Two weeks ago, Jean and I made our annual pilgrimage, once again, to the
Crossroads Wine Cornucopia in Indianapolis, a charity event for the
local Easter Seals chapter. The main event is a large-scale tasting of
mostly fairly commercial wines, but for some extra money one can gain
entry to the "Prestige Area," in which the more upscale and,
occasionally, interesting wines are found. There is also a silent
auction of wines donated by friends of the organization. This year, the
silent auction was both smaller and less lively than in previous years,
no doubt a reflection of the sad state of the economy. Even so, the
single bottles of '99 and '02 Burgundies (mostly de Montilles, with an
Anne Gros and a few others) were bid up to over retail (go figger), but
the Loire wines and Germans went largely unbid-on, so we ended up buying
some '96 Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux 1er Trie and some '95 Tijou "Les
Perrierres" Savenierres with no competition. What follows are my notes
on the wines we tried, along with the prices listed in the catalog:

1999 Dom Perignon Champagne
nose: subtly yeasty with a hint of apples
palate: creamy, balanced acidity
impression: not a blockbuster, but a very pleasant and appealing Champagne

1996 Gosset Celebris Brut ($134;98)
nose: TOAST!!
palate: lemony citrus and more toast
impression: I know that I am on the sensitive side for the toasty
elements from yeast autolysis, but holy $%^$%^ this wine was toasty to
the exclusion of all else. Not my cuppa bubbly.

NV Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut ($44.99)
nose: moderately toasty, spices
palate: oxidative, lemons and toast
impression: The house style at Bollinger is certainly different from
that at the typical Champagne house. Jean couldn't get past the
oxidation, whereas I found it interesting and complex. Chacun a son gout...

NV Piper-Hiedsieck Brut ($42.99)
nose: lemons and apples
palate; crisply acidic and lemony
impression: After the Bollinger, this came across as simple and obvious

2007 Campuget Rosé ($9.89)
nose: strawberry and minerals
palate: grapefruity acidity and strawberries
impression: I spied this wine at the Dreyfus-Ashby table while in the
main event to bid on wines at the silent auction. Recalling it to be a
Dale Williams Selection QPR Rosé, I felt compelled to try it and was not
disappointed.

2005 Roger Belland Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot-Clos Pitois 1er ($85.04)
nose: beautiful, subtle oak, rich apples and lemons
palate: medium body, crisp acidity, layers of fruit and subtle oak in
the finish
impression: I don't drink much White Burgundy apart from Chablis and a
few from the Maconnais, so I don't really have the experience to put
this wine into perspective. But, it did make a believer out of me.
This monopole from a producer I'd never heard of was poured at the table
of a new local importer (World of Wines, IIRC) whose selection proved
the most interesting of the night.

2003 Dr. Thanisch Berncastler Doctor Riesling Auslese ($79.97)
nose: botrytis, petrol, intense
palate: big, somewhat low in acid, peaches and apricot, finishing cleanly
impression: I also don't drink many Auslesen, but considering that this
was an '03, it was quite impressive. Jean, no fancier of sweet wines,
loved it, though I would have preferred a higher acidity to the wine.

2005 Roger Belland Volnay-Santenots 1er ($85.04)
nose: floral, with bright red fruit
palate: slightly tannic, good acidity, a bit thin in the midpalate
impression: not as enjoyable as the white from this producer, but '05s
have the reputation for shutting down right now. Time will tell, but at
that price I'm not likely to take a risk.

2006 Siduri Pinot Noir "Clos Pepe Vineyard" Santa Rita Hills ($54.89)
nose: bubblegum, black pepper
palate: lactic esters (sour milk), thick fruit, decent acidity, lightly
tannic
impression: and now for something completely different! Had I not known
that this wine came from the same grape as the Volnay, there is no way
in the world that I would have guessed. Although I have liked some of
Adam Lee's wines in the past, the Santa Rita Hills would be among my
least sought-after location and the Clos Pepe Vyd in particular would be
one of my last choices. Well made wine, if not in a style that I
partcularly appreciate.

2005 Argyle Pinot Noir Reserve ($41.39)
CORKED (dammit)

2000 Tornesi Brunello di Montalcino le Benducce Valeria Selection ($69.74)
nose: leather and tar, in abundance
palate: somewhat medicinal, leathery, plum fruit
impression: Jean and I rarely diverge too much in our reaction to wines,
but here was an example of such a split. I found this wine to be
interesting and appealing, whereas Jean flat out didn't like it. What I
found intriguing, she found offputting. De gustibus. As I have little
experience with BdM, I really don't know if this was typical or not.

