Long - I had a lot of time on my hands...

Friends graciously invited to host Crista and I on a 5 day trip to the Hamakua Music Festival on the Big Island. There instructions were to bring wine and don’t worry about anything. With a case of wine in tow, Crista and I headed off to the airport where we were all meeting up on Thursday morning hopping a short flight over to Kailua-Kona on Hawaii. Our first stop was at Merriman's Cafe at the King’s Court in the Waikaloa Shopping Center. We picked up a bunch of vegan food and headed on our way north. Our first stop was the new home of a food writer in the hills of Waimea where we enjoyed the feast we had picked up earlier. To kick start the trip we began withthese:

1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Millenaires
Pale straw, fine bead, active mousse. Medium nose of minerals, lemon, green apple, light toffee, nuts and toasted buttery bread. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Grilled nuts, citrus, stones, brioche with quince and pear. An excellent, balanced champagne, drink now or hold.

2004 Paul Pernot Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Pale straw with green hints and a medium nose of vanillin, cinnamon, nutmeg, yellow apples and pears, lemon zest, stones and other minerals. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Palate mirrors the nose with great fruit poking out from under a blanket of French oak. I believe this will integrate wonderfully and be a very enjoyable wine for many years to come. Balanced, but in need of at least 5 years for better oak integration.

1997 Verget Meursault “Tete de Cuvee”
Horribly oxidized. May want to check on them if you have any.

2000 Domaine Jean Tardy et Fils Chambolle-Musigny “Les Athets”
Burgundy color with a medium minus nose of light earth, tea, dark red fruits with some hints toward red cherry. Structured, with medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Chambolle structure, reticent with earth and fruit all mixed up nicely. Balanced, drinkable now or hold another 3-5 years.

2001 Chateau Suduiraut
No notes though everything is in place and this has quite a future.


After lunch we departed stopping first in Waimea town to stock the kitchens and to make a stop at Kamuela Liquors . We than left for our final destination, Kukuihaele, a small town 8 miles up the coast from Honaka’a and 2 miles from Waipio Valley. Here we all settled into the vacation rentals on 4 acres that our group took over withstunningcoastalviews.

After aquick settle in, a few of us (the non-drivers) decided it was time for a little more wine. We enjoyed a few wines before heading into Honoka’a to the Peoples Theatre for the first night of music at the Hamakua Music Festival.

2000 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazatiers 1er Cru
Faded burgundy with a medium minus nose of dried meat, cranberry, tea, black cherry, earth and stones. Medium body and intensity, sometime seeming a little thin with medium plus acidity. Red cherry, strawberry, meat, leather and spice on the palate. Balanced, drink now or hold 4-6 years.

2002 Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin
Ruby core with purple hints, medium nose of stones, earth, black cherry and red currants. Medium minus body, medium intensity and medium plus acidity. Earth, stones, red fruits and black cherry on the palate. Medium tannin present, balanced, drink now with some air or hold 3-5 years.

2002 L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Sauvignon
Purple core, ruby rim with a medium nose of oak, cedar, blackberry, cassis and spice. Medium plus body and intensity with medium acidity. Cigar leaf, blackberry, earth, leather, cedar and oak spice. A little heat present, but altogether not a bad wine. Hold 4-8 years or give an hour+ air.

After the completion of that night’s music everyone retired back to our compound where we partook in some more raw snacks and the followingwines until around 2am.

2001 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru
Burgundy in color with a medium nose of powerful, rich red and black fruits mixed with some earth and leather. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Spicy core comes through on the palate with more concentrated red and black fruit and hints of sandalwood. Balanced with great length and flow, this could definitely use another 10 years. A damn good wine!

1998 Joseph Drouhin Romanee-St-Vivant Grand Cru
Burgundy with some ruby hints and a medium nose of red cherry, spice, violets, tea, light strawberry, Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Packed with more red fruit and spice and medium tannin. In need of at least 7-9 years to become a little more loose knit.

2001 Failla Pinot Noir Goldschmidt Vineyard
Can;t fid my notes but it was nice and balanced with good structure and core of fruits. Hold another 2-3 years.

2001 Northstar Stella Maris
Medium nose of herbs and black fruits lead to a medium plus bodied, medium intensity rich and sweet wine with medium acidity. Cassis, herbs and cocoa fill the palate of this nice but nothing special wine.

