Offline last night with Mr & Mrs Vino and the Levys in town

[Blanquito]

Terrific dinner in Denver last night. The Vinos (Peggy and Jay Winton) and Jill ad Jacques Levy were in town, so Gail and Tom, Jay’s college buddy Jack, myself and a few a locals Ricky and Ryan gathered to put some mature claret to the mile high test. Loads of fun catching up with everyone.

All of the wines showed wonderfully. I report back later with notes and the voting on the WOTN. But for now, here’s what we enjoyed:
2009 Dom Perignon
2009 Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage
2000 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses
2000 Lanson (I missed the rest of the details)

2001 Christoffel UW Riesling Auslese
2014 Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

1995 Smith Haut Lafitte (en magnum)
1996 La Mission Haut Brion
1990 Sociando Mallet
1989 Trotanoy
1986 Lynch Bages
1982 Gruaud Larose
1979 Pichon Lalande

1990 d’Yquem
1988 de Fargues
1988 Nairac
1983 Gilette Creme de Tete

[jckba]

Looks like a great lineup and I am fully looking forwards to the notes and WOTN

[danzur]

Wow-Wow-Wow...nice lineup!

[DavidG]

Well done!

So are there venues in Denver that could handle a BWE convention with all our BYO bottles? I realize the need to avoid naming names.

[Blanquito]

Well done!

So are there venues in Denver that could handle a BWE convention with all our BYO bottles? I realize the need to avoid naming names.

The basic answer is yes. Not easy but definitely doable. Bigger groups (40?) are easier as we can just take over the whole venue and then it gets a pass under under the “private party” loophole. But I’ve got 2-3 places where we can get a private room for 10-20 folks with BYOB for ~$100/person for everything (3 courses, service, stemware, and gratuity).

[Blanquito]

The WOTN voting went down as follows:

Per the usual scoring system, everyone got 3 votes: 1st (worth 3 points), 2nd (2 points), and 3rd place (1 points).

1995 Smith Haut Lafitte: one 3rd place vote = 1 point
1996 Mission Haut Brion: one 1st, three 2nds, and one 3rd = 10 points
1990 Sociando Mallet: two 3rds = 2 points
1989 Trotanoy: two 1sts, three 2nds, two 3rds = 14 points
1986 Lynch Bages: three 1sts, two 2nds, and two 3rds = 15 points
1982 Gruaud Larose: four 1sts, one 2nd = 13 points
1979 Pichon Lalande: no vote

As you can see, the wines were widely popular and their was a tight clustering for the top 3 wines. Everything was good enough that voting for only 3 wines was hard. That said, my WOTN was definitely the Gruaud with the Lynch a touch behind.

[William P]

Nicely done Patrick, Tom and Jay.

I do hope Denver is considered for a future convention.

Bill

[Nicklasss]

Well done. Very nice lineup of... people!

Miss that great company.

Ah, and yes, it seems there were so good bottles too, but who cares?

Nic

[stefan]

Great wines; great people. It does not get better than that.

[sdr]

Nice evening in forbidden sky country.

Were the Sauternes tasted blind? Jack told me he was sure you connoisseurs would nail the Yquem.

Stu

[jal]

What a great evening. Patrick is a master organizer and it was fantastic to see old friends.
The wines all showed well and I'll post some impressions when I recover
Stu, I think we all nailed the Yquem. Lol

[AlexR]

Thanks for posting.

I'm sure it was a wonderful get-together.

Alex R.

[Comte Flaneur]

Yes sounds like a fabulous BWE get together.

If the convention is in Denver in 2019 I will make every effort to attend.

[DavidG]

I typically have 1 or 2 weekend meetings in March but if any way to avoid a conflict will be there with bells on for a Denver convention.

[jal]

I wanted to post notes on every wine, instead with my memory fading rapidly, just impressions will have to suffice.

On our way to Calgary to catch the last two days of the Stampede, we stopped in Denver to say hi to Patrick and Tom, the Wintons were in town so Patrick organized a BWE offline at Table 6. I stuffed four bottles of wine into my carry-on and checked it praying it would get there without any mishaps.

We got to Table 6 and saw Tom and Gail as well as Jay and Peggy. I think we last saw them five or six years ago but as is the norm with BWE gatherings, we picked up right where we left off, the friendships created on this site are the lasting kind! We had a great time catching up.

The Champagnes I really can't comment on. I am a novice when it comes to aged Champagne. When having an aperitif, I usually prefer crisp and acidic to structured and full bodied. Everyone enjoyed the sparklers more than me. I did love the Dom Perignon though.

I love Niellon and I think Vergers is usually one his top Chassagnes. A bit austere when compared with the tropical fruits of his other Premier Crus, it takes a bit of time to open up and the second bottle was better and more expressive than the first. The wine is fresh and vibrant with a good structure but the fruit is not very expressive here. Maybe bottle shock?

On for the main event with very quick and short impressions:
1996 La Mission Haut Brion: A nose to die for, tannic, structured, good backbone should be so much better in the future. Do not open for ten years at least.

1995 Smith Haut Lafitte: From magnum; this is the first SHL I bought, back in 1999 at Table and Vine in MA, I finished all my bottles years ago and it was a pleasure to rediscover it now, thanks Jay. Full bodied, chewy, excellent fruit. just delicious.

1990 Sociando Mallet: The green meanies are out in force, strong bell peppers but with a good core and finish. Typical Sociando. People loved it, me included.

1989 Trotanoy: My #3 WOTN, nose is subdued, color is deep, I loved the fruits and the structure. I could sip on this all night. Typical mature Pomerol.

