Pour Boys End of Summer ('23) Wine Dinner

Pour Boys End of Summer ('23) Wine Dinner Extravaganza

Our Pour Boys wine group gathered in Northwest Indiana for our end of summer / early fall wine dinner hosted by Dr Dan and Linda. As always, the group brought a spectacular wine flight to accompany the extensive dinner offering. Dan and Linda prepared smoked beef brisket BBQ which set the tone for robust hearty full fruit forward wines. 

As usual, Dan set out an extensive selection of charcuturie, meats and sausages, and artisan cheeses, three types of grilled shrimp and mushrooms. 

For dinner, Dan and Linda prepared bratwursts, grilled chicken breasts, smoked beef brisket and pulled pork, followed by an extensive medley of sides and salads. 

 

The Pour Boys collectively brought an extensive wine flight worthy of a feast, and a serious wine tasting.

As has become his custom, 'Champagne John' brought two bottle of vintage Champagne:

Bollinger Extra Brut Champagne RD 2007 (De'gorge 10 Juillette 2020)
Charles Heidsieck Rose' 2008 

Bollinger Extra Brut Champagne RD 2007 (De'gorge 10 Juillette 2020)

 The blend of this 2007 vintage is composed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. It features 91% Grands Crus and 9% Premiers Crus. A total of 14 crus can be find in the blending. The fermentation is entirely in oak barrels.

Bollinger R.D. is sold just a few months after being disgorged, with a very low dosage known as “extra brut”, at just 3 grams per litre. The recent disgorgement guarantees the remarkable freshness of the wine.

The 2007 vintage marks a return to the roots of the R.D. cuvée and its historic label with the original material and legendary font of the 1952 vintage, once again showing the date of disgorging.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3916398

https://www.champagne-bollinger.com/en/wine/bollinger-rd-2007/ 

Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé Rosé 2008

Another special bottling, a blend of 63% Pinot Noir (including 9% of red wine) and 37% Chardonnay, this rosé from Charles Heidsieck is sourced from 11 grands and premiers crus sourced from Les Riceys in the far south of Champagne.

 It was awarded 98 points by James Suckling, 96 points by Decanter, and 95 points by Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator.

Beautiful rose colored, superbly balanced and tasty, toasted nutty character, perfect acidity with hints of apple, dried cherry and raspberry red fruits.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3321069

 

Eric did the honors of opening the Champagne with Dan's 'champagne sword' ... 

Dan followed the Champagne flight with an ultra premium vintage Chardonnay:

Sea Smoke Sta Rita Hills Estate Chardonnay 2014

We've had many vintages of this label over the years and I believe this vintage, at this age, tonight, was the best ever - in its sweet spot, at the apex of its drinking window! 

It was rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast and 91 points by Wine Spectator.

Straw colored, medium bodied, concentrated white peach flavors predominate with notes of pear on a full smooth elegant finish.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3022299

https://www.seasmoke.com/ 

Followed by another Sea Smoke label from Dan's cellar, club allocation, pivoting to the reds ...

Sea Smoke Botella Sta Rita Hills California Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2009

This limited release label is from Dan's cellar and wine club allocation. 

It was rated 92 points by Wine Advocate. 

Garnet colored, medium bodied, dark fruit with accents of smoke, licorice and leather with a smooth polished lingering finish. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1102815

And the red flight continued; as I've written often in these pages, the order of tasting is based on a intricate studious mating dance we go through at the beginning of each event, establishing the tasting order based on previous experiences, sweetness, age, depth, weight and boldness and body. 

Much of the fun of the evening is determining in retrospect how accurate we were in determining the best or optimal tasting sequence. Invariably we're very close to being right on, or within a very few, very minor variations or adjustments, swapping a couple bottles' order, for the ultimate tasting experience!

Here is the tasting order of the evening, which as usual, was spot on, and required little of no modification as the evening went on. Of course, such changes are the basis of fun, animated and lively discussion for the wholehearted wine geeks!

Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2008

Dan offered this ultra-premium Sangiovese blend from his cellar. It received 94 points from James Suckling and Wine Advocate.

