Old Fashioned Holiday Fun: 12/24/2008 - 1/1/2009

1966 Beychevelle (St Julien, Bordeaux, France) Tasted 12/24/2008
Brick red core with a light ruby/rust red rim. Aromas of scorched earth, burnt marshmallow, and mushroom compliment subtle ripe boysenberry on the nose. A slight meaty / savory character emerges after a few minutes in the glass then the scorched earth takes over. The palate is defined by red fruits with obvious earth driven overtones. Although this wine must have hit its peak over a decade, it remains stunningly fresh and lively with nice pure flavors.

2006 Vieux Donjon (Chateauneuf du Pape, France) Tasted 12/24/2008
Light to medium red core with a bright ruby rim. This beautifully structured CdP is lighter in body but powerful in presence. It has all the characteristic ground pepper of Chateauneuf with raspberry and cola, which keep it intriguing on the nose. Loads of spice and meaty character throughout the mid-palate with none of the old-world funk associated with many Rhone wines. The flavors are true and refined without being over the top in any respect. This is quite simply a well made wine with a lot of promise. Long peppery finish...
Note- this was the second time I tasted this wine in about a month and this time it was so distinctly the same as last time that I nailed it on the head when I double-blind tasted it at a friend's house

1982 Prieure Lichine (Margaux, Bordeaux, France) Tasted 12/25/2008
Surprisingly dark red core with a brick red rim. Shows good fruit still despite what I had heard about the evolution of this wine. This one still has some stuffing showing the character of the stellar 82' Vintage. Lots of mushroom, damp earth, and plum with an array of herbs. Builds nicely on the mid-palate towards a somewhat lean but attractive finish. Not stellar, but not terrible in any respect. Goes great with something meaty and savory

2006 Schloss Schonborn Riesling Kabinett (Rheingau, Germany) Tasted 12/29/2008
Deep golden color. Nice aromas of herbal tea, green apple, and ripe citrus. Seems a bit thicker than many Kabinett. Stays true with the green tea through the finish. This could actually use some time. Nice aperitif - I could drink this all night. Simple but delicious. I really like the 06s from Germany.

2001 Kistler Dutton Chardonnay (Sonoma, California, USA) Tasted 12/29/2008 (Cachagua Store, Carmel Valley)
This one had the color of golden raisin juice. Perhaps it was a storage issue but I initially thought this was just heading over the hill. One person in our group commented that she really liked the wine and it made me reevaluate it. It still had good acidity but was not as fresh as I expected it to be after tasting a 97 recently from the same vineyard. This actually went nicely with an array of appetizers including grilled sardine and beat salad.

1983 Lynch Bages (Paulliac, Bordeaux, France) Tasted 12/29/2008 (Cachagua Store, Carmel Valley)
Deep blood red core with a brilliant red rim. I didn't get a chance to evaluate this one for too long a time because four of us killed this wine in about 15 minutes (I guess it was good) Nice French Plum on the nose with a dominant aroma of underbrush, iron, and stone. Showing refined tannins with lots of fruit up front. The fruit fades quickly towards the back but the wine still finishes strong. Elegant - This reaffirms what I've always known about Lynch Bages in that they tend to age gracefully despite their 'lowly status as a fifth growth'... This Estate is no real secret as well aged examples tend to always sell for more than $100... Thanks to Mike Jones, Lee Lightfoot, and The Cachagua General Store for this one...

1989 Beychevelle (St Julien, Bordeaux, France) Tasted 12/29/2008 (Cachagua Store, Carmel Valley)
This beauty still has a lot of life left. Super dark color with loads of black fruits, cassis, and graphite. Not showing its age too much (Imagine a housewife in the O.C, but not quite as flashy). Well balanced and like the 83' Lynch Bages, consumed all too fast. This went brilliantly will the Wild Venison (sashimi?)

1980 Durney Cabernet Sauvignon (Carmel Valley, CA, USA) Tasted 12/29/2008 (Cachagua Store, Carmel Valley)
More fruit than the 1983 Lynch Bages but also a bit more oak present. This wine is still dark (true to its California roots) showing nice plum, coastal sage, extra-ripe dark blackberry, and oak on the nose. Shows extremely well next to the Bordeaux at our table. I do not only like this wine because I worked at the Estate (now called Heller Estate), but also because it is a stunning example of Cabernet grown within a micro-climate. Monterey County is cooled by the coastal fog, but Carmel Valley wine pioneer Bill Durney knew this was not the case in this area which later became its own AVA. Durney realized the distinct temperature and soil difference from the 'Monterey County' and thus he grew Cabernet instead of Chardonnay or Colombard, which were popular at the time in Monterey County. It doesn't hurt that this wine had never left Cachagua (Carmel Valley) prior to us tasting it.

2005 Loring Gary's Vineyard Syrah (Hospice du Rhone Acution) - Tasted 12/29/2009 (Cachagua Store, Carmel Valley)
NOTE: This is the only Syrah Loring will ever produce!!! Made especially for the Hospice du Rhone
Dense and concentrated with a great array of dark fruits and meaty Syrah character. Stylish and delicious effort from a remarkable Pinot producer. This has nice floral aromas with some strawberry and spice. Framed by nice toasty oak and vanilla. Such a delicious wine... This is a BUY - If you can find it....

1999 Bollinger Grand Annee (Champagne, France) Tasted 12/31/2008
So young and fresh with tight little bubbles. Some nice yeasty character with lots of citrus, pear, and crisp golden apples. This needs time but did the job in providing a nice toast between friends to ring in the new year. Try this in a few years...

2004 Domaine Ponsot Clos de La Roche VV (.375ml) (Burgundy, France) Tasted 12/31/2008
Bright crimson red with a red/violet rim. This was also so young but starting to show its class already. Restrained nose of menthol, mint, and tar with very little fruit poking through. (I assume the fruit will reemerge with some time) Tight and thin. Almost difficult to evaluate as it is so young. This along with the Bollinger kind of evoke feelings of freshness and youth on the eve of the New Year.

2000 Chateau La Tour Martillac (Pessac, Bordeaux, France) Tasted 12/31/2008
This was tasted alongside a roasted rack of lamb with rosemary and potato au gratin. I first tasted this wine in Bordeaux at La Tour martillac (April 08) and I remember it being of the same ilk as tonight... Tonight this taster notes a dark red core with an only slightly lighter red rim. Brilliant nose of bright black fruits including blackberry and ripe black cherry. A hint of cassis, oak, and tar lend to some intrigue. This is so markedly Bordeaux in character. A good balance between savory earthy notes and dark fruit notes backed by well integrated oak and well framed tannins. Everything is in gear and this wine is drinking brilliantly now. Note- In Bordeaux in April 08' we tasted an older La Tour Martillac (from the 70s I believe) and it was more than alive... It was rocking.. Props to this estate - The wines are reasonably priced and very graceful. One of the best deals in Bordeaux (especially for a wine you can age) Also consider this estate's 'Blanc', which I considered to be one of the best 07s in Bordeaux

2005 Peter Michael Belle Cote Chardonnay (Sonoma, California, USA) Tasted 1/01/2009
Toasted oak and roasted marshmallow come to mind. This wine smelled and tasted like a campfire filled with oak kindling. I must admit that I liked it far more the second day around. Tightly wound but with not quite as much acidity as I expected. This is still high class California Chardonnay and it shows. It could use a couple years before revealing its full potential. Nice grapefruit with vanilla extract on the nose. Long voluptuous finish.