Finally getting around to last week...

Just notes from the other night when I didn't get a chance to write... 2 separate Magnums of 2002 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Cuvee Duvault-Blochet - magnum numbers 00074 and 000075. Wow. The 1999 was outstanding, the 2001 very good, but this has the potential to be the best of the 3 bottlings of this premier cru, which is basically declassified La Tache - so the pedigree is outstanding, plus it's DRC! The bottles were incredibly different, despite being early numbers and consecutive bottles. 00074 had it's corked soaked mostly through and displayed a slightly closed nose of wild strawberry, turned earth, dried leaves and currants. After working it through the mouth for 15 seconds, it is clear that this is an excellent wine. Bottle 00075 had a completely soaked cork and was slightly molding on top. This bottle displayed the same time of notes, just more developed and complex. This was the better bottle of the two, though I don't think it would have lasted as long due to the cork. I would be pretty upset if in 5 years I opened these up and found them to be leaking and oxidized... just a comment. The 00075 was superior in every way. Working it with air for a good 15-20 seconds brought out soft rose petals, wild strawberry, turned earth and dried leaves. Classic Vosne-Romanee, and soft like La Tache. The 1997 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was pretty and still had tons of black fruits left to it. This is not a 1997 that is losing it's fruit... a long, long life ahead of it. 1999 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir was mistaken for the Volnay 1er Cru when tasted blind later... a great earthy mass of rustic, powerful pinot noir from one of the leaders in Central Otago. 1999 Jacques Prieur Volnay-Santenots 1er Cru was mostly fruit-driven with classic Volnay power and rusticity. Mostly black fruits. A nice, nice bottle. 1988 Trapet Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru was dead... no fruit left at all. Bottle was rejected by both myself and the host. 1981 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was oxidized as well. The 1976 Leroy Pommard-Arvelets was without question the best of the 5 or 6 bottles I've tasted. The depth of fruit after 30 years in this Pinot Noir is amazing. Too bad we only have one bottle left. This wine continued to evolve over the course of 2 to 3 hours. 2003 Peter Michael Les Cairrieres Chardonnay is great California Chardonnay and continues to improve with bottle age. The 1995 Araujo Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon is still a tannic, massive, inaccessable young wine. My hope is that the fruit lasts as long as the tannins do, and the soft, but very much present tannins, do not appear to be lessening any. I am not sure exactly how this wine will continue to evolve, but we have 10 bottles left and I will continue to update how they are drinking. Right now, decant it for 3-4 hours before drinking it.