TN: A fine group of wines

[Harry C.]

• 2012 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/17/2015)
  Green yellow. Nose was a perfumed floral bouquet. Chanel #5 perhaps? Mouth was smooth, floral , rich, long lasting. Magnificent! Best Aubert I've had. Reminds of a young Peter Michael Point Rouge in a great year. (97 pts.)
• 2010 Schramsberg Vineyards Brut Rosé - USA, California (1/17/2015)
  Salmon pink. Nose yeast, berry fruits. Medium bubbles. Mouth is where it let down for me. Too acidic to be enjoyed on its own, better with food. (90 pts.)
• 2007 Robert Foley Claret - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/11/2015)
  Garnet. Nose was surprisingly not fully in your face. The elements are molding together well. Black fruits, red fruits, licorice. Also in the mouth, like the nose, mellow. (93 pts.)
• 2000 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1/11/2015)
  Medium garnet with a hint of orange rim. All garrigue in the nose and mouth. Old styled. Good. (92 pts.)
• 2009 Peter Michael Chardonnay Belle Côte - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley (1/11/2015)
  Yellow. Nose was shy-perhaps too cold? Opens slightly with airing/warming to show pear/mango. Taste was mild citrus cream. Good, but was below expectations. (92 pts.)
• 2005 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/1/2015)
  red garnet. Nose was sweet fruits, berries. Reminds one of Shafer HSS. Taste was where it diverges from the Shafer. Much more of the anise side of Cabernet, with fruits bringing up the rear. Delish, but of its own style. (96 pts.)
• 2004 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame - France, Champagne (1/1/2015)
  Pale yellow, fine bubbles that lasted throughout the drinking. Nose bready, yeasty, citrus. Taste was smoother-i.e. less acid- than the 2002. Thus approachable now. Citrus and pear in the mouth. Very good. (93 pts.)

[AlexR]

Hi Harry,

Thanks for sharing your notes for a good set of wines.

I was puzzled by the "claret" since I wasn't sure whether this was allowed, and I certainly haven't seen it in a long time. So I looked it up on Wiki:

"Claret" terminology[edit]

Claret (/ˈklærɨt/ KLARR-ət) is a name primarily used in British English for red Bordeaux wine.

Claret derives from the French clairet,[27] a now uncommon dark rosé, which was the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century. The name was anglicised to "claret" as a result of its widespread consumption in England during the period in the 12th–15th centuries that Aquitaine was part of the Angevin Empire (please compare the History section). It is a protected name within the European Union, describing a red Bordeaux wine, accepted after the British wine trade demonstrated over 300 years' usage of the term.[27]

Claret is occasionally used in the United States as a semi-generic label for red wine in the style of the Bordeaux, ideally from the same grapes as are permitted in Bordeaux. The French themselves do not use the term, except for export purposes.

The meaning of "claret" has changed over time to refer to a dry, dark red Bordeaux.[27] It has remained a term associated with the English upper class, and consequently appears on bottles of generic red Bordeaux in an effort to raise their status in the market.

In November 2011, the president of the Union des Maisons de Négoce de Bordeaux, announced an intention to use the term Claret de Bordeaux for wines that are "light and fruity, easy to drink, in the same style as the original claret when it was prized by the English in former centuries".[28]

Alex R.

[Harry C.]

Alex. My take here is the term "Claret" means made of the grapes used in Bordeaux wines. Some vintages are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. But year to year it can change. The term, I believe, has no legal significance in the US. But it gives the winemaker the freedom to mix grapes as the year and grapes 'dictate'. To say 'Cabernet Sauvignon' on the label means it always has at least 85% of that grape in the mix. (at least in California IIRC) Some winemakers find this too limiting. Another similar name is 'Meritage', but to use that name you must pay a use fee to the owner of the name, so this didn't go too far, IMO.

[Tom In DC]

I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn’t know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret.

― Basil Fawlty, “Fawlty Towers”

[Claret]

You rang?