2004 Domaine du Pégaü Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée ($65.69)
nose: meaty, kirsch, dark fruit
palate: acidity entry, soft tannins, deep, cherryish fruit
impression: still a baby, but classic CdP fruit and power. Glad I
bought some of this at its release (especially after seeing the list price)

2005 Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($34.19)
nose: lactic esters, kirsch
palate: cherryish fruit and a tannic finish
impression: way too young for me (which is usually what an impression of
lactic esters means to me) but another classic CdP if in a cleaner mold
than the Pegau. The price, however, is a breath of fresh air in an
otherwise overheated market. Kudos to Jean-Laul Versino!

1997 Ch. Pichon-Baron Pauillac ($62.98)
nose: herbal, leather, dark berry fruit
palate: acidic entry, dark fruit, bitter finish
impression: at last year's version, we got all of the '97 First Growths,
so this year we got to branch out a touch. By no means a bad wine, this
just didn't excite. A decent lunch Claret, but no more.

2003 Le Cicciole "Camalaione" ($85.48)
nose: briery, dark fruit
palate: rich, dark fruit, acids, slightly tannic
impression: I am not as a rule a big fan of '03, but this wine didn't
suffer the most obvious effects of the vintage. This wine is yet
another "Super-Tuscan," composed of 70% CS, with the remainder being
Merlot and Syrah. Not as International as I might have feared, it had
quite a bit of character and would be attractive... at 1/4 the price.

2004 Tenuta San Guido 'Sassicaia' ($206.98)
nose: lactic esters above all else
palate: acidic entry, then those lactic esters dominate the flavors
impression: Did I say "Super-Tuscan"? This wine was just too young for
me to be able to evaluate effectively. It was more like drinking
buttermilk than wine at this stage.

2004 Dom du Colombier Hermitage ($92.69)
nose: sappy, bright fruit
palate: acidic entry, classic Syrah blueberry fruit with a green undertone
impression: I know of this producer by name (a husband-and-wife negoce
outfit IIRC) but don't think I've ever had one of their wines before.
This was a pretty classic N. Rhone Syrah, with not much evidence of
manipulation, but it suffered from a bit of underripeness, a
characteristic for some in this year in the N Rhone. And, of course,
there's the issue of the price...

2005 Io Syrah Santa Barbara County ($50.39)
nose: bright Syrah fruit
palate: briery, very ripe, richly fruity
impression: Unlike the earlier Pinot Noir comparison, it would be pretty
easy to class this wine and the Hermitage as arising from the same
grape. Having said that, this wine was made in a much more "fruit
forward" style, reflecting its SoCal origin. Again, though, not
obviously oaked in any way and avoiding the jamminess that all too often
afflicts CA Syrahs.

2005 Ravenswood Zinfandel Teldeschi Vineyard ($29.69)
nose: dark, tarry, Zin berry fruit
palate: cedar and berries, forward
impression: Ravenswood's fallen off the map after its sale to
Constellation, so it was interesting to see what one of its single vyd
offerings would be in a recent vintage. There was nothing wrong with
the wine per se, but not much to excite, either. It is possibly lacking
in structure to age productively.

2003 Royal Tokaji Wine Company Tokaji Aszu "Red Label" 5 Puttonyos ($28.79)
nose: caramel, apricot
palate: botrytis apricot, candied
impression: Oh, boy! Tokaji in Indiana! So, it a 5 putts from RTWC,
yeah yeah. Pretty obvious stuff without the complexity I look for in
Tokaji. Still, I've been spoiled by Szepsy, so perhaps I'm just hard to
please.

Final notes; This year, I felt less compelled to exhaustively taste all
the wines presented, a decision that I don't regret but which did lead
to a lot of omissions. So, for instance, I avoided the CalCabs
(Rubicon, Silverado, Chimney Rock, Altamura, Spring Mountain, Robert
Craig, Nickel&Nickel, Hess Collection, Rudd, Darioush) and some of the
bigger producers (Penfolds, Banfi) which, had I another 4 hours, I might
very well have tried... and possibly even enjoyed. It's a dangerous
trap to avoid wines you suspect that youu won't like, but a necessary
defensive posture when dealing with lots of wine in limited time. Ah,
well, the life of winegeek is never easy! ;-)

