Hey Everyone, great thread. I was hoping someone could give me some quick help with a champagne list. I have absolutely zero experience in sparkling wines at all and don't even know where to start with this list.

Basically, I'm going with a long time SO to a champagne bar this week for a bit of a celebration. Neither of us has any experience with sparkling wine, but she wants to get a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Below is a link to the sparkling wine list at the bar.

http://www.popsforchampagne.com/pdfs..._Web_06_09.pdf

I wanted to do some quick research before we went, but due to my lack of knowledge I really have no idea where to even start. If anyone can give this a quick look and throw out a few quick suggestions or some overall tips (i.e. should we consider the grower-producer list?) it would be very much appreciated.

I'm looking to stay under $150, and while that lowers the options, there's still a ton of bottles that fall under there. If it helps, my SO and I typically like robust and dry wines. Again, I'm way over my head here, so any advice at all would be very very appreciated. Thanks!

I haven't begun to dig into their current list, but, I'm in chicago and have thought that pops for champagne has always done it right. they do a good job of having really good and a lot of interesting sparklers as well


here's what I would reccomend, but I hope that other posters chime in as I know that we have some other great bubbleheads that know their **** as well


personally, I'd say that getting a 1/2 btl of the michel arnould and a full btl of the dhondt blancs de blancs would be awesome. Two great producers at quality prices(obviously cheaper at retail, but it is what it is). They are both NV wines and are slightly over 150 combined, but they are both a great departure from the normal Cliquot yellow label or taitinger le francaise (which is a solid wine, but would be better at $10 less per btl at retail)

the pierre peters Blancs de Blanc NV is also a great one. Just be sure to know that their style is bone ****ing dry and a bit esoteric. that wine (and all blancs de blancs(from now it'll be BdB)) is 100% chardonnay. Personally I fully recommend trying and BdBs as IMO the best champagnes are either chard heavy or 100% chard


for domestic sparklers, the Soter Rose is delicious. Here is my note on the wine(note, I'm tough on bubbly in scoring):

• 2004 Soter Brut Rosé Beacon Hill - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (2/25/2009)
  nose: lovely and deep nose of strawberries, red florals, cherry pits, and bits of citrus tones. Very aromatic with a nice delicacy to it
  
  taste: great feel with good medium acidity. Excellent bubbles that move well across the palate that give lovely tones of strawberries, red florals, and bits of cherry pits
  
  overall: a wonderful bubbly. Great feel and aromatics that easily competes with the deep and polish that you get from champagne (90 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker


that is basically what I would recommend with what you have asked for. Hopefully other people chime in, and please let us know what you picked and how both of you liked the wine(s)

my favorites i get from my wine guy are:

penfolds bin 389
manzone barolo gramolere
domaine la roquette - chateauneuf de pape
archery summit pinot
domaine serene pinot


i usually buy the following in bulk:

penfolds chatanoogua hill
ridge zinfandel


champagnes:

veuve rose or perrier jouet

wines i get delivered:

crocker and starr cab francs
heitz cellar ruby port -- so good

I dunno if anyone's interested, but I have a couple bottles of 05 Screaming Eagle and an 06 I'd like to part with. Dunno if this should go in the marketplace or not...

jay, you'd probably have a better shot of unloading them if you go onto Erobertparker.com's wine forum and post in the commerce corner

how much/where are u geographically

PM or e-mail me. I'm in Las Vegas, SW side.

it's been nearly a month since any posting in this thread, time to give it the bump with some tasting notes I meant to put in here a week or so ago:

CALIFORNIA CHARDS TO KICK OFF THE SPRING - Bonsoiree, Chicago IL (3/23/2010)

A couple of us met up to kick the spring off with some california chards. We went with the 5 course menu for the evening as it paired well with what we were drinking. I was really looking forward to this as we had a nice lineup for a small setting
an opening red burg

• 2000 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Grands Liards - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune
  nose: perfumed and very beaunish nose of dark red cherries, dark berries, earthen tones, bits of spices and a touch of violets. Very good depth for a village wine and has a charming quality to it
  
  taste: very tasty and smooth medium feel with good medium+ acidity and balanced tones of dark red cherries, dark berries, bits of earth tones, soy, and a touch of floral tones. Good depth and has an expressive quality to it
  
  overall: a real attractive savigny. This is drinking perfectly and has a real charm to it. Well balanced, this is drinking great and shows of better then its village status would fully indicate (90 pts.)
  

