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Cotsen’s Again!

Oct26

I was lucky enough to be invited again to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. The group was mostly Hedonists, with a few other pals of Eric’s mixed in. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests.

You can see the ocean is right there! Like under the house.

The chefs slave away to make us dinner.

During this early phase of the party all the wine is served as a blind free-for-all. Eric himself served up eight wines (blind) as follows, with the red’s having a secret theme of “1990”.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard. VM 97. The 2013 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is translucent and weightless, yet also magnificent in its depth. Graphite, slate, smoke, incense, lemon and white peach emerge from the glass, but only with great reluctance. The Ritchie is the most reticent wine in this range, but it is in many ways the most intriguing. Intensely mineral and nuanced, the 2013 Ritchie will thrill those lucky enough to own it for another decade-plus. I can’t wait to see how this develops in bottle. The 2013 was done in 100% new oak, yet there is virtually no trace of oak at all.

2010 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Cuvée Blanche Sta. Rita Hills. 89 points.

1990 Joseph Drouhin Pommard 1er Cru Les Épenots. 84 points. Slight dried blood and beef but just a taint. Stillmostly brambly crush berries and dark red cherries. Showing medium bodied chewy tannins that would help it age another few years easily. Rough and more musculine on the palate than the volnay. This has more structure and extract that does contrast nicely with the volnay. Sappy dark red cherry fruits with pith.

2005 Cos d’Estournel. Parker 97-98. The 2005 Cos d’Estournel is another great success from this property, which is owned by Michel Reybier. A superstar of St.-Estèphe in this vintage, this wine has a dense ruby/purple color, beautiful, sweet cassis and blackcurrant fruit, some floral notes, spice and a touch of oak in a full-bodied, layered, impressive multi-dimensional style. The tannins are surprisingly sweet and well-integrated, as is the acidity, alcohol and wood. This is a beauty and certainly the top wine of St.-Estèphe. Drink it over the next 25+ years.

1990 Lafite-Rothschild. Parker 96-97. Interestingly, a bottle of 1990 Lafite Rothschild I pulled from my cellar for a video blog on my web site was still buttoned down, tight, and even with extended decanting was not showing as much as I would have hoped. However, a bottle tasted, of all places, in Seoul, Korea in February, was only a few points short of perfection. That amazing performance motivated me to pull another bottle out of my cellar and follow it over the course of two days. Sure enough, by the second day the wine was roaring from the glass. The 1990 Lafite has turned out far better than my early assessment. While it still possesses some firmness, and performs like a late adolescent in terms of its evolution, it boasts gorgeous aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, cassis, and lead pencil shavings. The explosive aromas are followed by a fleshy, full-bodied wine that should hit its peak in 5-8 years, and last for 25-30 more.

1990 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 87. The 1990 is not as well-endowed as the 1989. It displays medium dark ruby color and an attractive bouquet of vanillin from new oak, ripe blackcurrants, and spices. Although not as concentrated as usual, the wine does exhibit medium body, some glycerin, and fine ripeness, as well as an overall sense of grace. This stylish wine would have benefitted from more length and intensity. In the context of the vintage, it could have been better.

1990 La Tour Haut-Brion. Parker 85-86. A disappointing example of this wine, the 1990 exhibits a smoky, herbaceous character, medium body, and neither the depth nor richness of La Tour Haut Brions made in the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and the monumental 1982. The 1990 needs to be drunk up as it is not likely to get any better. The color is already showing considerable amber and brick at the edge. The wine is somewhat superficial, but it offers complex aromatics of roasted herbs, meat, smoke, and spice.

1990 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve. Parker 89. Beringer continues to do everything right. Its staff of talented professionals may rank as the best in the business. Beringer’s Chardonnays take advantage of the rich, opulent fruit the warm growing climate and rich soils provide. Since 1991, the top Chardonnays have been 100% barrel-fermented and put through a malolactic fermentation. Both the Private Reserve and Proprietor Grown Chardonnays have soared in quality, with exceptional vintages in 1991 and 1992.

The gang mills around during the early phases.

And the wines that everyone brought are hidden in socks and served in a giant blind free-for-all.

2012 gripes of wrath.

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. VM 91+. Nose hints at spicy oak and flint. Extremely closed and inexpressive today; in a dry style but quite pure and delicate, with brisk acidity. Best today on the subtle, long finish. A very stylish wine but still stunned by the recent bottling.

2004 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese **. VM 89+. Pale golden-yellow color. Tangerine and apple blossom on the nose. Delicate yet rich in spice and decidedly floral. A salty minerality rather than obvious sweetness graces the finish, but there’s a creamy quality to balance the mineral character. Good length.

2003 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley. VM 93+. Dark red-ruby. Nose shows a slightly porty ripeness, with aromas of candied blackbery, violet and licorice pastille. Huge, velvety and thick, with a candied, liqueur-like quality and great concentration. Distinctly different from the rest of these 2003s, with utterly black flavors of berries and violet. A brooding and very primary wine with a huge structure for aging and rather penetrating acids. This will need many years in bottle to become civilized but may well be a monument of the vintage. The alcohol here is 15%.

agavin: whacky, didn’t even taste like a pinot, almost Syrah-like.

1964 Ducru Beaucaillou. Parker 78. Solid, rustic, amiable, and pleasantly full and firm, the 1964 Ducru-Beaucaillou lacks complexity and character, but offers a mushroom-scented, robust, round mouthful of claret. The fruit is just beginning to fade. All things considered, this was a success for a 1964 northern Medoc.

agavin: our bottle was in great shape, really nice and mature.

From my cellar: 2000 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve. Parker 99-100. The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve (15.5% alcohol; 100% Grenache) is a wine of magnificent intensity as well as majestic texture and richness. Layers of concentrated fruit cascade over the palate. Opaque purple-colored and extremely full-bodied, with a gorgeous nose of minerals, white flowers, black fruits, pepper, and garrigue, this sumptuous, seamless 2000 Chateauneuf must be tasted to be believed. I have had this wine a half dozen times in blind tastings that included some of the finest 2000 Chateauneuf du Papes, and it consistently ranks as one of the top 2 or 3 wines in the tastings. Then again, I’m looking at its overall potential as it is not the most forward or evolved of the 2000 Chateauneuf du Papes. It is a magnificent tour de force in winemaking. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.

