MNSC dinner - Woo Cheong

MNSC dinner at Woo Cheong Tea House.  Pineapple hosting.

1986 Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Monts-Luisants Vieilles Vignes - so toasty, with a little coffee, beautiful and buttery nose. Palate was still dry and acidic.

First flight: served some 2½ hours after opening without decanting.

1976 Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges - a bit smoky, acidity was pretty high. 91 points.

1976 Robert Arnoux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - a hint of smoke at first. Around 3 hours after opening this started to open up and showed toasty, cedar, and woodsy notes. 95 points.

1976 Bouchard Musigny - much riper, acidity was very high. Almost showing a little coconut butter. 94 points.

Second flight: served 4 hours after opening without decanting.

1976 Ausone - classic claret with a bit of smoke on the nose. 93 points.

1976 Lafite-Rothschild - some exotic spices, sweeter and more ripe. 94 points.

Third flight: served 4½ hours after opening without decanting.

1976 Henri Jayer Richebourg - this was off and the nose was maderized, with savory notes and clear oxidation. What a shame!

1976 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - pretty open, toasty and very minty. 93 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC dinner - Megan's Kitchen

MNSC dinner at Megan's Kitchen, hosted by Curry Jayer.

2009 Coche-Dury Meursault - nice and big, toasty nose. Good ripeness on the palate with some acidity still.

Flight 1: - opened some 3 hours prior to serving without decanting.

2013 Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - initially a bit stinky, with notes of leather, dried herbs. Lean and a little hard. Second pour was much better, more open, a little metallic and still on the lean side. 93 points.

2013 Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin - more fruit here, with black cherries, eucalptus notes. More open and vibrant. Acidity on the palate was higher. 95 points.

2013 Dujac Echezeaux - more toasty on the nose, also very nice fruit, with more body showing more tannins and a little "stemmy" and green. 95 points.

Flight 2: - opened some 4 hours prior to serving without decanting.

2013 Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts - nice and open, lots of mint and eucalyptus. Sweeter fruit, like raspberries perhaps. Second pour showed more exotic characters, almost coconut-like. 95 points.

2012 Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts - this was better than the 2013. Nose of leather, meats, pretty toasty and more fragrant. 96 points.

Flight 3: - opened some 4½ hours prior to serving without decanting.

2002 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts - sooooooo sweet on the nose, almost a little sugar cane, like bubblegum. Just beautiful! Almost showing a little acetone, and some muscat grapes. 97 points.

1999 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts - nose of leather and almost roses. 96 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC Dinner - Caprice

MNSC dinner at Caprice. Hosted by me.

1971 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - nose was very oxidized, as expected, with sugar cane, straw, marmalade notes. Ripe, soft, and lovely on the palate.

First flight: served 2 hours after opening, without decanting.

2000 Armand Rousseau Chambertin - a little grilled meats, leather, not quite open. Definitely harder and masculine. 93 points.

1999 Armand Rousseau Chambertin - much bigger, more open, and more toasty on the nose, also a little dusty and dirty. Very smooth on the palate but also more noticeable tannins. 94 points.

1995 Armand Rousseau Chambertin - cleaner, softer on the palate. Black fruits and some eucalyptus. 94 points.

Second flight: served 1 hour after opening, without decanting.

1949 Haut-Brion, ex-château 2013 - very savory, huge and punchy nose. Very oxidized but not quite madeira, with Chinese salted plum, much more ripe and smoky. Classic old claret with that savory soy sauce and aged tangerine peel. 95 points.

1944 Haut-Brion, ex-château 2013 - very savory, a little medicinal, woodsy, more open and much more beautiful. 96 points.

Third flight: served 3½ hours after opening, without decanting.

1970 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - sweet grass, kinda fruity, pretty fragrant, minty, and kinda ripe. 94 points.

1971 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - a little oxidized, a little savory, kinda ripe. 93 points.

Bonus round:

1959 Clos de Nouys Vouvray Moelleux - flinty, floral, pollen and orange blossom notes. A hint of sweetness but not too rich.

Full post on dinner is here.

99 Burgs and Kistler

MNSC dinner at The Pawn, with The Ox hosting.