the Chards

• 2007 DuMOL Chardonnay Chloe - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  nose: deep and rich nose that is packed with tones of minerals, white fruits, buttered toast, meringue, and bits of orange peels. While it has a largeness to it, it isn't overdone and the butter is held in check
  
  taste: great medium/full feel with medium acidity and rich tones of meringue, minerals, pears, buttered toast, and orange peels. The tones are hiding a bit and not seeming to fully show themselves
  
  overall: this is young and could use another 2-3 years before it really gets going. While its a bigger chard, its not too big and it holds itself really well. Lots of depth on both the nose and palate, this is a great chard right now and could really turn into something (93 pts.)
  
• 2005 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  nose: extremely big as one would expect from kistler with rich tones of lemon meringue, butter, pears, and a good amount of creamed fruits. Good depth and shows off its style real well
  
  taste: full bodied with a real creamy feel and tones of white fruits, pears, creams, butter, and bits of lemon meringue. Rich as well to go with the full body, this has a lot of presence
  
  overall: a real quality chard. Its full bodied and shows off a lot of oak, but its also really good. Its very much what you'd expect from kistler and it shows itself off very well. (92 pts.)
  
• 2005 Kistler Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard Parmelee-Hill - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  nose: very deep and big nose of buttered toast, blood oranges, pears, red apples, and a touch of lemon zest. Is showing itself to be a bit tight on the nose, but it gets going a bit in the glass
  
  taste: full bodied and very rich with deep tones of buttered toast, pears, creamed apples, and lemon zest tones with a touch of tropical citrus'
  
  overall: this needs a couple of years to fully come together. Big and rich, this is a bit of a bruiser right now and needed more air then the 2 1/2 hours I gave it in bottle (93 pts.)
  
• 2002 Kongsgaard Chardonnay - USA, California, Napa Valley
  there was something off with this bottle. The color was fairly gold and there was a bit of oxidation on the nose as well. there were some tones of nuts and pears on both the nose and palate, but the sherry tones showed through a bit as well NR (flawed)
  
• 2005 Kongsgaard Chardonnay - USA, California, Napa Valley
  nose: much more up to speed with deep and sexy tones of white fruits, lemon drops, bits of tropical citrus', navel oranges, butter and a touch of oak. This has a real classy quality to it while still being very cali
  
  taste: full bodied with smooth and polished tones of white fruits, roasted nuts, tropical citrus, lemons, and bits of navel oranges. Has a real cool quality to it and good medium acidity
  
  overall: a great chardonnay. There is some power behind it, but there is a sense of polish as well. Big and pungent, this was firing on all cylinders and showing itself off well (93 pts.)
  

a sauternes

• 1988 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  nose: polished and rounded tones of apricots, nectarines, bits of limes, apples and bits of peaches that is all backed up with real good depth
  
  taste: round and succulent medium bodied tones of apricots, pears, bits of peaches, limes and a touch of warm honey along with medium acidity and a real polished feel to it
  
  overall: this is right in its zone. A lovely sauternes that has a bit of age on it, but remains fairly youthful and well put together. This is just starting to hit a real window and should be a wonderful wine for years to come (92 pts.)
  

Bonsoiree did a great job. I wish I had taken pictures and wrote down the dishes, but that didn't happen. Sadly the 02 Kongsgaard was a bit oxidized, but other then that, the wines were terrific. The smaller events are always a lot of fun as we get a chance to talk to each other rather then quartering off as can happen at the larger tastings. A great time, and onto the next one
Posted from CellarTracker

2002 Palladius Sadie Family Vineyard

Sadie Family is widely acknowledged as one of South Africa's best wineries. This is the first vintage of Palladius, a blend of Vigonier, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and possibly Chardonnay, Marsanne, Roussanne (can't find anything on the 2002) . I have no idea what the %'s are (and can't find it on line).

Considering it's 14.9% alcohol (!) and 18 months in oak, I didn't have huge expectations for this wine as that's the recipe of the exact opposite of what I want. But, its rich nose of honey, ripe fruit (apricot, nectarine, peach), jasmine, and spicyness was pretty enticing. The palate was again rich, layered, velvety, and had a ton of fruit that was all backed by some nice acidity (from the Chenin, I assume) that would have probably been better a couple years ago. Oh well.

