A Post Christmas Special

Some Tasty Wines with Friends

On December 27, 2019 I was invited to my friend Chris Kowalski’s house to drink some nice wines. The party consisted of Chris, myself, Ryan Maderak, Dan Stockemer and Dewey McLaughlin. We had a nice meal and drank 2 vintages of Chateau Pontet-Canet, one a 2000 vintage and a 2005 vintage.

                From here I will let Ryan’s eloquent notes explain the wonderful wines we enjoyed.

I dare say that last night was my wine night of the year. Incredible lineup of wines with a great group of people.

It was a particularly special wine night for me, featuring one of my "cellar babies," the 2000 Pontet-Canet, my longest cellar resident, one of the very first wines I bought when I started collecting 16 years ago, before I really knew much about wine, and certainly didn't know that Bordeaux would be one of my great loves in wine. I was rather shocked to discover that I didn't get a picture of it. How did it turn out? Read on.

Also worth noting that this night continued two peculiar trends that have occurred mostly randomly: Pontet-Canet is the red Bordeaux I've had the most vintages of (1970, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005; plus 2000 and 2003 of their second label); and Lafaurie-Peyraguey, which happens to be my favorite Sauternes (d'Yquem is greater, but L-P is still my favorite) is the Sauternes I've had the most vintages of (1988, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2005; plus 2004 of their second label).

Jean Christophe Mandard, Domaine Mandard, Brut, Touraine NV

Light golden. Subtle but lovely and deep nose of rich stone fruits, orange, with loads of cashew, yeast/bread crust, and mineral. Palate: Ripe red apple, apricot, raspberry, orange/lime, some spice, yeast, mineral. Medium-full with stunning mouthfeel, sweet, succulent fruit, lovely finish. Love it! 3.5 Stars [12/26/19]

(*Editors note – the Mandard is actually made from old vine Orbios (also known as Arbios) – a lesser known and less planted grape allowed in the Loire Valley. Known as coarser than other Loire varietals, it usually is a fill-in grape in other wines.)

La Nerthe, Les Cassagnes, Cotes du Rhone 2018

50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Cinsault. Lovely medium-light, salmon/pink. Nose: loads of sweet strawberry and watermelon, with hints of cassis and plum, sweet, chocolatey earth, herbs, olives, and stone; an incredible nose for a rose, all of CdP’s depth and character. Palate: raspberry, dark cherry, cassis, plum, tobacco, green olive, cocoa-powder laced earth, and stone, all with orange rind. Medium bodied, captivating texture, sweet and succulent and slightly savory, excellent finish. Extraordinary rose. 3.5+ Stars [12/27/19]

Davis Estates, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2013

Dark garnet. Awesome nose, loads of dark, heady berry fruits, fine cured tobacco, some chocolatey earth, firm stone, and some Pauillac-style graphite and leather. On the palate, incredibly sweet-succulent dark cherry, meaty currant, fresh blackberry, herbaceous tobacco leaf, spice, and firm stone/graphite, with mineral-laden finish, all underlaid by liqueur notes. Full and dense, with sweet-tart, succulent, fleshy ripe but with incredibly elegant balance, all with a fine, lingering note of toasty oak; long, mineral laden, dense, dark, finish. I love the sweet-tart, crunchy fruit. Wow, I am smitten by this. 10 - 15, maybe 20 strong years ahead. 4.5 Stars [12/27/19]

Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2005

Great color, dark ruby, pink at the rim. Awesome nose with extraordinary depth; ripe, dense, succulent cassis, blackberry, blueberry, cigar tobacco, herbs, and loads of tarry, mineral-laden earth, all underlaid by Pauillac leather and tobacco, and sweet, aromatic roses lingering. Palate: fleshy, succulent, slightly sweet-tart, black cherry, red currant and cassis, blueberry and blackberry, with firm stone/graphite, cured tobacco with some slightly minty/herbaceous notes, all underlaid with liqueur-like notes, and an extraordinary finish of dark berries, spice, and tar, and tannin that with great, satisfying length. Full bodied, fleshy, with racy acid, loads of spicy tannin still. Very youthful structure still. Will benefit from 5 - 10 more years, and last for 20 - 30. Extraordinary and captivating. 4.5 Stars [12/27/19]

Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2000

Great color, opaque garnet, some bricking at the rim. Phenomenal nose, endless mineral depth, with entrancing cassis, dried blackberry, gorgeous cured tobacco and roses, with incredibly deep tarry earth, endless aromatic depth, absolutely gorgeous; roses, violets, gorgeous, sweet, aromatic red fruit; mint, licorice, dates, prunes, camphor, fire ember; endless, amazing, one of the very greatest Bordeaux noses I’ve experience. Palate: ridiculous, gorgeous, captivating fresh blackberry, cranberry, currants, orange rind, fresh, succulent tobacco leaf, blueberry liqueur, loads of lovely tarry earth and mineral, long, penetrating, expansive finish of sweet red fruits, spice, mineral, dates; dear lord. Full bodied, dense, and potent, with endless finesse; the acid tone and balance are nearly perfection; that incredible combination of tarry earth, tobacco, and sweet red fruit is just unbelievably captivating; fine mineral lingers endlessly on the finish. Just now approaching maturity, 5 - 10 years will be benefit it, and its balance is such that it can age for decades more; it will be teasing us in 50 years; 30 - 40 years ahead. One of the five greatest bottles of Bordeaux I’ve ever had. 5 Stars, and will improve, it may be perfection when fully mature. [12/27/19]

Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes 2005

Gorgeous color, medium-golden, with touches of orange, but also a hint of green. Absolutely stunning nose, pears and stone fruits and white flowers and stone, endless depth of nectar and nutmeg and allspice and mineral; incredible; hints of raspberry and raspberry leaf; phenomenal Sauternes nose, like a 1er Cru Puligny, the depth and finesse of stone and flowers is dumbfounding. Palate: stunning, fleshy apricot and plum, raspberry, tropical fruits (kiwi, papaya, pineapple), ripe, candied pear, a touch of candied ginger, with gorgeous nutmeg and allspice, and an ethereal, long finish of mineral, nectar, and subtle spice. Full bodied and intense, supreme elegance and finesse, sweet, fleshy, succulent fruit, phenomenal sweet-tart acid balance; ends with a spicy bitterness that throws everything else into glorious relief. Amazing. 10 - 15 years more to full maturity, 30 - 40 years ahead. 5 Stars [12/27/19]

Ferrari-Carano, Baci NV

“Red wine with natural chocolate flavor.” Medium ruby with a touch of purple. Nose: fig, blackberry, blackberry, with coffee and chocolate. Palate: fresh blackberry jam, cassis, coffee, chocolate, all with spirit and mineral; sweet red fruits linger on the mineral, spice, and tannin-laden finish. Extraordinary achievement for this kind of wine. 3.5 Stars [12/27/19]

If I may say, this was an excellent evening, spent with good people, good food and even better wines. Thank you Dr. Maderak for taking wonderful notes to remember this evening. Till next time, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines.