Xmas 2022, Day -8

[stefan]

Xmas 2022, Day -8

Our family holiday time will start in just over a week when our daughter T and her family arrive. I came on Friday in time to help Lucie manage stefanJr's household while he and Irena spent the weekend in San Diego. They returned around noon on Sunday, just in time for us to have a day of pre holiday libations. We started with

2018 Longplay Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir. I like the purity of the red fruit in Longplay's PN. The fruit in the 2018 has receded a bit, suggesting that other bottles should be held for 4-5 years.

stefanJr then opened

2010 St Innocent Shea Special Selection. The SS is bigger and darker than the basic Shea. There is some tar mixed in with the blackberries. Very good, to be sure, but not qualitatively better than the Shea even if it is different. It is still a few years from peaking.

Lucie and I drank most of the Shea while stefanJr took L and a friend to the women Ducks basketball game and Lucie made delicious chili for dinner. (Irena sipped only a bit as she was suffering from congestion.) I convinced Lucie it was OK to put mushrooms in the otherwise traditional Texas chili and decided to open a couple of young Bordeaux that I wanted to try.

2010 Canon. Obviously young, but several hours of air helped to open the nose. The fruit has melded with the oak more than in some other higher end 2010s that I have tried.
Jeff Leve's description is spot on, IMO, "Fresh, bright, pure and stony, The wine is medium-bodied, elegant and uplifting, with loads of sweet, red fruits and plum in the finish. This is a long term ager, so, give it at least 5 years or more for further development."

thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2010%20Canon

2014 La Conseillante. This one needs more time than the Canon, I think. The fresh blackberries are sweet and full of flavor. There is a touch of greeness. I didn't detect any truffles or spice.

It is not surprising that both of the young right bank Bordeaux were much more pleasant to drink with the beef chili than by themselves.