Fridays show was down near Captain Cook, an almost 2 hour drive from our retreat on the north shore. We met around 11am and snacked on a great raw meal prepared by our host and drank the following:

2002 Domaine du Baumard Savennieres Clos du Papillion
Pale straw yellow with green hints. Medium plus nose of gun flint, stones, wet hay, light honey, fresh apricot and citrus. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Hay, hawthorne, stones, flint, citrus and peach. Balanced with great flow and length with a bitter chenin finish. Drink now or hold.

2002 Michel-Colin-Deleger Meursault Genevrieres 1er Cru Hospice du Beaune Cuvee Baudot
Straw yellow with a medium nose of stones, poached pears, nuts, spice and citrus with some vanillin and oak spice. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. More citrus, minerals, spice and poached orchard fruits. Balanced with great flow. Drink now with 20-30min. of air or hold 3-4 years min.

1998 Michel Gros Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru
Ruby/burgundy core with light bricking at the rim. Medium plus, awesome nose of saddle leather, dried meats, red and black cherry, cranberry and light raspberry. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium acidity. Earth and leather with a plethora of red fruits on the palate. Balanced with great flow, drinking so well now I see no need to hold.

1998 Domaine Dujac Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Ruby throughout, reticent, medium minus nose of minerals, earth and black cherry. Medium body, medium plus intensity and acidity. Structured with loads of layers yet to unfold under medium tannin. Balanced but in need of 6-8 years.

2002 Siduri Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard
Cranberry color, medium plus nose of fresh baked strawberry, cranberry and red cherry with light spice. Medium plus body, medium plus-to-full intensity, medium acidity. Red fruits, almost tart with a little heat apparent, still nice. Drink now or hold 1-2 years.

2000 Domaine G.Roumier Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Deep burgundy with a ruby rim. Medium nose of violets, minerals, earth, red cherry, black cherry and light cranberry. Medium body, medium-to-medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Structured with medium-to-medium plus tannin. Balanced in need of 10 years but worth the wait.

2003 Charles Joquet Chinon Cuvee de la Cure
Purple, burgundy core with a ruby rim. Medium nose of tobacco leaf, cedar, raspberry, spice and black cherry. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium-to-medium plus acidity. Matching palate, a cab franc. steal at $18.00 this is nicely balanced and can be drank now or held for 3-5 years.

1985 Spring Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvigon
Faded purple core with a lightened edge. Medium nose of light green herbs and wood, light black fruits and red fruits intermixed with earth and cedar. Medium plus body and intensity with medium acidity. More spice, wood, herbs, black fruits and medium tannin. Balanced, a nice example of an older style CA cab. No need to hold though in no danger of decline.

2001 Del Dotto Cabernet Franc
Bright purple with ruby hints and a medium nose of oak spice, blackberry, cassis, herbs, cedar and faint tobacco. Medium plus body, medium plus intensity and medium acidity. Matching palate, balanced with medium tannin. Hold 2-4 years.

2002 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep opaque purple, medium plus nose of mocha, espresso, black currant, blackberry, tar, vanillin and oak spices. Full body, full intensity and medium acidity. Chewy, sweet tasting wine with waves of black fruit, cocoa, earth and espresso. Medium plus tannins that are well hidden and a little heat poking through but this is quite a wine. The best of the Harlan’s I have had (1999,2000,2002).

After that almost everyone retired to take a nap before heading off for that nights music. After a few hours we all squeezed into the rental van and headed on what was .alongtrek(Hawaii standards). We stopped once again at Kamuela Liquors and loaded up on some Champagne and more burgundies. The music was great that evening, but the break was even better as a friend popped a bottle of1990 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill Champagne. I didn’t take any notes but it is pretty much the same as bottles I have had and posted notes on before. Just great full throttle Champagne.

After a grueling hour and forty minute drive back to Kukuihaele everyone was ready for a little more wine and food. We decided to imbibe:

1998 Domaine Dujac Clos-St-Denis Grand Cru
Medium nose of earthiness, florals, black fruits and light oak. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Decent structure and flow on the palate with good length and more black fruits surrounded by a leathery earthiness. Drinking relatively well given its age but I would hold for another 3-5 years.

1998 Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin
Medium nose of almost overripe or roasted red and black fruits. A little earth blends with this though the nose isn’t giving up much. Medium body, medium intensity and medium-to-medium plus acidity the palate is closed up too though this wine structure is apparent. Balanced but cost considered, passable.

2003 Belles Soeurs Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Remember this being ripe and quite large but no note were taken.


