What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Sat May 09, 2020 11:25 pm

For about $45 a bottle, Roederer Brut Premier is hard to beat. Shared a 375 of this with Marjorie last night. Terrific stuff - I will be getting more.

Chris Bublitz

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat May 09, 2020 11:42 pm

Mark, I agree that in that price range Louise Roederer ranks high even if there are a few others that I prefer to it.

Glad you liked the 1985 La Lagune, Ian. It has been good since the early 1990s, but of course has evolved a lot since then. I do not expect any improvement from even perfectly stored bottles, but I see no hurry to drink them, either.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sun May 10, 2020 1:05 am

Glad the Niellon performed for you Ian, I drank all my 2014s and loved them. The price of the 2018 is becoming ridiculously high unfortunately.

I bought the only bottle of 1985 La Lagune on Winebid last week. The bottle is on its way, and I'm excited to see if it is in good condition.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Sun May 10, 2020 1:06 am

As expected, the Roederer overdelivered. Paid $37 for it by the case from Grapes the Wine Company,

I started drinking Champagne as a white wine when I gave up on expensive White Burgundy. Premox was ruining it for me. I still bought and drank the odd bottle of Macon, but now that the Trump tariffs have kicked in, that is as much as the Roederer, and I prefer the Champagne. A real example as to how the market has been skewed by our beloved President.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Sun May 10, 2020 1:37 am

Chacra Mainque Chardonnay 2017
Roulot’s Patagonian project. Good tension. Refined. Mineral finish. Grand Cru-esque. 93

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun May 10, 2020 1:57 am

1982 Meyney
A pristine bottle purchased for a song at a small wine ship in Islington in April 2018... just a flat out gorgeous bouquet of cedar, cigar wrapper, leather, with spicy notes of black pepper and even mint. Silky smooth palate, but showing lean so far. Still, really good but no better than the 85, 86, or 89 Meyneys.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun May 10, 2020 2:05 am

Comte Flaneur wrote:Tonight Neilson Vergers 14. I have been rushing through these drinking one a month. The last four have literally smashed it out of the park. I have two bottles of this case and another one in storage. I can see why Niellon is Jacques’s favourite producer 94-95.

Also La Lagune 1985. The bottle was pristine, with a good level at the bottom of the neck. Out of the gate lean tobacco notes and a somewhat greenish tinge, not in a bad way, but somewhat reticent. With time the wine puts on size and the green streak is over taken by a rich red fruited presence, and there are other tertiary nuances to compete with the tobacco notes. This is showing best three hours after opening without decanting. At this point a delightful wine relaxed in its own skin. Of course it is not a showstopper but it is the sort of wine that sneaks up on you and seduces you with its wares. I think I have two left. I am inclined to drink them in the next few years because I don’t think it will improve: 91-92

My first bottle ever of Niellon was the 14 Vergers, as you know. Jacques shared one in Denver and I was utterly smitten. Glad yours are showing as well.

I’ve only had the 85 Lagune once that I recall, not all the long ago at an offline at Dale’s. It was served blind and I was enchanted, thinking it was an 80’s era Graves as it showed a smoky and gravelly profile. The bouquet was really outstanding, even if the palate couldn’t really keep up. I’ve not been able to land anymore for a reasonable price since even though I keep looking. I think our impressions of it are similar, though I probably enjoyed my bottle a bit more (93 pts).

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Mon May 11, 2020 12:58 am

Ciacci Piccolomini Pianrosso Brunello di Montalcino 2006
2hr decant and this btl was showing beautiful aromatics of black cherry, forest floor, leather and vanilla notes that led way to a sweet, rounded, cherry and cranberry flavored palate with herbal and spice nuances that emerged on the finish. 94

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Mon May 11, 2020 3:33 am

NV Billecart-Salmon Rosé - this has been in the cellar a couple of years and is drinking well.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Mon May 11, 2020 3:44 am

1983 Ch. Margaux. Weak, crumbly cork, managed to extract it with nothing going into the bottle though.
Decanted at noon, and had a taste. Modest nose of cedar and tobacco. Dark red color. No bricking or thinning at the edge. Decent clarity.
Waited 3 hours and had a glass. Was nothing special, showing old wood, mild tannins, little fruit. Not unbalanced but not very interesting. Sipped on another glass while cooking until dinnertime. Drank more thru dinner. The last glass was poured near the end of dinner at 6:30pm.
There was no significant evolution, although the last glass was perhaps a touch better, showing a hint of fresh cherries, and it didn't ever fall apart.
There was no hint that it was corked. Sad to say it was just an old bottle of wine.

