Wine Tasting Group - No Theme - Feb. 22, 2020

We had a nice group gather at my place for our Feb meeting. The wines were accompanied by charcuterie, cheeses, beef stew, polenta with parmesan cheese, and a caesar salad. No theme but a lot of great company and wine, making for a very fun evening.

• 1988 Peter Lauer Saar Riesling Brut Reserve 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Opened for 2h in wine fridge. Lots of herbal and floral aromas mild honeyed apricots, apples and hint of nuts. On the palate, more apples, apricots, herbs, flowers, and a bit of tannins. Also with hints of mild oxidative nuttiness. Nice moderately long finish. Complex and just excellent.

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• 2014 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut 92 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant

  Yeasty/brioche aromas with apples, wet wool and lanolin. Tart apples, lemon, wet wool, and nice minerals on the palate. Excellent acids on medium bodied frame. Young and drinking really well but looking forward to what the wine will be in a decade or more.

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• 2009 Peay Vineyards Chardonnay Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Opened for 2h. Golden color. Aromas of butter hit first followed by apples, minerals, and a hint of herbs and oxidative nutty notes. Palate with apples, butter, lemon peel, minerals, mild nuts and oak with a nice caramel/nougat flavor on the edges. Very nice acids give the wine lift. With another 1.5h of air, butter notes recede and palate becomes more seamless, complex and balanced with shifting nuances. 93+.

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• 1996 Weingut Hermann Ludes Klüsserather Bruderschaft Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Brought by Bruce from his visit to the winery in Mosel, Germany. Beautiful minerals and herb aromas with tart apples and meyer lemons. Palate with just ripe pineapples, tart apples, herbs, and large doses of minerals. Mouth watering from the high acids but beautifully balanced with an elegant texture. Mild-moderate sweetness. Very nicely concentrated. Almost tastes young still. A great showing. 93+

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• 2016 Envinate Benje Blanco 90 Points

  Spain, Canary Islands, Tenerife, Ycoden Daute Isora

  Always fun to revisit this wine. Ripe melon and apple aromas accompanied by flowers, mild pears and minerals. Palate with unripe pears, minerals, flowers. Creamy mouthfeel with nice acids. Lively and fun.

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• 2016 Nine Oaks Rkatsiteli 90 Points

  Georgia, Kakheti

  100% Rkatsitelli from Eniseli, Khakheti, Georgia. Raised in qveri. Golden amber color. Aromas of mild honey, resin, ripe apples, apricots, and loads of flowers. Palate was similar with apples, resin, beeswax, flowers and a hint of honey. Nice acids with mild tannins on midpalate. Eminently drinkable with a nice texture. Liked this.

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• 2018 Folicello Bianco 88 Points

  Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Emilia IGT

  a petillant naturel sparkling wine made of Montuni (50%), Pinot (25%), Trebbiano (25%) grapes from Emilia, Italy. Lovely apple and mild brioche aromas with a touch of minerals. On the palate, there's mild brioche/yeast flavors with apples with hints of cinammon and bitter herbs. Nice minerals on the mid-palate with excellent acids. Not all that complex or profound but just a happy wine.

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• 2017 Domaine du Moulin (Hervé Villemade) Cheverny Gamay - Vin de France 88 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Cheverny

  Decanted. Now 2 hr later. Strawberry and cherry aromas w a hint of bubblegum and a distinct herbal element. Palate w seamless cherry and strawberry fruit mixed w herbs and some minerals. Medium bodied w excellent acids and mild tannins. Good but not great concentration. The distinctive herbal element and minerals speak of the Loire. A nice midweek wine - nice but not too serious.

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• 1997 Podere ai Valloni Boca Vigna Cristiana Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca

  Corked. Initially mild but bloomed over time. The palate was off from the very beginning.

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• 2017 Domaine Des Vignes du Maynes (Julien Guillot) Clos des Vignes du Maynes Macon Rouge Selection Massale

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon

  Gamay from Macon, Burgundy. Baking spices, peppers, green stems, cherries, and a bit of bark on the nose. Palate has pretty cherries with a bit of bark and mild tannins on the midpalate. Elegant mouthfeel with excellent acids. If blinded, I would have guessed more pinot noir than gamay. Drinking nicely.

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• 2013 Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Première Vendange 89 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine

  Gamay from Touraine, Loire Valley, France. Herbal and floral aromas hit the nose first followed by a hint of resin, raspberries and cherries. Bright tart cherry and raspberries on the palate with spices and nice minerals. Excellent acids and nice depth to the wine. Would not have guessed gamay on this - perhaps Loire cot (malbec). A nice surprise. 89+

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• 2011 Alta Maria Pinot Noir 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, CA. Aromas of warm baking spices, black cherries, and bark. Black cherries on the palate with a bit of cough syrup followed by bark, and baking spices. Nice acids with an elegant texture. There a bit of hot cinnamon on the finish which wound up being a distraction for me. Otherwise, a solid and enjoyable pinot.

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• 2014 Edmunds St. John Syrah Barsotti Ranch 92 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County

  Beautiful aromas of raspberries, dark cherries and herbs. Really bright cherries wiht a bit of cranberries on the palate followed by bark and stems. Elegant texture with excellent acids. Very young and primary and easily crushable. But has all the structure and elements for aging esp. given the history of producer.

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• 2005 Renaissance Syrah 92 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, North Yuba

  Decanted for 3h and then back into bottle. Continuing its evolution from when I tasted this 2 years ago. Gamey roasted meat aromas with blackberries, herbs, flowers and minerals. Palate with dark blackberries, game meats, minerals, earth, olives and prominent tannins on the midpalate. Nice acids. Concentrated flavors with excellent depth but still lithe and not at all heavy. Plenty of life left and I think it may continue to evolve. Reminiscent of N. Rhone to me. Nicely done.

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• 2016 J.L. Chave Sélection St. Joseph Offerus 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

  A bit of rubber and barnyard aromas mixed with cherries and ripe blackberries. Palate showed ripe blackberries, a bit of cherries, herbs and earth. Prominent tannins on the midpalate with nice concentration. This is very young and needs some age but promising.

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• 2012 Robert Foley Charbono 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Bright herbal aromas with cranberries and a hint of earth. Ripe blackberries on the palate with earth, bark, herbs. Lots of bass notes on the palate with prominent tannins on the midpalate and mildly hot finish. Dense palate. Label notes 12.5% but felt more like 14.5% abv. Big and broad for sure but didn't feel spoofed or overmanipulated. Leftovers were better on day 3 with greater harmony of flavors and resolution of the hot finish. 88 on day 3.

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