I actually ended up really enjoying this wine... but, if I wasn't able to pick it up for (relatively) dirt cheap, I don't think its worth its price point ($50-60 in the states, $90-100 here in Vancouver).

i wonder how a palladius is when its young. that combo of grapes doesn't really lend itself to aging (or at least when chenin is done in a dry style)

made some veal osso bucco, so a barolo was needed to pair with it. This barolo is a great value and shouldn't be too hard to get in the states for under $35. I would say that it needs a couple more years, but you don't need age it for 20 years:

• 2004 Stefano Farina Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (4/9/2010)
  nose: lush and beautiful nose of roasted herbs, tar, dark red cherries, red fruits, and a touch of juniper spices. Very good depth and showing off fairly well at this young stage
  
  taste: smooth and elegant feel with medium+ acidity and good tannins along with lush and fresh tones of dark red cherries, roasted herbs, wild spices, red berries, leather, and a bit of tar
  
  overall: this went perfectly with a veal osso bucco. Gave this about two hours in the decanter and its nice and soft with a real attractive red fruit quality to it. A little tight on the nose, but with good depth as well as good depth on the palate as well. Needs a couple of years, but this is an early drinker that is a real good value (91 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker

Ya, I agree. It would have been better a couple of years ago.

I had Turley's, "The White Coat" a while back which is done in a similar style with similar grapes and this absolutely kills it. I assume this is mostly because of the acidity from the Chenin, as The White Coat literally, 'coated' your mouth with fatty, juicy alcohol. Blah.

I've never had a turley white, and I'm not sure how I would feel about having one. From what you describe, it sounds like what I'd expect from them. Alban's viognier isalso ginormous and brutally alcoholic as well



I'm doing a 1997 Brunello tasting tonight. We're having 7 wines, so its not a full on comprehensive tasting, so I'll probably do one of those down the road. Looking forward to it and its mostly traditionally slanted tonight. Here are the wines, hopefully I'll have notes up by sunday:

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=7912

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=7900

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=149794

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=129904

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=420

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=20537

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3859

This wine is soooo good.

unfortunately it was corked

finally got my notes done. Here is everything from last friday night:

1997 BRUNELLOS - Vinci, Chicago (4/16/2010)

This had been a tasting that I've been wanting to do for a while and the date finally worked out for enough people to make it happen. What was interesting about this is the more traditional slant as many of them were still very young.

• 1997 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  nose: slow to reveal itself, it took a bit to unwind and when it did well balanced and enveloping notes of dark red cherries, plums, bits of spices, roasted herbs and a touch of black tea. Excellent depth that gains more in the glass
  
  taste: smooth and polished medium feel with excellent medium+ acidity and lovely tones of red fruits, dark berries, florals, and a good bit of roasted herbs. Good tannins still support the wine well and there is a real elegance to the wine
  
  overall: This is a wine that you sit with and let it tell you a story. Having seven people on this didn't allow this to really show its best. This had seen about 6 hours of bottle air the day before and then recorked. It still took a bit of coaxing in the glass to really get it to start to open. This could probably use something like a 2 hour decant and a small group to let it really shine. (92 pts.)
  
• 1997 E. Fuligni (Cottimelli) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  nose: fresh and inviting nose of roasted herbs, marjoram, red cherries, violets, red berries, bits of licorice and a lot of perfume tones as well. This has a real intoxicating style to it that is more on the feminine side
  
  taste: beautiful and silky medium feel with medium+ acidity and good tannins with elegant tones of red berries, violets, red cherries, licorice, and loads of roasted herbs. The feel is delicate without being too soft
  
  overall: This also took a bit to get going, but when it did it really bloomed and revealed itself as a gorgeous brunello. This had received a good amount of bottle air the night before. This was a real beauty that was seeming to just get going (93 pts.)
  