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Mon May 11, 2020 7:04 am

Chris
Sorry the 83 Margaux wasn't so great.
When young, I thought the 83 was better than 82 - it was fruitier and maybe a bit less tannic.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Mon May 11, 2020 12:01 pm

Claudius2 wrote:Chris
Sorry the 83 Margaux wasn't so great.
When young, I thought the 83 was better than 82 - it was fruitier and maybe a bit less tannic.

Perhaps even first growths were subject to great variability in the early '80s. Maybe they hadn't started combining their barrels into one blend before bottling yet.
My wife suggested that it tasted like a $40 bottle of wine, not a wine of distinction.
I think the bottle of 1984 Margaux I drank 5 or 6 years ago was better than this one.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Mon May 11, 2020 12:35 pm

Musigny 151 wrote:On the chopping block for tonight was a bottle of Canon 1982.
It as the first bottle from a pristine case and sold to me by my English supplier. I gave it three months of rest before deciding to open it.

However, it got a last minute stay, when a close friend offered to get scallops and a little shad roe, so tonight, we will pair them with a bottle of my dwindling supply of Louis Roederer, by far my favorite NV Champagne.

Yet again, the execution of the Canon 1982 was stayed. Instead, my wife requested a bottle of Champagne, and a half bottle of something good for Mother’s Day.

The Champagne was a perennial favorite, the Piper Rare 2002. I have mentioned how good the wine, and this was absolutely au point. I will not make any snide comments as to how vulgar that bottle is. 97

The half bottle turned out to be a really pleasant surprise. La Gomerie 1995. I expected a slightly modern spoofed bottle, and it was not. There was a beautiful balance to the wine, a melange of black and red fruit, floral and spice notes, and an easy palate with lovely acidity and mature tannins. Medium long finish. The underlying terroir is very good, and it really came through.. 94

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Mon May 11, 2020 12:39 pm

Claudius2 wrote:Chris
Sorry the 83 Margaux wasn't so great.
When young, I thought the 83 was better than 82 - it was fruitier and maybe a bit less tannic.

No great wines, just great bottles. The wine is now 37 years old, and I suspect that even the best bottles are not going to improve.

My last bottle of ‘83 Margaux was excellent, although I have had slightly better. But the range of scores I have given it is large. Lowest is a 93 and highest a 98.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Mon May 11, 2020 12:56 pm

Last night, with a grilled butterflied leg of lamb, I opened a 1996 Pichon Lalande. It was opened about 3 hours before dinner, and I decanted it about an hour before dinner. I guess this is why we spend money on wines! It was lovely from the first wafting aroma to the last sip. This wine is still on the young side, but not overly tight or tannic - really in a nice place with the time exposed to air. While I would happily drink the rest of my bottles this week, I suspect this will continue to please for at least 10-15 more years (maybe more depending on your tastes). For quality wines, I usually note when/where I bought them. But I have nothing entered for these - must have been an impulse buy that I quickly buried in the cellar.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Mon May 11, 2020 2:51 pm

Chris - that stinks and it sounds like a tired bottle and a somewhat similar experience to the btl I tasted when Ian was in town a couple of years back at Sutton Inn, waiting for it to open up and reveal its splendors but alas it was not meant to be.

JCNorthway - love the ‘96 PLL and it’s always a nice surprise when you uncover something good that you didn’t know you had.

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Mon May 11, 2020 2:53 pm

Chris
The 84 Margaux was actually a pretty good wine.
I bought a case of this in the 90's for a very low price (the importer went broke) and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was.
I think I drank the last one about 15 yrs ago but it was quite fruity and well balanced, lighter than the top vintages of course, a little GC Burgundy like in texture and weight.

