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WTN: Cellar Curiosities 1919 - 1996

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Bill Spohn

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WTN: Cellar Curiosities 1919 - 1996

by Bill Spohn » Sun Sep 07, 2014 3:53 pm

Notes from another great Givton event:

Albert Givton has collected a huge range of wines over many years and we are fortunate enough to share in some of them when he arranges a wine dinner like this one. Blue Water Café in Vancouver catered the event. Once again, for reference purposes, Albert keeps his cellar very cold, so don’t expect the same results from the same wines kept at higher temperature.


1996 Pol Roger Brut (mag) – still fairly light in colour, showing nice yeast and lemon notes and a crisp clean finish.

2005 Louis Jadot Corton Charlemagne – excellent toasty citrus nose, full on palate with good balcne and excellent length. My favourite of this pair.

2005 Bonneau de Martray Corton Charlemagne – lighter colour, not much nose at first but some nice caramel notes on palate. With time it developed some citrus in the nose, but still seemed a bit tight and acidic, only adding some sweetness with considerable time in the glass.

Served with Chesapeake soft shell crab pan fried in garlic butter with zucchini salad.

1969 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – I hadn’t had this for awhile (they didn’t make a lot of it) but it was bright and clear, an almost Burgundian garnet colour, with old wood and mint nose, still mouth filling and balanced on palate with good length and clean acidity. My favourite of the flight by a significant margin.

1975 Cuvaison ‘Signature’ Cabernet Sauvignon – this was a special selection of 400 cases. Considerably darker with thick legs, showing a crushed rock and cassis nose, and sweeter riper fruit, it was quite ripe in the mouth and finished with some soft tannin. OK< but not my favourite style.

1974 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum) – served blind, this one was my second favourite after the Heitz. dark, but not as bright, a ripe vegetal capsicum nose with fruit peeking past, sweet entry, still very well structured and it eventually developed some interesting strawberry notes.

Served with Moulard duck breast with morels and fresh morello cherries.

1929 Guichard-Potheret Gevrey Chambertin – no way would I have had the guts to serve these Burgundies at this sort of age and expect to have a reasonable showing, but they all worked out beautifully. This one was pale with raisiny hints ion the nose and some dry cocoa powder notes, but had a fairly sweet entry and was quite long. Interesting wine. A second bottle of the same wine showed a tad differently with a slightly darker colour, brighter, no cocoa in the nose, but coconut instead and more acidity.

1919 Labaume et Fils Aloxe Corton – slightly musty spicy nose, smooth in the mouth with admirable weight, and mushroomy notes, with a pleasant sweetness, and, amazingly, this wine developed in the glass, opening up with time. My favourite.

1988 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze – pale, with a lovely strawberryt fruit noise, sweet and spicy in the mouth.

1995 Dom. de Vogue Chambolle Musigny ‘Les Amoureuses’ – riper toasted sugar and oak nose, darker colour, spicy and sweet in the mouth. Needs 8-10 years but decent now.

Served with braised rabbit with pork cheek bacon and chanterelles, corn ravioli, purple mustard sauce.

1945 Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste – good colour, typical left bank cab nose, a bit musty at first, and still quite tannic (reminds one of a 1975) but decent fruit and although it may be hard to believe, it may improve with more time!

1953 Ch. La Gaffeliere-Naudes – this is the Gaffer we know and love, but in olden times it also bore the added name from an adjacent leper colony, of all things. Lighter in colour and in nose, this wine was elegant and the acidity level gave it a nice lift at the end.

1955 Ch. La Gaffeliere-Naudes – this St. Emilion was my favourite of the flight as it showed a rounder sweeter fruit based nose, had medium to full body, and a very good balance with sweet fruit right to the end.

Served with bison tenderloin poached in Wagyu fat, huckleberry reduction, black truffle jus and gratin dauphinois.

1934 Warres ‘Directors’ Special Reserve’ Port – this was a special selection bought from Warres, and bottled in 1936 by Arthur Bell & Son (the Scotch firm) in Leith Scotland for their own use. It also notes that it was imported to the US by Richard Sajbel & Co. in 1975. It had the colour of an old tawny Port and a nose to match, a bit hot but interesting with notes of nutmeg and still showing decent fruit, although I’d say that its best years are behind it now.

Another fantastic tasting event, with no dud bottles at all.
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Re: WTN: Cellar Curiosities 1919 - 1996

by Dale Williams » Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:27 pm

Nice notes, fascinating re the old Burgs.
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Bill Spohn

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Re: WTN: Cellar Curiosities 1919 - 1996

by Bill Spohn » Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:38 pm

Yeah - I'd have started twitching about serving a Burg I didn't know that was older than 15 or 20 years, much less nearing 100!
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Re: WTN: Cellar Curiosities 1919 - 1996

by Jenise » Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:07 am

Bill, some notes in response after I say how thrilling this event was for me. I floated on Cloud Nine for days afterward. Thanks again for hooking me up with that empty space.


1996 Pol Roger Brut (mag) – Excellent starter. Didn't find the color light, btw; my notes say "Rich, golden, brioche." Maybe because I was sitting directly under a light?


First flight:

2005 Louis Jadot Corton Charlemagne – darker, richer and toastier than the Bonneau with some pecan notes. Good depth and length, and what I hope for from CC. Like you, by far my preference.

2005 Bonneau de Martray Corton Charlemagne – very pale. Leaner, with racy acids. Enjoyable but you had to work for it, and blind, I would not have guessed it to have the pedigree it has. Surprisingly, I'm pretty certain that Albert preferred this one.

Served with Chesapeake soft shell crab pan fried in garlic butter with zucchini salad.


Second Flight-- Cal Cabs

1969 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – What you said. Big but delicate, and very very expressive. A treasure, and one of my favorites of the night.

1975 Cuvaison ‘Signature’ Cabernet Sauvignon – Made by Philip Togni before he went out on his own. Still a monster with burly tannins. I've never had a Cal Cab of this age with this kind of youthfulness in fruit and tannin. Hasn't peaked yet, not by a mile.

1974 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum) – what you said. Served as a mystery wine where the identity of the others was known. Was surprised by the green bell pepper notes, something I'm familiar with in older Washington wines and not a characteristic I associate with California. Also noted good minerality, cocoa and a sweet core. Like you, was second for me in the flight.

Served with Moulard duck breast with morels and fresh morello cherries.


Flight three: the old burgundies

1929 Guichard-Potheret Gevrey Chambertin, Bottle A – Pale golden rose color, and I agree with your description. Would add "tea".

1929 Guichard-Potheret Gevrey Chambertin, Bottle B – Identical color, but less sweet and immediately fascinating than Bottle A and a bit more vegetal on the palate. Also, drier. The lesser of the two for me, but the standout in the flight was:

1919 Labaume et Fils Aloxe Corton – Lightest color of the three, but the most vividly flavored. Lovely sweet fruit and caramel, sweet tea, apple cider, dried rose petals. And as you note, it just kept getting better.


Flight four: the modern Burgundies

1988 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze – pale red with amber hues at the rim, strawberries and spice. Awe-inspiring.

1995 Dom. de Vogue Chambolle Musigny ‘Les Amoureuses’ – darker red, and tight/young in that it was somewhat monochromatic with significant tannins. HOLD.

Served with braised rabbit with pork cheek bacon and chanterelles, corn ravioli, purple mustard sauce.


Flight five: the Bordeauxs

1945 Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste – What you said. The wine was excellent but the only think it lacked was the relaxed tannins of most aged Bordeauxs, and I too thought that might improve with more time.

1953 Ch. La Gaffeliere-Naudes – Again, what you said.

1955 Ch. La Gaffeliere-Naudes – And again. It was rounder, sweeter, and the most giving of the three, but like the others not a wine you'd pick up a glass of and go "Oh this must by 70 years old." Absolutely superb. None of these wines really showed their age.

Served with bison tenderloin poached in Wagyu fat, huckleberry reduction, black truffle jus and gratin dauphinois.


With dessert:

1934 Warres ‘Directors’ Special Reserve’ Port – Strawberry chiffon, cream soda, and touches of butterscotch and a bourbon-esque sweet heat. One of the most unusual ports I've ever had. Not that I am in the habit of drinking '34's, mind you!

A truly memorable evening!!!!!
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: WTN: Cellar Curiosities 1919 - 1996

by Tom Troiano » Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:46 am

I love Bonneau du Martray CC. I find that it almost drinks best at room temp. Never shows well right out of the refrigerator/ice bucket.
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