A few wines from saturday

J

Jay Miller

Jay Miller
There were a lot more good bottles but here are a very few of them that come to mind:

2002 Thomas Labaille Sancerre 'Cuvee Buster' - my wotn, intense, soaring, a marvel

1991 Laurel Glen Cabernet - if only more people were still making Cabernet like this. Some pleasant cabernet herbaceousness, balanced, some tobacco, a bit more fruit than really old style Bordeaux but that's not a criticism on this case, just a reflection of where the grapes were grown. According to Josh they're still doing wines in the same style.

2008 Maisons Brulees (Michel Auge) Vin de Table Le Herdeleau - just as good as my first bottle of this, started out with pure spritzy berry fruit, got darker with air, and then achieved and impressive purity. Delightful.

2000 Trimbach 'Hors Choix' Gewurtztraminer - gorgeous aromatics, rich and sweet lychee and rosewater. no surprises, but a lovely bottle.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Yah, that Laurel Glen was very good.
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Talk about coincidence, I just had the '91 Laurel Glen last night ! Totally agree with you guys, this was really good and I wish more Cali cabs were done the same way. I was happy when I saw this was 12.5%.
I paid $25 last month when I bought it..go figure.

Your description is spot on Jay.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
A few wines from saturdayThere were a lot more good bottles but here are a very few of them that come to mind:

2008 Maisons Brulees (Michel Auge) Vin de Table Le Herdeleau - just as good as the first bottle, started out with pure spritzy berry fruit, got darker with air, and then achieved and impressive purity. Delightful.
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Can you tell me a little more about this one?
 
It was a great night. Really terrific food and wine and the usual great company.

My faves were the Thomas-Labaille Cuvee Buster, Huet, Trimbach Gewurz SGN, Lapierre, L'Arlot, Monte Bello, Laurel Glen and Gonon.

Here are pics of the wines.

Whites: From left to right.
'02 Thomas-Labaille- Sancerre "Les Monts Damnes" "Cuvee Buster," '97 Foreau- Vouvray Sec, '00 Trimbach- Pinot Gris "Hommage a Jeanne," '08 Huet- Vouvray Demi-Sec, Le Mont, '09 Wind Gap- Trousseau Gris, '04 Chateau du Chamboureau- Savennieres "Cuvee D'Avant," '09 La Courtade- Cotes de Provence Rose "L'Alycastre," '00 Trimbach- Gewurztraminer SGN "Hors Choix."

The_whites_&_rose-1.JPG
Reds: From left to right.
'09 Lapierre- Morgon, '02 Domaine L'Arlot- Vosne Romanee "Les Suchots," '07 Domaine Serene- Pinot Noir "Yamhill Cuvee," Willamette Valley, '08 Domaine des Maisons Brulees- Vin de Table "Le Herdeleau," '03 Belle Pente- Pinot Noir "Belle Pente Vineyard," Willamette Valley, '05 Paolo Bea- Montefalco Rosso "San Valentino," '97 Clos Rougeard- Saumur Champigny "Les Poyeaux," '83 Haut-Bailly- Graves, '95 Ridge- Monte Bello,Santa Cruz Mountains, '91 Laurel Glen- Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain, '08 Cowan Cellars- Syrah, Dry Stack Vineyard, Bennett Valley, '07 Gonon- St. Joseph, '09 Gramenon- Cotes du Rhone Villages, "Les Laurentides."

The_reds.JPG
 
Alright, techies. Anyone know why my picture of the whites won't show up while the reds do? I'm doing the exact same thing.
 
Indeed, a bunch of great wines.

Brad, I can't see your first pic.

The Huet is brilliant.

The Wind Gap Trousseau Gris was actually very nice wine, not sure I'd back up the truck, but good stuff from the west coast.

The Gonon should sleep for several years.

The Monte Bello was a fine vintage, and I think one I mostly missed as I changed coasts.

I brought the Clos Rougeard, and it is old hat to many of you, but I thought it showed well.

The Laurentides is such a great example of a clean, pure wine made with the best of intentions that I just can't drink. I had a discussion with Chris where I proposed that all the components were in balance. He looked at me incredulously, and said, "are you kidding?" I kind of think it's true, but his point is more important, you still can't drink the wine. So syrupy.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:

The Wind Gap Trousseau Gris was actually very nice wine, not sure I'd back up the truck, but good stuff from the west coast.
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My impression of that wine when I had it in Oakland was quite similar to yours. Who knew that Grey Riesling could be that much fun?

Mark Lipton
 
Classy line-up, thanks for sharing. The other Trimbach was a Hommage a Jeanne? What year was the Huet? Any notes on the Cowan Syrah and Lapierre 09?

Thanks again.
 
The Huet was the '08 Le Mont Demi-Sec. I was bogarting the bottle and calling it my precious. Stunning juice.

I love the '09 Lapierre and I know a bunch of others there felt the same way. Just so slurpable now. Yeah, it's primary and needs some time, but who cares?
 
Thanks. I'm impressed to hear Joe waxing rhapsodic about such a dewy young bottling - thought it must have been much older. It looks like I still have a lot to learn about the Huet thing.
 
originally posted by Brad Kane:
The Huet was the '08 Le Mont Demi-Sec. I was bogarting the bottle and calling it my precious. Stunning juice.
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I drank the 07 version last night. Still open and giving lots of pleasure.
Didn't lapse into gollum speak, but it brought a smile.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Classy line-up, thanks for sharing. The other Trimbach was a Hommage a Jeanne?
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Yes. It was very good, but a few of us detected the very slightest trace of tca taint. Not enough to truly mar the wine, but just enough to know the bottle wasn't pristine.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Thanks. I'm impressed to hear Joe waxing rhapsodic about such a dewy young bottling - thought it must have been much older. It looks like I still have a lot to learn about the Huet thing.
Click to expand...
Not my first report on young wines from them.

Part of the enjoyment of a wine like that is seeing the long road ahead, but it's also delicious now in its youth.
 
Sometimes the old hats are the best. The Clos Rougeard was a particularly stylish number. Delightful as it is, I think I'll hold my sole bottle for another few years. But if anyone wants to open one of theirs in the interim, please, feel free.

The 2002 l'Arlot VR 'Suchots' was another favorite. Light on its feet and surprisingly open for a 2002.

The 1983 Haut Bailly was a great example of why I used to like Bordeaux.

The Domaine Serene was better than DRC! Of course Despicably Rotted Chardonnay makes lousy wine.

There are wines I did't try in that lineup. Where did that Cowan Cellars come from?

The Valentino was delicious.

The Wind Gap was ... fine.

I couldn't drink the Laurentides.

The Montebello was a bit surly on its own but really took off with the pulled pork.

I didn't get TCA on the Hommage but it was not showing as well as previous bottles so I can certainly believe it was there below my mediocre level of detectability.
 
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