I don't know if Margaux blended the wines before bottling but it is always a risky venture with older wines.

cheers
Mark

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Mon May 11, 2020 3:10 pm

JCNorthway wrote:Last night, with a grilled butterflied leg of lamb, I opened a 1996 Pichon Lalande. It was opened about 3 hours before dinner, and I decanted it about an hour before dinner. I guess this is why we spend money on wines! It was lovely from the first wafting aroma to the last sip. This wine is still on the young side, but not overly tight or tannic - really in a nice place with the time exposed to air. While I would happily drink the rest of my bottles this week, I suspect this will continue to please for at least 10-15 more years (maybe more depending on your tastes). For quality wines, I usually note when/where I bought them. But I have nothing entered for these - must have been an impulse buy that I quickly buried in the cellar.

Thanks. Was just offered six bottles at a good price. Will grab them.

sdr · Post by **sdr** » Mon May 11, 2020 3:31 pm

Chris, you had extremely bad luck with the ‘83 Margaux, so sad. Was it well stored? I’ve usually had great experiences with it. I hope you get to experience a good one. Here’s my most recent note:

3/7/20
95 points
Compared with a recent tasting of a rustic ‘82 Margaux you would have to assume 1983 is a much superior vintage for Margaux. Really silky, sexy and fragrant, it’s clearly in its prime. Beautiful fragrance, elegant, sweet and disarming. Apotheosis of Margaux.

Stu

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Mon May 11, 2020 4:16 pm

Stu,
Yours was one of the notes that made me quite hopeful.
As far as I know it was well stored since release. I got it from the original purchaser. I've only had a couple of disappointments from his collection - and they couldn't be directly attributed to storage conditions.
By comparison, the '83 Burgundy he shared with me was outstanding. Although both had weak corks that took great care to extract safely, I wouldn't attribute that to storage either.
And the '85 Margaux from his cellar was outstanding as well.

Chateau Vin · Post by **Chateau Vin** » Mon May 11, 2020 10:08 pm

Had a 2005 Pommard-Argillieres (Domaine Jean Monnier) with Sockeye and grilled asparagus...Terrific balance with raspberries galore. Velvet tannins with ample acidity and is drinking well. Thought it would need more time, but was pleasantly surprised...

Also had 2012 La fleur de bouard from a split the day before. I enjoyed this lalande pomerol, but I liked the Pommard better by a whole horse length....

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue May 12, 2020 1:06 am

Tonight, with grilled quail, 2009 St Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot Noir. This full bodied, warm vintage Oregon PN is singing, like most 2009 OR PN. No subtlety, but lots of up front fruit, none of which is candied. Patrick should blanquito his at least once, and I would like to have a few more to drink down the road, but this was my last bottle.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue May 12, 2020 2:22 am

Racer Chris wrote:1983 Ch. Margaux. Weak, crumbly cork, managed to extract it with nothing going into the bottle though.
Decanted at noon, and had a taste. Modest nose of cedar and tobacco. Dark red color. No bricking or thinning at the edge. Decent clarity.
Waited 3 hours and had a glass. Was nothing special, showing old wood, mild tannins, little fruit. Not unbalanced but not very interesting. Sipped on another glass while cooking until dinnertime. Drank more thru dinner. The last glass was poured near the end of dinner at 6:30pm.
There was no significant evolution, although the last glass was perhaps a touch better, showing a hint of fresh cherries, and it didn't ever fall apart.
There was no hint that it was corked. Sad to say it was just an old bottle of wine.

Too bad. It hurts us all a bit. Thatbremind me my dead 1986 Yquem fron January...

JCNorthway, you had way better red Bordeaux with that nice 1996 Chateau Pichon Lalande. A terrific 1996 Second Growth that Pichon Lalande, like the 1996 LLC, probably the two best 1996 Second Growth.

Nic

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue May 12, 2020 3:34 am

And Nic, I think you have to add Ducru to that short list.

