N.V. Taittinger Champagne Brut

N.V. L. Aubry Fils Champagne Brut

2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard

2001 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

These are the wines we had at a dinner party at the home of a couple of friends. Since the wines were not the focus of the evening, my tasting notes will be more of a brief impression of the wines.

The lineup for the evening:

N.V. Taittinger Champagne Brut

This is a light straw color with persistent pinpoint bubbles. On the delightful nose, yeasty fresh baked bread and apples fill your nose with love, a touch of lemon zest and minerals cut through on the sidelines. This light bodied charmer is dry and has crisp acidity. On the palate the yeasty bread takes hold initially, grudgingly allowing apples and minerals to enter the picture with tart lemon zest coming in on the back end. The finish has nice length with the lemon zest leaving a mouthwatering closing statement. (91 pts)

This has 12.0% alcohol by volume.

NV Taittinger Champagne Brut

N.V. L. Aubry Fils Champagne Brut

Now for something totally different than the previous Champagne.

This is a light yellow to straw color with a very nice mousse and very steady, pinpoint bubbles. The crisp and spring like nose has green apples, anise, minerals, lemon zest and a hint of yeasty bread. This has light body, is bone dry and has very crisp acidity. On the palate, the green apples, anise and minerals jump out first with some fresh baked bread in the background providing nice depth, tart lemon zest comes in on the back end. The finish is long and lingering with a nice nutty element adding a nice counter point to the lemon zest. (92 pts)

This has 12.5% alcohol by volume.

NV L Aubry Fils Champagne Brut

2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard

This is a blend of 82% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.

This is a deep, dark purple to black color. The intense nose has blackberries, smoked meat, raspberries, stony minerals, white pepper, blueberries, Asian spices and violets. This has a full body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. On the palate the big up front fruit is quickly balanced by a cascade of savory elements that take turns trying to steal the show. The finish is very long and ever changing. Even though this is big, ripe and rich, the wine does not come across as massive and brooding, the tannins and acidity hold everything together in a nice, balanced, tidy package. (95 pts)

This has a lofty 15.7% alcohol.

2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard

2001 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

This is from a magnum.

This is a medium to deep ruby with just a touch of brick on the edge. The calm and relaxing nose has cassis, cedar, Rutherford Dust minerals, tobacco, dried herbs, cherries and a touch of mint. This has medium body, moderate tannins and very nice acidity. This is a smooth and rich Napa cab with velvety tannins. On the palate, cherries and cedar envelope your taste buds initially, slowly giving way to minerals and dried herbs. The finish has nice length with a touch of mint coming into the picture. (94 pts)

This has 14.8% alcohol by volume.

2001 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive. I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.