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The 39th annual Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience was held on October 17-19.
The Wine Spectator magazine was founded in 1976 and is one of the premier periodicals dealing with wine and wine culture. It’s 100 point wine scoring system is highly influential and often used as a guide by consumers in determining wine quality.
The Wine Experience was three days of sit-down wine seminars and lunches, two critics’choice grand tastings and a Grand Awards banquet and Champagne reception which hosted The Beach Boys as this years musical guests.
The event this year was held at its usual venue at the Marriott Marquis hotel located in the heart of Times Square, Manhattan at 1535 Broadway.
I attended the Grand Tasting on Friday evening. Without a doubt this is one of the if not the best consumer wine tastings of the year. The tasting featured two floors of 273 wineries/chateau pouring various vintages of their wines that have been rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator. That’s an overwhelming amount of quality juice to be had in one evening. As such, I focused my efforts as I usually do at this event with the red wines of Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet.
The Critics’ Choice Grand Tastings are sponsored by the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation which awards scholarships and grants to students pursuing careers in enology, viticulture, wine service and other related fields.
New World
1999 Ridge “Monte Bello” (Santa Cruz Mtn.) Dark brick with an amber rim, perfume of sweet red fruit, chewy red fruit with great balance.
2008 Dominus Estate (Napa Valley) Dark red with an amber rim, black licorice on the fruit and on the firm finish.
2010 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon “Kathryn Hall”(Napa Valley) Dark red to black, tree bark on the nose with concentrated sweet red fruit.
2010 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon “Hillside Select” (Napa Valley) Dark purple, earth and black cherry on the nose, silky concentrated fruit with a moderate finish.
2013 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon “Trailside Vineyard” (Napa Valley) Medium red with a tarry, black cherry nose, silky red fruit on the nice balance.
2014 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon “RBS Beckstoffer” (Napa Valley) Black in color, closed nose of tobacco, concentrated, silky crushed red fruit, firm finish.
2014 Hestan Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Black in color, closed nose of raspberry, juicy, sweet black fruit with a moderate finish.
2014 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon “Vintage Selection” (Napa Valley) Black in color, pickle juice on the nose with chunky, dark chocolate fruit, nice balance.
2014 Harlan Estate (Napa Valley) Dark red, closed nose of toasty dark fruit, concentrated and juicy, balanced.
2014 Bond St. Eden Red (Napa Valley) Dark red with a brick rim, sweet roast nuts on the nose, juicy black fruit with a moderate finish
2014 Ovid Red Blend (Napa Valley) Dark red, sweet tar and violets on the nose, chewy with roast nuts on the firm finish.
2015 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Cask 23” (Napa Valley) Dark purple, crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy black licorice fruit with a firm grip on the balanced finish.
2015 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon “Special Select” (Napa Valley) Dark red to black, mint and roast nuts on the nose with juicy, big fruit and a moderate finish.
2015 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon “Pritchard Hill” (Napa Valley) Cloudy dark red, some cooked fruit notes on the nose, chunky, chewy and dense with black licorice fruit and a nice grip at the end.
2015 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Red Rock Terrace” (Napa Valley) Dark purple, sweet nuts on the nose, juicy dark chocolate fruit with a sweet, long finish.
2015 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon “Lot No. 1” (Napa Valley) Dark red to black, sweet dried leaf on the nose, chewy and dense red cherry fruit on the moderate finish.
2015 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon “The Reserve” (Napa Valley) Dark red to black, roast nuts and black fruit on the nose, mouth filling chewy licorice on the fruit with a long and balanced finish.
2016 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon “Reserve” (Napa Valley) Black in color, dark chocolate on the nose, dark chocolate fruit, crisp acids at the finish.
2016 Pahlmeyer (Napa Valley) Dark red to black, dusty dark chocolate nose with dark chocolate on the fruit with crisp acids on the finish.
2016 Opus One (Napa Valley) Medium purple, smoky red cherry on the nose, chewy red cherry fruit with lip smacking silky tannins at the end.
Old World
2004 Chateau Margaux (Margaux) Clear medium brick, pretty nose of floral wildflowers, tight red fruit on the firm finish.
2005 Chateau Leoville Barton (St. Julian) Cloudy dark purple to black, dried earth, oak and cooked vegetable on the nose, tight and tart.
2008 La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan) Dark red, sweet flowers on the nose, dusty, tight fruit, hard finish.
2009 Chateau Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan) Dark purple, sweet red fruit and tree bark on the nose with silky red fruit and a nice grip at the end.
2009 Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Paulliac) Dark red with a brick rim, pretty nose of smoky dark tar and graphite, tight and juicy red fruit, nice balance.
2009 Chateau Canon (St. Emilion) Dark red to black with a funky, dirty nose, tight, silky dark fruit, firm finish.
2009 Chateau Clerc Milon (Paulliac) Dark red in color, tarry, leather on the nose, tight and crisp.
2010 Clos Fourtet (St. Emilion) Cloudy dark purple, pretty perfume of violets and stone, chewy dark fruit with excellent balance.
2011 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (Paulliac) Dark brick, sweet nose of violets and graphite, tight, red cherry fruit with some smoked earth on the finish.
2014 Chateau Montrose (St.-Estephe) Dark purple, stone and pencil shavings on the nose, tight red cherry fruit with lip smacking tannins.
2014 Chateau Calon-Segur (St. Estephe) Black, crushed black fruit on the nose, tight and juicy crushed black fruit with mint notes on the finish.
2014 Chateau Pontet-Canet (Paulliac) Dark red with a purple rim, tarry nose, tight red cherry fruit, crisp acids.
2015 Chateau Pichon Baron (Paulliac) Medium red, roasted walnuts on the nose, tight and chewy, firm.
2015 Chateau Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien) Dark purple with black cherry tar on the nose, concentrated and dusty with firm silky tannins at the end.
2016 Chateau Duhart-Milon (Paulliac) Medium purple with a perfume of sweet red fruit and some toast, tight, silky red fruit with a moderate balance.
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2016 Gaja Barberesco (Piedmont) Medium brick, closed nose of sweet tar and sage, tight with mouth watering tannins.
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