With the show back in Honoka’a this evening, Saturday was going to be a relaxed day. A few went shopping and a few of us decided to go on a hike. Trekking across Parker Ranch we came upon a pretty nice waterfall and readied our appetites again for a hedonistic lunch. After another stop at Kamuela Liquors for more burg and champagne reloads we headed back for another raw food feast withthese:

1990 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Millenaires Magnum
Pale straw, green and white hints with a medium nose of buttered toast, grilled nuts, brioche, honey and yellow orchard fruit. Medium body, medium-to-medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Palate that almost matches with the addition of citrus fruits. Drinking wonderfully at the moment, especially out of mag.

1990 Billecart Salmon Grande Cuvee
Straw yellow, green and white hints. A fine bead with a medium nose of buttered toast, brioche, citrus, poached yellow apples and grilled hazelnuts. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Toast, lemon, granny smith apples and nuts with great flow and balance.

2001 Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne
Straw yellow, green hints with a medium nose of stones, lemon, spice and orchard fruits. Medium body, medium-to-medium plus intensity and medium acidity. Stones, citrus, pears and minerals. Balanced but nothing exciting or inviting here. Not recommended.

2000 Bouchard Pere et Fils Puligny-Montrachet Le Caillerets
Pale straw yellow with a medium nose of wet stones, hot stones, light oak spice, and green apple. Medium body, medium-to-medium plus intensity with medium plus acidity. A broad palate of minerals and stones with oak spice, raw nuts and yellow apples. Balanced, drink now or hold 2-3 years.

2003 Louis Latour Corton Charlamagne Grand Cru
Water white with green and pale straw hints. Medium nose of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanillin, creamy fruits and not much else at the moment. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium-to-medium plus acidity. Creamy orchard fruits, minerals and oak spice on the palate as well. A little heat, this shows the vintage and I don’t recommend it much. Hold 5-10 years.

2002 Domaine Lucien Boillot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cherbaudes
Vibrant ruby, medium nose of earth, leather, horse hair, raspberry and black cherry. Medium body, medium plus intensity and acidity. Black and red fruits, earth and leather all balanced and intermingling. Hold 3-6 years.

1996 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
Orangish, burgundy, translucent. Medium nose of obscenely pretty red cherries, black cherry, light raspberry, stones, earth with light leather. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Velvety smooth with red and light black fruits. Medium tannins and perfectly balanced. Highly recommended for a wine that bowls you over with elegance and not power and brawn. Hold 6-10 years.

1997 Louis Jadot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Burgundy, cloudy with a medium-to-medium plus nose of saddle leather, bright black cherry, black berry, raspberry and earth. Medium body, medium-to-medium plus intensity and acidity. More leather, meats, black cherry, with and red and black fruits. Medium tannins, balanced, hold 4-8 years.

1997 Louis Jadot Chappelle-Chambertin Grand Cru
Cloudy burgundy core, ruby edge. Medium nose of light leather with black and red cherry. Medium minus body, medium intensity and medium plus acidity. Light leather, earth, black cherry, diluted strawberry. Medium tannin, balanced with a lot of structure. Hold 3-6 years.

2001 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir
Burgundy with a ruby edge, medium nose of red cherry, black cherry, a light herbalness, earth and some black fruit. Medium body, medium plus intensity and acidity. Herbs, red and black fruit, balanced with medium tannin. Drink now or hold for 2-5 years.

2000 Falesco Montiano
Solid purple, medium nose of black berry, cocoa, herbs, earth. Medium plus body, intensity and acidity. Deep dark fruits with chocolate and earth on the palate with big tannins present. Balanced but in need of 6-8 years for tannins to integrate.

2002 Grange des Peres Rouge
Purple to ruby, medium-to-medium plus nose of ripe, bordering on jammy black berry, black cherry, ripe raspberry, earth and leather. Medium body, un-heavy, medium plus intensity and medium acidity. Red and black fruits mixed with earth on the palate this was nicely balanced with medium tannin hidden behind the great fruit. Drink now though will be better in 4-6 years.

Off to the show we go for another great night of jazz entertainment. Retiring again back to the cottage to finish up some of the leftovers from the lunch time excess.


Sunday morning, Mothers Day arrived and we bade farewell to three of our travel companions who had to head back to Oahu to prepare for work on Monday. The 6 of us left picked up the slack and had another great raw lunch withthese:

1999 Leroy Meursault Geneverieres
Green and water white to pale straw. Medium nose of minerals, stones, green pears, granny smith apples, lime/lemon. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Great flow with the palate a mirror of the nose. Balanced but not worth the coin. Drink now or hold 2-6 years.

2000 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Burgundy, medium nose of reticent, wound up minerals, red and black fruits and earth. Medium body, medium plus intensity and medium plus acidity. Earth, tea, red and black cherry, raspberry, great structure and flow with medium tannin.