Giuseppe Quintarelli Quintarelli Bianco Secco 2017
Fragrant aroma’s of stone fruit, honey and herbs that lead to sweet pear and honeyed profile that turns to stone on the finish. Unique. 91

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Tue May 12, 2020 11:31 am

Last night I opened up a 2010 Ch. Lanessan, and poured a couple glasses while I had some of the cassoulet leftovers. I feel much better now.
It's come out of its closed phase and displays a nice level of dark fruit with spice and a bit of minerality, supported by proper acidity and tannin levels.
It didn't take long to open up in the glass with a bit of swirling. The finish is rich, if not long.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue May 12, 2020 1:05 pm

jckba wrote:And Nic, I think you have to add Ducru to that short list

I thought about Ducru Beaucaillou and Cos d'Estournel as well (and i wrote them in the previous post) and it is true they're great 1996 Second Growth too, but i would give an extra edge to the Comtesse and the Marquis de Las Cases (so i erase Ducru and Cos back).

Nic

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue May 12, 2020 1:09 pm

Mmmm 1996 Cos, I remember Musigny151 uncorking a bottle in Boston, must've been about 2004ish, and decanting in a coffee pot. It was young but oh so rich and delicious.

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Wed May 13, 2020 1:32 pm

Last night drank 2010 Ch Bel Ormes Tronquoy de Lalande.
It is a CB from Haut Medoc.
An okay sort of wine with dusty oak, firm acid and low tannins but flavour was a little muted and short. Fair bit of green tobacco and not a lot of fruit. I’d have guessed a lesser vintage.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu May 14, 2020 12:18 pm

Clos Saint-Jean Deus-Ex Machina Chateauneuf du Pape 2005
Beautifully fragrant. Silky, pure, layered blackberry, black cherry and tobacco expression that builds while maintaining freshness and balance. Long finish. 98

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu May 14, 2020 12:54 pm

2013 Domaine Drouhin Laurene with turkey and mushroom pizza. Rather soft for a 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, fuller than most, and more forward than I expected.

jal · Post by **jal** » Thu May 14, 2020 2:15 pm

2014 LaRue St. Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly, with grouper filet in crazy water (aqua pazza), a bit soft and non descript. Disappointing for a 2014 and I was expecting more weight. 88

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Thu May 14, 2020 6:08 pm

jckba wrote:Clos Saint-Jean Deus-Ex Machina Chateauneuf du Pape 2005
Beautifully fragrant. Silky, pure, layered blackberry, black cherry and tobacco expression that builds while maintaining freshness and balance. Long finish. 98

I never pull the trigger on a Deus Ex Machina, and never bought a single bottle. Always been wondering if the good comments about it were right. It might be as what I'm reading from jckba is positive.

Nic

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Thu May 14, 2020 9:02 pm

The highlight for me so far was the 2013 Grand Puy Lacoste. As I am just at the beginning of building my "cellar" I drink few Bordeaux wines at the moment. I generally end up drinking rather cheap wines from Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Best, Dan

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Thu May 14, 2020 9:49 pm

Welcome back Dan.

Nic

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Thu May 14, 2020 11:17 pm

Thank you Nic!

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Thu May 14, 2020 11:43 pm

I'm finishing up a bottle of 2015 Fourcas Dupre while having some tomato basil soup made from a packaged mix of dried vegetables and herbs/spices.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu May 14, 2020 11:54 pm

Dom Perignon 2004
Classically styled. Supremely elegant. And a perfect match for crab cakes. 94

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Thu May 14, 2020 11:57 pm

More German Riesling recently: 2012 Von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Abtsberg Spatlese (this was another Wow wine) and 2011 Von Hovel Oberemmeler Hutte Spatlese (very nice and fruity but not as intense as the Abtsberg). Both 8.5% alcohol.

Chris Bublitz

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Fri May 15, 2020 1:15 am

2001 Selbach Oster ZS Auslese wonderful as usual these days. At peak for my tastes with all that 01 intensity and brightness and awesomeness on display. Off-dry to be sure but so good it transcends the genre.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Fri May 15, 2020 1:55 am

Yes, those 2001 German Rieslings from good producers are really special.

Chris Bublitz