Sean Thackrey Pleiades X California Old Vines Red Table Wine, 13.9% alc.: Just a hint of bricking to the dark color, showing slightly dark plum and dark berry aromatics, more primary than otherwise; delivers a mix of dark currant, plum and berry on the palate, along with undertones of earth and tar. Somewhat claret-like and a little Rhône-ish as well; with air, an impression of old wood emerges, and this becomes a little reminiscent of an old Ridge Geyserville or Lytton Springs. Still some structure here, and a little fuller than the IX, but this is a wine to open tonight for immediate gratification. Pair it with a variety of grilled red meats or even a hearty stew. This has certainly gone through some changes since we last tasted it in 2003.  Find this wine

Do I have a favorite between these two? Nope! I like the IX for its tertiary character and the X for its slightly fuller and more primary personality, but both wines are right there, right now. Many thanks to an old friend for these lovely gifts.

Kim refers to Pleiades as “my wine,” but she’s very generous in sharing them with me. Still, I was a little surprised to find this one still down in the cellar in early August; I thought that they would have been long gone by now. To be honest, I never liked XIII that much, and I liked XIV even less; I don’t think I ever posted any notes on them for that reason, but this next one gives ample evidence that perhaps we were a bit hasty in consuming both bottlings too early.

Sean Thackrey Pleiades XIV California Old Vines Red Table Wine, 14.2% alc.: Dark color, fading at the rim, with subtle oak (not new) and obvious mint and eucalyptus over a fairly wide spectrum of more red than black fruit in both flavor and aroma; moderate tannins, good acids and nice length. The “subtle oak” morphs quickly into subtle old wood (and obviously, I find a distinction between the two), adding a distinguishing characteristic to this very pleasurable, medium-full to full-bodied wine that offers rich fruit with savory undertones. I may not have liked it that much when it was first released (Kim loved it, as always), but I really do now; however, these have always been a little notorious for showing bottle variation. It certainly has the structure to age and evolve for at least a year or two more, so I’ll have to rat around in the Cellar from Heck and see if there aren’t a few more bottles squirreled away somewhere.   Find this wine

We were rather late getting to the 2004 Ridge Geyserville (it was released in the fall of ‘06), quite simply because the ’03 sold slowly hereabouts and it didn’t start showing up on shelves until mid-summer. When I finally saw some, I immediately picked one up and a few days later, we took it over to share with our colleagues Brad and Michelle Baker and Brad Cook. There were some other nice bottles opened on this occasion as well, so in the interest of full documentation, notes on all are included here. We started with some bubbly that Mr. Baker has already reported on, but one that Kim and I had yet to taste.

2001 Soter Yamhill Brut Rosé Beacon Hill, 65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 13.2% alc., $30-35: Salmon pink, with big mousse and a very active bead; initially tight on the palate, with steely cherry, watermelon and mineral, all kept moving along with excellent acidity. Austere may be the best way to describe this, but Brad says that it actually improves with 24 hours worth of air; it certainly has the stuffing to age well, but in this instance, it’s hard for me to get a bead on how it might develop. I tried another short pour at the end of the evening and it was still pretty tight.  Find this wine

1998 Vilmart Champagne “Cuvée Creation,” 12% alc.: We learned to love “Cuvée Creation” late last January, so we’ll never turn a glass of this blessed bubbly down. All smoky, flinty and yeasty on the nose, those impressions follow through on the palate buoyed by rich, under-ripe apple and pear and lots of minerality, acidity and power. Brad B. rightly calls this “a big Champagne,” and informs us that it receives all new oak treatment. Already drinking pretty well now, this will only get better with some years in the cellar.  Find this wine

A Terry Theise Estate Selection – Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, NY

We’re always up for a good Cabernet Franc from Chinon, and the following selection is one of the more interesting examples we’ve run into.

2004 Alliet Chinon Coteau de Noiré, 13% alc.: Deep dark color, with a hint of the barnyard on the nose that gradually dissipates to reveal earthy, slightly flinty ripe black cherry and red cherry aromatics; Kim observes that it’s somewhat “steely.” Flavors more or less echo, showing some oak, being slightly green and very ashy. Well structured, medium-full to full bodied, this is the ashiest wine I’ve ever encountered, and it should age well for a good 7-10 years.  Find this wine

Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, NY

2004 Ridge Geyserville Sonoma, 75% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 7% Petite Sirah, 14.9% alc.: Lovely dark color fading to pink at the rim; deep, dark, almost floral Draper perfume, showing subtle sweet oak and hints of lavender, cinnamon and chocolate over black raspberry and blackberry, all following through on the palate with earthy undertones. Full bodied, well structured and balanced, with good length that would last even longer but for the youthful tannins. A 10-15 year wine and more, and classic Geyserville to be sure.   Find this wine

2000 Bodegas Herederos de Ribas Ribas de Cabrera, 50% Mantonegro (45 year-old vines), 35% Syrah (14 year-old vines), 15% younger Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% alc.: From the isle of Mallorca, Spain comes this dark colored blend, offering contrasting perfumed sweet oak and funky underbrush over black cherry, blackberry and black currant; full bodied and significantly structured, with excellent concentration, good balance and the potential to age well through 2010 and beyond.
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A Jorge Ordonez Selection, Imported by Veritas Distributors, Warren, MI

The next wine brought back fond memories of our visit to Newton two years before this one was even harvested.

1999 Newton Le Grand Vin Proprietary Red Wine, 14.3% alc., $49.99: Dark color, and a little funky on the nose when first poured, but that blows off; deep, dark black currant, cassis and blackberry flavors and aromas, with some oak in subtle proportion. Full bodied, well structured, deep, dark and dense, but not heavy in any way. Brad C. describes this as “the next best thing to Opus One at 1/3 the price,” adding that it “used to have a much longer finish; perhaps it’s in a dumb phase.” The wine certainly isn’t close to its peak of drinkability, so I'd recommend cellaring for at least a few more years.   Find this wine

Champagne Jean Lallement Grand Cru Brut NV, 12% alc.:

2005 Domaine Thibert Pouilly - Fuisse, $29, 13% alc.:

2006 Commanderie de la Bargamone Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé, $13.99, 13% alc.: