Pour Boys Wine Group - OTBN 2026
For the fifteenth year in a row, our Pour Boys Wine Group gathered together to celebrate OTBN - Open That Bottle Night. As is customary, the annual OTBN wine event – Open That Bottle Night OTBN is held on the last Saturday night in February. This year was the 25th such event since its creation in 2000 by Dorothy Gaither and John Brecher wine columnists for the Wall Street Journal. OTBN was established to set aside to share and compare special bottles of wine, that have been held in our cellars, waiting for the special occasion to open, that hasn’t yet come, so as to eventually succumb to the inevitable, its time, open that bottle (to)night!
Last year, we all traveled to Charleston (SC) for a getaway weekend to visit fellow Pour Boy Bill and Beth as featured in this blogpost - OTBN 2025 in Charleston.
The last two years we followed the seasons, striving to head south during the winter, and back north during the other seasons. After our October gathering, it was decided Chicago was a more amenable meeting point this year so we agreed to host on the traditional end of February date.
This year we were joined by regular’s Lyle, Dan, and John (below), who came in from Williamsburg, and Eric & Cathy who just returned from a tour in Italy.
We were joined this year by son Ryan and two of his wine buddies, Brian W and Mark C, and son Alec.
Linda prepared a wonderful dinner of tenderloin beef bourgnogne, an extensive medley of roasted vegetables, pomme purée, and a course of ramekins of lobster medallions with fresh croutons and butter, and a fresh mixed salad.
Prior to dinner there was an extensive selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, fresh fruits, mixed nuts, artisan chocolates and shrimp cocktail.
As to be expected, we had a fabulous extensive flight of extraordinary wines - Champagne, whites, reds, and dessert wines.
As he is known to do, “Champagne John” brought two exceptional single vintage Champagnes.
Krug 2011
Tattinger Champagne de Comtes Grands Cru Blanc de Blanc 2007
In addition, for the cheese and salad course shrimp and lobster, there was a diverse selection of interesting white wines - a traditional Napa Chardonnay, two Rhône blends and a Spanish Priorat. .
Merryvale 'Silhouette' Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017
This Napa Valley label is sourced from “the best Chardonnay blocks on the historic Stanly Ranch and Hyde vineyards” in Carneros. This bottling represents the best Chardonnay fruit of the vintage.
Professional Ratings
The wine fermented in barrel with native yeasts and full malolactic. It was aged 16 months with the full lees in 40% new French oak. 700 cases were produced.
This is produced by Maggie Harrison, legendary winemaker who gained fame working at Sine Qua Non, known for ultra-premium Shiraz. This white wine is a unique Rhône Valley varietal, Rousanne. From the winery: "The goal with all Lillian wines — Roussanne, Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon — is to work with these historical, noble varieties in a sun-drenched place but raise the wines in such a way that gives the wines levity.
Lillian is also winemaker for the ultra-premium Antica Terra, in Dundee, OR, who shares the winery and tasting room with Lillian.
https://www.lillianwinery.com/
https://www.lillianwinery.com/lillian-wines/
E. Guigal “La Doriane” Condrieu (Viognier) 2014
This is from iconic prolific producer E. Guigal, known for their vast portfolio of wines - this Northern Rhône Viognier is a blend of five-choice parcels from the Condrieu appellation, vinified separately and blended just before bottling..
It the was rated 96-97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 by Wine Spectator, and 93 by James Suckling and Vinous.
Parker’s Wine advocate writes - “The 2014 Condrieu la Doriane is a sensational white with full-bodied richness, awesome purity and integrated acidity. Deep, rich, lengthy and profound, it’s up there with some of the greatest Condrieu ever made.”
Winemaker Notes - “La Doriane is a luxury cuvée of Condrieu that E. Guigal has produced since the 1994 vintage. A great success since the firstvintage, the wine always seems richly oaked and very fruity when young, transforming in 3-4 years into a seamlessly complex,aromatic and vibrant wine. La Doriane contradicts the accepted wisdom that Condrieu does not age well.”