• 1997 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  nose: intense and powerful nose of dark red cherries, spices, tobacco, herbs, dried red florals, dark red fruits and bits of purple florals as well. Great depth and showing a much more modern approach then the other wines in the lineup
  
  taste: Polished and smooth medium/full feel with medium+ acidity and good tannins still holding. Balanced and deep tones of herbs, tobacco, dark red cherries, and all sorts of various purple florals blend well together
  
  overall: This definitely stuck out in the lineup as it was more modern then the rest of the wines. It offered a great counter point to the other wines. Great depth on the wine, it still has a good while to go but is certainly drinkable right now and showing great (94 pts.)
  
• 1997 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  twas sadly corked NR (flawed)
  
• 1997 Il Greppone Mazzi (Ruffino) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  nose: lovely and classic nose of dark red fruits, marjoram, purple florals, some earthen tones, red cherries and a good bit of roasted herbs. Has a real elegance to it with an enchanting style and great depth
  
  taste: Smooth and gorgeous medium feel with round and silky tones of purple florals, earthen tones, dark red fruits, red cherries, and roasted herbs. Excellent medium+ acidity and good tannins still support this well
  
  overall: This is drinking right now, but needs a smaller crowd on it. It could also use a bit of a decant and should last a good while. A real elegant and gorgeous brunello that is a real delight to drink and showing a more grounded style (93 pts.)
  
• 1997 Giovanna Ciacci Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Tenuta di Collosorbo - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  nose: lovely and polished nose of roasted herbs, star anise, dark red cherries, perfumes with some tobacco tones as well sneaking in. Extremely fragrant and has a seductive side to it as well as a plushness to it as well
  
  taste: smooth and plush medium feel with good tannins and medium+ acidity giving way to tones of star anise, roasted herbs, bits of tobacco and cedary tones as well as dark red cherries and plums
  
  overall: This is lovely. A nice and elegant Brunello that is starting to drink, but certainly comes off as having a good way to go as well. Very balanced and aromatic, this has real good depth too that draws you in (93 pts.)
  
• 1997 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Le Gode di Montosoli - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  nose: This was holding back a bit at first, but then started to unwind into succulent and savory tones of violets, dried roses, cigarette ash, lots of mixed berries as well as italian spice tones and bits of star anise. Very complex and demanding of your attention
  
  taste: lovely and regal medium feel with beautiful tones of red cherries, cigarette ash, anise, mixed berries, perfumes, and violets. Very well balanced and refined with noticeable medium/high acidity and good tannins still showing themselves
  
  overall: This received about 6 hours of bottle air, and it could've used a lot more. This is still fairly young and would need a good decant and a small group to really get into this. This is a real beauty that needs coaxing to reveal itself, but its worth getting there (94 pts.)
  

The quality was great across the board. Other then the corked Valdicava, I thought that everything showed real well and all of the wines were real interesting and a lot of fun to drink. A great time as always and onto the next one
Posted from CellarTracker

though its still in the 40s and 50s here in chicago, Rose is starting to come into my store more and more for the summer season. I felt like buying a bottle to check out:

• 2009 Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rosé - France, Provence, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence (4/24/2010)
  nose: fresh and lighter nose of citrus', lemon peels, strawberries, and bits of mineral tones. Very aromatic which is really nice
  
  taste: excellent lighter feel with crisp medium/high acidity and tones of berries, strawberries, minerals, and a good bit of fresh picked citrus'
  
  overall: A real quality rose. Fresh and lively, this is real tasty and has great tones on both the nose and palate. This is begging for some lighter food, but is a real good sipper as well (89 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker


this was $15 and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being fairly available (or already is). The main reason for grabbing this one was because of the lighter color. What it generally tells you is that the grapes were picked and harvested specifically to make rose.

This past week I turned 30 and went to some great dinners on both sides of my birthday. These notes are from last monday when I got a chance to go to david burke's primehouse:

1994 CALI CABS - David Burke's Primehouse, Chicago IL (5/17/2010)

Cabdrinker was in town and he called upon the chicago residents to have some cabs with him. Shane took the lead on working with Primehouse to tailor everything for us
Pre-Cab wines

• 1998 Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Terrassen - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: lovely and deep nose that is jam packed with mineral tones as well as tones of pears, green apples, acacia flowers, white fruits and a bit of honeysuckle
  
  taste: beautiful medium feel with great medium/high acidity that is still very noticeable. Smooth and classy tones of stones, minerals, bits of white fruits, green apples, pears and a touch of white flowers
  
  overall: this was purchased off the list. Very nice lighter gold color on the wine, this comes off as having a long life ahead of it. If you can find a bottle its well worth trying. A great wine that can still get better (93 pts.)
• 2008 Coleman Nicole Pinot Noir Champlain Creek - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  nose: lighter and tart nose of candied red fruits, smoke, raspberries and lighter tones of berries. Nice nose, but lacking some depth and nothing really jumps out too much either
  
  taste: nice and light feel with medium acidity and good tones of red fruits, candy, raspberries, and some smoke tones. It gained a slight bit of weight with air, but it was still lacking a bit on the palate
  
  overall: This was a nice wine and a very good first effort. The nose was very nice, but the palate was lacking. If it gains some weight with age this could be very good, but it doesn't seem to have that next gear (86 pts.)

The Main Event

• 1994 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
  nose: lovely and well layered nose filled with great tones of menthol, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar, herbs and some bits of currants. Great depth and coming off as fairly mature right now
  
  taste: polished and silky medium/full feel with good supporting tannins and elegant tones of mint, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar and currants with a slight bit of herbs. Well layered on the palate as well
  
  overall: This is a lovely wine. Its mature, but doesn't seem to be in any real danger of going anywhere for a while. Very aromatic that is more on the subtle side rather than in your face. This is a textbook classic cali cab (92 pts.)
• 1994 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley
  nose: very tight for a while and took about two hours to open up and reveal perfumed tones of cassis, dark red cherries, oak, black currants, and bits of dark berry tones. Great depth, but it was holding back a bit
  
  taste: taught with good tannins and a polished medium/full feel. Didn't fully come out and play until later on as well on the palate. Balanced and round tones of cassis, dark red cherries, oak, black currants and some dark berries and a bit of chocolate
  
  overall: I had decanted this for two hours before taking it to the restaurant and it was still fairly tight when we first tried it. This was pretty young and when it opened up, it was a real nice cab. Very well balanced with a touch of oak, but its not close to too much. (92 pts.)
• 1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
  nose: perfumed and very youthful monty with the classic monty mint striking you right off the bat along with beautiful tones of red currants, dark red cherries, red fruits, cassis and cedar tones. Great depth, but holding back a bit right now
  
  taste: lovely and polished full body with good tannins and balanced tones of cedar, red currants, mint, dark red fruits, cassis, and some bits of leather and red berries. This is also coming off as holding slightly back and the tannins have a chewy feel to them
  
  overall: this was starting to open up towards the end, but it needed to be decanted longer. This is a great young monty that is starting to drink but really seems like it will be a marathon runner. (93 pts.)
• 1994 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
  nose: pure and elegant nose that is polished and very deep with beautiful tones of herbs, vanilla, cassis, dark red fruits, dark red cherries and lots of red currants. A real heady nose with all sorts of layers, but its also holding back a bit right now, there's a tightness to it still
  
  taste: full bodied with gripping tannins and polished tones of berries, dark red fruits, red currants, vanilla and a touch of herbs as well. Extremely well balanced with a real rich and elegant feel. Definitely still young on the palate, but showing a lot of class as well
  
  overall: I had given this a good deal of air to get it to show well. It was decanted for 4 hours and given 8+ more hours of bottle air. This is still a very young wine that is another 10 or so years away from really showing how stunning it can be. Its an amazing wine right now, but a lot of air is needed on this, but there is still room for improvement in it (95 pts.)
• 1994 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley
  nose: lush and potent nose filled with tones of leather, dark red cherries, a bit of chocolate, earth tones, bits of mushrooms along with some black currants. Polished with excellent depth, this has a real elegant style to it that makes it attractive
  
  taste: Full bodied with a real richness and warmth to the tones of dark red fruits, black currants, dark red cherries, leather and some earth tones. Good tannins still show themselves and there is great balance to it as well
  
  overall: An awesome cab. Balance is the key to the wine and it brings a more bordeaux style to it but having the nice warm california fruit. Great depth, there was a perfumed quality to it on the nose and a lot of polish (94 pts.)
• 1994 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
  nose: a bit tight with sweeter tones of dark red cherries, red and black currants, dark red fruits, vanilla, along with some tones of black licorice and oak. It seems to be holding back a bit right now, especially next to the fay
  
  taste: comes off as fairly young with chewy tannins and a full bodied feel that is suave and classy with plush tones of vanilla, dark red cherries, black and red currants, dark red fruits and a touch of oak
  
  overall: This comes off as not fully ready for primetime. Its young and it is drinkable, but doesn't seem close to its peak yet. The feel is real good, and when it opens up some more, this could be a real classy cab (92 pts.)
• 1994 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  nose: polished and layered nose of cedar, red and black currants, black cherries, dark berries, and leather. Very pungent that is more on the subtle side than the last bottle I had. There is still the perfume quality to it that is real pretty
  
  taste: plush and rounded medium/full feel that plays more to elegance than brute force. Balanced and smooth tones of leather, black and red currants, black cherries and dark berries. The tannins are still showing themselves as well on the bottle
  
  overall: This bottle came off very young and in need of more aging. The baby fat hasn't completely shed on this and this bottle didn't seem to kick into that final gear. A great wine, this does feel like it could be something very special the closer it gets to 20 (93 pts.)

A sticky to end the night

• 2002 Alois Kracher Welschriesling TBA #3 Zwischen den Seen - Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee
  nose: delicious and deep nose of apricots, green apples, spiced pears, honey and bits of white florals. The nose also has real good layering already on it wit a polish as well
  
  taste: Very well polished and rounded tones of clove spices, pears, green apples, honey and some white florals. Excellent medium acidity with a lot of depth
  
  overall: a lovely kracher. A lot of polish and depth, this is still young and can get better. Great aromatics right now, it is slightly holding back on the palate (94 pts.)

A great night. Primehouse was above and beyond expectations and the wines showed great for the most part, and even came off as young on the whole. Shane did an amazing job putting everything together and it was a complete blast of a night
Posted from CellarTracker

Chilean wine. 2,5 dollars. Verrrry good.

turned 30 this past wednesday, so I had to make sure to try to forget it on friday night:


CELEBRATING MY 30TH BIRTHDAY WITH 1990 BORDEAUX - Lula Cafe, Chicago IL (5/21/2010)

Well, my 20s are over with so I needed to come to terms with that by drinking a whole lot of wine. The main theme was 1990 bordeaux, RP 93+, but I also decided to put in a grower bubbly flight to start things off
Whites and Bubbles
Ward brought the Corton Charlie and I provided the Bubbles. I figured it'd be fun to kick things off with a grower bubbly flight, and they really did the job

• 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
  nose: well balanced and riper nose with fat tones of oils, meyer lemons, white florals, crushed stones, minerals and some tangy citrus tones. Great depth with some power behind it and showing some of the ripeness of the 06 vintage for whites
  
  taste: fuller bodied with rich and creamy tones of oils, meyer lemons, acacia flowers, white fruits, crushed stones and some minerals as well as citrus tones. Very good medium+ acidity shows off the youth of the wine, but it isn't too obtrusive
  
  overall: This doesn't come off as a long distance Corton Charlie. There is real good depth to it on both the nose and palate, but the acidity and tones are pretty good already and the wine doesn't come off as inaccessible. (92 pts.)
• N.V. Ulysse Collin Champagne Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne
  nose: extremely steely and precise nose filled with lots of minerals as well as white fruits, lemon zest and some bits of wet stones. Very good depth and extremely interesting
  
  taste: Lighter and very focused with bits of citrus, apples, white fruits, minerals galore, and lemon zest. The acidity is very pronounced and high, but not shrill
  
  overall: This disgorgement feels like it could use two years or so to fully balance it all out. The style is great and this is a very interesting and philosophical champagne. This is a style that not all may like as this is very dry (91 pts.)
• N.V. H. Billiot Fils Champagne Brut Réserve - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne
  nose: screaming nose right off the bat filled with smoke, roasted nuts, meringue, apples, brioche, and bits of warm dough. Great depth and very polished, this just fills up the glass
  
  taste: suave and silky medium feel with good medium acidity and polished tones of smoke, apples, meringue, warm dough, minerals, and bits of brioche. The feel really makes the wine as there is a lot of class
  