Full bodied, dark intense concentrated  black fruits with notes of mocha, spice and hints of tar on a chewy tannin laced long finish. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1799632

Ernie followed with his customary ultra-premium Bordeaux blends ... two spectacular releases ! 

Peter Michael Les Pavots 2005
Lynch Bages Pauillac Bordeaux 2010

 

Peter Michael "Les Pavots" Knights Valley Bordeaux Blend 2005

This is a Bordeaux 'right bank style blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot, akin to a St.-Emilion or Pomerol. 

It was rated 95 points Int'l Wine Review and Wine Advocate, 93 points by Vinous, and 92 points and "Top 100 Wines of 2008" by Wine Spectator.

Delicious! We drank this wine from the Reserve Winelist at our Pour Boys dinner at the Del Ray Beach Wine Room back in 2021.  Tonight was consistent with that tasting when I gave it 94 points. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/06/pour-boy-wine-dinner-at-del-ray-beach.html

Ernie brought this label to our Pour Boys OTBN night in 2014. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/06/otbn-2014.html 

Deep ruby colored, full-bodied, complex and multi-dimensional yet impeccably balanced, elegant and harmonious; dark currant and black raspberry fruits with spices, tobacco, leather, chocolate and cassis notes with a smooth silky finish. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=505831

For me, while the Les Pavot was elegant and complex, the more expressive and forward Lynch Bages, along with the Del Dotto Syrah were the WOTN - Wines of the Night (due to the smoked BBQ pairing), along with the Sea Smoke Chardonnay! With a grilled beefsteak, the Les Pavots and Lynch Bages would've been a wonderful duel!

Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Bordeaux 2010

This is a spectacular wine, it was rated 98 points by Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling, 97 points by Wine Advocate, and 96 points by Wine Spectator (also Cellar Selection), Wine Enthusiast and Decanter.

Dark garnet colored, full-bodied, layered, complex and multi-dimensional yet smooth, elegant and polished;  classic Pauillac dark berry and currant fruits accented by notes of cassis, cigar tobacco, and lead pencil graphite, with hints of oak and clove spice turning to firm, powdery tannins and lively acids on a long silky finish. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1123088

Then on to the Big Reds ... to accompany the BBQ ...

Bill brought this rare Carlisle Napa Valley Hayne Vineyard Zinfandel 2012

Followed by Lyle's, Seghesio Cortina Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2015

Then on to the Syrahs/Shiraz's ... 

I brought from our cellar this aged vintage classic label of which we've had great fun over the years, of which there are several stories across the group ... this was amazingly resilient and still going strong at 28 years.

D'Arenberg McLaren Vale "Dead Arm" Shiraz 1995

Consistent with earlier tastings, I first published a note on this wine in pre-blog days back in 2005, which I chose and opened from our cellar for my birthday dinner.

Eric brought this classic Chateau Tanunda "Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Barossa Shiraz which we all discovered and of which we captured our unfair share of the extremely limited US/Midwest allocation through a special arrangement during the Grand Tour Chicago - Wine Tasting Extravaganza back in 2011. Lyle loved it and gave it WOTN while Bill thought it might be reaching end of its prime drinking window. 

Pour Boys at that 2011 Wine Spectator Grand Tour

Tanunda 100 Year Vine Shiraz 2008

John brought this classic, highly allocated rare Washington State Shiraz which he also brought from the 2012 vintage to our Pour Boys OTBN 2020 ~ Open That Bottle Night.  I wrote about the label  and producer extensively in my post of that event.

Cayuse Bionic Frog Walla Walla Valley Shiraz 2013

Bill brought this rare ultra-premium label from a well known favorite producer - I've never seen this label from a producer we thought we knew well.

Killikanoon Attunga "1865" Clare Valley Shiraz 2004

Another spectacular wine - an embarrassment of riches throughout this tasting. We love the Killikanoon "Oracle" label and never knew about this ultra-premium label from them. This special limited release label is released only in years of exceptional quality.

This Attunga "1865" single vineyard, Clare Valley Shiraz is named due to its source, from some of Australia's oldest living vines - 900 individual Shiraz vines, planted in 1865. According to winemaker Kevin Mitchell, it is the oldest commercially active vineyard still producing in the Clare Valley. 

