Picture if you will 4 wine geeks tailgating in the parking lot of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on a Sunday afternoon in late November. Beyond the derisive stares from our nearby beer-loving neighbors, also imagine said wine geeks standing around in absolutely driving rain and sleet in temperatures just above freezing. Throw into the mix one volatile Steelers fan and a sadly under-dressed Cowboys fan barely concealed within our tailgate huddle, and you may get a feel for what my day was like 2 Sundays ago.
Thank goodness for Joe Perry, his John Hannah jersey, his portable grill, his pounds of lobster meat, Peter’s perfectly-cooked filet mignon sandwiches and some classic Johnsonville brats! And thank goodness for my wife’s mini-van which eventually became our shelter from the storm once we decided to get serious about the wine drinking and trying to stay dry. The game was a stinker for the Patriots, but we did enjoy some nice wines, for sure.
1990 Pol Roger Champagne Brut. This was either disappointingly “advanced” or a damaged bottle--and my money is on the damage. The bubbles fade rather quickly and the nose shows mature oxidized and honey lozenge notes. It manages to feel pretty long in the mouth, but it is marred by heavy metallic notes and a general feel of oxidation. This could not have been a representative bottle.
N.V. Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rose. This Champagne, on the other hand, was rock solid. The nose has lots of slate, quartz and chalk dust aromas that frame notes of soft grapefruit, watermelon and raspberry seltzer. In the mouth, it is crisply-defined by taut acidity and fine minerality which do not preclude a feeling of fleshiness to the raspberry and strawberry fruit. Now we are off and running.
2004 Louis Jadot Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Vergelesses Blanc. The nose is clean, bright and fresh, with citrus peel and soft chalk aromas. In the mouth, it is crisp but fleshy and finely-textured, with a blend of tropical fruits and zippier citrus tones. This seems to be trending in a good direction, as the nose has really opened up since tasting it last November.
1995 C.V.N.E. Rioja Vina Real Gran Reserva. This traditional Rioja offers up a beguiling nose of dried rose petals, foresty underbrush, velvety beets, baked clay and hints of loamy earth. Some red cherry and brambly mixed berry notes bubble up, too, completing a smoothly rustic profile that is very attractive. In the mouth, it is has a very interesting weight and texture—feeling densely silky, yet lacy. There is ample density to the soft, sweet, dusty, mildly roasty red fruit that flows effortlessly across the palate. Reined in tannins and a squirt of citrus-tinged acidity carry it all along with an easy lifted feel from entry to finish. This is drinking really nice, but should have no problem aging in the cellar.
1999 R. Lopez de Heredia Rioja Reserva Vina Bosconia. The Bosconia is tighter on the nose, with some musky animal notes, leather, dark earth and grilled pepper aromas. It feels young on the palate, as well, where chalky tannins in the mid-palate tamp down the gentle entry before it can really flesh out. It does find some tangy red fruit, earth and soft acidity toward the back and edges of the palate, but overall it seems to just be showing hints of what it will have to offer down the road.
2000 Domaine de la Cote de l’Ange Chateauneuf du Pape. The bouquet here features gentle aromas of roasted cherries, horse hair, red licorice, dried lavender, toasted marshmallow, Christmas fruit cake and dark caramel. The roasted red fruit profile continues on the palate, feeling a bit cloying at times, with plenty of sticky tannins seeming to add to that sensation. Otherwise, though, it is easy-going, open-knit, warm and spicy—taking the chill off on such a miserable afternoon.
2005 Domaine Jasmin Cote-Rotie. The nose of black pepper, Chinese 5 spice powder, sweet berries and faint rubber is very nice but also youthfully coiled. In the mouth, it is spicy and earthy, with black cherry fruit tightly framed by serious acidic structure and tight, refined tannins. The texture is slightly grainy at this stage of its youth, but the wine overall feels decidedly classy and gives the impression of a wine capable of drinking well early and for a good long drinking window. I’ll be seeking some out to cellar.
1999 Eric Texier Hermitage. Peter shared his 2nd bottle of this at a Northern Rhone tasting a few months back and it was pretty good but not as amazing as the preliminary bottle he raved about. This 3rd bottle showed me what he was talking about on the first bottle, as it was drinking just beautifully. The nose is meaty and dense with dark cherry aromas, but is also perfumed with red flowers, pretty spices and a wisp of campfire smoke. It has a meaty texture in the mouth, but also a fine seamlessness and restrained weight. The tannins are there at the back of the palate, but they are really manageable through the expansive mid-palate. It demonstrates a lot of character and a finely integrated acidity.
I also had a bottle of Carlisle Syrah that we wish we could have found and opened while sitting in hours of traffic trying to leave the stadium, but that bottle ended up feeding the sidewalk—a sort of fitting end to what was otherwise a wet and dreary day in the tailgating trenches.
-Michael