  overall: this had a 08/07 disgorgement and had been sitting in the store the entire time. This was a great wine that just oozed class and elegance with every smell and sip. There was a slightly aged aspect to it as one would expect and it really just added that extra layer (94 pts.)
• 1995 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne
  nose: real classy and elegant nose of bread, citrus tones, minerals, lemon zest, green apples and bits of almonds. Great depth and polish on the nose as well, very pure and though not young on the nose, it isn't getting into that next gear just yet. There's still a bit of baby fat that can be shed, but the nose is very nice right now
  
  taste: lovely and smooth medium feel with noticeable medium/high acidity as well balanced tones of bread, citrus', white florals, almonds, green apples and some bits of pears. The acidity isn't too much, but it is there
  
  overall: a very classy and beautiful bottle of champagne. Needs a bit more time to fully shed some baby fat, but this was a real lovely wine that is showing well and providing yet another different style to the bubbly flight (93 pts.)

The main event
The Arnoux was from my birthyear and was a real beauty of a wine. It wasn't just hanging on, it was very much alive and could go a long way. The bordeauxs were amazing. The amount of great wine that we had was nothing like I've had before. The Carobric was a real good young barolo and the de Fargues was really good, but it wasn't from the best cellar in the world, c'est la vie

• 1980 Domaine Robert Arnoux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
  nose: there is a real good freshness on the nose right off the bat that takes us all by surprise and gives way to mature and feminine tones of vosne spices, red florals, hi-toned red fruits, bits of dried berries, mushrooms and hints of fresh orange peels seem to lie underneath
  
  taste: lovely and sublime medium feel with medium acidity and pretty tones of red florals, orange peels, mushrooms, bits of earth, red fruits, and bits of spices. Delicate, but not fragile, this is certainly mature, but doesn't seem over the hill at all
  
  overall: A truly memorable experience. This was from my birthyear and all we were hoping for was that it was still alive and drinkable. It had about 2 cm of ullage and my friend took care of teh cork, which he said was surprisingly tough. This had a real nice lighter red color that was still vibrant. This really seemed like it has a long ways to go, but is certainly mature and a real beauty (94 pts.)
• 1990 Château Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  nose: the nose just screams and is filled with layers upon layers of christmas fruitcake, sweet cassis, red currants, all sorts of dark red fruits, black currants, dark red cherries and a touch of barnyard. The balance and depth on the nose is astounding and enveloping
  
  taste: so much polish and depth that you want to just freeze the beautiful medium/full feel. Very good tannins still show themselves with silky and sublime tones of fruitcake, dark red cherries, red and black currants, cedar, cassis and some bits of dark red fruits
  
  overall: I had given this about 3 hours in the decanter. There wasn't much bricking and it had a medium dark red color. An absolute stunner of a wine that comes off as still very young. It had a perfumed quality to it with a robustness at the same time (97 pts.)
• 1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  nose: stunning as the wine just completely fills up the glass. This was all about finesse and elegance with waves of tones of fruitcake, cassis, smoke, cedar, leather, black currants, and some bits of peppery tones. Very complex and deep this nearly overwhelms on the nose, but seems to hold back just a slight bit
  
  taste: refined and demure with elegant medium/full tones of fruitcake, cassis, cedar, leather, bits of potpurri, dark red cherries and all sorts of berry tones. Very good tannins still show off the youth of the wine as there is a bit of roughness on the palate still
  
  overall: If this is what the 90 is like, I have to know what the 89 is like. This was an absolutely beautiful wine that dazzled on the nose and brought some real refinement on the palate. This seems like it does need another 5-10 years before it really hits its stride. I had decanted this for 3 hours or so and it still showed fairly young, but utterly amazing (97 pts.)
• 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  nose: big and brawny with powerful tones of leather, cassis, black currants, cedar, and all sorts of dark red cherries with some tobacco tones as well. Very deep and much like a heavyweight boxer with the punch it has behind it
  
  taste: chewy tannins still showing on this behemoth of a wine. Full bodied and powerful with deep tones of leather, tobacco, cassis, black currants, dark red cherries and some bits of sour red fruits
  
  overall: this wine has only started to hit its prime and, for me, it is a good 10 years away from being at its peak. This wine is a heavyweight and punches like one. There is a lot of power on both the nose and palate that almost seems hard to tame (96 pts.)
• 1990 Château Lagrange St. Julien - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  nose: lovely and very classy nose of cedar, black currants, dark red cherries, dark red fruits and some bits of perfumes. Very good depth with a real sense of style on the nose
  
