by | December 22, 2011

A Great Night

By: AJ McClellan

We had a giant group in yesterday with more wines opened than would fit on the bar. Below are some of my highlights from the night.

 

1979 Haut Brion – The Haut Brion was killing it with tilled earth, prunes, raisins, black tea, and cloves all bundled together and served over a bed of gravel and dried rose petals.

1999 Colgin – This Colgin was not drinking as well as the 99 Colgins I have had in the past but still a very nice bottle of wine. Fresh ripe fruit with an undercurrent of chocolate and cooking spice.

1982 Prunotto Barolo – This bottle was essence of earth – dried leaves, compost, forest floor, violets, and barnyard with a subtle hint of dusty cherry on the very back end. I loved this wine but unless you like licking dirt this may not be the bottle for you…

1998 Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Clos st Jacques GC – This wine was wonderful! One of my top 10 Burgs of the year. The nose was very complex and exploded out of the glass right when we opened the bottle. The wine only got better over the five hours that I kept it in my glass. By the end of the night it was showing superb floral notes with fresh vibrant red fruits and a plethora of spices followed by marl and limestone. A brilliant bottle!

1997 Guigal La Mouline – This Guigal was very interesting. When I blinded it I called it Cote Rotie but I specified that I did not think it was Guigal… The wine has a slight green note and lacked the giant smoke and pepper notes of most Guigals I have had. There was still a huge game not and plenty of ripe black fruit. All in all it was a very nice wine but very atypical.

1997 Cordero di Montezemolo Monfalletto Barolo – A very nice example of Barolo. Not quite as earthy as the Prunotto and with more fruit.

1995 Rayas – I thought this bottle was showing sighnes of heat damage but the member that brought it in assured me that it was bought on release and stored perfectly for the past sixteen years. The fruit was stewed but the earthy tones and mineral notes were very nice…. Maybe this bottle is just near the end of its life?

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | December 21, 2011

A Great Selection

By: AJ McClellan

Yesterday we had a great showing of members with some very interesting bottles plunked down on the table for everyone to enjoy.

 

2004 Sasso di Sole Brunello di Montalcino Riserva – One of our members brought this bottle back from his adventures in Italy. The wine is wonderful, although a few more years on its side would help soften the tannins even more. The nose was full of almond extract with dusty cherry and cooking spice. The palate had a distinct earthy note with firm tannins and a long finish.

2000 Bella Big River Ranch Zinfandel – This is one of the few original Grialeys bottles that we had left. The wine was freshly picked black berries with big black pepper and a hint of anise on the back end.

1996 Nyetimber – This is becoming a classic wine of Graileys. The nose offers up a slight yeasty note with stone fruit and tropical floral notes. The palate is plush and complex with a mild effervescence and beautiful mineral aromas on the back end.

2008 Foley Merlot – A great bottle for the money. This wine is easy drinking with big juicy fruit and a solid backbone of tannin.

2009 Hensteeth Pinot Noir – This was a real treat. This new winery belongs to one of our members and this was his first bottling. The Pinot was firm and bigger boned with ripe cherries and a soft liquorish note. The palate was medium in body with big fruit and a slight minerality adding complexity.

2008 Favia Cerro Sur – A great bottle to have near the end of the night. Big ripe black fruit with great concentration and an elaborate display of floral notes and dark chocolate. A beautiful blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

1995 Elderton Barossa Command Shiraz – This was a real treat as well. The Shiraz was very Australian in style with big eucalyptus, plum, mint, and cigar smoke. The palate was ever changing moving from chocolate covered rose petals to tobacco wrapped cherries.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | December 15, 2011

Two Burgs, Two Italians, and a Cali Cab…

By: AJ McClellan

Last night was pretty hectic in the shop. A multitude of bottles were opened and shared around the table as members trickled in through the day after Christmas shopping. Below are a few highlights of the night….

 

1989 Remoissenet Mazis Chambertin GC – The 89 was drinking as we have come to expect from these excellent Remoissenet wines. The fruit was forward and ripe showing black and red cherries as well as a note of dried prunes. There was also a touch of cedar and clove followed by a subtle rocky minerality.

1991 Gaja Sperss – I was very impressed with the Sperss. The nose showed classic dusty cherry with forest floor overgrown with mushrooms after a summer rain. The palate was soft as a babies kiss with just the right amount of acidity and tannin. This bottle was my wine of the night…

1949 Remoissenet Vosne Romanee 1er Clos de Reas – These old Remoissenet wines are just a delight to drink. There was a slight touch of oxidized metal on the nose but it blew off after a few minutes in the glass. Strawberry, cherry, raspberry, clove, tar, liquorish, and leather were all predominate on this wine. A very complex bottle.

