Like a moth to a flame, resistance was futile when Mark Anisman started waving around a bottle of '90 Gentaz-Dervieux as an inducement to come over to his stylish Yountville home for dinner. I certainly would've settled for far less, but playing hard to get certainly has its rewards. Lou and BettyLu Kessler also came over and my last evening in Napa was a most enjoyable one.
2009 Bera Vittorio E. Figli- Moscato d'Asti Canelli
Sweet, but not overly so. Lively and refreshing with peach and passion fruit flavors and aromas dominating, with hints of white flowers. A lovely starter. A-/B+.
1990 Gentaz-Dervieux- Côte-Rôtie, Cuvée Réservée Côte Brune
What a wonderful and rare treat. One must mourn a little when opening a bottle from the master as one realizes there are fewer and fewer bottles left in the world. The wine was wonderful. Alive, vibrant and ever changing. The nose started off with an intensely bloody meat aroma that quickly shifted into the bacon fat realm and then the ripe red fruit part of the spectrum before harmonizing into a perfect synthesis of all of the above. On the palate the fruit was ripe, but not heavy or roasted. In fact, the wine showed a very Burgundian personality in it's sophistication, silkiness and weight without being heavy. Really singing right now with similar flavors as aromas with the addition of light spice and iodine notes that lurk in the background. No harm in holding them longer if you have them, but I really like where the fruit levels are now and the balance. Solid A.
1990 André Passat- Hermitage
A bit of an oddball wine. Mark opened this and explained to us that this wine is apparently a second label of Jaboulet and that this is really the La Chapelle, but the different labeling is done for tax purposes. That said, it didn't taste much like the '90 La Chapelles I've had in the past. On the nose were roasted red fruit, meat and spice aromas. It was a bit coarse and clumsy on the palate with no real definition. The fruit came off as being a little weak and the alcohol stood out just a touch on the finish. Drying tannins on the finish and all in all the wine just seemed a bit banal. B.
1989 Huët- Vouvray Cuvée Constance
My last half bottle of a group that I sourced from Europe eleven or twelve years ago. For the most part they've all shown more advanced than from 750, but while that's also the case with this one, it's also one of the best showings from .375 that I've had. The color is noticeably darker than it has been in the past, though not even close to being in the same realm of say a '90 Foreau Reserve. Beautiful aromas and flavors of ripe apricots, earl grey tea, orange marmalade, mineral, marzipan and a dollop of shoe polish. Certainly sweet, but a little less so than previous bottles and it's of course balanced impeccably by its acid backbone. Still youthful even from this bottle, so 750's should still slumber, or have a long decant. Gorgeous wine.A.
2009 Bera Vittorio E. Figli- Moscato d'Asti Canelli
Sweet, but not overly so. Lively and refreshing with peach and passion fruit flavors and aromas dominating, with hints of white flowers. A lovely starter. A-/B+.
1990 Gentaz-Dervieux- Côte-Rôtie, Cuvée Réservée Côte Brune
What a wonderful and rare treat. One must mourn a little when opening a bottle from the master as one realizes there are fewer and fewer bottles left in the world. The wine was wonderful. Alive, vibrant and ever changing. The nose started off with an intensely bloody meat aroma that quickly shifted into the bacon fat realm and then the ripe red fruit part of the spectrum before harmonizing into a perfect synthesis of all of the above. On the palate the fruit was ripe, but not heavy or roasted. In fact, the wine showed a very Burgundian personality in it's sophistication, silkiness and weight without being heavy. Really singing right now with similar flavors as aromas with the addition of light spice and iodine notes that lurk in the background. No harm in holding them longer if you have them, but I really like where the fruit levels are now and the balance. Solid A.
1990 André Passat- Hermitage
A bit of an oddball wine. Mark opened this and explained to us that this wine is apparently a second label of Jaboulet and that this is really the La Chapelle, but the different labeling is done for tax purposes. That said, it didn't taste much like the '90 La Chapelles I've had in the past. On the nose were roasted red fruit, meat and spice aromas. It was a bit coarse and clumsy on the palate with no real definition. The fruit came off as being a little weak and the alcohol stood out just a touch on the finish. Drying tannins on the finish and all in all the wine just seemed a bit banal. B.
1989 Huët- Vouvray Cuvée Constance
My last half bottle of a group that I sourced from Europe eleven or twelve years ago. For the most part they've all shown more advanced than from 750, but while that's also the case with this one, it's also one of the best showings from .375 that I've had. The color is noticeably darker than it has been in the past, though not even close to being in the same realm of say a '90 Foreau Reserve. Beautiful aromas and flavors of ripe apricots, earl grey tea, orange marmalade, mineral, marzipan and a dollop of shoe polish. Certainly sweet, but a little less so than previous bottles and it's of course balanced impeccably by its acid backbone. Still youthful even from this bottle, so 750's should still slumber, or have a long decant. Gorgeous wine.A.