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2118402
Another unique white varietal …
In addition to serving this at son Alec and Vivianna’s wedding celebration, we also toasted their engagement with this label as well. We’ve featured it in these previous wine posts -
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/10/parents-son-dinner-features-birth-year.html
October 26, 2019 - Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, flawless, elegant, polished, harmonious, perfectly balanced, silky smooth flavors of concentrated black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of vanilla, licorice, spice, black truffles and oak with hints of spice and cedar turning to fine grained tongue puckering tannins on the long lingering finish.
Lyle brought his customary Vintage Port for the dessert course, and a Super Second Bordeaux …
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 2014
Beside the Champagnes, and the Viogner, John brought a fabulous arguably Super Second Margaux …
Chateau Palmer Margaux Bordeaux 2016
John brought this spectacular ‘super second’ Margaux, from one of our favorite producers. At ten years old, this is just beginning to settle and integrate and start showing its true character and potential. We’re still holding this label going back to our kid’s birth years, 81, ‘82, ‘85 and ’90. We opened the ‘81 in magnum format for Christmas dinner just last year.
We stayed within walking distance of the Chateau during our Bordeaux wine Experience back in 2019. Regrettably, we played phone tag over several days and were never able to synch up to confirm our tasting tour. We did walk over and see the magnificent Chateau and grounds.
Eric & Cathy just returned this week from Italy and brought this limited release Italian Nebbiolo that they obtained while staying at the Producer’ estate winery …
Primissimo Puglia Salento Negra Amaro 2021https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5696827
Son Ryan arrived with wine buddies Brian W and Mark C, each with a couple of notable wines to share and compare.
Ryan brought from his cellar two spectacular labels …
Sine Qua Non “The Hated Hunter” California Syrah 2017
Cliff Lede Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
This was arguably my WOTN - Wine of the Night.
His buddies brought the Laurel Blanc Priorat, above, and some notable big Napa Valley reds. …
Stalworth Napa Valley Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
This is the product of Sabrina and Timothy Persson who took over the family Napa Valley winery in 2012.
They farm two vineyards on the Rutherford Bench of Napa Valley, known for narrow alluvial fans that spill out from the Mayacamas foothills along the western edge of Rutherford and Oakville. These ancient deposits marry depth and complexity with natural drainage, compelling the vines to reach deep into the soil while tempering vigor.
The two vineyards showcased by Stalwørth sit along Napa Valley’s western benchlands and share the hallmarks of the Rutherford Bench, yet each brings its own distinctive voice. The Rutherford vineyard is a small, organically farmed site producing more red-toned fruit with supple tannins and graceful texture. The Oakville vineyard is a small, dry-farmed vineyard at the base of the Oakville Grade, yielding darker fruit with a refined, velvety structure. Together, these vineyards capture the full range of the western benchlands’ character, complementing each other in balance and expression.
It is crafted by legendary winemaker Celia Welch.
Turnbull Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Altamira Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Son Alec arrived and brought this interesting Napa Cab .. .
Soquel Partner’s Reserve Atlas Peak Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
For finishing the evening Linda prepared her delectable chocolate mousse. For an accompaniment, Lyle opened his signature Vintage Port, and I opened a limited production Austrian dessert wine.
As the night wore on, the boys raided the cellar and pulled some additional interesting reds to taste and compare … including the Penfold’s Grange, mentioned above, and this limited release Diamond Mountain selection …
Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port 1995
And I pulled from our cellar an aged TBA from Austria …
Kracher Welschriesling Trockenberenausliese Zwischen Den Seen Number 8
We hold more than two dozen labels of this producer’s releases spanning more than two decades. These rare ultra-premium dessert wines are fun to watch as they age, turning from straw colored, to butter, to golden, to weak tea and to tea colored, as shown here at twenty-five years. They were great to taste over the ensuing week for sipping with a variety of entrees and desserts.
