A Wine-Tasting Birthday Celebration.

Calliope Muscat

Recently, a serious wine collector friend of TheWineInsiders asked us to attend his wife’s birthday celebration and bring the finest current wines we could access. This included a combination of extremely rare wines as well as a few undiscovered gems (see full list is below). Each wine was paired with a particular course of the meal to enhance the flavors. We enjoyed the 2001 Patz & Hall Chardonnay “Dutton Ranch” with lobster bisque. We savored every drip of the 2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes with fois gras, and then we paused to sample the various Syrah. Later, we sampled the Cabernets and Cabernet blends with an exquisite lamb course. The climax of the evening was the chocolate dessert and the 99 point rated Australian late harvest Muscat (which I would describe as a combination of d’Yquem and molasses).

Two important guidelines:

1. It’s very important to open each bottle earlier in the day to let them breathe – particularly if you’re pouring young (less than 10 years old) Cabernets with powerful tannins. The benefits of doing this:

• You get to sample a tiny bit of each wine early in the day (with a clean palate) and establish an opinion without any food or distractions.
• The wines will most likely improve as flavors develop several hours later when you enjoy them with the food. 

Notable winners below were the Hestan Cabernet and the Two Hands “Aphrodite” which were both enjoyable when we first uncorked them (around 2 p.m.) but were noticeably richer and more flamboyant approximately 6 hours later when we poured them to enjoy dinner. I personally rated each wine 2 – 3 points higher after decanting.

2) It’s great to have a few leftovers at the end of the evening. This particularly applies to the red wines so that you can enjoy a sip or two the next day (hangover permitting) on a relatively clean palate. Most big, young Cabernet blends and Syrah can normally stand to be open at least one day before the quality of the experience deteriorates.

The Full Birthday Celebration Tasting:

• 2001 Patz & Hall Chardonnay “Dutton Ranch”, Sonoma
  In a Rare Jerobaom Bottle
• 2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes, France
  Wine Spectator #4 “Wine of the Year” 2008
• 2004 Elderton “Command” Shiraz, Australia
  Robert Parker “Classic 98″ Rating
• 2006 Long Shadows “Sequel” Syrah, Washington
  Original “Grange” Shiraz Winemaker
• 2005 Spencer Rolloson “La Herradura” Syrah, Napa
  Wine Spectator “Outstanding 93″ Rating
• 2005 Meyer Estate Cabernet, Napa
  Brand New Release!
• 2006 Tor Family “To-Kalon” Cabernet, Napa
  French Laundry Restaurant “House” Favorite + 96 points RP!
• 2005 Hestan Estate Reserve Cabernet, Napa
  TheWineInsiders “Classic 97″ Rating
• 2005 Vina Cobos Malbec “Marchiori”, Argentina
  Robert Parker “Classic 98″ Rating
• 2005 Two Hands Aphrodite Cabernet, Australia
  Robert Parker “Classic 98″ Rating
• R L Buller Calliope Muscat Rutherglen, Australia
  Robert Parker “Classic 99″ Points

Frank Family Chardonnay Napa 2007 – 94 Points

Frank Family Chardonnay

The 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay is multifaceted and vibrant; it opens with aromas of Kaffir lime leaves, yellow plum, juicy peaches, and dried pear. These bright aromas are countered by vanilla bean Crème brûlée, lemon curd and cinnamon baked apple. The palate is lively, smooth, and layered; bursting with pineapple, Bosc pear, and Russet apples, moving into spiced cake, and buttery pie crust, while being accented by a subtle hint of Thai ginger. 94 Points.

BUY: Frank Family Chardonnay Napa Valley 2007

“Angelic” Chardonnay scores 95 points!

L’Angevin Chardonnay Charles Heintz 2006

INSIDER SCOOP: This wine is called “Angel’s Wine” (French) and we couldn’t agree more! We sampled for the first time at an ‘insider’ event last year and have been obsessed with this nectar ever since.

THE WINE INSDIERS “OUTSTANDING 95″ POINTS: “This profound wine exhibits superb opulence, full-bodied power, and stunning richness, definition, and intensity. Starting with aromas of orange marmalade, lemon oil, tropical fruit, crushed rocks, hazelnut, and subtle wood. The rich, ripe flavors include dried apricot, citrus oil and orange zest, as well as a gravelly minerality. This new release is still tightly woven (as of writing May 2007) but should blossom further over the next 3 – 5 years, peaking around 2011 in our best estimate! 95 points”

This wine is currently available for $55 (click here)

Chardonnay = Better than 98 points!

Leeuwin Chardonnay Art Series 2005

One of the Top 5 rarest and most collectible Chardonnays in the world since Wine Spectator rated last three vintages an unprecedented 94 – 98 points and  “best white wine in Australia” ..Only 100 cases were imported and we have less than 10 case to sell so ‘do the math’ and order now!

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The “Boutique Rombauer” Chardonnay

One of our very favorite annual events is Hal and Fiona Barnett’s harvest party at their spectacular home and boutique winery at the pinnacle of Spring Mountain in Napa. For an “insiders” peak at this party and the opportunity to meet Barnett winemaker David Tate click here to view our video blog. One highlight this year was sampling the new release of Barnettt’s “Sangiacomo” Vineyard Chardonnay! In 2007, Wine Spectator magazine awarded the Barnett Chardonnay ‘Sangiacomo’ an “Outstanding 93” point rating, putting this wine in the same company as collector favorites such as Peter Michael and Kistler that cost more than triple the price. We’ve been recommending Barnett Chardonnay for many years as the “boutique” version of Rombauer Chardonnay because both are sourced from the exact same “Sangiacomo” vineyard but Barnett’s production is less than 1/10 the production of their more famous Napa counterparts. Below, see full tasting notes from Barnett’s winemaker David Tate, former assistant winemaker at Ridge vineyards whose 2005 Chardonnay was ranked #3 in the World by Wine Spectator magazine.

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