Hodge Podge of Rockstars!

Due to a rough week, we opened some goodies tonight.

Chateau Monbousquet, Saint-Emillion, Grand Cru, 1999
This was stunning. I've said it before, the more I drink wine, the more I want to drink older Bordeaux. It's so great. This isn't even a great vintage but it is so seductive. Release price was $35! Unreal value at $35. I can't imagine it getting much better, but it certainly will hold up for another 10 years. The nose evolved over the course of 1 hour. From cedar, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, creme de cassis, black fruit, it was a delight to smell. The palate was perfectly tailored, with lots of complexity and just the right amount of punch, wrapped in a velvet glove. This was my WOTN by far.

Saxum, James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles, 2005
Everyone loves Saxum, and it's obvious why. This wine was rich, opulent and expressive. After the Monbousquet, the alcohol seemed searing. It's really ripe, really extracted and is turned up to full-volume. I don't know why I keep opening these in their youth. I'm sure it will become great with a few more years of age, but for now, I'm not really that interested in drinking it.

Mollydooker, The Boxer, Shiraz, McLaren Vale, 2006
Oily, viscous, and mouthfilling. This Shiraz packs tons of wallop, flavors and intensity, but in a really greasy and oily package (in a good way). The wine penetrates the palate and overwhelms your sensory inputs so that all you can think about is this rich juice. It demands attention, pulses, and is alive with a heartbeat. If you like Aussie Shiraz for it's bigness, you can hardly do better than Mollydooker.

Chateau Margene, GSM, Paso Robles, 2006
Actually dominant in Mourvedre, this wine shows classic Paso halmarks. Overall, a really interesting and enjoyable bottle.

Beringer, Alluvium, Knight's Valley, 2004
Merlot dominated blend from Sonoma. This wine was sexy, silky, and just plump enough. I liked it a lot. $25 is a very fair price.

Bedford Thompson, Mourvedre, Santa Barbara, 2003
This one stumped everyone. We all thought it was Port-like and overripe. It showed a bit of residual sugar and no sense of age at all. Further we all thought it to be high in alcohol and it turned out to be 13.5%. Stumpper.

Covenant, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, 2006
This was splash decanted for a moment before consumption. Everyone guessed it correctly. It was delicious, but really tough to get it to show any life. It was really tightly wound. Should be a great wine in a few years.

Chateau Destieux, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, 2000
This was a great bottle. I've never heard of this producer, but the wine was great. It showed a bit of ripeness, which is indicative of the vintage, and a lot of class and pedigree. Overall, a great wine.