2005 Realm Beckstoffer Dr Crane – Big Cali Cab.

1998 Solaia – Great bottle of wine with ripe black and blue fruits followed by earthy undertones and a finish of saddle leather and vanilla.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , ,

by | December 14, 2011

Some Cracking Wines…

By: Simon Roberts

In true Graileys fashion we tasted a few cracking wines last night.

 

2007 Shafer Hillside Select is a monster of a wine, this one needs to sleep for a few more years but has all the stuffing to be a legend. It had a smoky nose, with deep red and black fruits and massive concentration. The tannins covered up the flavors until we tried it again this morning, it had softened considerably  showing  blackberry and cedar nuances with a super long  finish..decant this one if you are drinking it over the next few years..it made all the difference.

1992 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill  drank exceptionally well. Out of all the great Napa cabernets I think Diamond Creek is more reminiscent of a Bordeaux than any   other. This wine showed  really well integrated oak with very soft and plush black fruits and some truffle notes. These Diamond creeks have great longevity, it is the second Diamond creek opened in a week, the other being the glorious 1994 Lake Vineyard.

 1989 Chateau Leoville Barton , a nice find in the cellar! The 89 vintage is just about hitting it’s stride for me, this wine has lost its heavy tannic overcoat and is now drinking with finesse and precision. It has that text book St Julien dusty character backed up by a subtle nose of forest floor. This wine did not last long on the table, it was wine of the night for me.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as

by | December 9, 2011

Andy Erickson’s Favia Vertical Tasting

By: AJ McClellan

Andy Erickson is one of my favorite winemakers out of Napa, every wine he touches he leaves a distinctive note of quality. Wednesday we had the privilege of being the first people to taste a vertical of his La Magdalena from 2001 to 2008 (except for the 2004 vintage which was not bottled due to extreme heat.) The wines were excellent and it was very interesting to taste the wine all at one time like this. Andy admitted this was his first time to taste all the wines at once like this as well. After we went through the vertical Andy and I agreed that the 01 was showing the best out of the bunch with great earthy notes and a tannic core that leads me to believe that it has another decade of life left in it.

 

2011 Favia Sauvignon Blanc – The Sauvignon Blanc was just bottled out of barrel just for this tasting. For a wine with little to no time to settle, the Sauvignon Blanc was outstanding. Fresh lemon and lime on the nose with hints of white flowers and grapefruit. The palate was still settling but you can tell it has all the components for a great bottle of wine.

2001 Favia La Magdalena – This was my wine of the tasting. The 01 was superb with a very Bordeaux-esk nose and palate. The wine started with an herbal note backed by roasted plums and dried rose petals. There was a subtle note of tilled earth that I thought was very pleasant on the finish of the wine.

2002 Favia La Magdalena – Another great bottle of wine. Very similar to the 01 with great earth tones and a collection of clove, cedar, and thyme that lead into a great fruit note of black berries. Long finish and great balance complete this wine.

2003 Favia La Magdalena – This was a great surprise for me. I have had little luck with 03 Cali Cabs but this bottle was very nice. The tannins were supple with well balanced fruit and spice notes. I don’t think this wine has as much life left in it as the 01 and 02 but it is still a great bottle of wine….

2005 Favia La Magdalena – No surprise here, another great bottle of wine. I thought the 05 was showing very well with notes of dark cherries, blackberries, and red currants. The palate had a soft supple note with a wonderful finish and excellent balance.

2006 Favia La Magdalena – Black berries and sandal wood on the nose with a note of black tea and clove. The palate was very soft for a younger wine with a fruit forward expression of bright fruits and a finish that reminded me of walking through a spice market.

2007 Favia La Magdalena – The 07 has closed down just a hair since the last time I tried the wine. That being said, I think that the 07 shows the most potential out of the entire lineup. Dark cherries on the nose with raspberry and  black currants followed by dark bakers chocolate and tobacco smoke. The palate was just as complex with a seamless balance that is the telltale sign of a great wine to come…

2008 Favia La Magdalena – Like many 08’s that I have tasted recently this bottle was ready for the drinking. The tannins were still hard but they fit very well into the wine and gave off no hard edges. Dark fruit and tobacco was the theme of this wine as well with a hint of cedar and cooking spice.

2010 Favia Sweet Suize” Viognier – A very interesting bottle of wine. The climate was perfect in 2010 for Viognier and this wine was intended to be a wonderful dry white wine. For some reason the fermentation processes did not finish on the wine, Andy considered putting it through a secondary fermentation to eat up the rest of the RS but after trying the wine it was so good he decided to bottle it as is. The wine was all lemon cake with Granny Smith apples with a sweet finish of Lemonhead candy.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

by | December 7, 2011

A Great Night

By: Philip Robert

82 Pichon Lalande – Having had this bottle many times, this has to be my single favorite 82 Bordeaux. In a word, seamless. In two words, seamless and ethereal. If I had to drink Bordeaux for the rest of my life it would be this bottling. It had everything you could want, grace, elegance, purity of fruit. Don’t know what more I could say.

