TN: Recent notes: 02 Cos, 99 Monbo, 96 Dragon Boat, etc.

[Blanquito]

2002 Cos d'Estournel
Heard this was drinking well, so I took a turn. Highly expressive nose right out of the gate, marked by black licorice, menthol, minerals and a touch of new oak. Smelled a lot like a Priorat. The palate is similar, ready to go and showing mildly sweet black fruits with a long and distinctive finish of menthol. Quite silky and open for a 'young' Bordeaux. This is nice and reasonably balanced without too much oak or sugar, and I enjoyed it, but this didn't really taste much like Bordeaux, showing more of an anonymous international style. Maybe more typicity develops in the cellar, and this will certainly keep for many years to come. 91 pts

1981 López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
This was in terrific condition and one of the best LdH reds I've had, as it mostly eschewed the sour/acetic profile this bodega often displays. Super silky, nice concentration, great length and acidity, all stitched up in a bright red cherry and cinnamon package. Just terrific. 93-94 pts

1996 Beychevelle
My first throw with this vintage. Quite green and lean overall. As I am a fan of some greenery, I didn't mind this bell pepper note, but the green phobic would recoil here. The aromatics are excellent, expressive and quite quintessentially Bordeaux with leafy tobacco notes, wood smoke, earth, leather, cedar. The palate is light (even a touch dilute) and bright, and silky and integrated. Quite nice and classy, and is ready to drink right now. I suspect it will hold, but it is fully in the zone. 90-91 pts.

1999 Monbousquet
A rich, heady quaff, redolent of tart cherry liqueur, mulling spices, brambly-savory fruit, cinnamon esters, eucalyptus tea, cranberry reduction. Sweet and sour, good depth with a layered viscous mouthfeel, suave texture, nice persistence, a touch bitter on the finish, too bad the booze is so pronounced. Still, an intense, interesting drink more reminiscent of Cali than claret. Great as a cocktail wine, fun.

2007 Ridge Essence Geyserville
Not closed or too primary, but rather open, fruity, excellent. This is wonderfully balanced, with sweetness checked by good structure and brightness. Of course, this tastes a lot like Geyserville, just in a deeper, sweeter, much unctuous gear. Overall, quite effortless and of course these are a treat as a change of pace from white dessert wines. Should hold for a long time. Really liked this. 93 pts.

1987 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
Not as fantastic as bottles from few years ago (when it was one of the best Cali cabs I'd ever had), this is still quite good with a terrific bouquet of grape bubblegum, fennel seed, lavender and a bit of wood. The palate may be coming apart ever so slightly, as the first half was a bit dry while the second half was quite fruity. This would argue for double decanting to homogenize the fruit. Not the last word in complexity, this is still beautifully integrated, silky and enjoyable. Drink 'em if you've got 'em. 92 pts.

[stefan]

Patrick, is the 2007 Ridge Essence Geyserville an ATP wine?

[Nicklasss]

Nice report Payrick. But you're flirting with a week ban from BWE, rating so low the 2002 Cos!

Fan of Lopez de Heredia myself, i'm jalous of that 1981. If we do a non-Bordeaux dinner in SF on Friday, i guess this is what we should get (or another vintage).

I really don't know that bottling from Ridge.

Nic

[Blanquito]

The Ridge Essence isn't an ATP bottling, perhaps because it is too small a production for that. I buy it whenever I see it -- at retail, auction, or at Ridge itself-- but it isn't for sale very often. Certainly one of my favorite dessert wines and definitely unusual to boot.

[Blanquito]

I know what you mean, Nic, I felt little bad about the 02 Cos note. I really liked the wine, but it mostly just needs more time. I'm sure that in 10 years or so it will be more my speed.

Let's pencil in some Rioja for Friday night, Pacific time in March 2017! I don't have many but I'll bring what good ones I have.

[AKR]

I had the 2004 variant of that LdH a few weeks ago. it needs food to be enjoyable.

Phelps single vineyard stuff is impressive, but everything from them is so expensive in my mind. And its not a particularly small production place, so I don't understand how they pull it off.

[Blanquito]

I had the 2004 variant of that LdH a few weeks ago. it needs food to be enjoyable.

Phelps single vineyard stuff is impressive, but everything from them is so expensive in my mind. And its not a particularly small production place, so I don't understand how they pull it off.

Yes, and prices have really skyrocketed in recent years. I was able to reload on the 87 Eisele a few times at less than $100 four or five years ago-- that wine is now >$250, partially due to rarity (Phelps lost that vineyard to Araujo after the 1991 vintage).

[AKR]

Yes I should have clarified, I meant Phelps mainline bottlings are pretty large production - the Napa CS, Insignia etc.

Don't understand who buys the ocean of $200 meritage they make.

====

I forgot to mention that I liked the 99 Monbo too, a good wine to serve to CA lovers. But mine are all long gone.

[DavidG]

Monbousquet is like a good-value fruit forward Napa cab. Cocktail wine describes it well. I like it, but I tend to drink them young. For me, that's at 10-15 years.

Insignia and Eisele (Phelps then Araujo versions) were among my Napa favorites before they got silly expensive. I remember loading up on the 1994 Insignia at $50, mags at $100. I threw in the towel after 2001, when Insignia hit $100 and Araujo hit $185.

[Comte Flaneur]

I had a similar impression of the 2002 Cos a year ago. Iprefer the 2001 - we drank with Jim in a Manhattan hotel bar in October - but even that is modern. The 2005 you would not recognise as a Bordeaux. You would be forgiven for thinking that Michel Rolland has his finger prints all over the scene of the crime, but I don't think he ever consulted there? Or has he? I doubt he has never set foot in Beychevelle. But I am comfortable with that 'less is more' style of Beychevelle. The 1995 is similar. Very elegant.

[Blanquito]

I liked both the 02 Cos and the 96 Beychevelle, but even though it wasnt as deep as some of its vintages from the 80's, I'd rather have the 96 Beychevelle (or the 02 Gloria bought with the Cos in DC) most nights. The Cos definitely showed a profile I don't usually associate with (non-Rollandized) claret -- tons of black licorice, char and big menthol. Still very good though but as you say Ian, quite modern.