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

On Oct 21, 1:45�am, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Two weeks ago, Jean and I made our annual pilgrimage, once again, to the
> Crossroads Wine Cornucopia in Indianapolis, a charity event for the
> local Easter Seals chapter. The main event is a large-scale tasting of
> mostly fairly commercial wines, but for some extra money one can gain
> entry to the "Prestige Area," in which the more upscale and,
> occasionally, interesting wines are found. �There is also a silent
> auction of wines donated by friends of the organization. �This year, the
> silent auction was both smaller and less lively than in previous years,
> no doubt a reflection of the sad state of the economy. �Even so, the
> single bottles of '99 and '02 Burgundies (mostly de Montilles, with an
> Anne Gros and a few others) were bid up to over retail (go figger), but
> the Loire wines and Germans went largely unbid-on, so we ended up buying
> some '96 Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux 1er Trie and some '95 Tijou "Les
> Perrierres" Savenierres with no competition. �What follows are my notes
> on the wines we tried, along with the prices listed in the catalog:
>
> 1999 Dom Perignon Champagne
> nose: subtly yeasty with a hint of apples
> palate: creamy, balanced acidity
> impression: not a blockbuster, but a very pleasant and appealing Champagne
>
> 1996 Gosset Celebris Brut ($134;98)
> nose: TOAST!!
> palate: lemony citrus and more toast
> impression: I know that I am on the sensitive side for the toasty
> elements from yeast autolysis, but holy $%^$%^ this wine was toasty to
> the exclusion of all else. �Not my cuppa bubbly.
>
> NV Bollinger "Special Cuv�e" Brut ($44.99)
> nose: moderately toasty, spices
> palate: oxidative, lemons and toast
> impression: The house style at Bollinger is certainly different from
> that at the typical Champagne house. �Jean couldn't get past the
> oxidation, whereas I found it interesting and complex. �Chacun a son gout...
>
> NV Piper-Hiedsieck Brut ($42.99)
> nose: lemons and apples
> palate; crisply acidic and lemony
> impression: After the Bollinger, this came across as simple and obvious
>
> 2007 Campuget Ros� ($9.89)
> nose: strawberry and minerals
> palate: grapefruity acidity and strawberries
> impression: I spied this wine at the Dreyfus-Ashby table while in the
> main event to bid on wines at the silent auction. �Recalling it to be a
> Dale Williams Selection QPR Ros� I felt compelled to try it and was not
> disappointed.
>
> 2005 Roger Belland Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot-Clos Pitois 1er ($85.04)
> nose: beautiful, subtle oak, rich apples and lemons
> palate: medium body, crisp acidity, layers of fruit and subtle oak in
> the finish
> impression: I don't drink much White Burgundy apart from Chablis and a
> few from the Maconnais, so I don't really have the experience to put
> this wine into perspective. �But, it did make a believer out of me.
> This monopole from a producer I'd never heard of was poured at the table
> of a new local importer (World of Wines, IIRC) whose selection proved
> the most interesting of the night.
>
> 2003 Dr. Thanisch Berncastler Doctor Riesling Auslese ($79.97)
> nose: botrytis, petrol, intense
> palate: big, somewhat low in acid, peaches and apricot, finishing cleanly
> impression: I also don't drink many Auslesen, but considering that this
> was an '03, it was quite impressive. �Jean, no fancier of sweet wines,
> loved it, though I would have preferred a higher acidity to the wine.
>
> 2005 Roger Belland Volnay-Santenots 1er ($85.04)
> nose: floral, with bright red fruit
> palate: slightly tannic, good acidity, a bit thin in the midpalate
> impression: not as enjoyable as the white from this producer, but '05s
> have the reputation for shutting down right now. �Time will tell, but at
> that price I'm not likely to take a risk.
>
> 2006 Siduri Pinot Noir "Clos Pepe Vineyard" Santa Rita Hills ($54.89)
> nose: bubblegum, black pepper
> palate: lactic esters (sour milk), thick fruit, decent acidity, lightly
> tannic
> impression: and now for something completely different! �Had I not known
> that this wine came from the same grape as the Volnay, there is no way
> in the world that I would have guessed. �Although I have liked some of
> Adam Lee's wines in the past, the Santa Rita Hills would be among my
> least sought-after location and the Clos Pepe Vyd in particular would be
> one of my last choices. �Well made wine, if not in a style that I
> partcularly appreciate.
>
> 2005 Argyle Pinot Noir Reserve ($41.39)
> CORKED (dammit)
>
> 2000 Tornesi Brunello di Montalcino le Benducce Valeria Selection ($69.74)
> nose: leather and tar, in abundance
> palate: somewhat medicinal, leathery, plum fruit
> impression: Jean and I rarely diverge too much in our reaction to wines,
> but here was an example of such a split. �I found this wine to be
