TN: LONG 2006 Wine Cornucopia


These notes come from a tasting in Indianapolis that benefits Easter Seals. IMO this is the premier Indiana wine event of the year, not least of which for the silent auction that accompanies the tasting. This year, we picked up the '90 Jadot Beaune-Villages, '89 Chevillon NSG and three bottles of the '95 Haut Marbuzet -- all of which I've opened and described here -- and a bottle of '93 Jadot Gevrey Clos St.-Jacques. Conditions at the tasting are a bit rushed, so my notes are more abbreviated than normal.

'98 Dom Perignon ($117) color: pale gold, fine mousse nose: toasty, apples palate: crisp entry, softly fruity my reaction: ho hum!

'96 Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne ($117) c: green-gold n: corked!! r: %^&%$^%$%^$%#$()(*)(!!!!!

'95 J. Schram sparkling wine c: yellow n: toasty, nutty p: toast, citrus r: more oxidized than the Champagnes, but still interesting

'03 Jadot Puligny-Montrachet ($46) c: pale yellow n: banana, oak p: soft, oak, limited fruit r: blechh!

'03 Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay ($46) c: pale yellow n: oak p: oak, butter r: where's the fruit?? So much for Aubert de Villaine's influence...

'02 Moreau Chablis GC 'Les Clos' ($81) c: pale green-yellow n: minerals, floral, citrus, oak p: soft, butter, grapefruit r: best white of the evening, but better Chablis can be had for less $

'02 Dom. Drouhin Pinot Noir 'Laurene' ($50) n: soft, slight oak, perfumed, slightly sappy p: silky, good fruit, good acid r: typical DDO profile, but the sappiness suggests to me younger vines for the Laurene than the regular cuvée

'02 Saintsbury Pinot Noir 'Brown Ranch' ($65) n: sappy, dark fruit p: powerful, dark berryish fruit r: unusual for Saintsbury and Carneros -- less elegance. Give me their reserve bottling, thank you.

Of wine, politics and the security of isolation on a rainy Sunday
Hope you have a GREAT TRIP!!!! Sounds nice. Uhhh cause they are trying to bring screw caps into country :-) Military trial only. These are POW's not enbreastled to a trial...
Advice concerning a US starter and wine accompaniment
At one time on both coasts shrimp or crab chickentail was the usual starter at all but fast food restaurants. That kind of dish is now pbutté unless you screw around with horseradish...

'01 Sanford Pinot Noir 'Rinconado' ($53) n: deep fruit, smoky p: moderately tannic, good fruit, clean finish r: very nice stuff

'02 Belle Vallee Pinot Noir 'Grand Cuvee' ($50) n: sappy, smoke, deep p: powerful, dark fruit, oak r: who put Syrah in my Pinot?

'02 Mouton ($135) n: cbuttis, pencil lead p: soft tannins, medium body, balanced and elegant r: how long beforehand did they open some of these wines? Certainly much less powerful than I would have expected from this producer-vintage.

'02 Forts de Latour ($45) n: bright fruit, banana? p: pencil lead, moderately tannic, good acidity r: this wine seemed a bit closed in, but showed some potential

'02 L'Angelus ($90) n: muted, cbuttis, coffee, stones p: acidic entry, tannins, roasted flavors, bitter finish r: the flavor profile reminded me of the phenomenal '90 Angelus, but the bitterness in the finish (separate from the tannins) was offputting

'01 Ridge Monte Bello ($101) n: cbuttis, herbal, cedar p: cbuttis, moderate tannins, acidity, cedar-mint in the finish r: clbuttier and more appealing to me than any of the 3 Bdx (and that's saying something, coming from me)

'99 Val de Suga Brunello ($47) n: cherries, tobacco p: med. body, dusty, long finish r: I'm not much of a Brunello fancier, but this wasn't at all bad

'03 Gaja Sito Moresco ($99) n: corked; second bottle showed cherries p: medium-full body, cherry fruit, smooth r: not a Gaja bottling that I knew, a blend of Merlot and Nebbiolo; not for me

'01 Penfolds Bin 707 ($68) n: cbuttis, mint p: medium-full body, cbuttis, oak r: quite ordinary

'01 Chateau St. Jean 'Cinq Cepages' ($68) n: cbuttis, oak p: soft, fruit, oak r: even more ordinary; forgettable

'02 Col Solare ($60) n: oak, butter, volatile acidity p: bright fruit, soft, hot r: after this, I decided to forego the other CalCabs (Fisher Coach, Etude, Chimney Rock, Nickel&Nickel) -- sorry! I was just not getting much from them (except that Ridge)

'77 Royal Oporto Colheita ($52) c: tawny n: Sherry-esque p: nutty, smooth, citrus r: very interesting for my first Colheita, but I suspect that there are better examples

'01 Zenato Amarone ($46) n: sulfur, plums p: thick, chewy, slightly raisiny, good fruit, acidic finish r: A nice way to finish the evening with an Amarone from one of my favorite Veneto producers. Still way too young (I think) but it'll be nice after a few more years

My WOTN was the Ridge Monte Bello, with Honorable Mention to the Domaine Drouhin, Zenato Amarone and Moreau Chablis. All in all, a fun event.

Mark Lipton


List | Previous | Next