By Dan Rhodes
In conjunction with our retail store, Spectrum Wine Auctions
recently put together an informative and enjoyable tasting event which took
place at the Legends Wine Storage Facility in Irvine. http://legendcellars.net/. The event highlighted
any number of themes including 2009 Bordeaux, 2010 Burgundy from the recently
discovered star of the Spectrum Discovery
Team, Pierre Ravaut, as well as some Library Selections. Here are some of
the highlights!
2009 Bordeaux
In a world too often infatuated with the “latest and the
greatest,” 2009 Bordeaux is already “yesterday’s news” for many given the
unprecedented press and scores generated by the soon-to-arrive 2010s. Hold on a
minute, didn’t Parker just call 2009 the greatest Bordeaux vintage of his
lifetime? (Or something like that!)
There an old saying which notes, “A rising tide lifts all
boats.” Such is clearly the case with 2009 Bordeaux. While most of our blue
chip classified wines have long sold out, we still have a plethora of high
quality, value-priced Bordeaux perfect for the here and now. The beauty of 2009
Bordeaux wines is their lush fruit which bodes well for Bordeaux-lovers who
actually drink the stuff!
Please feel free to stop by our store located at 1063 McGaw Ave
in Irvine to check out any and all of these Bordeaux bargains currently on our
floor. Here are some of my highlights with notes!
.
Château
Poitevin 2009 Médoc…$15.99
Full on Médoc
wine. Nice hints of Cab Franc (chocolate, carob, floral) provide above-average
complexity for the price. Nice black currant/black cherry fruits. Lot of wine
here for $15.99!
I really liked this
because: (A) It’s cheap! Even I can afford it but also (B) The wine captures an
old school take on Cabernet Franc and the Médoc. Like
I said, there’s a lot to like here for the price.
Moulin d’Issan 2009
Margaux…$17.99
Nice earthy tones that course through the nose and palate.
Black currants, carob, brown spices. Lot of wine here for the price. Complexity
and intricacy that go way beyond the price tag. Second label for d’Issan
(Margaux).
Having visited this
estate many times, I have always liked the wines of Emmanuel Cruze and Château
d’Issan. For my money, it’s the most
beautiful Château in all of Bordeaux replete with a moat and
drawbridge that’s positively medieval. Visiting d’Issan is like traveling in a
time machine. This is a gorgeous wine that’s very well made and classically
Margaux.
Château
Coufran 2009 Haut-Médoc…$24.99
Large percentage of Merlot here. Works nicely in conjunction
with the vintage. Plush assemblage of assorted red and black fruits. Still
maintains a sense of place. Fruit and oak balanced nicely. Hints of milk
chocolate on the finish. Great wine for the price. Makes you re-think your
position on Merlot. (Wine Enthusiast 90-92)
Coufran is one of the
best wines out there with which to introduce the nascent wine lover to
Bordeaux. Plush with soft, rounded tannins, the 2009 is particularly attractive
and should convince anyone of the unique greatness of 2009.
Château
Larrivet Haut Brion 2009 Péssac-Leognan…$37.99
Very serious wine. Leads off with a complex nose of smoke,
African violets and road tar. Classically produced, old-school wine. Stony,
gravelly black fruits with hints of bitter chocolate and fig. Outstanding complexity.
(WS/WA 91)
Like most 2009s, the
wine is quite accessible with a lot of “baby-fat” but don’t sell short their
capacity to age as all of the requisite components are there and in balance.
What I like about this wine was its classic approach to the terroir of Pessac-Léognan.
Only Bordeaux can produce wines like this.
Château
Phelan-Segur 2009 St. Estephe…$47.99
May well be the best wine ever produced at this estate. Leads
off with an enticing nose of violets and ripe berries. Layered complexity comprised
of red and black currants, crème de cassis and minerals galore. Underlying
foundation of St. Estephe clay comes through loud and clear supporting the
wine’s inordinate complexity. Sophisticated earthiness to the palate. Fantastic
under-$50 wine! (WS 92)
The last great
Phelan-Segur that I personally can recall was the 1989. I loved that wine but
this is much better! Very happy to see this estate at long last lives up to its
reputation.
Library Selections
Our retail store has many wines such as these; older stocks
that we have direct imported from Europe out of Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley. We are
continually on the look-out for library selections that make sense in terms of
both quality and price.
Corton Charlemagne
2009 Ravaut…$69.99
Spectacular wine! One of the top wines of the event! Leads
off with a nose of butterscotch and brown spice followed by a stunning palate
of crème caramel, caramel apple and golden delicious apple. Sundry hints of
mango, pineapple, minerals, limestone,
allspice and nutmeg all add up to a drop dead gorgeous affair that
seduces via intricacy and complexity
rather than power, per se. Drinking really well right now!