1994 Michel Ogier Cote Rotie. Parker 89. Ogier’s 1994 Cote Rotie is one of those elegant, finesse-style wines offering an intense, seductive, sexy, smoky, bacon fat, and cassis-scented nose. The wine hits the palate with a delicate, sweet ripeness, enough crisp acidity to provide definition, and a medium-bodied, well-knit personality. A slight shortness in the finish kept this wine from meriting a higher score. Readers should not be surprised if it fills out over the next several years, elevating my rating. It will offer attractive drinking now and over the next 12 years.

2004 Alvaro Palacios L’Ermita. Parker 98. 2004 was a superb vintage in Priorat and the three entries from Alvaro Palacios are stunning. The 2004 L’Ermita is harvested from a 5 acre parcel of 70-year-old head-pruned vines of which 85% is Grenache, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Carignan aged in 100% new French oak. The color is purple/black and the super-expressive nose offers toast, minerals, kirsch, and blackberry. The wine is full-bodied and seamless with complex flavors and the tannin totally concealed. The finish is very long and pure in this powerful yet elegant offering. It should drink splendidly for 15-20 years.

agavin: our cork was oddly dry and crumbled.

2006 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée L. 95 points. Dark blackish red with fruit-forward blackberry, delicious and robust with dark chocolate, some oak, spice and deep black coffee Excellent complexity and structure to the wine with delicate tannins. Beyonce power in a more elegant lady.

1995 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard. ST 93+. Brilliant ruby. Outstanding floral lift to the primary red berry and dark chocolate aromas. The palate combines superb thickness of texture and mineral lift, with a flavor of raspberry coulis complicated by coffee and leather nuances. Still remarkably youthful, communicating an exhilarating balance of sweetnes and acidity. Finishes with plush, sweet tannins and terrific floral length. This is still evolving and may ultimately merit an even higher score.

1999 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 94. Very deep garnet-black colour going brick at the rim. Complex, maturing nose with notes of warm blackberry, game, dried plums, moss, white pepper, Provence herbs and a whiff of iron ore. The palate reveals a concentrated, medium to full bodied wine balanced by medium acidity and a medium to firm level of velvety tannins. Very long finish departing with lingering savoury and mineral flavours. Drink now to 2018. Tasted November 2008.

2008 Torbreck The Pict. Parker 94. Very deep garnet colored with a hint of purple, 2008 The Pict offers expressive notes of ripe mulberries, kirsch, dried plums, Ceylon tea, tobacco, spice cake and fertile earth. Full bodied, concentrated and firmly structured, it has a firm level of chewy tannins and racy acid supporting the generous fruit, finishing long. This vineyard clearly coped extraordinarily well with the heat-wave and produced a superb wine! Drink it now to 2020+.

2007 Kapcsandy Family Winery Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard. Parker 96. The 2007 Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard (a 750-case blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) boasts an inky/plum/purple color as well as a complex bouquet of melted licorice, chocolate, creme de cassis, mocha, and sweet forest floor aromas. Full-bodied and layered with exquisite purity, texture, and length, this large-scaled offering reveals a supple texture along with 20-25 years of drinkability. It is a seductive yet extraordinarily complex wine that should prove to be a future super-star.

2001 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. Parker 97-98. From the undeniable first-growth quality site comes the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. When the fruit from this vineyard is handled properly, the resulting wine often flirts with perfection. Hobbs’ 2001 boasts a dense blue/purple color along with an incredibly pure nose of spice box, cedarwood, creme de cassis, blueberry pie and subtle smoke as well as graphite notes that could easily pass for a first- or second-growth Pauillac. Broad, expansive, full-bodied flavors reveal stunning purity, amazing depth and richness, and a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. Still youthful, but oh, so impressive, it is hard to resist now, but it should be even better in 5-8 years, and keep for 30-40+ years.

2008 Clarendon Hills Astralis (Shiraz). Parker 97. Also deep garnet-purple in color, the 2008 Astralis is a little reduced and brooding on the nose showing aromas of dark berries, meat, licorice and dark chocolate. Big, full-bodied and rich in the mouth it has balanced acid along with medium-firm grainy tannins. It finishes long and balanced. Drink it now to 2028+.

1990 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. 92 points. Another good, mature Cabernet from Mayacamas, showing peppermint, cassis, licorice, oak, pine needles, molasses, pepper, leather, dirt, and plum. Still plenty of tannin to resolve. I’d say it’ll go another 10 years or so.

2011 Peter Michael Winery Les Pavots Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 92. The 2011 Les Pavots (3,086 cases) is composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Its chocolaty fudge-like notes intermixed with espresso roast, black and red currants, smoky barbecue and underbrush are followed by a deep, rich, full-bodied, outstanding red wine that should drink well for 10-15 years.

1977 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon York Creek. 91 points. Very cool. Color was dark red/ black. Classic Cali cab with smooth tannin. Cassis and red fruit with some tertiary development. I really love 70s Cali cab.

During this early phase, there are a variety of munchables:

Various cheeses.

An homage to Spago, with crispy sesame cups filled with salmon tartar, caviar, and bonito flakes. Delicious.

And a slightly different version with grav lox. Stronger in flavor, but equally delicious.

Ham and cheese panini with manchego and jamon de Iberico!

A white fish with yuzu, cilantro, and red peppercorns. Bright and delicious.

Mushroom ravioli.

Sun dried tomato ravioli.

Dinner itself was enjoyed here at the outside table and its warming firepit.

Mushroom soup.

Wasabi mashers.

Grilled vegetables.

Beef. Tasty, but salty. There were two types.

Gravy. Super salty.

2007 Château Coutet. VM 92. Full medium gold. Pineapple, orange, toffee, nutty oak and a whiff of spun sugar on the enticing nose. Sweet but youthful and tangy, with lively acidity and underlying minerality giving an incisive quality to the bright core of pineapple and apricot fruit. At once rich and sharply focused, finishing with excellent length and verve. This should evolve slowly.

Berries.

Whipped cream.

And deconstructed smore.

Finished out with graham cracker and seared marshmallows.

Then topped with the fruit and cream.

Just a bit of wine — 27 bottles!

Overall, another fun evening. Lots of great wine, company, and food. What more can you ask?

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: cotsen, Eric Cotsen, hedonists, Malibu California, Wine

Epic Ocean Party 2015

Jul17

I was lucky enough to be invited again to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. The group was mostly Hedonists, with a few other wine pals of Eric’s mixed in. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests.

