Wine
2005 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot, Chassagne Montrachet, Burgundy
Popped and aired for a solid hour before consumption. At 12 years of age, this wine starts to gain saturation in color and pours a yellow gold liquid with thick long legs. The wine boasts a concentrated nose and is quite explosive. Smoky, deep and brooding, the bouquet has plenty of petrol, oak, almonds, honey, lemon curd and sugarcane. The fruit is particularly ripe in this one and that contributes to the opulent, rich nose. On the palate, the toasty oak takes the front seat before streaky minerals and just the whisper of acidity creep in. Then there is heat as it rolls off the tongue. The wine is very voluptuous, almost rounded and lacks a bit of balance and definition. Nonetheless, the deliciously ripe tropical fruits, along with butter, spice, smoky oak, coconut and citrus, really help create an enjoyable profile. Finish is impressively long, with a smoky, racy kick. Good. 90
1990 Chateau Prieure-Lichine, Margaux, Bordeaux
En demi-bouteille - birth year wine for birthday. It cannot be more apt. The bottle is popped and aired for a good hour but not decanted. The wine pours a musky red color with brick orange rim and very long, slow legs. It is certainly starting to show its age. On the nose, this wine is classic aged Margaux - floral, pungent and lively. Cherries, plums blackberries, cedar and leather are there in the foreground, all tightly knit together behind a veil of cigar smoke and tobacco. With time, spice, in particular dried bay leaves, starts to kick in as well. Lithe in stature, the palate is polished and the velvety tannins are unquestionably integrated. A touch of black fruit and accompanying acidity left to keep things lively. Nonetheless, the flavor profile is geared more towards tertiary notes of saddle leather, cigars and forest floor. Finish is long and complex for such seemingly light, yet punchy juice. This is an undoubtedly masculine wine. At this point, it is drinking very well now and is starting to show the hallmarks of well-aged, well-crafted classic Left Bank Bordeaux. 90
2006 Domaine Dujac Morey St. Denis Blanc, Morey St. Denis, Burgundy
Pours a straw gold color which is quite surprising given the advanced age. Very viscous and legs are long. On the nose, the Chardonnay scent is unmistakable. Though a village level wine, the bouquet is incredibly heady. Concentrated and powerful, it consists of citrus pie, fresh cut grass, crushed rocks minerality, wet stones, toasty oak and the faintest hints of buttered popcorn. Palate is broad and generous. Though somewhat fat, there are piercing acids and minerals to provide definition and precision. Flinty is a good word for it. Flavors are more geared towards fruit, with plenty of wheat grass, citrus zest, bergamot oils and seawater lining the core. Finish is long, lingering with a touch of redolent smoke and char. Mouthwatering precision and salinity, coupled with the broadness and light use of oak, truly make this a very impressive wine. Drinking well now, though I see more years ahead of this. Dujac makes undeniably good stuff. 92
2011 Hubert Lignier Bourgogne, Burgundy (missing picture)
The wine is popped and aired for a good three hours before consumption. It pours a light ruby color with thick, reticent legs. On first whiff, the bouquet, though somewhat tight, is powerfully concentrated and intense. The phenols, and the accompanying alcoholic heat, are quite apparent in this juice. Cherries are front and center, supported by a cast of Twizzlers, cherry-flavored cough syrup (?), smoke, dried cranberries and wet rocks. A very clean, focused and stately nose. Upon entry, the palate is very supple with a clearly defined mineral backbone. Alcoholic heat is there, but that is as much roughness as I could find in this wine. Moderate acidity from cherries and red fruits, complemented by forest floor and graphite, is unmistakably there. Finish is rather long and the wine ends in a smoky, oaky kick. Drinking well now, this wine bursts with energy and weight. A lovely and classy effort from the granddaddy of Lignier's. 90
2005 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay Jayson, North Coast, Napa Valley (missing picture)
The bottle pours a deep golden color as it starts to show its age. On the nose, the wine is pungent and concentrated. Thankfully the use of oak is rather restrained. The bouquet consists of fresh-cut grass, citrus cream, minerals, pineapples, almonds and just a touch of buttered popcorn. Palate is broad and generous. Flavors of butterscotch, lemon meringue pie, crushed rocks, and toasted oak are all there. Finish is of moderate length with a smoky tint. In many ways, this is a very typical Californian chardonnay due to the ripeness and unmistakably judicious use of oak. That said, although the power and weight is there, the wine lacks focus and precision. Nothing wrong with that though as this is still an enjoyable bottle. 90
Full power lineup in Boston.
