TN: JBL visit (March 6, 2011)

originally posted by Levi Dalton:
The Prevost from last evening was pretty grand, I thought.
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I really wonder about that. For some reason, I don't see what so many people whom I respect, who know more than me about this, see.

I think it is my problem. It may not be the wine.
 
originally posted by VLM:

Did I get my SFJoe/.sasha guesses correct?
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No. I brought the mag of '05 Clos Briords (and the '84 Ridge- Cab, Jimsomare, for that matter), Coad brought the '69 Huet, Manuel brought the '96 Allemand. Not sure who brought the '95 l D'Or or the Haag, but Jayson Cohen may have brought the Germans. Thanks for playing, though.

Btw, I'm not convinced heat damage was the culprit on the '95 Beaucastel. Chris Kravitz brought it and he's had it since release in excellent storage. I've had a number of '95's out of his cellar over the years and they've been fine. That said, there definitely was something wrong with it. Smelled and tasted plasticky.

A really fun night. I'll put my two cents in and some pics when I'm not so tired.
 
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by VLM:

Did I get my SFJoe/.sasha guesses correct?
Click to expand...

No. I brought the mag of '05 Clos Briords (and the '84 Ridge- Cab, Jimsomare, for that matter), Coad brought the '69 Huet, Manuel brought the '96 Allemand. Not sure who brought the '95 l D'Or or the Haag, but Jayson Cohen may have brought the Germans. Thanks for playing, though.

Btw, I'm not convinced heat damage was the culprit on the '95 Beaucastel. Chris Kravitz brought it and he's had it since release in excellent storage. I've had a number of '95's out of his cellar over the years and they've been fine. That said, there definitely was something wrong with it. Smelled and tasted plasticky.

A really fun night. I'll put my two cents in and some pics when I'm not so tired.
Click to expand...

Were any of the other guesses right?

1995 Beaucastel is a fucked, done wine. Had enough from my own cellar that I'm pretty confident in that call. I called that wine totally wrong.
 
Bongran was great. Cohen.
Didn't bring the Haag. Cohen.
Cotat pink Joe's. I do Pascal in odd vintages, Francois in even.
Coad may have been responsible for Huet '69.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by VLM:

Did I get my SFJoe/.sasha guesses correct?
Click to expand...

No. I brought the mag of '05 Clos Briords (and the '84 Ridge- Cab, Jimsomare, for that matter), Coad brought the '69 Huet, Manuel brought the '96 Allemand. Not sure who brought the '95 l D'Or or the Haag, but Jayson Cohen may have brought the Germans. Thanks for playing, though.

Btw, I'm not convinced heat damage was the culprit on the '95 Beaucastel. Chris Kravitz brought it and he's had it since release in excellent storage. I've had a number of '95's out of his cellar over the years and they've been fine. That said, there definitely was something wrong with it. Smelled and tasted plasticky.

A really fun night. I'll put my two cents in and some pics when I'm not so tired.
Click to expand...

Were any of the other guesses right?

1995 Beaucastel is a fucked, done wine. Had enough from my own cellar that I'm pretty confident in that call. I called that wine totally wrong.
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I know Joe did the Knoll, which was great and the Cotat, which I didn't love. He also opened up I think '99 Nigl Riesling at the end of the night, which was lovely. I forget the vineyard. He also opened the '99 Mag of Monte Bello and maybe another bottle or two. Maybe one of the sparklers I skipped.

Don't agree with you at all about the '95 Beau in general. Intact bottles have been and are currently showing beautifully.
 
Thanks for the F Rinaldi note.

I haven't had the 06's since I tasted them from cask about 3 years ago. I am absolutely enamored with the wines here from 04 on, and have a lot of the 06's one their way soon.

Handily the best QPR I can think of in Piedmont these days, besting Produttori, Cavallotto Bricco Boschis (probably my second favorite in the hunt), Vietti Castiglione, Vajra, Cortese and all the other $50 and under bottlings I can think of.
 
(In keeping with the machine-gun delivery)
Quite a line-up.
The Montebello is in my cellar in that format but I had thought it too young.
The Knoll I've had 3 times - once, it was remarkable.
Never had the 95 Durell but - I will.
That Ravenswood was pretty at one time.
Had the 96 Reynard but the Chaillot - liked it.
Cotat Rose can be nice - or not.
Best, Jim
 
I have had Mt. Eden chardonnays that tasted like generic, buttery California chardonnay and I have had Mt. Eden chardonnays that reached the glorious pinnacle of what chardonnay can do. The 2002 I had shortly after release fell into the former category. An example of the latter category is 1995. I can't explain why they're so bipolar, but I never buy multiples without tasting one first.
 