You can see the ocean is right there! Like under the house.

Eric has these crazy high tech nitrogen dispensers that preserve (and aerate) the wines. He even has sets of glasses with etched number and letter combos so you can pair to the wines. Tonight there were two white wines in here as the set of 6 reds he opened had bottles too big to fit.

During this early phase of the party all the wine is served as a blind free-for-all. Eric himself served up seven wines (blind) as follows, with a red theme of “syrah.”

2009 Mollydooker Verdelho The Violinist. 90 points. Floral and flashy Verdelho with a pretty, light golden hue and fresh cut flowers on the nose. Behind a veiled buttery texture, sweet grapefruit, star fruit and quince shine with a round and full mouthfeel. This Portugese white grape provides a real twang on a long, detailed finish.

I really hate this Sine Qua Non lead “no vintage etc on the front” trend.

2012 Sine Qua Non In the Abstract. VM 94. The 2012 White Wine In The Abstract represents a return to a much more opulent style after a few years in which the Sine Qua Non whites were a bit more energetic than is typically the case. Honey, apricot, mint, orange blossom and spices meld together in a huge, viscous wine that covers every inch of the palate. The purity of the fruit here is simply striking.

2005 Pax Syrah Cuvée Christine. VM 90. Deep violet. Strongly perfumed aromas of raspberry and baking spices, complicated by a sexy floral tone. Immediately appealing, with vibrant strawberry and raspberry flavors, energetic mineral notes and fine-grained, silky tannins. Very suave stuff, with deeper cherry and dark berry flavors developing with air. This is 100% syrah this vintage, sourced from seven different sites.

agavin: tannic mess

2007 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 95. Vivid purple. Heady aromas of candied red and dark fruits, incense, violet and smoky minerals. Cherry-cola and blackberry compote flavors show an intriguing blend of richness and vivacity, with bright mineral snap on the back half. Finishes sappy, sweet and extremely long, with resonating floral and spice notes. This wine blends the richness and power of the Turque with the vivacity of the Mouline and should age effortlessly.

agavin: I thought this had a nasty funk to it, almost corky.

2002 Shafer Relentless. VM 88. Good full ruby. Musky aromas of bitter chocolate and espresso turned oakier with aeration. Bright, penetrating black raspberry fruit offers excellent intensity but comes across as a bit hard-edged. Turned a bit drier on the back end under its load of oak.

2012 Sine Qua Non Syrah Stock. VM 94-96. The 2012 Syrah Sticks & Stones is gorgeous. The radiance and suppleness of the year comes through in spades. Dark red cherries, plums, cloves, violets and rose petals wrap around the silky, super-expressive finish. The 2012 should drink beautifully pretty much right out of the gate. This is the last vintage in which White Hawk fruit is part of the blend.

agavin: big and a bit grapey

2007 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 94. Deep ruby. A highly complex bouquet evokes dark berry preserves, potpourri and cola, with a smoky overtone. Juicy and precise, with penetrating black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors firmed by zesty minerality. Rich but light on its feet, with a bright, focused finish that features suave floral pastille and spice nuances.

2007 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 93+. Opaque ruby. Dark berries, cherry-cola, licorice and Indian spices on the pungent nose. Deeply pitched blackberry and floral and licorice pastille flavors brighten with air and show an intense spicy quality, along with a touch of mocha. Clings tenaciously on the finish, which strongly repeats the cherry and licorice notes. In a more brooding style than the Mouline and years away from maturity.

During this early phase, there are a variety of munchables:

Cheese plate. Lots of fermented milk.

Spreads.

Carbs.

This steak quesadillas were pretty awesome.

Tomato cheese toasts.

I list the wines brought my myself and the other guests in one big block. In practice these were consumed first blind before dinner, then brought to the table to be revealed and finished.

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. Burghound 92. Ripe and extremely opulent intense citrus fruit and white flowers coupled with medium weight flavors dripping with minerality and enough fat to buffer the bracing acidity. There is a subtle underlying complexity and this is remarkably intense, assertive and precise yet there is excellent power and depth as well.

agavin: Meadows is so stingy, this was a very nice, even reductive white Burg.

2003 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. VM 93. Bright ruby-red. Musky aromas of minerals, cola, licorice and chocolate. Then juicy, powerful and fresh, with highly concentrated flavors of blackberry, violet and licorice; fruitier in the mouth today than on the nose. This boasts terrific volume and density. Finishes with round, sweet tannins and superb length. With extended aeration this showed a deep roasted nut character without losing its fresh blackberry and blueberry flavors.

agavin: Many of us thought this might be wine of the night. It was certainly great for a “cheap” Grand Cru Gevery.

1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. VM95+. Deep ruby-red. Very sexy aromas of currant, blackberry and brown sugar, all lifted by an ineffable floral quality from the thoroughly ripe cabernet sauvignon that comprises three-quarters of the blend. Dense, fresh and thick with extract; a wonderful combination of texture and guts. Has a core of steel and a powerful structure I haven’t found in more recent vintages from this chateau. A very serious style of Pichon-Lalande, with much less merlot than usual. Finishes with terrific length and grip. Drink between 2005 and 2025.

agavin: nice. good thing too as I have 6 bottles of it in my cellar.

1990 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 96. Two great back to back vintages are the 1990 and 1989. The more developed 1990 boasts an incredible perfume of hickory wood, coffee, smoked meat, Asian spices, black cherries, and blackberries. Lush, opulent, and full-bodied, it is a fully mature, profound Beaucastel that will last another 15-20 years.

agavin: a little cloudy/funky, but good.

From my cellar: 1998 Guigal Cote Rotie la Mouline. Parker 97-100. The 1998 Cote Rotie La Mouline boasts a dense purple color in addition to an astonishing, pure nose of jammy blackberry, currant, and cherry fruit intermixed with honeysuckle/apricot liqueur. Exceptionally seamless, full-bodied, and voluptuously-textured, with extraordinary flavors, this fabulous La Mouline is structured and tannic. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.