1986 Lynch Bages: Wow! My #1 WOTN, Amazing nose full of cedar, earth, tobacco. One of the better Lynch Bages I've had. Could easily give the 1988 and 1989 a run for their money. Forget 1986 tannin/fruit battle, this is impeccably balanced with excellent fruit and a long finish. Pauillac through and through.

1982 Gruaud Larose: My #2 WOTN, I think this is one of the better examples of this wine that I've had. The 1982 fruit still vibrant but mature and resolved, excellent balance and a great wine. Will last a few decades more but I don't see it improving.

1979 Pichon Lalande: The nose on this is my favorite of the evening, better than La Mission and Lynch. Small tangent here: 1978 and 1979 Pichon Lalande and Palmer have IMO the greatest perfume of any Bordeaux. The palate is not too shabby either and a shame a delicate wine like this was lost among all the big bruisers.

As far as the Sauternes are concerned; I loved the 1990 Yquem, liked the 1983 Gilette, and couldn't drink the de Fargues. The Nairac was ok.

Thanks Patrick for organizing, thank you everyone for bringing such great wines. Not one dud all evening (ok, maybe the de Fargues). Can't wait to see everyone again.

[AKR]

Great lineup. We had a pretty good 86 Lynch recently too, and it surprised me as well.

[Blanquito]

Great notes, Jacques.

I meant to write up notes on all of the wines, but I only really got to 3 of them before the memories faded too much.

Here are my 2 cents:

• 2014 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers
  Beguiling, seductive nose, showing minerals, sweet vanilla, lemon-lime and a regal topnote (probably partially from new oak) that only great white burgundy seems to get. Great acids on the attack with a layered, rich midpalate playing a creamy counterpoint to the acidic cut. Loads of energy. Sensational, long, lingering, mouthcoating finish. Young but drinking terrifically. By far the best Chardonnay I’ve had since the last time Jacques & Jill visited. 94 pts.
• 1982 Château Gruaud Larose
  Beautiful, fresh bouquet with some Cordier funk thrown in for good measure. It’s a minty, rubbery, bubblegum nose with some floral and earthy undertones. Given all the innate ripeness and maturity on this one, this is a thrilling fresh and engaging nose. The palate is also terrific, notably bright for an 82, with lots of red fruits and acidic verve, a nice fleshy-chewy mid palate, but underbuilt with an earthen core of loam, dark chocolate, a touch of savory beef stock, graphite and tangy black tea. Terrific finish. Layered, juicy and long, this still isn’t a heavily extracted wine by modern standards and the tannins are in a great place now, mostly melted away. My WOTN by a nose. My 4th time with this wine and I finally got a good one. 95-96 pts.
• 1986 Château Lynch-Bages
  A bit browner on the rim than the 82 Gruaud, and more masculine with higher tannin and a Pauillac personality on full display. Loads of lead pencil, black currant, minerals and lava rock, big acids and some firm structure still. Like the Gruaud, this shows a very Cabernet Sauvignon note of minty rubber and chicle, and the intensity goes up a notch while missing some of the Gruaud’s complexity and mid palate charm. Long, long finish of cranberry and asphalt. Some preferred this to the Gruaud and I can’t gainsay that in the least. These are brilliant siblings with far more in common than not, with the rest nuance and personal preference. A thrilling wine. 94-95 pts.

[sdr]

Fantastic notes, Patrick. Don’t tease me though, give me more.

Twenty-fourteen is shaping up as a truly great vintage for white Burgundy. The best part is how they are all delicious now and zero percent chance of premox for at least another year. An Alex Gambal Bourgogne Blanc ($21) was amazingly interesting recently. The Jadot stable have all be excellent or terrific too.

Sounds like a great wine dinner.

Allez BWE Denver 2019.

Stu

[JimHow]

I've never been to Denver!

[JimHow]

It's too bad that Denver, like Boston and other great US towns, doesn't legally allow BYOB in its establishments, which has always been the first prerequisite of BWE convention locations.

[Jay Winton]

It's too bad that Denver, like Boston and other great US towns, doesn't legally allow BYOB in its establishments, which has always been the first prerequisite of BWE convention locations.

I find it interesting that in the great state of weed, one has to sneak bottles into a restaurant.

[Comte Flaneur]

You’re terrible Patrick. And I am sure Jacques is being modest because it was his wine. I just ordered a case of 2014 Neillon Vergers

[Blanquito]

You’re terrible Patrick. And I am sure Jacques is being modest because it was his wine. I just ordered a case of 2014 Neillon Vergers

I’m looking at airfares to London!

[Blanquito]

It's too bad that Denver, like Boston and other great US towns, doesn't legally allow BYOB in its establishments, which has always been the first prerequisite of BWE convention locations.

One quirk of the rules in CO: if we get a quorum (25-30 head count) to take over a restaurant altogether, then the cloak and dagger requirements are removed and one can walk through the front door with the bottles proudly in plain view. I know a few smaller places (thus requiring a lower head count) with great food and ambiance in Denver that are quite amenable to this arrangement, should BWE select Denver for a Convention.

Also, I can readily host a ~10 person dinner party at my house for a Weds or Thurs night gathering, and we could hire a chef to cater the affair.

[jal]

You’re terrible Patrick. And I am sure Jacques is being modest because it was his wine. I just ordered a case of 2014 Neillon Vergers

Of all the Niellon Chassagnes I've tasted my favorite is the Chaumees Clos de la Truffiere. Unfortunately I only had one bottle left. That's what you should order Ian!

And I wasn't that modest...

[JimHow]

Good to know, Blanquito, we'll focus on BWE '19 after Labor Day.
Sounds like Denver would be a great venue.