TN: 01 Coche Rougeots,90/91 Dominus,86 Ygay,15 Lafarge Chenes,07 Keller Hub,91 Bertheau BM...

Super leap year dinner last night with the fellas in the wine mecca, Clovis Ca.! Great to see the guys again, catch up on the happenings, and enjoy some tremendous wines and food! Not a clunker in the mix. Will post notes later…but here is what went down for the four of us, with plenty to share with Chef and staff.
Lot of firsts for us in this mix…I think the consensus wotn was a brilliant bottle of perfectly aged Coche. The two Dominus bottles were in wonderful form, with the 91 kicking in an extra gear. The Ygay was SO cool and amazingly fresh. The Colares was the only questioned bottle…some said corked? I, along with Darin, said totally not! It’s wet wool people!

2007 Keller Hubacker GG
2008 Adega Regional de Colares Colares Arenæ
2001 Coche-Dury Meursault Rougeots
1986 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco
2015 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes
2014 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs
1991 Bertheau Bonnes Mares
1991 Dominus
1990 Dominus
1955 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección (right?)
2011 Château Doisy-Daëne L’Extravagant

Nice lineup! That 1991 Dominus might be my all-time Napa fave, and I’m looking forward to trying the Ygay again when my bottles will have had a few more years

Keller GG’s killed it in 2007. I’m guessing it’s still got a long life ahead still.

07 abtserde tasted quite advanced and borderline flabby when i tried it several years ago. a magnum of 07 kirchspiel not long after was great but for my taste at peak. really made me question the aging curve of gg wines. have had some similar experiences with donnhoffs near the 10 year mark.

I’ve opened quite a few 2007 Kellers in the last few years - nearly 20 across a few different bottlings - and there was some flabbiness in late youth, as there was with a couple of other producers’ '07s, but nothing like advanced. The last Abtserde was almost exactly two years ago with Robert Dentice and his wife at our house. It was a fantastic showing.

I would not question the aging curve of GGs in general. Some of the most glorious Kellers I have had were 2004s just last year, and I’ve had stunning GGs from Emrich-Schonleber and a few others at nearly the same age. FWIW, I do not think Donnhoff excels at dry wines, so I wouldn’t necessarily judge by those either. Of course, what constitutes “at peak” is a matter of taste.

LEAP DAY DINNER TRELIO’S - Clovis Ca. (3/2/2020)

• 2007 Weingut Keller Hubacker Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen
  Such purity with the subtly ripe orchard, exotic tropical fruits…clean and fresh with a perfect balance of sweetness and savory minerality…lime blossom florals, wet slate, chalk dust…has a cream to it, yet energized and refreshed with citrus. Fantastic length…sweet to floral to savory…very enjoyable! (93 pts.)

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• 2001 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
  Open in bottle for an hour then took to dinner…wow this is rich and buttery! Classic Coche reduction smoky flint strike that was nuanced and integrated well all through the night…intense lemon acidity, dried honey, lees…totally lifted and light on its feet with the vibrant citrus and minerality. The palate was more subtle than the nose would suggest…wonderful florals and chalky minerals…this just kept drinking better an better till the end! Incredible bottle! (97 pts.)

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• 1986 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  A first for me…aged in barrel for 21yrs, then concrete for another 6…WOW this is clean and fresh, with a cool subtle oxidativeness. Blind I would be guessing a younger Jura? Pear, white peach, apple skin…has a very pleasing waxiness of lanolin, yet intensely lifted citrus…grapefruit, lemon, orange zest. Exotic florals mingle well with the subtle lees ox…crazy crushed rock minerality…a mesmerizing drink throughout the night! (94 pts.)

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• 1991 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
  Open in bottle for an hour, then took to dinner. A sound bottle, in good shape…darker plum and cherry fruits with a lot of earth tones…sous bois, mulch, mushroom…sweet cherry and savory rhubarb with the slightest of tartness…silky smooth, yet still quit powerful in structure…deep minerality and spices…not the “pretty” perfumed red fruited Bertheau that I’m use to…florals are more dried roses, leather, cigar wrapper and sous bois. Iron fist velvet glove is apropos. A pleasing wine, but I kept thinking about how much I liked the 93 village I’ve had a few times way better! (93 pts.)

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• 2015 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
  Young and tight at first, but surprisingly gained and blossomed beautifully throughout the evening! SO SO pretty cherry spice, red licorice, tar, dried flower florals…med bodied exotic red berried fruits…tight in structure, reserved power, yet elegant and silky smooth. Will be an intoxicating wine with more years on it! +pts (94 pts.)
• 2014 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
  Tight and young, showing primary and a little grapey…darker red fruits, plum skin sours…rich earth, subtle tar…needed a lot of coaxing, which did show some pretty cherry spice, licorice, and flower florals…silky smooth…mineral firmness…but in the depths there seems to be something good cookin. Even day two not much change. Time with this one. +pts (92 pts.)

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• 1990 Dominus Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Had with the 91…both super showings, from pristine bottles. The 90 is fully mature and integrated…easily a fine aged Bordeaux-esk…cassis, plum cherry fruit…smoooooth as silk, fine dusty spiced tannins, classic pencil lead, cigar wrapper…slight menthol and herbs that integrated nicely. Still pretty youthful(the 91 even more so) with a firm grip of elegant tannin…aged leather, nuts, and some mushroom earthiness round out the aged complexities. Wonderful length and harmony. Leftovers drank just as well the next day! (95 pts.)

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• 1991 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Had with the 90…both bottles were pristine and in perfect shape! Both very similar, yet the 91 had another gear! Silky smooth Bordeaux-esk…dark berry fruits of cassis, plum, cherry…SO youthful with DEEP dark spices, earth…more of a mocha to the 91, as compared to more herbs in the 90…seamless fine dusty tannins, yet still firm grip…pencil lead, leather, tobacco…all elegance with plenty left in the tank! (96 pts.)

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• 2008 Adega Regional de Colares Colares Arenæ - Portugal, Lisboa, Colares
  This was WILD…I loved it! Some thought it was slightly corked, I thought totally not! Rainwater purity of fruit, energized citrus acidity, salty sea minerality funk…and a very intriguing wet wool, lanolin ala Chenin Blanc. Creamy yet bone dry…exotic…refreshing with slight ox…floral…and one cool drink! (94 pts.)

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• 2011 Château Doisy-Daëne L’Extravagant - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  HOLY COW this is intensely sweet! The Mr. K from SQN quickly came to mind. Yet not at all cloying…plenty of fresh citrus acidity to hold up to the botrytis sweetness…firm minerality…lush olive oil viscosity texture that is very pleasing…exotic honey, apricot marmalade, slight saffron, blossom florals. A little goes a LONG way here! (95 pts.)

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• 1955 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección - Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles
  Wild stuff here…candied fruits, molasses, fig jam, nuts, licorice…really rich plum pudding…christmas spice, pipe tobacco. While very viscous, it is lifted nicely with acidity and an aged balsamic vinegar tang. Glass staining, mouth coating…finish for days! Definitely drink these at the end! (93 pts.)

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Posted from CellarTracker

Fantastic notes and pics, Buzz. Ah me, it just doesn’t seem that long ago — though I know time has passed – since you were saying “wow—I need to find out more about this Meursault stuff”. Envy for the Ygay experience, awesome on the Portuguese wine as well.

I don’t think silky and Bonnes Mares go together very often at any age younger than 35-40 years

It’s always an enjoyable evening with the San Joaquin Valley fellas back home. Special thanks to Brian for bringing the Coche, a bottle and producer many of us don’t have an opportunity to taste often, if at all. It was smack-dab in its drinking window with just the right amount of evolution. Beautiful the entire 4 hours in my glass!

The Dominus’ were both well-stored bottles with near perfect fills and corks. As expected, the '91 was the star of the two. This '91 had more pyrazines than the one I opened in 2012 and, for me, was a step behind.

The Ygay was fascinating! I don’t have much experience with these, but I certainly wouldn’t have guessed it had this much age. I don’t see it getting much better, but my guess is it will hold strong for years.

The Lafarge took 3 hours to open up. Plenty of stuffing, but obviously too young. I’d love to try this in 15+ years.

I had this bottling of Colares a few years ago but don’t remember the TN. These are fun and definitely worth trying for the money. Their reds are great, too. This was polarizing to the table as some thought it was slightly corked. Buzz and I thought it was true to form and did not detect any TCA.

The Doisy was killer, but oh so intense! Much more so than their regular bottling.

This vintage is not as energetic as others, but I’d describe it as rich and dense rather than flabby. But I can see how some could get that impression. It definitely wasn’t advanced. Still very primary. I thought it needed another 5-10 years.

That 2005 Roulot Vireuils in…2009! I owe/blame it all on you Mike!

just now seeing this. thanks for posting the notes buzz

darin - i hope you had a great visit.

that was a fun lineup. it was a treat to try the ygay - it was wild, interesting and unexpected. the 2 dominus i thought killed it…with preference over the 91. the unquestionable wine of the night for me was the coche rougeots. that bottle is almost perfect…if not there already. i guzzled half the bottle. sorry guys.

he’s all grown up mike! he thought my blind clos de beze was a grenache from spain when we first broke bread together.

great notes, looks like a fun night, miss ya’ll!

They do grow up so fast, don’t they?

I miss you guys too. I want some time with all of you when I next plan to be out there in October/November 2021

Buzz—power corrupts. And corruption empowers. When you are corrupt you can empower others to be just like you!

I know I’m digging up an older thread, but I couldn’t find a dedicated one to the 1991 Dominus. I’m posting because, in Vinous, Neal Martin posted a new TN on a bottle of '91 Dominus that was worth re-posting:

I’m no California expert. But I know a great California wine when I meet one. This 1991 Dominus was poured blind in Meursault and had me guessing Right Bank, perchance Cheval Blanc! Showing light signs of bricking on the rim, the bouquet unfurls gracefully with melted red fruit, cooked meat, ash and very subtle hints of hung game, all exquisitely defined. Mercurial in the glass, the aromatics seem to broaden out. The palate is beautifully balanced, with a perfect marriage of acidity, fruit concentration and harmony—a wine at that liminal point between primary and secondary phases. Quite savory, I suspected there was more Cabernet Franc in the blend than there actually is (around 10%, to the best of my knowledge). Red fruit, cigar box, touches of rosemary and sage open on long and sensual finish. With one foot in Bordeaux and the other in Napa, the 1991 captures the best of both and is at its absolute peak now. 96 /Drink 2022-2040.

And it appears that Buzz NAILED the score.

Hahaha, we stole that 93 Bertheau long ago, no? Great notes. Love to join you on a Burg night some day . . .

We did…although this is the 1991 Bonnes Mares here.

true, but your note said this.

Nice work Buzz. Thanks for the notes and pics.

Hahah…got ya! I see you’ve mastered quotes now!