This was rated  98 points by Wine Advocate and 97 points by Wine Advocate. 

It appears very little of this very limited release makes it to America. Cellartracker, which we use to track our wines, and the marketplace, has over 10 million reviewer tasting notes and has no listing for this label.

Deep purple-colored, full round, rich, concentrated yet elegant and polished, black and blue fruits with notes of floral, creosote and crushed rocks. 

https://kilikanoon.com.au/collections/back-vintage-wines/attunga

 

We closed the red wine flight with this label we tasted during our tour and tasting at the producer's estate Del Dotto Napa Valley Cave Tour Barrel Tasting, and acquired during our Del Dotto Piazza DELICACIES Food and Wine Experience culinary tasting at the producer's other property estate, Piazza Del Dotto, back in 2018. 

Tonight's tasting was consistent with my last bottle tasted earlier back in 2019. 

Del Dotto Cinghiale For Ross Seaview Sonoma County Vineyard Syrah 2014

To close, Lyle brought what has become somewhat custom, a vintage port dessert wine for the final course (s). Terry brought her decadent, spectacular orange cake, which Dan and Linda served alongside gourmet chocolates, chocolate cake and a selection of ice creams including sea salt caramel, and others.

Dow Vintage Port 1997

A classic vintage port from a spectacular vintage. This was awarded 95 points by Wine Spectator and 94 points by Wine Enthusiast, and 92 points by Int'l Wine Cellar.

Ruby colored, medium-full bodied, black currant fruits with bittersweet cocao, notes of dark mocha, expresso, sweet fig and herbs with a long smooth balanced finish. 

Unlike Attunga above with no Cellartracker listing, this classic label is four digit 2186 out of the hundreds of thousands of labels registered. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2186 

Notice, Two-fisted Dan directing the orchestrated proceedings ... 

Thanks all for another spectacular wine and dine evening.

Celebration Dinner features top rated Reds

Celebration Dinner features top rated Reds

Celebrating closing out a major business transaction that leads to a new chapter in my career, we were invited to a gala dinner at fellow Pour Boy Dr Dan's and Linda's. They laid out an extensive selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie featuring a full shank of cured ham. 

This Covap Jamon Iberico Bellota Ham Leg is produced in The Valle de los Pedroches, located in northern Cordoba in Southern Spain.  The valley has the largest extension of centuries old oak trees in the world, and more than 750,000 acres of continuous pasture-lands.  The unique setting provides acorns that are feed for 100% Iberico Breed pigs raised there where they graze with 2 ½ acres per pig. The vegetarian diet of the Iberico Breed pigs based on acorn and grass from the pastures contribute to the distinctive product. The processed ham is aged for a minimum of 3 years in aging cellars that is key to the curing process.

Starting dinner was a chopped dinner salad and a delicious roasted red pepper tomato basil soup. 

For dinner they prepared pork chops stuffed with a chanterelle mushroom dressing, haricot verts and butter whipped potatoes. 

Dan pulled from the cellar a pair of top ranked vintage champagnes from which I selected one. 

Dan then pulled out a Champagne sword with which to strike neck of the bottle to open for serving. I admit I've never done this before and wasn't sure how its done. 

Dan prepped the bottle by cooling the neck stiffening the cork and surrounding glass rim. Then following the seam in the glass of the bottle, he instructed me to strike the lip of the rim of the bottle, which cleanly broke off, taking the cork with it and cleanly disgorging the Champagne. 

 

Tattinger Domaine Chandon Blanc de Blanc Methode Traditional Carneros Vintage 2012 

This is a méthode traditionelle sparkling wine from Domaine Carneros in Napa Valley, the best known high profile estate and grower-producer of what most folks would think of as champagne. However, only sparkling wine produced in that legendary well known French region and appellation can truly, or legally be called or attributed to Champagne. Even though the estate vineyards and beautiful French Château are owned by famed Champagne house, owner producer Taittinger, its sparkling wine produced in the authentic méthode traditionelle is sparkling wine.

