.)
• 2005 Pax Syrah Obsidian Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
  Surprisingly tight and structured, this is still an infant with some big potential. The nose shows rich dark cherry, blackberry, campfire, and coffee grind notes. Full bodied and powerful on the palate but also tight, tannic and slightly unforgiving at the moment. Even so, there’s nice length and depth on the finish so if everything comes together, this could be a rock star wine. (91 pts.)
• 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Gallina di Neive - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
  Who says nebbiolo needs to age to be enjoyable.. Fabulous stuff that was singing. Beautiful cherry, potpourri, flowers and spice aromas are backed up by a medium to full bodied palate that has great texture, balance and depth. There’s a fair amount of sweet tannins on the finish but the ripeness of the fruit, stunning aromatics and seamless texture make this delicious right now. (93 pts.)

As always, thanks to everyone for yet another outstanding evening!