Mandarin Oriental
Tasted Thursday, January 18, 2018 by MC2 Wines with 477 views
Got an e-mail invite from WineBid offering a night of wine tasting with the headline Petrus for a price that is quite reasonable when one is pouring four figure wines so off we went.
Great event. The wines were spectacular and really appreciated the number with a decent amount of age (esp coming off a week in Napa where we drank very well, but also very young for the most part). Standouts were the '98 Petrus, '94 Chapoutier, '09 D'Yquem, '97 Ridge, '87 Opus One, '91 Togni.... well - you get the point. Lots of great wines.
NV Besserat de Bellefon Champagne Cuvée des Moines Extra Brut
France, Champagne
The opening wine for the Winebid NYC event. This had a bit of vanilla and green apple and yet also a butter component to it. It was tasty.
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1998 Pétrus
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
This was probably the WOTN. It was just spectacular. So well balanced and elegant and powerful and restrained all at the same time. Poured from a magnum with about 3 hours of decant. The fruit just jumps out of the glass at you. Secondary notes come through quickly thereafter with more cigar and leather. It's clearly still very young in it's evolution, but was just drinking really well this night.
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1929 Château Margaux
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
This was just a fun wine to try. It's faded and past it's prime. Kindof that old musty library smell and taste which I actually can find a bit appealing. There's some history to this wine - likely picked in the months before the stock market crash and actually made when the world was in a full out depression and yet here was a vintage that was very well regarded and renowned. Fun to try. Just the essence of vinegar right at the end, but that's faint at the moment.
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1994 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
In the top five of the tasting for sure for me (perhaps even second favorite behind the Petrus). This is more of the barnyard and funk style of wine, but with some nice red fruits and hints of coffee bean and cigar smoke. It is lighter bodied in style than some others from the area and comes across as quite well made and elegant.
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2009 Château Palmer
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Yum! Total baby. Wine was served after about a 3.5 hour decant. Lots of raspberries and currants and cigar smoke and just a touch woodsy. A wine that has many many years to go. Would love to revisit in 25.
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2007 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Another baby and this one didn't have the benefit of the decant. Looking more at the stuffing and the potential here. Oak prevalent as might be expected. Lots of red fruits. Not yet really integrated between the oak and spice and fruit, but you can see how it will come together and be great. Glad we've got some of these lying down.
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1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
Second time with this wine in a week which is kindof funny. Again it's more funky than I expect, but good black and red fruits and a nice spiciness to it and overall a wine that if you don't know you'd easily guess was an old world style. Enjoyable. Poured from magnum.
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2008 Antinori Solaia
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Another wine that's on the young side and didn't end up with a decant. This had a hint of alcohol at the beginning. Wood more prevalent. Some red fruits. Black pepper. In some tough competition it got a bit overshadowed, but still a nice wine.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
One of the old bottles before they had the ID numbers and all of that. I just love these - wish I could find a way to source some more. For an NV champagne this ages beautifully. Hints of oxidation, but lots of caramel and papaya and toast. Really good.
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1991 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
For many at the tasting this wine seemed to be a favorite - I think perhaps because it was one of the bigger surprises in how good it could be. Having had some old Togni in the past, I wasn't that surprised to see that this was just great. A bit more muted. There's some green pepper here, but not in an unripe way and more in just a more savory sort. Old world in style. In a great spot right now, but suspect it's still going (although 2075 as a CT window seems like it could be a bit high).
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1997 Ridge Monte Bello
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
More refined than the '91 Togni we had right before it. After that the fruit sortof hits you in the face. For a '97 this seemed still very vibrant and going strong. Old world style, but new world influence is present. Very classy wine that I really enjoyed (one of the few I opted to do a second pour on).
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1997 Dalla Valle Maya
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Coming on the heels of the '97 Ridge this was much more what I expect of '97 California which didn't totally hold up. More faded. Chocolate and coffee and laundry detergent. It's not completely over the hill, but it's certainly on a down slope.
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1995 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
There aren't many 23 year old California wines that I'd describe as young, but if there was going to be one it's not that surprising it's a Dunn. This is still a bit on the tight side. Some drying tannin. More intense. Lots of black fruit poking through. A wine that I'd love to see again in 10 years.
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2012 Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
From the Premiere Napa Valley group. On the heels of some old Napa this makes clear there's a new style that's come to town. The best word to describe is prob fruit bomb. Black currant. Low acid. It's ok, but I miss the refinement of the Dunn, Monte Bello, and Togni.
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2013 Tierra Roja Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Katherine's Blend Premiere Napa Valley Tierra Roja
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Coming on the heels of a 2012 Gallica. This is a bit more refined. Less intense. More mint and red fruits. Higher acidity. Still a young wine, but reasonably approachable for a 2013. Enjoyable.
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2008 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Premiere Napa Valley SunSpot Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Fun wine to try and perhaps the best of the group of Premier Napa Valley wines being tasted. The pepper is almost more predominant than the fruit in this which pokes through a bit in more of a red format. More muted and aging nicely although as previous note mentioned it's still young and more time to go. Had been decanting for prob about 4 hours by the time we tried it.
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1977 Joseph Phelps Insignia
USA, California, Napa Valley
Fun to try this in a line-up of JPs which span each decade. A bit funky on the nose with leather and oak and maybe a touch of red fruits. Good wine. Compared next to the Backus can see a bit the difference in refinement of the wines (the Insignia being a cut above).
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1985 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Tasted on the back of the '77 Insignia. This hasn't quite aged as well as that did. There's the funk again, and then a lot of old musty library that I always associate with old wines. Some oxidation. Fruit fully faded. Perhaps a touch of leather oil. Not bad, but not at the same level as the wines before and after.
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1994 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Much more vibrant than the two Phelps we had before (one from 70's, one from 80's). This is piles of black fruits and something else that is a bit tough to make out in my notes. Wine was in a good spot. Very tasty.
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1987 Opus One
USA, California, Napa Valley
My first time with an old Opus and it really helps to understand what all of the fuss is about (my impression of the current releases is not worth the price tag). Old bordeaux. Leather and cigar. Hints of red fruits. All well balanced and a wine that was built to last. Drank from a 6L (Imperial) post a multi-hour decant. Going strong.
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1998 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Served blind. There's the burgundy elegance to this wine. Cherry, spice, soft. Well aged and easy to drink now. For some it was the favorite of the tasting. I enjoyed.
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2013 Y de Yquem
France, Bordeaux
Lots of white fleshy fruits to this, melon, some white floral. Very pretty wine. Honey without the sweetness. It's pretty and fun. Second time with this wine and I must say I remain impressed.
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2014 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
First time with this wine on the heels of the Ygrec from D'Yquem. Not sure I was quite as entranced with this. Honeydew and peonies and a thicker mouthful which I wasn't quite sure about.
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2010 Château Climens
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
Really lovely wine and if not for the fact that it was followed by a D'Yquem would have stood out. This is honey and tangerine and a prettiness to it. Young and easy. The major differential was the difference in complexity - this was a wine where what you see is what you get. Still very tasty.
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2009 Château d'Yquem
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Wow this wine. Even thinking back I can still picture it. The finish just lingers for ages. Light and airy and white peach and lily of the valley and apricots. The more you shift it in your mouth, the more different profiles come through. And that finish. Great wine.
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