Founded by the noble family behind Champagne Taittinger, Domaine Carneros was established in 1987 when Claude Taittinger selected the 138-acre parcel in the heart of the Carneros wine production appellation at the very bottom of Napa Valley where the Mayacamas Range that separates Napa from Sonoma Valleys foothills meet the bottomlands of San Pablo Bay. The Domaine Carneros Château is a stunning landmark on the highway between Napa and Sonoma.

For years, the Domaine Carneros winemaker was Eileen Crane, often referred to as America's doyenne of Sparkling Wine who oversaw the development of the Taittinger style in Carneros. In 2020, after 33 years, Crane passed the torch to a new CEO, Remi Cohen, who carries on the Taittinger tradition.

Domaine Carneros has always faithfully produced méthode traditionelle sparkling wines in the distinctive style across a portfolio that ranges from classic non-vintage and vintage-dated Brut cuvee to this ultra-premium luxury vintage label and their flagship Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs. 

Only the premier sparkling wines are vintage specific productions, crafted from the finest grapes in good vintage years. All others are NV or non-vintage blends.

All Domaine Carneros wines are estate labels, 100% sourced from their six estate vineyards comprising 400 acres in the Carneros appellation.

The 2012 Domaine Carneros Blanc de Blancs is a blend of 36% Pinot Gris and 64% Chardonnay.

Light gold colored, light medium bodied, complex fruit flavors of green apple, nectarine and lemon citrus with notes of stone and brioche and a bit of tartness with lingering moderate acidity.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2587947

https://www.domainecarneros.com/

https://twitter.com/domainecarneros 

Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Wine 2010 

This is kind of become one of Dan's signature wines, being one of the hallmark ultra premium labels in his cellar collection dating back a couple decades. 

This is the American label of legendary Christian Mouiex, producer of Chateau Petrus, arguably one of the most storied labels in the world. 

We lasted tasted this wine back in 2014 when I wrote, "While this got a 100 point rating from Robert Parker, the most noted major reviewers, like so many Dominus releases, it may take a decade or more for it to reveal its full potential."

"While clearly a spectacular wine, at this young age, its a bit closed and tight suppressing its fruits and other nuances."

The legendary label release was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 99 points by James Suckling, 98 points, Vinous, and 96 points by Decanter.

My view of so many of these extraordinarily highly rated wines, its not that they stand out as being so spectacular, rather, they're notably in their lack of negatives. In other words, they're flawless, lacking any detracting traits. Like a flawless diamond, this stands out as having no negatives, as opposed to highlighting particular positives! 

In its 98 point review, back in 2015, Vinous wrote, "Dominus is a powerhouse that will require a number of years to soften. A wine of baritone-like depth and explosive structure, the Dominus is a long-distance runner. The firm tannins beg for patience. Today, my impression is that Dominus will be one of the last 2010s to open up." 

Eight years later, it is just starting to open up and settled to lose that closed and tight status to reveal its true character and perhaps full potential.

Blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, firm, dense, concentrated and complex yet polished and elegant with layers of black fruits, black tea, graphite, creosote and anise with hints cedar of spice and dark chocolate with smooth polished nicely integrated tannins on the finish.

RM 95 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1374630

Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Wine 1986  

Knowing Dan is a huge fan and long-time collector of Dominus, I pulled from our cellar this aged vintage release of the label from 1986. This is from the early years when, from 1983 to 1991, each label release featured a pencil sketch, chalk or water color like painting character portrait of the legendary winemaker producers. I show the Dominus library of these early artist series labels that became collectors' labels for many, on my wine label library pages.

https://mcnees.org/winesite/labels/label_library_pages/california_label_lib_pages/label_library_california_d.htm#Dominus_Estate

I purchased a OWC - original wood case, of this wine back on release around 1988. Every couple of years I opened a bottle to taste and monitor how it was aging. For at least a decade, over the course of half of the case, I found it a bit tight and closed. Then, after about fifteen years, on about the eight bottle it started to open to reveal its character and potential. Alas, that was what Dominus tasted like, but, unfortunately, at this stage, we drank half of the case too early or too soon. Now, at thirty-five years, perhaps we held on to the last few remaining bottles too long. 