This was one of the
evening’s top wines and speaks to the grandeur of traditionally made white
Burgundy. I hear so often at tasting events and dinners lines like, “Who cares
about the whites?”Or, “The first duty of any great wine is to be red.” It’s a
very short sighted attitude that, in my opinion, is predicated upon the halo
effect engendered by an ocean of white wine mediocrity and sameness that’s produced
here in California. European white wines are distinctive, flavorful and very
interesting. Many are truly great! Such is the case with this masterpiece from Ravaut. One sip and you
will remember what attracted you to Chardonnay in the first place. The wine is
rich and round, for sure, but the acidity and gout de terroir that’s at play
makes for a first rate wine experience worthy of any connoisseur’s palate.
Don’t conform to the opinion of the crowd or the press. Let your own palate be your guide!
Nuits St. Georges
2006 “Les Cailles” R. Chevillon…$74.95
For many, the wine of the night! Lots of wine here for $75
and 2006 red Burgs continue to be, in my opinion, underrated. Classic NSG nose
of iron ore, forest floor and decaying leaves. Black fruits galore on the
palate with hints of Asian tea, black truffles and Portobello mushrooms. The
wine delivers elegant rusticity with quite a bit of polish and sophistication
for Nuits St. Georges. But what else would you expect from Chevillon. Magret de canard, anyone?
We have just a small
amount of this wine left.2006 is a much underrated red Burgundy vintage. Lost
in enormous shadow of the 2005 vintage is a very ripe, clean and terroir driven
vintage that may not quite have quite as many majestic peaks as 2005 but still
has its fair share. And this is one of them. Don’t hesitate to call me on this
or any of the other wines highlighted in this blurb.
Domaine Pierre
Ravaut
I have chronicled this story before but for those unaware,
our Spectrum DI team (including your truly) discovered this domaine in Burgundy
two years ago. Upon tasting numerous bottles and samples in his cellar over the
better part of a morning, we were convinced that we had come upon an
undiscovered star. This is old school Burgundy, traditionally made and terroir
bound. The prices are extremely fair and reasonable given the quality of what’s
in the bottle. The 2010s are still a bit tight but will make for sound drinking
over the next 5-10+ years. For those looking for something a bit more immediate
and plush, we still have a bit of inventory from his 2009 vintage in stock.
Give a call!
Côte
de Nuits Villages 2010 Ravaut...$19.99
Crisp, sour cherry, red delicious apple fruit. Cranberry
nuance. Very high pitched at this point with bright, high-pitched fruit and
acidity. Everything balanced though. Wine evolves very well in glass and tasted
way better on second day. Broader, darker with more plush textural strokes.
Solid.
Ladoix 2010
“Carrieres” Ravaut…$22.99
Darker cherry/black cherry/blackberry fruit. Hints of pesto
and wintergreen. Really nice nose of sandalwood, raspberry incense, sweet
smoke, cherry wood. Very well done wine for the price!
Corton 2010 “Les
Hautes Mourottes” Ravaut…$59.99
Enticing nose of tea, Asian spice and sandalwood.
Pointillistic exposition of cherry/black cherry/blackberry with hints of sundry
brown spices. Good balance acid/fruit. Classic Corton and a good buy at this
price point. Crowd favorite!
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The 10,200+ bottles in this series of auctions from The
Hudson Highlands Collection were stored since their acquisition in an
impeccably curated, custom-built, temperature- and humidity-controlled
underground wine cellar in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. While
the consignor proudly admitted to a distinct preference for Premier Cru Classé
Bordeaux, he did not discriminate against the other great regions of the world.
This collection’s repertoire is as widely inclusive of the world’s top wine
regions as it is deep, touching on a seemingly comprehensive range of top-tier
producers’ wines in various colors, styles, vintages, grape varieties, and
formats. The finest wines of France, Italy, Spain, the United States,
Portugal, Germany, Austria, Australia, and Argentina are, of course, all amply
represented here.
The Hudson Highlands Collection boasts several selections
of pristine Premier Cru Classé Bordeaux, including lots of the renowned 2010
vintage from the legendary Châteaux Pétrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Margaux,
Haut-Brion, and Cheval Blanc. Domaine Armand Rousseau highlights include
6-bottle lots from the 2009 vintage of Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze,
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques, Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos de
Ruchottes, Charmes-Chambertin, and Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers.
Screaming Eagle appears in the 2005-2009 vintages, several of which are in
magnum (1.5L) format. Other noteworthy large formats on offer include Château
Mouton Rothschild 1982 and Colgin Herb Lamb Vineyard 1996 in double magnum (3L)
formats, Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 in magnum, and Opus One
1995 in imperial (6L). The collection also features a vertical of Krug’s
glorious Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut spanning the 1981 through 1998
vintages. Other featured producers include Domaine Leflaive, Ramonet,
Robert Arnoux, Etienne Sauzet, Jacques Prieur, Sylvain Cathiard, Henri Boillot,
Joseph Drouhin, Louis Jadot, Lucien Le Moine, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti,
Méo-Camuzet, M. Chapoutier, Gaja, Bruno Giacosa, Roberto Voerzio, López de
Heredia, CVNE, Dominio de Pingus, Vega Sicilia, Bryant Family, Marcassin, Sine
Qua Non, Bond, Opus One, Philip Togni, Salon, F.X. Pichler, and many, many
more.
