TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more

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DavidG
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TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more

Post by DavidG »

I was in Atlanta for some meetings and with help from one of the locals whom I've known online for over 20 years since the Prodigy BB days, we put together a group of 5 for dinner at Cooks and Soldiers. This is a Basque small plates place that's been open about 7 months. Corkage is $15 with some flexibility for larger events if you talk to management. The glassware is fine, the service is great and the food even better. We found excellent matches to the wide variety of wines we brought. We were clearly having enough fun (not in a disruptive way) to prompt the owner to stop by and join in our wine chatter for a while.

First some bubbles:

NV Briceland Vineyards Brut - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light yellow color. Fresh, crisp clean fruit and minerally acidity, medium body, bright medium length finish. Very good-excellent, opened my eyes to what can be done with sparklers from this area.

2002 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Vintage - France, Champagne (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light yellow color. Yeast, fresh baked bread, almonds on nose, medium body, richer than the Briceland, excellent balance/acidity, medium-long finish. Excellent-outstanding.

Then some Chards and a Sauvignon Blanc. The SB was a Rochioli but I didn't capture the year. It was excellent, nice crisp fruit but not too grassy or grapefruity.

2005 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light gold. Takes some time to show its stuff but as it approaches room temperature it takes off. Lemon, almond, smoky oak on the nose. Pure fruit and stony minerality, great balance, power and finish. Outstanding.

2007 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light gold color. Intense nose of crisp fruit with smoked bacon, great balance, medium body, nice complex mix of minerally/Stoney fruit and smoky/earthy notes, this was a stunning match with the tuna. More accessible out of the gate than the 2005 Jadot Cordon-Charlemagne tasted with it, but as the Jadot warmed and got some air it caught up. Obviously two very different wines but each outstanding in their own right. Ultimately I was more impressed with the Rhys because it was a new experience for me while the Jadot was not. Outstanding.

Then on to the Bordeaux, mostly 1995 right bankers:

1995 Château Angélus - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this was pop and pour but not sure. Dark red core, slight lightening at rim. Less giving at first than the 1995 L'Evangile, it was a fuller-bodied wine and over the course of a few hours started to broaden on the palate and develop some early complexity. Plenty of tannin on the finish, this should be cellared another 5 years. Excellent with potential for outstanding.

1995 Château L'Eglise-Clinet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim. Pretty sure this one was slow-oxed and double decanted, it still took a while to open up and was still improving a couple of hours later. Blackberry,plum, smoke and earth on the nose, full-bodied with tannins more apparent than in the other 1995s open, still well-balanced and at the end of the evening it was starting to catch up to the Angelus and L'Evangile. Excellent-outstanding, this will be even better in 5-10 years.

1995 Château L'Evangile - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, then enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, lightening at rim. Cassis, plum, and a hint of soy and iodine on the nose initially. Medium body, lush ripe fruit and a bit of earthy forest floor complexity comes forward after the iodine dissipates. Holds well over 3 hours, still has room for improvement and additional complexity with further cellaring. Outstanding.

1995 Château La Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Pop and pour and enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, a little bricking at rim. Plum and cassis nose, medium body, more rustic than the 1995 L'Evangile or 1995 Angelus with less intensity, it improved with air. Very good to excellent.

1996 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this may have been slow-oxed prior to serving but not sure. Dark red to rim. Full-bodied, bigger than the 1995 right bankers we had that night, it took a while to open up but when it did it gave the '95 Angelus and L'Evangile a run for their money as WOTN. Destined for more complexity and even greater days ahead, try again in 5+ years. Outstanding.

It was a wonderful evening and an opportunity to make some great new friends.

I highly recommend Cooks and Soldiers in Atlanta. Great place for foodies and wine enthusiasts.
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AKR
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Re: TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more

Post by AKR »

Nice spectrum of stuff. I never had any luck with the 95 La Gaffeliere.
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Blanquito
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Re: TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more

Post by Blanquito »

Great line up and notes. I missed these when you first posted somehow. Was the Pol Roger part of the PC order? I had one of those recently and it was flat out fabulous (unlike some fairly dull earlier bottles).

I am now a full believer in 1995 RB and even many LB are beginning to show signs of eventual glory. I picked up a few 95 l'Evangile in the last 6 months at auction for $120-- kinda pricey both certainly worth it. Your note validates this line of thought. I've tasted the 96 GPL 3-4 times thought the years and it was only last year that this really seemed to deliver on its early promise.
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Comte Flaneur
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Re: TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more

Post by Comte Flaneur »

Nice one David. Those wines are evolving at such a glacial pace. I have a case of L'Evangile 1995 in storage - seems like I don't need to be in a hurry to extract it from its slumber.
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robertgoulet
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Re: TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more

Post by robertgoulet »

Had the '95 Evangile a few years back...a fine wine for sure, but it didn't show as well for us

Though I am a fan of the '95 vintage....some real wheelhouse wines for my palate.
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DavidG
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Re: TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more

Post by DavidG »

Patrick, yes the Pol Roger was part of the PC haul. Thank you for the assist in acquiring it at a great price. That was my last purchase from them, in December 2014, except for some 2001 Yquem in the spring of 2015 that was at a price that was too good to be true. I managed to wriggle out of that one before they went bankrupt less than a year later.

I'm happy to have a small stash of 1995 right bankers in the cellar. While drinking very well now if given plenty of air, I believe that they are destined for even greater heights. Despite my recent BD-inspired forays into baby Bordeaux, I still prefer the older stuff. Ian, no rush to pull your case of L'Evangile. Marc, sorry your bottle didn't show well. If you've got more, give it more time in the cellar or a few hours of air time.
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