Back in 1996, at ten years, in a 1986 horizontal comparison tasting, Robert Parker wrote about this label, "One of the richest, densest, most concentrated offerings in the entire tasting, it also proved to be one of the best-balanced, with better integration of acidity and tannin than many 1986s exhibited, this large-scaled, concentrated wine appears to have aged at a glacial pace since I first tasted it."

At that time, Wine Spectator wrote, "Starts out earthy and leathery, in a rugged style, but works its way into more complex mineral, currant and cedar flavors and finishes with a cedary, earthy note and a good dose of currant flavor."

It's always a tell-tale sign of a wines' challenging approach-ability when it's predominant flavor profile is non-fruit flavors, overshadowing the berry fruits. 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded this release 93 points, Jancis Robinson gave it 17.5 on her 20 point scale. 

At thirty-five years, this was definitely past its prime, approaching the end of its drinking window, garnet colored with a slight rust hue setting in, the dark currant and berry fruits overshadowed by that 'rugged style' with earthy leather, mineral and cedar flavors on the slightly tart finish. 

RM 87 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1424

Interesting and notable is that this label bears Cellartracker number 1424, one of the earliest bottles to be registered in that vast database that now numbers in the millions. 

See earlier post -
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/11/mouton-dominus-insignia-highlight-big_17.html

https://www.dominusestate.com/

Dan also presented two ultra-premium labels big reds, Joseph Phelps Insignia 2007 and a Château Léoville Las Case 2016. In retrospect, I should've opted for the older vintage, and the Napa wine, which would've been more approachable, most likely in its prime. 

I selected the Las Cases, which no doubt has decades of life in front of it, having obtained this at auction and shared part of the case with Dan, thus eager to try this holding. I admit I was influenced by our visit and private tour and tasting at the Chateau, a highlight of our visit St Julien in 2018. Of course, Joseph Phelps was a highlight of our Napa Wine Experience and private tour tasting, with Dan, back in 2017.

See earlier post -
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/08/joseph-phelps-napa-valley-winery-tasting.html

Château Léoville Las Cases St Julien Bordeaux 2016

As I mentioned, our visit and private tour and tasting at the Château Léoville Las Cases  was a highlight of our visit St Julien in 2018. We served this wine from daughter Erin's birthyear vintage from large format Jeroboam bottles at her wedding back in 2006, and son Sean's birthyear vintage from large format magnums at his wedding in 2018. 

Our Cellartracker records show we still hold a decade of vintages of this long last label dating back three and a half decades, still holding bottles from the kid's birthyears '81, '82, '85 and 1990, several in large format. 

CT'er reviews of Las Cases 2016 - 

Our experience this night was perfectly reflected in a September review by fellow Cellertracker Bert Camem who wrote - "Knowing it would be too young, I couldn't resist opening a bottle. With about two hours decanting it was not a disappointment. Yes way too young given what it promises, but most definitely approachable and if you have a few, worth opening one now. Quite acidic, but I'm sure this will soften. Elegant and concentrated. Closed but enough flavour there to enjoy. Despite its very dark colour, it has a core of tangy/ripe red fruit that has a lovely freshness and purity. First growth quality at a fraction of the price. I think this will be stunning when it is ready. 97 points"

Another CT'er, Beatles wrote: "Out of this world; a truly great Bordeaux. Vertical, chalky, powerful as a tight fist with a concentrated, yet so relaxed fruit. Too young? Of course it is, still you can drink this, if you like, it's world class." 98 points.

What drew me to open this label was written up by fellow CT'er Decarlor who tasted it on the same date as our tasting and wrote, "Probably the best Leoville Las Cases ever. Decanted 3 hours. I was surprised by its readiness, despite it will improve for sure over time. Very complex wine with blue/black fruits prevailing over red." 100 points.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium full bodied, impeccably polished and elegant, flawless (there's that word again, as above), concentrated but nicely integrated dark berry fruits with subtle notes of cassis, graphite, black tea and dark chocolate with smooth polished tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 96 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2594471

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/leoville-du-marquis-de-las-cases.html

https://www.domaines-delon.com/

https://twitter.com/DomainesDelon