From my cellar: 2007 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco Pagliaro. 94 points. This is a big, powerful, and absolutely beautiful Sagrantino from Bea. The fruit is lush, rich and dynamic. Acid is right and tannins are still strong. It was an amazing wine on all levels, but I think it will be even better in a few years when the tannins calm a bit more. When it hits that spot, it will be truly majestic.

agavin: I brought this bonus both because I was just at the winery and because I wanted to show off an unusual grape. The format isn’t so great for it though. Blind there are too many wines, people might enjoy it, but don’t notice. Revealed they focus on the big names.

1959 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 93 points. Drinking quite well and not really showing 50+ years of age. Drinking like a 10 to 15 year old Rioja. I believe Jeff said he bought it in the late 1980’s. The nose has cherries, slight dried herb notes, a bit of an old wood note; very pretty. Great acidity without being out of whack. Cherries, cherry juice layered on the palate with earthy notes. Long finish. Happy Birthday Jeff and thank you for quite a treat!

agavin: an oldie but a goodie!

1994 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 97. Deep garnet-brick colored, this has quite a perfumed nose with notes of potpourri, game, anise, baking spices and kirsch plus hints of toast and yeast extract. Generously fruited and full bodied, it offers a medium-firm level of grainy tannins, crisp acid and a long, layered finish.

1993 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 95-97. The 1993 should be as prodigious as the 1992. It is an opaque purple-colored wine with spectacular ripeness, purity, and potential. Dense, full-bodied, with a chocolatey, toasty, mineral, and blackcurrant-scented nose, this wine has a rich, full-bodied, chewy texture nicely buttressed by ripe tannin. In addition, the wine reveals more noticeable tannin in the finish, particularly when it is compared to the 1992 or 1994. This is another 20-25 year wine.

2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret. Parker 96-100. The 2002 Reserve Claret (two-thirds Merlot, one-third Cabernet Sauvignon and a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot) is the most flashy, exuberant and flamboyant of this trio. Close to full maturity, it offers complex, intense, pervasive notes of unsmoked cigar tobacco, licorice, graphite, spring flowers, blueberries and blackberries. Gorgeous ripeness, full-bodied opulence, decent acidity, and ripe, silky tannin make for a hedonistic as well as intellectually provocative wine. This rich, mountain-styled proprietary red can be drunk now and over the next 10-12 years.

2006 Sine Qua Non A Shot In The Dark (Syrah). Parker 100! The soon-to-be-released 2006 A Shot in the Dark is composed of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the cool Santa Rita Hills. Performing better from bottle than it did from barrel, this prodigious red exhibits incredibly velvety tannins, a seamless style, and no noticeable oak (which is remarkable given the fact it spent 32 months in barrel). Dense purple to the rim with an extraordinary perfume of blueberry pie, blackberries, soy, Asian spices, and hints of forest floor and charcoal, this is a complex, rich, seamless, well-balanced tour de force in winemaking. A full-bodied, exuberant, unabashedly California Syrah, it will offer stunning drinking over the next 10-15+ years.

1992 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 91. Over the next year readers should be on the lookout for some of the 1,000 case production of Don Bryant’s Cabernet Sauvignon from an old vineyard on Pritchard Hill near the Chappellet Vineyard. Bryant’s 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon offers an impressive black/purple color, rusty tannin, immense concentration, full body, and enormous richness in the finish.

2005 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. Colgin is one of the reference points for just what heights mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals, and more recently, Syrah, can achieve in Napa Valley. This beautiful estate and winery overlooking Lake Hennessey is owned by Joe Wender and his wife, Ann Colgin (equally renowned for her auctioneering skills), who are assisted by David Abreu, the well-known Bordeaux wine consultant, Dr. Alain Raynaud, and Allison Tauziet, who has skillfully replaced the brilliant Mark Aubert. As the scores and tasting notes suggest, this was an exceptional tasting. Colgin’s 2006s are among the finest wines produced in the vintage.

2001 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder. Parker 100. An utterly perfect wine that exemplifies this extraordinary vintage for North Coast Bordeaux varietals is the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder, which comes from the Jackson family’s Veeder Peak Vineyard. Unfortunately, slightly less than 300 cases were produced, so availability is limited. A dense opaque blue/purple color is followed by notes of lead pencil shavings, ink, blueberry liqueur, raspberries and black currants. The wine is super intense as well as extremely full-bodied and opulent with great structure, purity and density. (I know this sounds weird, but when I smelled and tasted it, it reminded me of the 2010 La Mission Haut Brion that I had tasted a month earlier, no doubt because of its volcanic/hot rock-like character.) This phenomenal wine is a modern day legend from Napa. Still a youngster in terms of its development, it should hit its peak in another 5-6 years and keep for 30+.

agavin: slutty!

2007 Gargiulo Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Money Road Ranch. Parker 92. The least expensive offering, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Money Road Ranch (a 1,000-case blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot), offers copious aromas of espresso roast, new saddle leather, cassis, spice box, and red currants. A judicious touch of oak provides a spicy character, the tannins are sweet and soft, and the wine is fleshy, full-bodied, expansive, and savory. The most approachable of these cuvees, it should drink beautifully for 15 or more years.

2009 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Cinnamon Rhapsody. Parker 93. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Cinnamon Rhapsody is quite a bit richer and rounder than the Stags Leap. It boasts striking inner perfume and gorgeous textural richness all the way through to the generous, creamy finish. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec and 1% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.

2012 Wayfarer Pinot Noir Mother Rock. Parker 89+. The 2012 Pinot Noir Mother Rock was made from Dijon clones 777 and 37. It reveals an attractive dark ruby color as well as beautiful strawberry and black cherry fruit, underbrush and spice characteristics. Medium to full-bodied and earthy, with good acidity, it should drink nicely for a decade. 400 cases were produced.

agavin: hear is an outlier!

Dinner itself was enjoyed here at the outside table and its warming firepit.

Pea soup with parmesan crisp.

Pasta with asparagus and mushrooms. Quiet nice actually.

Salad of tomatoes, corn, and mozzarella.

Lamb chops with curried spinach. Yum!

Part of the crew as the evening wears on.

Grabbed from Eric’s cellar (by me actually):

1988 Climens. Parker 96. The 1988 reveals layer upon layer of honeyed pineapple-and orange-scented and -flavored fruit, vibrant acidity, high levels of botrytis, and a fabulously long, yet well-focused finish. It is a great wine.

Bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.

The night included a tour into Eric’s large, crowded, and chaotic cellar (only partly pictured).

