From Newsgroup: alt.food.wine

A great group met at my place Friday. I had some cheese and charcuterie out, and we started with bubbles.
NV Benoit Lahaye Brut Nature Grand Cru Champagne (11/2018 disgorgement)
Crisp snappy green apple, nice texture, I liked but think just a little dosage wouldnrCOt have hurt. B+/B
.
NV (2018-2019)Filaine Cuvee Speciale Champagne (magnum)
Labeled Speciale, but Jeff says he only has magnum labels in that, this is more likey the DMY. Only a few mags make it to states. Really gorgeous, pear, smoke, and citrus zest, with a rye bread topnote. Racy, full, minerally with elegant mousse and long finish. A-/A
On to the reds (Left Bank, both Medoc and Graves)
2001 Coufran
Black plum and a little green tobacco leaf, nice midweight. Some gentle tannin remaining, some thought it a steak wine, I opined for roast chicken. B/B+
2000 Gruaud Larose
Others seemed to like more than I did. DonrCOt get me wrong, solid masculine claret, but it seemed a little flatfooted next to the Ducru. B
2000 Ducru-Beaucaillou
Wow, stunning young wine. Lots of tannins, but theyrCOre supple, and thererCOs powerful cassis fruit. Cedar, tobacco, anise. A-
1995 Grand Puy Lacoste
Black plum, smoke, really wrapped up in tannin. B/B+
1995 Beychevelle
In need of time, but lovely potential. Black cherry and plum, espresso, tobacco. A-/B+
1985 Haut-Marbuzet
Resolved tannins, soft acids, nice texture, soft red plum fruit, cigarbox. If this had been blind I think I would have guessed RB.B+
1982 Potensac
Great showing for this bottle. Cassis, pencil lead, and cedar, still a little tannic structure, great overachiever. B++
While I was grilling, blinded group on a couple whites. They got Bordeaux immediately, but took a while to get chateaux (Craig said 2nd is about 10 years older which was damn close)
2006 La Louviere blanc
Light, fresh, hint of grass, grapefruit and fig, nice length. B/B+
1995 Larrivet Haut Brion blanc
A little more advanced than a previous bottle, toasty oak, honied white fruit, good length. B
And while there was white
2020 Bruno Bienaime La Bulle drCOAmelie Cremant de Jura Blanc des Blancs
Apple cider, cheese, toast, interesting. B-
2000 Tyrells Vat 47 Chardonnay (Hunter Valley)
This had been open a day, was still holding out, large framed honied Chard.
We were ready to return to reds with skirt steak, sausages, spinach, and a potato-parsnip gratin.
1974 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon
Off theme, but owner had discovered a leaking bottle. I thought if not pristine it was still a pretty good example, with black cherry, green pepper, and menthol. Very herby, good length. B+
1970 Domaine de Chevalier
Probably my WOTN. Great showing- cassis and black cherry, cigarbox, gravel. Precise and long. A-/A
1970 St Pierre
I liked more than some others. Lighter than the DDC and Calon, but nice is a sweet and easy style. Not super long, and fully mature, but fully pleasurable too. B+
1970 Calon Segur
Bigger than other 2 70s, lots of oomph, all cassis with some green herbs and smoke. B+/A-
1964 Beychevelle
Fully mature but lovely. Sweet red and black cherry, cedar, mushrooms, smoke. Resolved tannins, balanced acids, soft mouthfeel, nice length. A-
1964 Lynch Bages
Not a great fill (mid to top shoulder), and it showed. There is some power underneath, but some clear maderization. This bottle a C, but there are better out there
Fun night, nice crowd, we got very lucky with no corked and only one really flawed bottle.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
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From Newsgroup: alt.food.wine

On 11/13/23 1:51 PM, dalewilli...@gmail.com wrote:

1974 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon
Off theme, but owner had discovered a leaking bottle. I thought if not pristine it was still a pretty good example, with black cherry, green pepper, and menthol. Very herby, good length. B+

What an evening of fantastic wines, Dale! I just had to mention
(probably have before, too LOL) that Bernard Portet's wines from that
era are unjustly (IMO) overlooked these days. They were never the blockbusters of Mondavi, SLWC, Ch Montelena or Caymus, but they always
had impeccable balance and enough structure to age for the long haul.
They were (and likely still are) also very reasonably priced for what
they were.

Mark Lipton

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