Grand Tour 2010

Manhattan – This is Wine Spectator’s 9^th annual Grand Tour event and this was my 4^th year in a row in attendance. The event is at the Marriott Marquis which is just steps away from where the car bombing attempt was last weekend.

And this year my old boss Chad and former co-worker Glen joined me after a huge base meal over at Virgils.

Our first taste of the night is Chateau Mouton Rothschild, than Chateau Lafite Rothschild what a way to start.

Here are the wines in tasting order:

1) Chateau Mouton Rothschild – Pauillac 2003

2) Chateau Lafite Rothschild – Paulliac 2004 (Almost too smooth – liked it better than Mouton)

3) Chateau Pinchon Longueville Baron – Paulliac 2006 (no battle to the 1^st two Chateau’s)

4) Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley Reserve 2006 (This is a huge wine and will be amazing in 3-5 years)

5) Chateau Pontet Canet – Paulliac 2006

6) Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve 2006 (My friend Keith is pouring and this vintage is amazing! One of their best will easily get a rating over 90pts) www.bennettlane.com

7) Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Weitz Vineyard 2006 (very nice)

8) Chateau St Jean – Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Co Cing Cepages 2006 (big fruit and a milder finish than the Mondavi or Turnbull

9) Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Special Selection 2007 (big wine)

10) Chateau Hau Bailly Grand Cru Classe – Pessac-Leognan 2007

11) Ten tastes in and we revisit the big Chateaus #1 and #2 again – this time I like the Mouton better.

12) Same as #2

13) Bodegas Caro – Mendoza 2006 made by Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)

14) Rubicon Estate Rutherford 2006 (nice Bordeaux Blend)

15) Penfolds Shiraz Barrossa Valley RWT 2006 (this is huge)

16) Torbreck “The Factor” Barossa Valley 2006 (huge Shiraz blend)

17) D’Arenberg Shiraz McLaren Vale “The Dead Arm” 2006

We take a bathroom break and head up to the 6^th floor and we’re not even a full hour into event.

18) Chateau Haut Brion - Pessac Leognan 1999 (This is the first big WOW of the night and might be the best wine of the night – some other would give this a run for the money if we were comparing same vintages)

19) Chateau La Mission Haut Brion – Pessac Leognan 1999 (Nice but #18 was so much better)

20) Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Georges de Latour Private Reserve 2006 (and what surprised me years ago this Latour no relation to the big French chateaus)

21) Chateau Brane-Cantenac Margaux 2000

22) Chateau Palmer Margaux 2001 (always one of my faves, just a hint of coffee grounds on end of taste – like sprinkles in the your ice cream)

23) Chateau Margaux 2001 (2^nd big wow of the night)

24) Chateau Lynch – Bages Pauillac 2005

25) Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 2006 (my favorite wine year in and year out – rumors flying that the 2007 could rate 100pts)

26) Gemstone Tenth Anniversary Yountville 2006 (This is our sleeper pick as a future cult wine – for this wine to taste that good after the Margaux and Insignia – this wine rates!)

27) Chateau Lagrange St. Julien 2006

28) Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Private Reserve 2006 (last year they were pouring the ’95…this one needs a few years)

29) Ferrari Carano Tresor 2006

30) Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2006 (very nice huge cab)

31) Agricola Punica Isola dei Nuraghi Barrua 2006 (Italian pick from Chad)

32) La Spinetta Barolo Vigneto Campe 2005 (Another Italian pick from Chad)

33) Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2004 (Chad pick, but is all prunes up front on the taste)

34) Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Klopp Ranch 2007 (Another wow, maybe one of the nicest pinot’s I’ve ever had – touch of flat cherry coke taste).

35) William Selyem Sonoma Coast Pinot 2007 (very nice)

36) Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2008 (This is huge!)

37) Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay 2007 (one of my favorite chards, we drank this trying to help our purple teeth to no avail…LOL)

38) Schramsberg Reserve North Coast 2002 (Amazing California Sparkling wine)

39) Louis Lator Corton Grand Cru – Charlemagne 2007

40) Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir Tasmania 2006

41) Aldo Conterno Barolo 2005 (very nice)

42) Paolo Scavino Barola 2005 (nice)

43) Roberto Voerzio Barolo 2005 (a 99pts wine)

44) Symposium Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2003

45) Bodegas Colome Malbec 2007

46) Another taste of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion – Pessac Leognan 1999

47) Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder 2006 (will have to remember this one – nice wine)

48) Cliff Leade Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Poetry 2006 (nice)

Back to the 5^th floor

49) Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2007 (another Italian pick from Chad)

50) Dow’s Vintage Port 2007 (Arnold the NE rep from Premium Port Wines is on hand – he has some great Ports www.premiumport.com ran into him a few months ago over at Javitts center tasting where he was pouring Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port – good to see him again)

51) Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma Co Old Vine 2006

52) Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2007 (I know we’re at taste #52 but this is a huge thick and juicy wine)

53) St Clement Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Oroppas 2006 (that’s Saporro spelled backwards)

54) Then we head back to hang out with Keith from Bennett Lane and enjoy more of his Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve www.bennettlane.com and we head home with a few bottles as door prizes – Thanks Keith and today is Cinco De Mayo so the party continues…Muey Bueno!

-Brian

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