OK, can someone who attended (perhaps the host) explain that Knoll to me. And I mean "explain" in a Callahanian/Connellian sort of way.

Josh, that Rinaldi was thrilling, as far as young juice goes.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
I have had Mt. Eden chardonnays that tasted like generic, buttery California chardonnay and I have had Mt. Eden chardonnays that reached the glorious pinnacle of what chardonnay can do. The 2002 I had shortly after release fell into the former category. An example of the latter category is 1995. I can't explain why they're so bipolar, but I never buy multiples without tasting one first.
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They change with time. I thought that the 1979 and 1980 were simple and buttery when they were young, but they ended up giving the 1978 a good run for its money.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
I have had Mt. Eden chardonnays that tasted like generic, buttery California chardonnay and I have had Mt. Eden chardonnays that reached the glorious pinnacle of what chardonnay can do. The 2002 I had shortly after release fell into the former category. An example of the latter category is 1995. I can't explain why they're so bipolar, but I never buy multiples without tasting one first.
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They change with time. I thought that the 1979 and 1980 were simple and buttery when they were young, but they ended up giving the 1978 a good run for its money.
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That explanation doesn't jive with my experiences: vintages in the generic buttery category have tended to stay that way through their eventual slide over the hill.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
OK, can someone who attended (perhaps the host) explain that Knoll to me. And I mean "explain" in a Callahanian/Connellian sort of way.
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Well, you ask a lot. Those are big shoes to fill at the podium.

It's very ripe juice, a cellar selection, but I think typically from the Loibenberg.

He practices a more oxidative early process than many of his neighbors--brown juice clarifying, and IIRC, more big wood than steel.

The wine shows some botrytis to my palate, but the main thing about it is that it is very, very young. VLM will tell me it should have been drunk five years ago, of course.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by VLM:

Did I get my SFJoe/.sasha guesses correct?
Click to expand...

No. I brought the mag of '05 Clos Briords (and the '84 Ridge- Cab, Jimsomare, for that matter), Coad brought the '69 Huet, Manuel brought the '96 Allemand. Not sure who brought the '95 l D'Or or the Haag, but Jayson Cohen may have brought the Germans. Thanks for playing, though.

Btw, I'm not convinced heat damage was the culprit on the '95 Beaucastel. Chris Kravitz brought it and he's had it since release in excellent storage. I've had a number of '95's out of his cellar over the years and they've been fine. That said, there definitely was something wrong with it. Smelled and tasted plasticky.

A really fun night. I'll put my two cents in and some pics when I'm not so tired.
Click to expand...

Were any of the other guesses right?

1995 Beaucastel is a fucked, done wine. Had enough from my own cellar that I'm pretty confident in that call. I called that wine totally wrong.
Click to expand...
We drank a 95 Beaucastel last Sat night.
It definitely was tainted by a low level of TCA. I wonder if that played a role in your off bottles.
 
originally posted by Josh Beck:
F RinaldiThanks for the F Rinaldi note.

I haven't had the 06's since I tasted them from cask about 3 years ago. I am absolutely enamored with the wines here from 04 on, and have a lot of the 06's one their way soon.

Handily the best QPR I can think of in Piedmont these days, besting Produttori, Cavallotto Bricco Boschis (probably my second favorite in the hunt), Vietti Castiglione, Vajra, Cortese and all the other $50 and under bottlings I can think of.
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Josh and Levi, how are the 05s at F Rinaldi?
The Cannubio, Brunate and regular Barolo are all still available locally.
 
Joe is right about the Knoll, although I think in 2001 there was almost no INOX. It's also bottled quite late, and has this odd (for me) oxidative note on the back palate going on. Years ahead in its life - I drank all of mine too young.
 
OK, thanks guys. I definitely buy into the "too young" thing, I am just struggling with the whole smaragd GV concept here. Or is it the smaragd GV oxidative concept. Not sure. I used to struggle with FX Cuvee M a lot as well.
 
originally posted by Marc D:
We drank a 95 Beaucastel last Sat night.
It definitely was tainted by a low level of TCA. I wonder if that played a role in your off bottles.
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Possible. Although not rushed this was a dinner party so not a lot of time to focus on 'what is this flaw'.
 
I've had the Knoll three times.
Once it was too young and showed little.
Once it was stellar and about has good as GV could get.
And the last time it was showing some oxidation.
Best, Jim
 
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