  taste: Very balanced and classy medium/full feel with polished tones of cedar, leather, cassis, dark red cherries, sour berries, black currants and some bits of incense. Good tannins are still supporting this, and while it comes off as mature, there is a good way to go
  
  overall: this was one of the lighter bordeauxs in the glass on the night. Had a real nice dark ruby color to it with a small bit of bricking. This is still a very classy bottle of wine and very enjoyable. There was more perfume on this than previous bottles. This continues to be a real elegant and lovely wine that seems like it has the stuffing to go a good ways (94 pts.)
• 1990 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  nose: This was lovely and refined, very english in a way with well balanced tones of leather, cassis, bits of barnyard, dark red cherries, cedar, and a good bit of pipe tobacco. Excellent depth and quintessentially bordeaux, this did get a bit lost in the company of everything else and being the last of the reds. A real lovely nose that needs attention
  
  taste: elegant and smooth medium/full feel with good supporting tannins and refined tones of leather, cassis, dark red cherries, cedar, tobacco and bits of spice box. Still seems a slight bit young, but has a real smooth and refined feel to it with excellent balance
  
  overall: This came off as very english. A beautifully refined wine and is what claret is about. Well balanced, this is a classic bordeaux for bordeaux lovers with great depth on both the nose and palate. This is a bottle that would be fun to track all night (94 pts.)
• 1996 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
  nose: pretty and wafting nose of leather, perfumes, red fruits, red currants, some bits of herbs, spice and some bits of oak. Excellent depth with good layering, but seems to be holding back a bit right now
  
  taste: Tasty medium feel with good medium+ acidity with polished tones of leather, herbs, oak, dark red cherries, sour berries, red fruits and some bits of perfumes. Really good depth, but the tannins are a bit much right now
  
  overall: This was blind, I wasn't really paying too much attention to what it would be at that point. A real lovely wine that is showing young right now as would be expected from a 96 Barolo. Shows off a bit of the modern influence, but that peeled back a bit later on. Still in need of some more aging, but this is a real pretty barolo that should get better with more age (92 pts.)
• 1990 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  nose: succulent and lovely tones of honey, beeswax, apricots, blood oranges and a bit of caramel. Very good depth with a real attractive style to it. The notes are pretty mature as well and not as youthful as I'd expect from a sauternes of this age
  
  taste: refined and elegant medium feel with good medium acidity and tasty tones of honey, beeswax, caramel, blood oranges and a bit of smoke and creme brulee. Mature and silky on the palate with a good amount of depth and polish
  
  overall: this 1/2 bottle had a darker orange color. Definitely a fully mature example and it was lovely and refined. I'd love to know what a younger example of this would be like as this bottle has certainly grown into its full peak, but it'd be nice to see if the tones are more vibrant in a better stored example (93 pts.)

An amazing night. The wines were absolutely breathtaking on the whole. What a great way to start off my next decade of life with a bunch of great friends and a whole lot of great wine
Posted from CellarTracker

Great looking lineup Kdawg and happy birthday!

I have no idea if this has already been posted or not, but the Masi Campofiorin 2006 is very good if you're looking for some italian red. Highly recommend it, definitely one of my favorites.

it tasted like crushed stones? are you for real?

not for nothing, wtf is the point of posting itt if you are gonna just troll it? you've made up a ficticious tasting note and have wondered why people are writing down what they write down. If you have a legit question I'll be more than happy to talk, if not then why bother?

I'm always a fan of the campofiorin. In general I'm a fan of ripassa as it can give a slight feel for amarones at a much more affordable price point for people to enter in on. If you can find it, try this one out:

• 2007 Cantina Valpantena Valpolicella Valpantena Torre del Falasco Ripasso - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Valpantena (12/11/2009)
  nose: rich red cherry based nose with plums, sour berries, bits of chocolate and spice tones. Good depth and showing itself to be like a mini-amarone
  
  taste: medium/full bodied with real good weight and rich tones of spices, red cherries, and sour berries. Excellent weight with quality tones as well that work well together
  
  overall: a real good ripassa that's at a great price. This is the definition of a baby-amarone and it holds it all well together (88 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker


its also a ripassa and my store has it for like $13

what other ripassas have you had that you've enjoyed?