Getting these notes up a little late. It was my turn to host the Supper Club last month and I opted to make boeuf Bourguignon as the main, but called for a Bordeaux wine theme because that's how I roll. A couple of last minute cancellations by Supper Club regulars allowed Josh Leader and Chris Kravitz to join Christine and Wilfred Chez Brad and a good time was had by all. At least that's what they like to tell me.
2010 Champalou- Vouvray Cuvée des Fondraux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
A nice way to get the evening rolling. Refreshing and bright with moderate sweetness balanced nicely by juicy acidity. It shows a fairly typical profile of yellow fruits with nice minerality. Not as chalky as say from Huet, but more like crushed white rocks. Good stuff. A-/B+.
1999 Prager- Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Took a little while to uncoil, but it grew beautifully with air. Showing some maturity with its petrol flavors and aromas and lightly nutty character, it's dry but exhibits nice ripeness to the fruit. Large scaled with great length and palate presence, especially by the end of the evening. Mineral, yellow citrus and peach pit dominate. It paired very nicely with the butternut squash soup with crab meat. A-.
1998 Domaine Ponsot- Griottes-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Christine apparently didn't read the e-mails detailing the Bordeaux theme for the evening, but, hey, I brake for Ponsot. I really enjoyed the nose. It was powerful and fragrant, bursting with cherry, meat, spice and beet aromas. The first sip reflected the aromatics. The wine was brawny and initially showed nice red fruit with spice notes. However, with air the acidity really came up and made the wine a bit too citrusy, the fruit receded and the structure took over. I went back to the remains the next day, hoping that maybe it just needed time to come together, but, if anything, the wine was even more of a shell. Call it a A-/B+ for the first hour and a B- after that.
1982 Chateau Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
This bottle seems a little softer and more mature than other bottles I've had, but it's still showing very nicely. Its typical sweet cherry, leather, herb, graphite and cigar box profile shines through with silky elegance and nice warmth. Normally the fruit is a bit more vibrant and the wine packs a bit more punch, but the softness and harmony is quite enjoyable. The finish on this bottle is also a little more gruff than I'm used to, but no one is at their best all the time. Normally a solid A for me and one of my favorite '82s, call this one an A/A-.
1985 Chateau Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
The best bottle of this I've ever had. It showed more concentration and depth then I've experienced and was fully integrated. Nice richness to the black fruit, but without being plump or roasted. Nicely earthy with cedar, spice and pleasant herbal notes. The acidity, which sometimes sticks out a bit, was in check, but kept the wine lithe and refreshing. Good stuff. Solid A-.
2003 Chateau Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
I think we were all pleasantly surprised by how this showed given our general view of '03s and by how the '03 Leoville Las Cases showed after this one. It's quite ripe and fleshy, but doesn't actually cross over into overripe territory and there's just enough acidity to hold it together. That said, it's relatively soft and easy going, with ripe black cherry, red plums, graphite and cedar flavors. We commented on how this would be a good transitional wine to ease California Cabernet drinkers down the path to Bordeaux. A-/B+.
2003 Chateau Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Perhaps an off bottle, but we all found this dreadful. What fruit is there is overripe, but alcohol and bitter wood notes dominated the wine. There's no real mid-palate and the finish was harsh. C and I'm being generous.
Some pics from the evening.
The wines. Note the Dunn in the picture was leftover from a few night prior at Christine's.
Wilfred struggles with a stubborn cork.
Chris and Josh have decanting duties.
Butternut squash soup with crab.
Boeuf Bourguignon with parsleyed potatoes.
2010 Champalou- Vouvray Cuvée des Fondraux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
A nice way to get the evening rolling. Refreshing and bright with moderate sweetness balanced nicely by juicy acidity. It shows a fairly typical profile of yellow fruits with nice minerality. Not as chalky as say from Huet, but more like crushed white rocks. Good stuff. A-/B+.
1999 Prager- Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Took a little while to uncoil, but it grew beautifully with air. Showing some maturity with its petrol flavors and aromas and lightly nutty character, it's dry but exhibits nice ripeness to the fruit. Large scaled with great length and palate presence, especially by the end of the evening. Mineral, yellow citrus and peach pit dominate. It paired very nicely with the butternut squash soup with crab meat. A-.
1998 Domaine Ponsot- Griottes-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Christine apparently didn't read the e-mails detailing the Bordeaux theme for the evening, but, hey, I brake for Ponsot. I really enjoyed the nose. It was powerful and fragrant, bursting with cherry, meat, spice and beet aromas. The first sip reflected the aromatics. The wine was brawny and initially showed nice red fruit with spice notes. However, with air the acidity really came up and made the wine a bit too citrusy, the fruit receded and the structure took over. I went back to the remains the next day, hoping that maybe it just needed time to come together, but, if anything, the wine was even more of a shell. Call it a A-/B+ for the first hour and a B- after that.
1982 Chateau Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
This bottle seems a little softer and more mature than other bottles I've had, but it's still showing very nicely. Its typical sweet cherry, leather, herb, graphite and cigar box profile shines through with silky elegance and nice warmth. Normally the fruit is a bit more vibrant and the wine packs a bit more punch, but the softness and harmony is quite enjoyable. The finish on this bottle is also a little more gruff than I'm used to, but no one is at their best all the time. Normally a solid A for me and one of my favorite '82s, call this one an A/A-.
1985 Chateau Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
The best bottle of this I've ever had. It showed more concentration and depth then I've experienced and was fully integrated. Nice richness to the black fruit, but without being plump or roasted. Nicely earthy with cedar, spice and pleasant herbal notes. The acidity, which sometimes sticks out a bit, was in check, but kept the wine lithe and refreshing. Good stuff. Solid A-.
2003 Chateau Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
I think we were all pleasantly surprised by how this showed given our general view of '03s and by how the '03 Leoville Las Cases showed after this one. It's quite ripe and fleshy, but doesn't actually cross over into overripe territory and there's just enough acidity to hold it together. That said, it's relatively soft and easy going, with ripe black cherry, red plums, graphite and cedar flavors. We commented on how this would be a good transitional wine to ease California Cabernet drinkers down the path to Bordeaux. A-/B+.
2003 Chateau Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Perhaps an off bottle, but we all found this dreadful. What fruit is there is overripe, but alcohol and bitter wood notes dominated the wine. There's no real mid-palate and the finish was harsh. C and I'm being generous.
Some pics from the evening.
The wines. Note the Dunn in the picture was leftover from a few night prior at Christine's.