1996 Pira Barolo Margheria
Corked

1999 Conterno Fantino Barolo Sori Ginestra
Burgundy core, medium nose, haunting of tar, dried roses, raspberry, spice, black cherry. Medium plus body, medium plus intensity and acidity. Black cherry, raspberry, leather, tar and violets. Medium plus tannin, balanced in need of 10 years at least.

The show on Sunday was an early show being held at the Four Seasons at Hualalai. We made plans for a 6 course vegan tasting menu at the Hualalai Grill by Alan Wong following. After the finale of the Hamakua Music Festival we walked over to the grill for our last dinner of the trip. Here we had a great meal paired with the wine below. A show of how small the world of wino’s can be, right before our dessert this couple was leaving their table nearby and stopped by because they saw the Smith Haut Lafitte bottle. They were enjoying the last night of there anniversary celebration and mentioned how they were married(or proposed a few years back at SHL) so we invited them to sit and enjoy a glass of the SHL before heading back to there room. After a few minutes of chatting the man, Steven brought up wine boards and wondered if any of us participated. Ends up being Steven “Dutts” Simmons from E-bob and his wife. With lots of wine on the table we force them to stay until they have tried everything. A great way to wrap up our last night and a great way to meet a fellow wine lover.

1990 Dom Perignon Rose Champagne
Mixed pale to dark salmon pink with a medium, incredible nose of red fruits, baked breads, roses, citrus and minerals. Medium body with medium plus to full intensity and medium plus acidity. A gracious wave that envelopes the palate, this was my wine of the trip. Excellent balance, this has another two decades ahead of it easily.

2000 Bonneau du Matray Corton Charlamagne Grand Cru
Pale straw with green hints, a medium nose, focused of obscene minerals and stones mixed with green apples. Medium body, medium plus intensity and acidity the palate is the pretty much a mirror image of the nose. Great balance and flow these are some of the best deal Grand Cru whites in the Cote d’Or. Recommended if you like your stones. Drink or hold for 3-5 years.

2001 Sine Qua Non Whisperin E
Didn’t take a not but this was high octane and showed some heat. Didn’t not enjoy it as much as the last bottle I had almost 2 years ago.

2000 Domaine Dujac Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Deep burgundy with a medium nose of red and black fruits, spice, sandalwood and tea with a light hint of oak framing it. Medium body, medium plus intensity and acidity this wine was drinking great. More red and black fruits mingled with spice and earthy scents. Serious structure going on here this was classic BM, done very well for the vintage.

2003 Domaine Hudelot-Noellat Romanee-St.-Vivant Grand Cru
Almost purple with a medium-to-medium plus nose of ripe rich black cherry, blackberry, spice, tea and raspberry. Medium-to-medium plus body with medium plus intensity and a little higher than medium acidity. This is a mouthful of fruit and RSV earth/tea/spice. This wine needs time and should be great in 6-10 years.

1992 Peter Michael Les Pavots
Purple with very light bricking at the rim. Medium-to-medium plus nose of cedar, earth, cassis, light tobacco, blackberry and some smokiness. Medium plus body, medium plus intensity and medium acidity this was in its prime and drinking very nicely. No rush to drink but I don’t see this improving any.

1995 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
Medium plus nose of earth, herbs, stones and cassis. Medium plus body, intensity and medium acidity. Layers of more cassis, black berry, herbs and minerals with great balanced and accessibility. Drinkable and enjoyable now or hold for 6-10 more years.

1998 Chateau d’Yquem
I was to busy talking to our new guest to take any notes. But it had great concentration and backing acidity. Not a great d’Yquem but still very delicious.

2001 Muga Torre Muga Rioja
This deep purple wine had a medium plus nose, though extremely tight at the moment of some black cherry, cedar, minerals, earth, dark raspberries. Almost full bodied with medium plus intensity and matching acidity. The palate leaned a little more towards earth, spice and leather as well as the notes from the nose. This is mammoth at the moment and in desperate need of bottle time. I wouldn’t touch one for 5-10 years.

Having wrapped up our trip we headed back towards Kailua-Kona Monday morning stopping off again at Merriman’s Café and then onto the airport for our flight back to reality. A memorable trip surrounded by great friends, incredible natural beauty, great wines and great healthy food. A time I will not soon forget.

Remind me never to write up like this again...takes far too long!!

Great notes and photos. I assume you and your pickled liver are now recovering.

Thanks for taking the time. This was a great read.