On Nov 22, 1:32�pm, DaleW > wrote:
> Every year my friend Alex and brother-in-law Cal put together a
> fundraiser for their church's social action programs (which includes
> contributions towards my group). Cal arranges a musical program around
> a theme, Alex makes a meal to complement (so when they did Viennese
> music, there was schweinelendche and sachertorte). This year musical
> theme was fin de siecle France, an easy theme for Alex as he used to
> own a restaurant in Paris.
>
> I don't go to the church, but am close to many there, so had
> volunteered to contribute a case plus of wine (not counting what I was
> bringing for my table). The Bordeaux I decanted in advance. These were
> mostly sniffs and tiny pours, so not full notes:
>
> 2005 Ch. de Beaumont (1er Cotes du Blaye) (6)- one corked, four with
> dark fruit and medium tannins, not especially friendly, but by serving
> time a few people said there really loved. When opened the sixth bttle
> was seemingly a different wine, red plums with a vegetal note.
> Strange.
>
> 2005 Ch. Canon (Canon-Fronsac) �(2)- stern, tannic at first, opened
> nicely with a little decanter time
>
> 2005 Puy Guilhem (Fronsac) (3) - big for appellation, tannic, very
> good dark berry and plum fruit, nice length.
>
> 2006 L'Esprit de Chevalier (Graves)- medium bodied, ripe tannins,
> pretty nice for price.
>
> There were also bottles of 2006 Guion "Cuvee Prestige" Bourgueil and
> 2007 Delas "St Esprit" Cotes du Rhone, but I didn't open those in
> advance.
>
> I delivered those in advance, went home and changed, and then back to
> church bearing wine. I was at a table with my in-laws and some members
> of my local wine group, several of us had brought our own wines:
>
> NV Piper-Heidsieck Brut
> Very nice, apples and citrus, a little bread yeast, medium bodied,
> good length. A nice surprise. B+
>
> 2007 Pascal Cotat "Les Monts Damnes" Sancerre
> Firing on all cylinder. Citrus, very full bodied, excellent length.
> Bright and brash, delicious. A-
>
> 2007 Clos du Tue-Bouef "Le Brin de Chevre" Touraine
> Light to medium bodied, herby, good acidity, nice wine. B
>
> First course was a duck terrine with Armagnac, followed by boeuf
> Bourguignon with potatoes and fennel. We went through some reds:
>
> 1973 Bouchard Pommard
> This was a bit of a throwaway, low expectations (but low price). Lots
> of gunk, cork starts to slip in when I try ah-so. Use a cork, but it
> breaks, we get a bit of crumble in wine. No decanters, so a power pour
> gets most out. Dark color, a touch weedy, slightly tired dark berry
> fruit. With some time it really surprises, fruit seems to perk up,
> there's some smoke and tar. I'd actually never peg this as Burgundy
> blind. But a pretty decent mature wine, meaty. B
>
> 1995 Jean Chauvenet " Les Vaucrains" Nuits St Georges 1er (from
> magnum)
> I was counting on this one, and it came through. A little tight at
> first, but opened nicely. Light tannins, good acidity, solid black
> cherry fruit accented with earth and forest floor. Medium bodied, good
> length, showing well. B+
>
> 2006 Jaboulet "Parallele 45" Cotes du Rhone
> This was the house wine, for tables that didn't BYO. Not bad, lighter
> styled, red fruits and a little spice, nothing like the '95 P45 but ok
> drink. B-
>
> After dinner everyone moved to sanctuary for concert, Betsy and Cal
> did a great job on a movement of a Ravel �duo, the Aureole Trio did
> Debussy and Ibert, there were some Faure songs, a Massenet piece,and
> an ensemble finished with more Debussy. Extraordinary concert, and
> then everyone went back to tables for chocolate mousse and more wine.
> At this point I bounced between my table, and the room where the
> musicians were having dinner:
>
> 2005 Baumard "Paon" Coteaux du Layon
> Ripe apples, apricot, some citrus zest. Ripe, sweet enough to qualify
> as dessert wine, good length. Just a hint of botrytis. Could use a bit
> more acidic zip. B
>
> 2005 Coturri Chauvet Zinfandel
> Well, it wasn't a bacterial minefield! Very ripe approaching pruney,
> some residual sweetness apparent, just a hint of funk. I think others
> liked this more than I did. C+
>
> 1999 Paul Garaudet Volnay
> A touch of brett, but not overwhelming. Red fruits, light tannins,
> earthy. A bit clunkier than I would have hoped, no real Volnay
> elegance. Still, decent Burgundy, and the musicians appreciated my
> offering. B/B-
>
> 2008 Clos Roche Blanche "Pif" Touraine
> Young, fresh, with red and black raspberries, some easy tannins, nice
> length. Might could use a little time, but as others have noted with
> fake cork I'll err on drinking young. B+/B
>
> Really fun night- great people, great food, great music.
>
> Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an
> excellent�wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I
> wouldn't�drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I
> offer no�promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of
> consistency.��

I think of Coturri Chauvet as being a dessert wine it so sweet and
ripe and funky. I haven't bought it in years. Tony sent me a case of
very old Coturri wines a number of years ago and, for the most part
they were still OK in a Coturri kind of way. ;-)