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: cotsen, Eric Cotsen, hedonists, Malibu, Wine

Big and Bold on the Beach

Aug22

I was lucky enough to be invited again to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. A number of us Hedonists attended. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests. All the wines are served blind (more or less).

You can see the ocean is right there! Like under the house.

From my cellar: 2004 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 95. Perhaps the most backward and reserved wine to this point as the nose reveals only hints of white flower and green fruit aromas that are framed in a subtle touch of pain grillé but the flavors explode on the palate as there is a chewy texture to them yet there is ample minerality present, particularly for Bâtard. This too is blessed with abundant dry extract and a finish that won’t quit but for all of the size and weight, this is impeccably balanced. This has that “wow” factor and in terms of style, it’s almost like a muscular Chevalier.

agavin: drinking really nicely, with a ton of acid (which I love).

Eric hires various private chefs for his dinner series. We start with some appetizers, including this cheese plate.

A kind of tomato soup, but perhaps more akin to a salsa.

Blue cheese, mushroom, balsamic pizza. This is similar in style to some of the pizzas I make myself, and quite delicious.

A more vegetable pizza. Good, but not as much my thing as the blue cheese one.

A tuna tomato olive pizza. Good too, and as we shall see constructed from extra ingredients from dinner.

Fish cake sliders.

The wine (below) is all served up front blind in numbered socks. I’m a bit ambivalent on this format. On the plus side, there are tremendous wines, and the blind format equalizes them all. Negatively, there are just so many (20+) and unless one took out a notepad and recorded notes and even which numbers one tried (there are repeats too like black 1 and blue 1) it’s hard to even remember if you tried a wine and half impossible to remember what it tasted like by the time they are revealed an hour or so later.

1998 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 94. The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a candidate for wine of the vintage. It continues to gain weight, and is better each time I retaste it. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by gorgeous aromas of graphite, vanilla, black currant liqueur, and minerals. This rich, full-bodied Cabernet offers sweet tannin, a layered texture, and a finish that lasts for 45-50 seconds. It is a splendid accomplishment in a difficult vintage. Anticipated maturity: now-2017.

2000 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 93. The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select was performing even better this year than it was last year. While not as weighty and ageworthy as some of the more hallowed vintages, it is a seriously endowed wine. Deep ruby/purple to the rim, with a gorgeous nose of creme de cassis, licorice, graphite, spice, and cedar, it is more forward than most vintages, but full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully seductive. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.

2001 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 100. I should not be surprised that the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select merited a perfect rating since I rated it 99 eight years ago. I also gave the 2002 Hillside Select a perfect rating. Kudos to Doug and John Shafer for creating two perfect wines in back to back vintages. The 2001 is a big wine (14.9% natural alcohol), but the alcohol is buried beneath an avalanche of creme de cassis, wood smoke, toast, licorice and spring flower characteristics. Super full-bodied with fabulous fruit purity, a broad, expansive mouthfeel, lots of glycerin and a huge upside, this 2001 is still an infant at age ten, but it is approachable as well as compelling to smell and taste. It has at least another three decades of aging potential ahead of it and is one of the great young, legendary classics from Napa Valley. It was a privilege to taste. There are approximately 2,000 cases of this cuvee which comes from Shafer’s hillside vineyards in the Stags Leap area and is aged 32 months in 100% new French oak.

2004 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 98+. The Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has been one of Napa’s true first-growths since the early 1990s. The 2004 exhibits a dense opaque purple color along with spectacular, almost surreal levels of fruit that are never heavy, overripe or flawed. Its beautiful notes of creme de cassis, licorice and subtle oak (this cuvee spends 32 months in 100% new French barrels), skyscraper-like texture and extraordinarily long finish are all superb. This is a great wine from a great family who has done everything necessary to produce a world-class wine that can compete with any wine made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. You can’t say enough positives about the Shafers. Drink this 2004 Hillside Select over the next 20-25 years, although it could be even more stupendous in 40-50 years.

2006 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 96. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, which was just released, is a stunningly rich effort displaying notes of licorice, cassis, camphor and subtle toast along with a full-bodied, powerful texture and richness. Very pure with surprisingly sweet tannins for a 2006, it’s long finish lasts over 40 seconds. It should drink well for 25+ years.

2007 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 98+. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has the potential to be a perfect wine in 5 to 6 years. Although it has shut down since I tasted it last year, it is unquestionably Shafer’s finest Hillside Select since the 2001 and 2002. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for 35+ years. This selection is made from the Eisele clone of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in a choice 50-acre parcel. It takes concentration, graciousness and complexity to its highest level in Napa Valley. An inky/blue/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of blueberries, blackberries, charcoal and subtle toast. The wine possesses fabulous concentration, a seamless/flawless personality, a textbook integration of alcohol, wood, tannin and acidity, an almost endless finish and a voluptuous texture. Exhibiting more tannin and structure than it did last year, this is a colossal wine that will still be going strong in 2050.

1983 La Mission Haut Brion. Parker 90. This was the first vintage made under the administration of Jean Delmas. The most notable and dramatic change made at La Mission-Haut-Brion since 1983 became a more refined, polished, sophisticated style without the pure mass of older vintages, but also without the excesses of tannin and volatile acidity that sometimes plagued ancient vintages. The 1983, a very good vintage in the southern Medoc and Graves, is a relatively lightweight La Mission (particularly compared to the 1982) that is fully mature. Complex notes of smoked herbs, cigar tobacco, black currants, sweet cherries, damp earth and spice box jump from the glass of this dark garnet-colored wine. Medium-bodied with silky tannins, well-integrated, low acidity and abundant perfume, this fully mature 1983 should be consumed over the next decade.

1989 Latour. Parker 89. An evolved dark ruby color reveals amber at the edge. The nose offers aromas of caramel, coffee, ripe black cherry and currant fruit, cedar, and spice box. Although medium-bodied, with low acidity, the wine lacks richness in the mid-palate, and is surprisingly abrupt in the finish. It is a very fine, delicious Latour, but it is hard to believe it will attain the weight and flavor dimensions its producers suggest. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.

agavin: this was a contentious wine. I liked it, so did many others. Some hated it.