1999 Bouchard Montrachet - served after 2 hours in the decanter.  Nose was a little reductive and dusty at first.  A little caramelized, some what sweet and oxidized but the acidity was there.  After 2 hours in glass, showing more water chestnut.

First flight: served 1½ hours after opening without decanting.

1999 Dominique Laurent Richebourg - very fragrant, a little bubblegum, exotic and beautiful nose. 95 points.

1999 Dominique Laurent Charmes-Chambertin - this was more clean, slightly more elgant and floral, a littl toast. Showing mor floral notes some 40 minutes in glass. 96 points.

1999 Dominique Laurent Bonnes-Mares - exotic notes like coconut. Sweet, toasty, and pretty fragrant. 96 points.

Second flight: served 2½ hours after opening without decanting.

1999 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Bonnes-Mares - very clean, very savory, lean on the palate and kinda tannic. 93 points.

1999 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées - very savory and clean. More funky, a little stinky and barnyard, but then opened up to some sweet fruit. 94 points.

Third flight: served 3½ hours after opening without decanting.

2004 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard - really floral, beautiful nose of cherries almost like cough syrup, and a little alcoholic. 97 points.

2005 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard - very dusty nose with savory notes. 91 points.

2007 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard - cleaner nose with floral notes and more concentration, sweet, black cherries, also bubblegum, later on very sweet and exotic. 97 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

Margaux and friends

MNSC gathering.

1973 Louis Roederer Brut - lovely and oxidized/caramelized, notes of Chinese licorice, kumquat, marmalade.  Beautiful!

First flight: opened 1 hour prior to serving.

1982 Margaux - leaner on the nose, more smoky, kinda short on the finish.  A hint of sweetness on the palate.  Chalky and a little bretty.  Was this a little off?  92 points.

1983 Margaux - smoky with decent amount of fruit, definitely some age on it.  A hint of amber around the edges.  Second pour was more open, sweeter, woodsy and more smoke.  94 points.

Second flight:  opened 2 hours prior to serving.

1990 Margaux - smoky, dried herbs, still a little chalky and dirty after switching glasses.  More open and lovely later.  96 points.

1996 Margaux - very nice, more vibrant, very elegant.  Second pour more open and beautiful, with a bit of smoke and cedar.  96 points.

Third flight: decanted 45 minutes after opening, and served 1 hour and 45 minutes after decanting.

2003 Margaux - smoky, lean on the nose but sweet on the palate.  Later on a little off on the palate.  Sweeter on the second pour.  94 points.

2003 Latour - a little dusty and chalky, more concentrated with a little brett.  Later on some soy sauce notes.  Beautiful!  98 points.

2003 Lafite-Rothschild - smoky, lean on the palate.  Second pour was really nice.  96 points.

MNSC dinner - Neighborhood

MNSC dinner at Neighborhood, hosted by me.

Jacques Selosse V.O. - caramelized nose, a bit flat and mild on the palate, and acidity was not too high.

First flight: decanted 2 hours prior to serving.

1996 Harlan Estate - initially served too warm so alcoholic and hot.  Showed sweet fruit, vanilla, coconut butter, and smoky notes.  95 points.

1996 Abreu Madrona Ranch - smoky, leather notes.  A bit leaner on the palate, softer, and also a bit short.  93 points.

1996 Shafer Hillside Select - a bit more ripe on the nose, with black olives.  91 points.

Second flight: decanted 3 hours prior to serving.  Overall a bit more muted than expected.  Perhaps over-decanted?

2001 Harlan Estate - a bit muted on the nose.  Got nicer a little later with some fruit, maybe a hint of chocolate, and smoke.  Still tannic.  93 points.

2001 Colgin Herb Lamb Vineyard - a bit of smoke, some stewed fruit, and definitely more fruity than the Harlan.  93 points.

Third flight: decanted 3 hours and 15 minutes prior to serving.

2004 Colgin Cariad - minty, sweet on the palate.  93 points.

2004 Colgin IX Estate Red Wine - nice and sweet.  93 points.

Full post on dinner is here.