97 Harlan The Maiden – Coming on the heels of the PLL, this was a little unfair. Given the context I thought it showed very well with cocoa and char notes with deep dark fruits. Given some time in the glass it got better.

86 Domaine Leroy Estournelles St Jacques – A classy racehorse, but initially was very tight. It did open up after a while to reveal a bit of violet and black tea on the nose, gorgeous spicy blackberry brambles and a touch of forest floor. Quite nice for me amid a sea of bigger wines.

05 Hundred Acre – Big brawny and burly I had a taste of this to see what all the fuss was about. Good well made wine in its own right, but with all of my PLL gone and a full glass of Leroy in my hand it just didnt move me. Just where my palate is at these days.

99 Dal Forno Romano from Magnum – Just a baby no doubt but we were out of Quinterelli at the moment and someone was asking for Amarone. Even pop and pour it was very giving, dark and dense, giving off plum and raisiny flavors. Totally balanced for such a young wine it was a treat to get a chance to try this. If it were me, I would revisit in 10-15 years.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

by | December 5, 2011

Doubleback Tasting

By: AJ McClellan

We had former NFL Quarterback Drew Bledsoe in from Doubleback to taste us on his 2008 and 2009 release. The wines were excellent and although Drew was a little under the weather he stuck in there like a trooper to help explain his passion for wines to our members. After the Doubleback tasting, in true Graileys fashion, our members popped a load of great bottles for the table…

 

2008 Doubleback – Soft red and black fruit with hints of cooking spice and bakers chocolate.

2009 Doubleback – The 09 was much tighter than the 08 but still showing well with big ripe fruit and a touch of clove on the back end.

1990 Camille Giroud Echezeaux GC – This wine started out suspect but with some air the wine opened up beautifully. The nose was showing deep red currants and bright red cherries with a big barnyard backing. The palate was old and rusty with notes of iron and dried red fruits.

1981 Pichon Baron – An old dirty bottle. The nose was compost and barnyard with horse hide and old gym socks. The palate gave up some fruit but it was mostly earth and funk. A very night bottle but not one for New World wine drinkers….

1998 Solaia – This may have been my wine of the night. The nose was beautiful with hints of crushed dry leaves and tilled earth. There was a subtle dusty cherry on the palate with floral notes of dried rose petals and lavender.

2005 Araujo – The Araujo was drinking like a champ with big juicy red fruits and a well balanced back end that makes me think this wine has a long life ahead of it.

1978 Remoissenet Volney Clos des Chenes – The Remoissenet wines are a pleasure to drink. The Clos des Chenes was showing some interesting smoke notes on the nose with black and red cherries and a powerful spice component. The palate was well balanced with smooth tannins and a long finish.

1994 Guigal La Turque – As always the Guigal was outstanding. Classic tar, leather, smoke, and herbal notes on the nose. The palate had all that and more with rich tannins and a outstanding finish.

1992 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill – This bottle was very impressive to me. The nose was silk in a glass with a soft caress of cassis and black cherry followed by a kiss of lilac and a subtle touch of blueberry and plum. The palate was just as amazing with light to medium tannins that did just enough to hold the wine together in an impeccable balance but without giving any abrasion, like a perfect sphere with no rough edges or flaws.

1999 Domique Laurent Mazi Chambertin GC – I have been very impressed with the Laurent wines that we have opened recently. True, they are a little heavy in the oaking processes and not as classic as some producers, but I feel that while the oak is more prevalent than some Laurent has done an excellent job of keeping the balance of the wine. Give this wine an hour to breath and you are off to the races.

1994 Silver Oak Alexander Cabernet Sauvignon – This bottle was unfortunately horribly corked, luckily a couple of our members sniffed the flawed wine out immediately though and spared us form serving it…  Good job guys…

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as ,

by | November 30, 2011

Tremendous Tuesday

By: Philip Robert

94 Diamond Creek Lake Vineyard – A little history I didn’t know about but this vineyard is, from what I can tell something like .3 HA, and only 8 vintages were made from 1972 to 2003. Pop and pour this was just a stunner. Dark and dense, blackberry brambles with a touch of leather and spice. Our 88 yr old birthday boy kept remarking how it was changing all the time in the glass. A lovely combination of power and finesse, it has muscular fruit but a minerality I dont usually see too much in Cabs. We drank a 94 Harlan week before last and this was every bit of that and more. Probably THE best Cali cab I have had this year.

96 Morey Meursault Genevrieres – What a gorgeous little wine this is. Ready to drink now it has a little honeyed character on the nose but the palate has excellent creaminess and lemon zest with enough zip to carry it. Just a delicious little wine.

69 Remoissenet Volnay Santenots - Another great showing from this bottling. Red fruited spices with a touch of mushroom and damp earth. So much fruit still on the palate. Not mind blowing but shows very well.

97 Giacosa Falletto Barbaresco - Soft and supple with the tannins fairly receded. Drinking perfectly now but I would be drinking these up sooner rather than later.

07 Cristia Villes Vignes CDP – A young pup but showing flashes of brilliance – think this will be a killer wine in 10 years and has an abundance of dark fruit and savory characteristics. Think this needs time sideways but was really fun to get a look at it.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

by | November 23, 2011

Let’s Talk Science

By: Philip Robert

09 Rhys Santa Cruz Mountains Chard – Fresh from the latest shipment I read the insert which said good for current consumption. After having the RM Theriot the day before this was a disappointment. Just flabby and not much going on other than the profile one would consider typical cali chard without a huge dose of toasty oak. Someone called it Rhombauer eqsue. I got pineapple but that was about it. Bummer..

Moved on to:
92 Remoissenet Meursault Genevrieres Mag – This was firing right from the get go but I had the chance to follow it over 3 hours and it was delicious and kept changing in the glass. Still crisp with a backbone of acidity, ample stone fruit flavors and minerality. A real treat!

02 Potel Clos de la Roche Mag - A touch of reduction on the nose initially that blew off after a short while in the glass. Silky and smooth with dark raspberry and a nice little floral nose. Still think needs time sideways.

03 Pape Clement - This was drinking really really well. Fully ripe yet balanced, huge nose of blackberry brambles and earthiness. Loaded with fruit on the palate, for those who like a bigger more structured wine this is in your wheelhouse.

96 Pahlmeyer Red Blend – Very bordeaux like in every respect, drinking at apogee in my opinion. Perfectly stored bottles, leather and tobacco with dark plum. A real treat.

96 E. Guigal Ampuis - We have had this bottling numerous times and it has always delivered. Meaty, bloody iron, sauvage, touch of barnyard, mix of red and black fruits. A lot going on to wrap your head around. Delish

02 Paul Hobbs To Kalon – Delivered a knockout blow. While Cabernet is not my favorite and I could drink burgundy all day long, I have to give props where they are due because this was simply a very well made wine that had everything you could want if you are a cabernet lover. I could see how this could garner high scores. Black as night in the glass, dense and brooding, but given time to open up this reveals some cocoa powder, tobacco, black cherry and anise. Fully mouth coating and a great finish. A deft hand made this for sure.

1993 Meo Camuzet Les Chaumes – One of our members liked this so much he asked for another bottle to be opened again having had it the night before. Though this bottle was even better with a nose of violet and purple jolly ranchers. Silky on the palate yet with a firm backbone of tannin and acid. We have been opening a lot of 93s and they seem to be coming round just right.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

by | November 21, 2011

Abiouness

By: AJ McClellan

Nicole Abiouness is always a good time when she comes into Graileys to try us on her new wines. We started the night with her wonderful Rose and finished with a Sangiovese that was quite impressive for a new world example.

 

2010 Abiouness Rose – A richer, more powerful style of Rose. Typically I enjoy a lighter style of Rose but Nicole’s 100% Pinot Noir rose was drinking exceptionally well. Ripe strawberries on the nose with light floral notes on the palate and a hint of passion fruit on the finish.

2007 Abiouness Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir – A very nice everyday drinking Pinot Noir. The wine showing elegant red cherries on the nose and palate with subtle spice and a touch of pleasant minerality.

2007 Abiouness Hudson Vineyard Pinot Noir – A slight step up from the Stanly Ranch. The nose was more perfumed and moving to a darker berry. The palate was vibrant with nice acidity and a spicebox finish.

2007 Abiouness Pommard Clone Pinot Noir – This was my favorite of the tasting. The nose was vibrant with cherry cola, nutmeg, lavender, and a hint of plum. The palate was drinking very well with soft tannins and a lively acidity.

2007 Abiouness Silacci Pinot Noir – Another great bottle from Abiouness. This one was trying to show as well as the Pommard Clone but I think it just needs another year in the bottle. The Silacci was darker and slightly more powerful than the other wines and thus I think it just needs a little more time to come to fruition.

2007 Abiouness Sangiovese Eaglepoint Ranch – Sangiovese is a one of my favorite grape varietals but it can be difficult to grow outside of Tuscany. I have been tasted on more than a few Sangiovese based wines out of California but I must say that Nicole’s is by far the best.  The nose kept all of the classic dusty cherry notes of a great Italian Sangiovese as well as some of the earthiness and classic spices that I love from the grape varietal. The palate was a little light but full of flavor with a excellent finish.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as