New Years Wines

1967 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (1/2/2011)
Liquid gold in a bottle. Deep carmel color. Oozes richness on the nose. Extremely well balanced and elegant. Great matrue whie fruit. Loved it again. Sublime. (97 points)

2004 Martinelli Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/2/2011)
WOTN. Wow! Dark brooding fruit, black rasberry and cherry with a finish that goes on forever. First bottle was corked. Bummer. Next one was great. Then we coaxed a last one out of the cellar. Yeah baby. This wine was seamless with soft tannins and some blueberry on the finish. No apparent heat. My favorite Martinelli to date. (97 points)

1997 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne (1/2/2011)
Absolutely delicious. Alive, sophisticated, fruit well integrated with the whole package. Awesome light lemon overtones and great acidity. (96 points)

2002 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru (1/2/2011)
Fabulous wine with mature white fruit, peaches, lemon with a light carmel color. Lots of citrus on th epalate and a subtle nuttiness. Most important, the minerality, limestone and wet rocks really made this a special wine. (96 points)

2001 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/2/2011)
Big fruit, big mouthfeel, just plain big. Black fruit of cherry and blueberry. Extremely well knit and integrated. Still a little heavy on the oak. Even better on day 2. Scored a 96 on day 2. (95 points)

1994 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/2/2011)
Still very young. Great structure with plum and cedar as main flavor components. Also a bit oaky. Smooth sweet tannins. Just was lacking something to make it great. Fell apart about an hour into the glass. (89 points)

2004 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1/2/2011)
Tropical fruit and floral nose. Slightly tired fruit, lacked the vibrancy that I like from these grapes. Soft round edges. Mellow and regal. This would merit a higher score if it wasn't the wine after the 2002 Ramonet. (89 points)

2006 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/2/2011)
Disappointment of the night. Maybe in a wierd stage of evolution. Lemon and creme brulee on the nose and palate. Short finish. Did not hold a candle to the white Burgundy - 2002 Ramonet. I am beginning to wonder if these wines are worth the price of admission. (88 points)