> interesting and appealing, whereas Jean flat out didn't like it. �What I
> found intriguing, she found offputting. �De gustibus. �As I have little
> experience with BdM, I really don't know if this was typical or not.
>
> 2004 Domaine du P�ga� Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuv�e R�serv�e ($65.69)
> nose: meaty, kirsch, dark fruit
> palate: acidity entry, soft tannins, deep, cherryish fruit
> impression: still a baby, but classic CdP fruit and power. �Glad I
> bought some of this at its release (especially after seeing the list price)
>
> 2005 Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($34.19)
> nose: lactic esters, kirsch
> palate: cherryish fruit and a tannic finish
> impression: way too young for me (which is usually what an impression of
> lactic esters means to me) but another classic CdP if in a cleaner mold
> than the Pegau. �The price, however, is a breath of fresh air in an
> otherwise overheated market. �Kudos to Jean-Laul Versino!
>
> 1997 Ch. Pichon-Baron Pauillac ($62.98)
> nose: herbal, leather, dark berry fruit
> palate: acidic entry, dark fruit, bitter finish
> impression: at last year's version, we got all of the '97 First Growths,
> so this year we got to branch out a touch. �By no means a bad wine, this
> just didn't excite. �A decent lunch Claret, but no more.
>
> 2003 Le Cicciole "Camalaione" ($85.48)
> nose: briery, dark fruit
> palate: rich, dark fruit, acids, slightly tannic
> impression: I am not as a rule a big fan of '03, but this wine didn't
> suffer the most obvious effects of the vintage. �This wine is yet
> another "Super-Tuscan," composed of 70% CS, with the remainder being
> Merlot and Syrah. �Not as International as I might have feared, it had
> quite a bit of character and would be attractive... at 1/4 the price.
>
> 2004 Tenuta San Guido 'Sassicaia' ($206.98)
> nose: lactic esters above all else
> palate: acidic entry, then those lactic esters dominate the flavors
> impression: Did I say "Super-Tuscan"? �This wine was just too young for
> me to be able to evaluate effectively. �It was more like drinking
> buttermilk than wine at this stage.
>
> 2004 Dom du Colombier Hermitage ($92.69)
> nose: sappy, bright fruit
> palate: acidic entry, classic Syrah blueberry fruit with a green undertone
> impression: I know of this producer by name (a husband-and-wife negoce
> outfit IIRC) but don't think I've ever had one of their wines before.
> This was a pretty classic N. Rhone Syrah, with not much evidence of
> manipulation, but it suffered from a bit of underripeness, a
> characteristic for some in this year in the N Rhone. �And, of course,
> there's the issue of the price...
>
> 2005 Io Syrah Santa Barbara County ($50.39)
> nose: bright Syrah fruit
> palate: briery, very ripe, richly fruity
> impression: Unlike the earlier Pinot Noir comparison, it would be pretty
> easy to class this wine and the Hermitage as arising from the same
> grape. �Having said that, this wine was made in a much more "fruit
> forward" style, reflecting its SoCal origin. �Again, though, not
> obviously oaked in any way and avoiding the jamminess that all too often
> afflicts CA Syrahs.
>
> 2005 Ravenswood Zinfandel Teldeschi Vineyard ($29.69)
> nose: dark, tarry, Zin berry fruit
> palate: cedar and berries, forward
> impression: Ravenswood's fallen off the map after its sale to
> Constellation, so it was interesting to see what one of its single vyd
> offerings would be in a recent vintage. �There was nothing wrong with
> the wine per se, but not much to excite, either. �It is possibly lacking
> in structure to age productively.
>
> 2003 Royal Tokaji Wine Company Tokaji Aszu "Red Label" 5 Puttonyos ($28.79)
> nose: caramel, apricot
> palate: botrytis apricot, candied
> impression: Oh, boy! �Tokaji in Indiana! �So, it a 5 putts from RTWC,
> yeah yeah. �Pretty obvious stuff without the complexity I look for in
> Tokaji. �Still, I've been spoiled by Szepsy, so perhaps I'm just hard to
> please.
>
> Final notes; This year, I felt less compelled to exhaustively taste all
> the wines presented, a decision that I don't regret but which did lead
> to a lot of omissions. �So, for instance, I avoided the CalCabs
> (Rubicon, Silverado, Chimney Rock, Altamura, Spring Mountain, Robert
> Craig, Nickel&Nickel, Hess Collection, Rudd, Darioush) and some of the
> bigger producers (Penfolds, Banfi) which, had I another 4 hours, I might
> very well have tried... and possibly even enjoyed. �It's a dangerous
> trap to avoid wines you suspect that youu won't like, but a necessary
> defensive posture when dealing with lots of wine in limited time. �Ah,
> well, the life of winegeek is never easy! ;-)
>
> Mark �Lipton
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: �http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

Thanks for notes.
I have one of the '96 Huet CdB 1er Trie, will be interested if you try
one.
Some of those prices are crazy ($63 for '97 P-Baron?)