Met up with some friends for a high end tasting just cursory notes.
Whites to start:
2007 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay-Snappy citrus, rich sweet fruit, honey and flowers with nice acid and mineral finish. B+/A-2009 Kongsgaard Napa Chardonnay-Lemon curd and saline. Somewhat tight and firm. B-
2006 Chave Hermitage Blanc-Wow. Oily and dense on the palate. Citrus marmalade with crushed sstones and honeysuckle notes. my wotn. "A+"2005 Dujac Charmes Chambertin GC-Red berries and Indian spices on the nose. Soft and rich on the palate. Black cherry, blueberry and anise on the long palated. "A-"
1996 Jadot Chapelle Chambertin-Just a hint of brick at the edge. Aroma of red fruits and mushrooms. At the very front edge of maturity. Lush red cherry, a bit of pie dough, slight gamey note on the finish, earth and cedar at the edges. "B+1999 Shafer Hillside Select-Black currant and cassis on the nose. Plenty of blackberry jam and a touch of oak. No signs of age. Nicely balanced and no real heat from the alcohol. Smooth rich and firm at the finish with still a bit of tannic bite. B+/A-
1999 Masseto- Overall winner of WOTN. Wonderful nose of plum and sage. Black fruits and plums on the palate with fairly stong stoney component. Well balanced fruit and acid shows well with food. Quite complex and a very long and ever changing finish. "A"2000 Cos D' Estournel-The lightest body of all of the red wines. Certainly French Bordeaux. A little tired and a bit of brick in the color. Chalky mineral, red currant and berries. Resolved tannins. "B-"
2006 Chave Hermitage Rouge-Inky black in the glass. Blackberry, black pepper, a bit disjointed witha raspy acidity underneath the deep fruit structure. Maybe dumb. Very tannic and young. "B"