January 28, 2012
North Shore Wine Tasting Group, Hedonism Define
Our First 100 Point Wine & Other Cult Red Wines
2005 Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley (Chile) - Current bottle price $124
Gorgeous aromas of warm ganache and mocha lead to a rich, velvety palate loaded with currant, fig paste, black licorice, cassis bush and bramble notes. The long, juicy finish has great grip and density, with echoes of graphite, dark fruit and mineral. Should greatly reward cellaring. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Rated 95 2008 Wine Spectator Top 100 Rank #1 - WINE OF THE YEAR!!
1994 Fonseca Vintage Port (Oporto) Portugal - Current bottle price $145
Hold on to your hat. This is the best Fonseca since 1977, and it's probably even better than that classic vintage--more like the breathtaking 1948. Mind-blowing, with masses of color, aroma and fruit flavor. Smells like fermenting berries, boasting loads of crushed grape, violet and berry character. Big, full-bodied and very sweet, with tons of tannins and a sweet finish. Tannic and huge, it's a long-term, great Port. Rated 100 1997 The Wine Spectator Top 100 Rank # 1 - WINE OF THE YEAR!!
1989 Cantemerle (Haut Medoc, Bordeaux) France - Current bottle price $115
A perfect success for Cantemerle and one of the most monumental wines of the last 40 years, the 1989 Cantemerle remains a dense ruby color with plenty of purple in its mid-section. The wine has the classic Cantemerle noise of flowers intermixed with black currants, blackberries, and mineral. Surprisingly opulent, lush, and very fragrant, this wine has supple texture and a gorgeous finish. Not a blockbuster by any means, but it is silky and beautifully pure.Rated 92 The Wine Advocate
1997 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon (South Australia) Bin 707 - Current bottle price $211
Generous in flavor, supple in texture, delivering a ripe mouthful of mint-shaded black cherry and currant flavors that linger on the open finish, echoing mint and fruit. Tannins are beautifully integrated.Rated 91 Wine Spectator
2001 Prats & Symington Chryseia (Douro) Portugal - Current bottle price $36
Essence of blackberry, dark cherry and smoke make this an alluring and distinctive red. Intense concentration and a firm structure provide loads of power. Dark chocolate notes dominate the finish. Still quite youthful, but should develop nicely in the years ahead.Rated 94 Wine Spectator
2003 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Alto Moncayo (Campo de Borja) Spain - Current bottle price $40
The estate’s mid-level effort is the fairly priced Alto Moncayo. This wine is spectacular, and represents the perfect foil for grilled steak. The 2003 Alto Moncayo (aged in new French and American oak, and bottled unfiltered) boasts an inky/ruby/purple hue as well as a sweet perfume of blackberries and toasty oak, an opulent, fleshy, fruity palate, plenty of muscle and potency, and a long, heady, silky finish. It should drink well for 6-10 years. Rated 93 The Wine Advocate
2003 Kaesler Stonehorse Shiraz (Barossa Valley) Australia - Current bottle price $34
Afruit-driven, exotic, in-your-face cuvee, the 2003 Shiraz Stonehorse (which spends time in old oak) does not possess the structure found in the Old Vine The Hammer. It offers lovely black cherry and blackberry fruit as well as medium to full body, but not as much espresso roast, vanilla, or tannin as the 2002 Old Vine. This richly fruity offering sells for a song. It should drink well for a decade or more. Rated 92-94 The Wine Advocate