SOBER gathered last night at Mark Golodetz's for a lovely night of food, wine, jokes, and conversations. Mark and Nancy did a fantastic job hosting, and Mark chose some great wines to serve us blind:
1993 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee (from Magnum), not blind
Apple fruit accented with citrus, some yeast roll notes, good length. Kind of mid-weight style. B+
We started with some proscuitto, salami, and cheese. Due to some decanter switching due to a corked bottle, numbering got confusing, so I'm just numbering from 1 to 11. In the first flight, table consensus was American, though I thought what I have listed as 3rd wine could be Bordeaux. I was wrong.
1st wine- some immediately threw the TCA yellow flag; I was getting an off odor, but not really the usual musty/moldy note. Some big fruit underneath. But it did seem off, and I obediently dumped. A couple of folks weren't sure it was corked, but a resmell of one's glass later showed the damp cardboard in abundance. It was Helen Turley's first wine, the 1984 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon
2nd wine
This was served very cool, a quick replacement for one above. Sweet dark plum fruit, a little mint/menthol, moderate length. 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon. B
3rd wine
This is the one I thought could be Bordeaux. Big nose of brett at first, but it blows off a bit and integrates ok. Black fruit and mushrooms framed by the cow patty aromas, resolved tannins but a backbone of acidity. 1976 Chappelet Cabernet Sauvignon B+
4th wine
Slightly lifted nose, red sharp fruit. A funny sharpness- someone called it vinegary, and John thought it showed artificial acidulation. Drinkable, I guess, but I didn't. 1983 Ch. Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon B-
Next flight was clearly a bunch of winners. Dan quickly nailed fifth wine as Rioja, I thought last two wines might be Barbaresco, but Mark said 3 different countries, so I thought then the last one. Wrong again.
5th wine
Also a lifted nose, but this seemed aromatic rather than sharp. Light and elegant, lovely delicate wine with red fruit, cedar, and a hint of coffee. 1981 Lopez de Heredia "Tondonia" Gran Reserva. A-
6th wine
Herby, bright, red cherries, earth. Mark says this is the estate from where Giacosa gets the grapes for his Santo Stefano. 1985 Castello di Neive Santo Stefano Barbaresco. B+
7th wine
Red and sweet, a little tea, tar, and earth. I'm actually quite surprised when it's revealed- 1983 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape. B/B+
A little break for a delicious gazpacho, then Mark ventured out to grill some lovely thick steaks. The next group of wines were all consumed with steak, potatoes, and spinach.
8th wine
A Margaux-ish floral/berry touch on the nose, lovely mouthfeel, good length. Dark fruit, earth and graphite, cigarbox. Very nice wine.
1970 Domaine de Chevalier A-
9th wine
Tobacco, red fruit, nice medium-weight claret.
1974 Haut-Brion B/B+
10th wine
Very sweet fruit, young and fresh. Lots of earth, a little bandaid. Some damp forest floor accents the rich fruit. 1961 Pape Clement. A-/A
11th wine
Kinda funky at first, but in a nice way. Rich dark fruit, cigar, leather, cedar. High but integrated acids. What a flight! 1970 Ducru-Beaucaillou. A-
Just a great night of wine, food, and friends. Thanks to Mark and Nancy for incredible hospitality.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. 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