2014 Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Val Vilaine, Champagne
Yet another bottle from one of my favorite Champagne producers of recent times. Despite the relatively youth, the champagne pours a somewhat nutty golden color with fine streams of bubbles. On the nose, the Pinot Noir aroma is immediately apparent. This oxidative bouquet is so powerful and beautiful at the same time, yielding plenty of stone fruits, citrus zest, toasty brioche, honeyed nuts, sugarcane and a tad of butter and minerals. On the palate, the wine is viscous and rounded with a distinct mineral backbone. It is vibrant and expressive. The palate reflects the nose and yields the same oxidative and fruity profile as well, demonstrating buttered bread, lemon curd and peaches. The rounded finish is of particular mention as it boasts smoky kick. This is a big wine and very much a well-crafted effort. In fact, I am quite surprised by the power of it despite the relative youth. Cellaring is good. But drinking very well now. 91
2015 Domaine du Colombier Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, Chablis, Burgundy
This Chablis pours a sharp, light golden color with medium legs. On the get go, I can see the youthfulness and the vibrancy in the juice. On the nose, bouquet is forceful though very angular, almost like that of liquid steel. Nonetheless, I do get some popcorn, fresh grass, a hint of butter and plenty of minerals and just a touch of oak. Palate is on the thin side and very much linear. It lacks intensity as well as breadth. In fact, it is very raspy, almost racy I would say. Though complex enough to warrant a thought, I find this to be quite mediocre in general. The touch of acidity balances out the buttery richness, the balance of which makes this mildly enjoyable. I do get some sugarcane, wheat grass, wet stones, citrus and stone fruits on the tongue. The finish boasts plenty of minerality, almost like seawater. This is enjoyable, but severely lacks precision and definition. 85
2003 Clos de l'Oratoire, St. Emilion, Bordeaux
The Bordeaux pours a deep garnet color with thick, long legs, no less because of this particularly hot and ripe vintage (heat wave!). The fruity, pungent nose is starting to show tertiary notes along with primary flavors that display high levels of extraction. The bouquet consists of blackberries, brambles, farm shed, toasted oak, and burnished leather. Voluptuous and fat, the palate is quite evolved as the tannins are well-integrated by now. Flavors consist of preserved plums, tar and scorched stones. The finish is smoky and quite jammy. While this is delicious and enjoyable, I find it lacking lightness and precision. A bit more complexity would have been nice. 90
2001 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
The wine pours such an inky purple color with insanely long legs, credits to this blockbuster vintage. The nose is really hitting it off the park right now. It is incredibly explosive and concentrated. The bouquet, which consists of blackberries, cherry jam, cassis, smoke, toasted oak, chocolate and leather, is simply mesmerizing. Judging from the nose, this is entering the prime drinking window, no less because of the high levels of extraction which makes this an age-worthy wine. Like the nose, the palate is equally concentrated and boasts a thick, voluptuous texture. Fat would be a good word for it. Though opulent, tannins are very well integrated and are almost silken. Flavors of sweet oak, blackberry jam, sous bois, leathers, truffles, coffee and oak do run across the tongue. The finish is smoky with a fittingly strong kick to it. Very much enjoyable now though there is still quite a bit of life ahead of it. 91
2013 Paul Hobbs Ellen Lane Estate Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Upon pouring, I feared for the worst as the wine exhibits an oxidized, golden amber color despite the relative youth of the bottle. Heck, it is not even 5 years old! Nonetheless, the first whiff relieved my fears. As the thick legs suggest, this is broad and fat chardonnay. The nose of buttered popcorn, caramel, toasted oak, vanilla, citrus curd cream surely corroborates this. Just like the nose, the palate is thick as well, yield plenty of oak while mineral and acidity are both on the low. This is a characteristically American chardonnay - fat, unabashed, and somewhat abrasive - much like the bald eagle of America. The flavors reflect the nose too and display plenty of citrus cream, butter, vanilla desserts and toasty oak. Finish is broad and unrestrained for sure. For my taste, this is way too generous. A touch of acidity and minerals to balance things out would have been nice. 90
2009 Aubert Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California
So glad I gave this pinot enough time to breathe (a full two hours) before digging in. This is a monstrous wine - weighty, powerful and Burgundian in stature. It pours a dark ruby color with very thick legs. On the nose, the concentration and class just oozes out. Consisting of cherries, damp earth, toasty oak, spice and flowers, the bouquet is still rather primary at this point. The power of the phenol evidences a jammy structure and high levels of extraction. On the palate, the wine is broad, generous and absolute silken with barely traceable tannins. Sure, there is a bit of alcoholic heat; but that helps bring out the unabashed flavors of cherries, stewed plums, oak, damp earth, mushrooms and leather. There even is a bit of oak-generated sweetness towards the end too. Finish is quite complex and is redolent of smoke and wood. For an entry level Aubert, this is very good and very enjoyable stuff. Drinking well now though it will certainly improve with additional cellaring to bring out those nuanced, tertiary flavors. 92