1995 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 96. What sumptuous pleasures await those who purchase either the 1996 or 1995 Pichon-Lalande. It is hard to choose a favorite, although the 1995 is a smoother, more immediately sexy and accessible wine. It is an exquisite example of Pichon-Lalande with the Merlot component giving the wine a coffee/chocolatey/cherry component to go along with the Cabernet Sauvignon’s and Cabernet Franc’s complex blackberry/cassis fruit. The wine possesses an opaque black/ruby/purple color, and sexy, flamboyant aromatics of pain grille, black fruits, and cedar. Exquisite on the palate, this full-bodied, layered, multidimensional wine should prove to be one of the vintage’s most extraordinary success stories. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2020.

agavin: Blind, I instantly knew this was a Paulliac. It couldn’t have been anything else.

1981 Ridge Cabernet York Creek. Another contentious old wine. I thought it tasted like… well… mature cab.

2007 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. There are 475 cases of the 2007 IX Syrah Estate, which offers up flowery, roasted meat, balsamic, tar, and blackberry characteristics in a full-bodied format. The wine reveals sweet tannin, and layers of fruit, including a note of lavender that emerges as the wine sits in the glass. It should drink well for a decade.

2007 William Cole Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Claire. 94 points. Remarkably soft for it’s age, as if it already had 15 years of bottle age. Drank like a silky, mature Margaux from a ripe vintage, but with Napa’s fruit forward stamp. An excellent food wine. I only wish it had a longer finish.

2003 Hartwell Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Misté Hill. 92 points. Very nice deep purple/red, hardly showing any signs of age yet. Big nose with lots of cabernet fruit coming through. In the mouth this one is very, very dry. The tannins are nicely integrated, though I’m sure my wife would consider them somewhat overpowering at this point. Lots of herbal stuff going on here, and I’m thinking a lot of anise and eucalyptus dominating with the black fruits coming through the back. This wine is really very nicely rounded, but it needs a fatty food to cut through those tannins.

2008 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee. Parker 98. The inky/purple-tinged 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee is a 250-case blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Cabernet Franc. It offers up complex notes of unsmoked high class cigar tobacco, creme de cassis, subtle barbecue smoke, licorice and pen ink. Full-bodied with outstanding texture, purity and length, this awesome Cabernet Sauvignon can be enjoyed over the next 25-30 years.

1994 Penfolds Grange. Parker 91. This is the first vintage where Grange went to a bottle with laser-etched identification numbers to preclude the possibility of fraudulent bottles. The wine, a blend of 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, shows some toasty oak mixed with notes of root vegetables, damp earth, blackberry liqueur, prune, and licorice. The wine is dense, full-bodied, not terribly complex in the mouth, but layered and rich. I would not be surprised to see the rating on this wine improve as this youthful Grange continues to evolve. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.

2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Parker 98-99. Remarkably, the 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon may be even better. Staggeringly pure notes of creme de cassis, violets, licorice and graphite soar from the glass of this inky/purple-colored wine. Composed of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, and tasting like it is 2-3 years old, it is a stunningly pure, rich, full-bodied, prodigious example of high elevation mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that will not reach full maturity for another 5-7 years, and should age beautifully for another two decades or more. It is a magical wine to smell, taste and contemplate.

1980 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. 93 points. amber brown in color. chemical on the nose.

2007 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Parker 98. The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is still an infant in terms of development. Composed of 98% Grenache from 100- to 110-year-old vines, and made from incredibly tiny yields, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color followed by a sweet kiss of kirsch liqueur, incense, camphor, truffles, and lavender. The wine hits the palate with sensational richness, a full-bodied, multilayered texture, awesome purity, and remarkable freshness as well as vibrancy. The tannins are velvety, the acids provide uplift and delineation to the wine’s enormous richness and depth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. This 2007 is still very young and unevolved, so 2-4 years of cellaring is recommended. It should age for 25 or more years.

agavin: very young and very pure. I wouldn’t have guessed it was a CNDP, it tasted more like a 09 Bordeaux. The balance was perfect though.

From my cellar: 1998 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins. Parker 98-100. The glorious 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins has finally finished its alcoholic fermentation, tipping the scales at a whopping 16%, much like the surreal 1990 Reserve des Celestins. The deep ruby/purple-colored 1998 exhibits a glorious nose of brandy-macerated black cherries, aged beef, smoke, licorice, pepper, lavender, and sweet figs. Enormous in the mouth, yet remarkably light on its feet, its unctuous texture oozes fruit, glycerin, and extract. There is not a hard edge in this silky-textured, voluminous, majestic Chateauneuf du Pape, the likes of which seem to be incapable of being duplicated anywhere else in this appellation, or the world. This is a singular wine of great intensity and power with multiple dimensions. Liquid Viagra meets Rabelais! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035.

agavin: I opened this hours before and it was still a brooding monster at the start of the dinner, but lots and lots of enormous fruit. Really lovely with a lot of complexity, but then again, I buy what I like.

2001 Tua Rita Redigaffi Vino da Tavola. Parker 96. The 2001 Redigaffi, an exceptionally deep ruby with an exotic nose of chocolate covered cherries and plum jam along with additional notes of coconut and roasted coffee, has the tell-tale super richness and density of perfectly ripe Merlot, lush, enveloping, plush, and concentrated. Drink: 2005-2020.

agavin: monster Italian merlot

We ate outside around this giant table. It’s surprisingly warm with that fire in the middle.

A slightly bitter salad much to my taste, with, unusually, cilantro.

Broccoli rabe, which I also like a lot.

These sweet potatoes (or butternut squash?) were great, with cinnamon and a good kick.

Seared tuna with tomatoes (like the pizza above).

Sliced steak. Simple, but a nice cut and went very well with the heavy reds.

2005 Rieussec. Parker 96. A bit sweet with very little acidity. Pleasant enough.

1988 De Suduiraut. Parker 88. The 1988 reveals a textbook, light gold color with a slight greenish hue. Although it does not display the weight of the 1990 or 1989, it has better acidity, high alcohol, and considerable sweetness. It is somewhat disjointed, needing time to knit together. It is impressive if its components are evaluated separately, but it is less noteworthy when reviewed from an overall perspective. There is bitterness as well as fiery alcohol in the finish.
The wine does not offer much delineation, so cellaring should prove beneficial as it does have admirable levels of extract. Suduiraut can make powerful, rich wines that are often rustic and excessively alcoholic and hot when young. I am told they become more civilized with age, and certainly older, classic Suduiraut vintages have proven that to be true. I feel this estate’s propensity to produce a luxury cuvee (Cuvee Madame) in vintages such as 1989 tends to have a negative impact on the regular cuvee.

agavin: parker didn’t love it, but there was a ton of 1988’s typical acid, which I very much enjoyed.

