2009 Araujo Sauvignon Blanc

Dinner at Ichu Peru.

2009 Araujo Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard - opened an hour prior to serving.  Nose of green apple, muscat grapes, a hint of pipi de chat.  More mature on the palate.

Full notes on dinner is here.

2007 Dr. Loosen

Drinking at home.

2007 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett - big nose of petrol, minerals, and flint.  A hint of white flowers.  Good acidity balance with some ripeness.

1988 Clinet

Drinking at home.

1988 Clinet - pretty fragrant nose with cedar and woodsy notes, smoky, nice black fruits, and pencil lead.  Surprisingly fruity for this wine.

Haut-Brion, Tertre Roteboeuf

Dinner at Caprice.

2005 Vincent Girardin Bâtard-Montrachet - initially nose was pretty closed and the wine was a bit too cold.  This wine needed decanting, as it was still not open after 20 minutes in glass.  After an hour showed some flinty and citrusy notes.  There was definitely ripeness on the palate that was well-balanced with the acidity, although it was a bit more on the ripe side.  The finish was reasonably long.  Two hours after opening, including one hour in glass, it finally developed minerality with a hint of Chinese licorice.

1990 Tertre Roteboeuf - decanted for 1½ hours prior to serving.  Smoky and lean nose, but still got some black fruits, leather, and mint.  Absolutely beautiful.

1966 Haut-Brion - opened without decanting 1½ hours prior to serving.  WOW!  Such a classic wine!  Nose of pencil lead, smoke, lots of coffee, and a hint of sweet grass.  A claret through and through. Fucking awesome!

1997 Baumard Quarts de Chaume - honeydew melon and marmalade on the nose.  Good balance between sweetness and acidity.  Rich but not too sticky.

Full post on dinner is here.

Premier Napa Valley and friends

Dinner at Softbank Kitchen.

2003 Françoise Bedel L'Âme de la Terre, dégorgée en Août 2012 - ripe nose with sugarcane notes.  Good depth on the palate.

2016 Sonoma County Barrel Auction Gary Farrell Vineyards Pinot Noir Rochioli Vineyard - nice and fragrant nose, showing tea leaves and eucalyptus.  Served a little too warm.  Still very young.

2015 Premiere Napa Valley Gemstone Cabernet Sauvignon Winemaker's Special Selection - so very young.  Minty and ripe.

1996 Bruno Paillard Nec Plus Ultra, dégorgée en Janvier 2009 - nice and ripe, with straw notes.

1991 von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Spätlese - nice minerality, almost a little muscat, a little petrol.  Good sugar levels with acidity balance.

2000 Pierre Bourée Charmes-Chambertin - very lovely nose.  A little floral.

2016 Premiere Napa Valley Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Next Chapter - very ripe. Very rich.  Very jammy.  Lots of forest and very minty.   Still way too young, but more enjoyable than the Gemstone.

2001 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - decanted for 2 hours prior to serving.  Nose still kinda muted, with high acidity on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Selosse Le Bout de Clos

Drinking at home.

Jacques Selosse Le Bout de Clos, dégorgée le 13 Mars 2013 - nice and sweet nose with prominent notes of Chinese licorice, coconut milk, savory minerals.  Nice and yeasty, with great depth on the palate.  Not a light and easy wine at all.

Ganevat De Toute Beauté

Drinking at home.

2016 Anne et Jean-François Ganevat De Toute Beauté - a little pungent, not quite smoky, leather, grilled meats.  Some floral notes underneath and some potpourri.

Dom, Van Berg, and Ganevat

Dinner at Tasting Court.

2008 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon Chef de Cave Legacy Edition - pretty easy to drink, with a nice finish that carried more depth.  Not much of a nose.

Roses de Jeanne Côte de Val Vilaine, dégorgée en Avril 2018 - yeasty and toasty.  Good acidity on the palate with some ripeness, but still reasonably stiff.

2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex, en magnum - high acidity as expected, but still pretty rich on the palate.  Lemon citrus nose with a little bit of pipi de chat.

2009 Bernard Van Berg La Rose Réserve -
nice and fragrant, fruity and floral, with leather notes.  Reminiscent of Prieuré Roch but the nose was not as sweet.  Very enjoyable.

2014 Jean-François Ganevat Cuvée de l'Enfant Terrible - nice, sweet fruit, with leather notes.  Stemmy and a little pungent.

Full post on dinner is here.

1943 Sisqueille

Drinking at home.

1943 Sisqueille - lovely fragrant nose of dates, botrytis, bee pollen, nutty.  Clearly oxidized and not too sweet on the palate.