A new world vs old world tasting

[NoahR]

RIVER SCHOOL AUCTION TASTING - Washington DC (5/8/2023)

A tasting, in single-blinded flights, with a "new world/old world" theme.
But first, Champagne

• 2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
  Everything a grand marque should be. Brioche and lemon curd and perfect texture and fine mousse and length. (96 pts.)

White Burg vs New World Chard

• 2020 Hundred Suns Chardonnay Old Eight Cut - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Incisive, bright, and young as heck. Good length, but outclassed in this tasting against aged Cameron and White burg. Good upside. A bit of oak still to be subsumed. (91 pts.)
• 2012 Cameron Blanc Clos Electrique - USA, Oregon
  I expected this to best the White Burg but it was a different animal, with a hint of sweetness on the nose (not the palate) and a roundness that put it in a different class from the Chassagne-Montrachets, which were a bit more incisive. A great wine on its own, but gave a riper feeling than anticipated. (92 pts.)
• 2008 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
  Excellent, if not quite reflective of being 100 feet from Montrachet. Good length and fineness. Well layered oak gave a sense of butteriness. Excellent wine overall. (93 pts.)
• 2010 Henri Prudhon & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
  A beauty - a hint of matchstick and white flowers on a nose of lemon and white fruit. Subsumed oak lent a bit of depth and persistence. A lovely wine and more reflective of Puligny than Chassagne. (94 pts.)

Pinot

• 2009 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Ama Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Firmly New World and predictable as such. Lovely notes of cola, pomegranate and dark red berries. Exquisite texture. Needs a decade to be at its finest, but tannins are fairly soft. Still just felt young to me. (91 pts.)
• 1994 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir South Block Original Vines - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Incredible. Blew multiple excellent Burgundies out of the water. This was a late release from the Lett family, recorked (in DIAM) at the winery. Vivid red berries and a touch of earth. The sunkissed nature of Oregon was there, and it did not have the structure of a Grand Cru, which is seemingly a good thing - all its own and as good as old Oregon gets as far as I'm concerned. (96 pts.)
• 2001 Charles Noellat Clos Vougeot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
  A thoroughly meh wine. A bit cloudy of nose, with indistinct dark berry and abundant earth, a good bit of residual tannin. (89 pts.)
• 1996 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
  A "nice Burgundy" but nothing more - dark fruited, medium weight, good earth tones and strong acidity but, honestly, not an overly intense 1996 acidity. This is very drinkable, just not quite at the typical level I expect from Chevillon. One word: rustic. (90 pts.)

Bedrock Weill Syrahs 2011

• 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Exposition One Weill a Way Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  Incredible, deep fruited and clearly the "La Landonne" look-alike with a fairly burly and rich Syrah nose. The meat and smoke was there, with less white pepper. Wonderful length. This impressed. (94 pts.)
• 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Exposition Two Weill a Way Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  The "La Turque" of the three. This had, to my tastes, the best combination of classic Northern Rhone elements - smoked meat, brine, flowers, white pepper - and dark fruit. Great length and depth but texturally right between the lighter Exposition 3 and the rounder Exposition 1. Really a great trio together and, as a serious Northern Rhone drinker, this was as close as I've seen a New World wine approach Cote Rotie. (94 pts.)
• 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Exposition Three Weill a Way Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  The "La Mouline" of the trio, with higher viognier balanced with a lower whole cluster percentage. Wonderful depth and length but a more floral and nuanced nose than the Exposition 1. Kudos to Morgan on this. (95 pts.)

Northern Rhone vs California, continued

• 1998 Bernard Burgaud Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  Burly, Bretty, pretty, rustic. All there, if not the most striking or elegant wine. Enjoyable. (90 pts.)
• 2012 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
  Badly, sadly corked. NR (flawed)
• 2009 Lagier Meredith Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
  A nice wine but fairly obviously new world. Decent length and good flavor. A bit outclassed by its company. Still, Carole Meredith is my hero. (88 pts.)

Judgment of Paris, redux

• 1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
  An excellent Dominus, with classic sunny dark fruits, a touch of green pepper, and excellent length. A smooth and pretty wine. (94 pts.)
• 1983 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Old California doesn't get like this. Almost every experienced wine taster's WOTN in a crowded field. This was perfect in texture, First Growth Bordelaise in poise and length. Soft and resolved red fruits, leather and tobacco, a touch of green pepper and just an etheral note to it. (98 pts.)
• 1992 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  Didn't get much eucalyptus from this, and this had a slightly more ripe nose than its brethren, but it was still incredibly good and 1992 is really a sleeper vintage, coming in just before RMP's influence really trashed the next 20 years. (95 pts.)
• 1986 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Maybe a touch softer and less dense than the 1982, but this is just perfect Bordeaux. (96 pts.)
• 1989 Château Rausan-Ségla - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
  Loved by everyone, classic Margaux spice and litheness, and better than it had been touted. Third in the flight after the 83 Mayacamas and the 86 Gruaud, but only by a touch. (94 pts.)

But last, Madeira!

• 1910 Barbeito Madeira Sercial Reserva Velha - Portugal, Madeira
  Warm toffee, burnt orange, excellent balance. Youthful. (94 pts.)
• 1934 Henriques & Henriques Madeira Verdelho - Portugal, Madeira
  Wonderful madeira. Youthful, bright, balanced. Saline and butterscotchy with orange rind and a bit of marzipan. Great persistence. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[Nicklasss]

Good to read you Noah.

Lot of good wines in this bunch, a lot i don't know too. The Bedrock Wines Co look interesting, as the Oregon Chardonnay.

Sad for the red Bourgogne, that did not deliver.

1986 Gruaud Larose and 1989 Rauzan Ségla are great red Bordeaux. I'm always amazed by Rauzan Ségla who really needs time to blossom, for a Margaux.

Now the question : from your own Paris judgment, you consider USA or France as winner?

Nic

[NoahR]

The Mayacamas was the winner of that flight, but 86 Gruaud and 89 Rauzan were close seconds. The 86 I first had a few years ago with you guys in DC and it was a revelation. I am always amazed at how beautifully Old Napa can age (and Monte Bello) but the style is very different between the “standard” Napa and “standard” classified Bordeaux. The latter is made to be aged and the former is made to be formidable but lushly drinkable in its youth. In the 60’s-80’s this was not the case. I can’t vouch for the ageability of most Napa Cans after the Parkerized mid-90’s with the exception of a few addresses like Forman, Corison, Togni, Dunn, etc

[JoelD]

The Mayacamas was the winner of that flight, but 86 Gruaud and 89 Rauzan were close seconds. The 86 I first had a few years ago with you guys in DC and it was a revelation. I am always amazed at how beautifully Old Napa can age (and Monte Bello) but the style is very different between the “standard” Napa and “standard” classified Bordeaux. The latter is made to be aged and the former is made to be formidable but lushly drinkable in its youth. In the 60’s-80’s this was not the case. I can’t vouch for the ageability of most Napa Cans after the Parkerized mid-90’s with the exception of a few addresses like Forman, Corison, Togni, Dunn, etc

Very interesting. Any idea where that bottle of 83 Mayacamas came from? I parted with one during my cellar purge over the last year. Can't win em all. If it was my bottle, I'm glad it turned out well and it got appreciated by a BWEer!