Berries and clotted cream. Yum!

Our host. He’s such the wine stud that he did not one but two giant food/wine events in the day, having flown up to Napa and back for a huge 100 point wine lunch!

Jesus, savior of Labradors. Notice the blanket, clearly this is a regular spot.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: cotsen, Eric Cotsen, hedonists, Malibu, Malibu California, Wine

Wine on the Beach

Jul25

This week I was lucky enough to be invited to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. A number of us Hedonists attended. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests. All the wines are served blind (more or less).

You can see the ocean is rather close! Like under the house.

The chefs whip up our feast.

Eric has these crazy high tech nitrogen dispensers that preserve (and aerate) the wines. He even has sets of glasses with etched number and letter combos so you can pair to the wines.

2005 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay. Mineral driven, with a touch of oxidation on the palate. Finishes with a huge bright Chablis like burst of acidity, and then a slightly odd finish. I liked it for its uniqueness, and that bracing acidity. I would have guessed it was a Chablis.

2008 Aubert Chardonnay Reuling Vineyard. IWC 93. Pale, green-tinged yellow. Reticent but pure aromas of crushed stone, flowers and herbal tea. Broad, classically dry and powerful, with primary fruit flavors currently overshadowed by soil-driven minerality. This is chewy-verging-on-thick and seems the least expressive of this set of chardonnays today. Tasted blind, I would have sworn this was a Batard-Montrachet (albeit a slightly hot one).

1988 Chateau Margaux. Parker 89. In a somewhat chunky, full-bodied, rather muscular style, with a dark, almost opaque garnet color and a big, smoky, earthy nose, with hints of compost, melted asphalt, black fruits, mushrooms, and new oak, this wine lacks the elegance one expects from Chateau Margaux, but does have plenty of tough-textured tannin and an almost rustic, corpulent style to it. The wine is mouth-staining as well as mouth-filling, but in a relatively chunky style.

1988 Petrus. Parker 91-94. This wine has become increasingly herbaceous with the tannins pushing through the fruit and becoming more aggressive. The wine started off life impressively deep ruby/purple but is now showing some amber at the edge. It is a medium-bodied, rather elegant style of Petrus with a distinctive cedary, almost celery component intermixed with a hint of caramel and sweet mulberry and black cherry fruit. It has aged far less evenly than I would have thought and is probably best drunk over the next 8-10 years.

1988 Lafite-Rothschild. Parker 94. Broodingly backward and in need of considerable bottle age, the 1988 is a classic expression of Lafite. This deeply-colored wine exhibits the tell-tale Lafite bouquet of cedar, subtle herbs, dried pit fruits, minerals, and cassis. Extremely concentrated, with brilliantly focused flavors and huge tannins, this backward, yet impressively endowed Lafite-Rothschild may well turn out to be the wine of the vintage!

1988 Latour. Parker 91. The best showing yet for a wine from this under-rated vintage, the dark garnet-colored 1988 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. A bouquet of melted tar, plums, black currants, cedar, and underbrush is followed by a sweet entry, with medium to full body, excellent ripeness, and mature tannin. It is a classic, elegant Latour with more meaty, vegetable-like flavors than are found in a riper year, such as 1989 and 1990. The 1988 has just begun to enter its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for 25 years.

1988 Mouton-Rothschild. Parker 89. The 1988 has an aroma of exotic spices, minerals, blackcurrants, and oak. In the mouth, it is a much firmer, tougher, more obviously tannic wine than the 1989. It is a beautifully made 1988 that will last 20-30 years, but the astringency of the tannins is slightly troubling. Patience will be a necessity for purchasers of this wine.

1988 Haut Brion. Parker 92. A more firmly structured Haut-Brion, built somewhat along the lines of the 1996, this dark garnet-colored wine is showing notes of licorice, underbrush, compost, truffles, dried herbs, creosote, and sweet black cherries and currants. Medium-bodied, rich, but still structured, this wine unfolds incrementally on the palate, showing superb density and a lot of complex Graves elements. It is just beginning to hit its plateau of full maturity.

A nice cheese plate with a variety of fermented dairy and some excellent truffle honey.

Slightly spicy salmon in little sesame crisps with flying fish roe. Very nice.

Fig on toast with cheese and a bit of mint.

Lamb chops and a dijon sauce. I saw the labradors eyeing these!

A pizza-like quesadilla (or vice versa).

Avocado with a bit of Jalepeno.

Salmon on pizza-like bread with creme-fraiche and capers. Good, although not as good as my version :-).

After a bit we all moved outside to this lovely table with a firepit. The waves were crashing UNDER us!

2002 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cote de Bouguerots. Burghound 94. The subtle hint of wood spice this displayed in its youth has now been completely absorbed which gives full rein to the wonderfully complex nose of minerals, white flowers and a hint of crushed oyster shells that introduces muscular, powerful, deep and broad flavors that are blessed with superb length and terrific vibrancy. Those that may doubt that Bougros merits its grand cru status need only experience this wine to be persuaded. A great effort that is drinking well already though for my taste, it needs another 2 to 4 years in the cellar first. I have tasted this wine many times with consistent notes.

1993 Masson Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Vergelesses. I couldn’t find anything on this wine, and I’m not even sure I tasted it. That’s the trade off with tasting blind, as I would have for sure.

2008 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin. Burghound 93. A pungent mix of wood spice, earth, red berry fruit, game, smoke and an interesting menthol note highlights the moderately animale character of the rich, full, refined and pure broad-shouldered flavors underpinned by ripe and very firm tannins that culminate in a moderately austere and still very backward finish. This will require moderate cellar time to be at its best, which at this early stage I would estimate at 12 to 15 years.

2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard. Parker 97. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard comes from the fifth leaf of this estate vineyard and in this vintage contains 4.5% Merlot. The wine was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, its distinctive aromatics leap from the glass. Toasty oak, scorched earth, a hint of truffle, black cherry, black raspberry, and blackberry liqueur aromas are quite mesmerizing. On the palate, this sizable effort is firm, full-bodied, and structured, demanding 6-8 years of cellaring. It falls a bit short of the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon in terms of complexity but bear in mind that this is still a very young vineyard.

From my cellar, 1999 Fougeray de Beauclair Bonnes Mares. Burghound 91. Saturated deep ruby color, whiff of new oak to go with the explosive black raspberry fruit and almost liqueur-like flavors with lots of sweet pinot sap, buried tannins and excellent length. It is very ripe and powerful yet not over the top and remains beautifully elegant.

I was disappointed at how this was drinking now. I think it needs a bit more time to open up and gain more secondary notes. There was still a good amount of oak on it, and I like all my oak gone in a burg.

1997 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay Vineyard. Parker 87. As long time readers know, I have not been overwhelmed by the winemaking direction taken at Stag’s Leap. That said, this 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Fay Vineyard exhibits a dark ruby/purple color in addition to an attractive nose of minerals, Asian spices, black currants, and earth. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with good acidity, ripe tannin, and a slightly compressed finish. This elegant, but unexciting effort should drink well for 10-12 years.

2000 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Parker 87-89. The only 2000 I tasted was the Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. It reveals the vintage’s charm, sweet tannin, and lovely ripe fruit, but those characteristics are slightly negated by the fact that it does not have the depth, persistence, layers, or concentration of a great Napa vintage.

Tomato, basil, burrata or mozzarella, and a fried eggplant thingy.

2000 La Mission Haut Brion. Parker 100! One of the wines of the vintage, the 2000 has barely budged in its evolution since it was bottled and released in 2002. After ten years in bottle, it still reveals a dense opaque purple color along with a potentially sensational bouquet of blueberries, black currants, graphite, asphalt and background oak. Extremely powerful, full-bodied and superbly concentrated with good acidity and high but round tannins, this massive La Mission-Haut-Brion should take its place among this estate’s most hallowed vintages when it hits full maturity in another one to two decades. I was surprised by just how youthful this wine tasted at age 12. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be around 4 to 5 years old.

2003 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 95. The brilliant, opulent, fleshy 2003 Pichon Lalande (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) possesses a high pH of 3.8 as well as 13% alcohol. Reminiscent of the 1982 Pichon Lalande (which never shut down and continues to go from strength to strength), the dense plum/purple-colored 2003 offers gorgeous aromas of blackberries, plum liqueur, sweet cherries, smoke, and melted licorice. Fleshy, full-bodied, and intense, displaying a seamless integration of wood, acidity, tannin, and alcohol, this beauty can be drunk now or cellared for 20 years or more.

2003 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Da Capo. Parker 100! For the fourth time, the Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo has been produced, and for the fourth time, it has received a perfect score although I might back off the 2000’s perfect score based on the fact that it seems to be more of an upper-ninety point wine than pure perfection these days. The 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo has distanced itself ever so slightly from the 2003 Cuvee Reservee. Before bottling and immediately after bottling, these two wines’ differences were not as evident. At present the Capo reveals that extra level of flavor, power, complexity and richness. It is a big wine (16.1% alcohol – less than in the 1998, but more than in the 2000 and 2007) boasting a dark plum/garnet color as well as a stunning bouquet of aged beef intermixed with pepper, herbes de Provence, and steak au poivre. This unctuously textured, full-bodied Chateauneuf possesses enormous body, huge flavors and sweet, velvety tannins. Still youthful, it has not yet begun to close down, and I’m not sure it ever will given this unusual vintage. It is a modern day classic that should continue to provide provocative as well as compelling drinking for 20-30+ years.

2006 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Obsidian. 95 points. This was young and full throttle, still showing a harsh oak treatment on the palate and finish that covered the quite ripe red fruit. Long vanilla cream finish. While the fruit was big enough with the heavy oak, seemed disjointed and overdone in this lineup. Revisit in 5yrs unless you aren’t shy of oak.

From my cellar, 2004 Cantine del Castello Boca Piemonte Conti. I brought this because it’s sneaky, and this was a blind tasting. The 2004 isn’t drinking nearly as well right now as the 2003. It has a lot more structure and needs several years to mellow out.

Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva. I couldn’t see what year this was, but it was classic mid aged barolo and full of stiff tannins.

Filet in “special” marinate and sauce with a bit of salad and wasabi mashed potatoes. The sauce was great, close to one of those Kentucky style bourbon type steak sauces.

2001 De Suduiraut. Parker 98. A prodigious effort, possibly the finest Suduiraut since 1959, the medium gold-colored 2001 offers notes of creme brulee, caramelized citrus, Grand Marnier, honeysuckle, and other exotic fruits as well as a pleasant touch of oak. With terrific acidity, a voluptuous/unctuous palate, and sweet, powerful flavors buttressed by crisp acidity, it is a phenomenal Sauternes.

1988 Coutet Cuvee Madame. Parker 99. Tiny quantities are made of Coutet’s Cuvee Madame, a spectacularly rich Barsac that, along with Yquem, is the quintessential example of what heights a great sweet wine can achieve. The 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages are nearly perfect wines. The 1990 is the richest and most powerful, but the 1988’s extraordinary perfume is other-worldly. All three wines offer a profound bouquet of smoky, toasty new oak combined with honeyed peaches and apricots, as well as coconuts and a touch of creme brulee. With extraordinarily rich, full-bodied, marvelously extracted personalities, as well as wonderful underlying acidity, these are spectacular wines.
As a postscript, many readers may not realize that Coutet’s Cuvee Madame is only released in great vintages. It is produced from the oldest vines and most botrysized grapes.

My favorite of the deserts wines by far. Really fabulous.

Tokaji Aszu Disznoko. Also nice, with that crisp acidity mixed in with the sweet.

Chocolate soufflé. It maybe had a bit of coffee in it and it certainly didn’t suck.

A kind of sticky toffee pudding type cake. Rather lovely.

This was just a great great evening. A wonderful setting with fun company — and the wines! There were some real bruisers here. Although I’m still not a massive fan of the blind and unordered format. I think the wines themselves are best enjoyed 2-4 at a time in pretty strict sequence. You can’t appreciate a great Chardonnay after tasting an 88 Petrus. That part isn’t about the quality, but subtle wines can’t be appreciated side to side with massive ones.

Still, not complaining, as many of the bruisers were really first rate wines. Hehe. The food was great too and I miss the sound of the waves crashing. Several of my old places were on the beach, but now I’m up higher. More view. Less surf.

More crazy Hedonist adventures or

LA dining reviews click here.

I miss my own puppy. But this guy had great ears.