K-B SPRING ’07 ALLOCATION PICK-UP IN RALEIGH - Sullivan’s, Raleigh, NC (4/14/2007)

Drove up to Raleigh to pick up my Spring ’07 K-B’s shipped to a local enabler and decided to open a couple with some local board members. Thanks to HurrahSyrah (WinoDepot) for putting this together. It was a pleasure to share great wines with Drew (Vinocellar), T McGowan (Squires) and J&J. We got great, personal service at Sullivan’s thanks to TM’s long reputation there and his insights on the menu were invaluable.

• N.V. Vilmart Champagne Rubis - France, Champagne
  Light nose. Fruit forward flavors of light strawberry and cherry with some doughy yeast. Has good acidity with a creamy texture and a medium finish. (89 pts.)

• 2004 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Les Romains - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
  No decant. Bright nose of lemon, grass and smoke. A soft, supple start on the palate with flavors of light lemon grass, some oak and good smokey acidity that are balanced and well integrated along with a touch of spice increasing on the finish. (89 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  No decant. Light color and a floral and vivid nose. Intricate, sunny flavors of pear, a touch of butter and a light mineral quality that broadens on the mid-palate and continued to pick up weight the longer it was decanted. Needs time. This was much better with food. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  No decant. Sunny nose of golden delicious apple and some smoke carry through on the palate along with green apple and just a hint of lemon. Picks up some leechy nut flavor as it warms and opens up. Medium but delicate body, lively acidity and superb presence on the palate, this is a very crisp, refreshing and modern style chard. This was my WOTN. Perhaps I shouldn’t have passed on the mailer. (96 pts.)

• 2005 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Decanted 1-2 hr’s? Good nose of dark cherry and earth. Flavors of strawberry and dark cherry along with some vanilla and acidity. Soft entry and seemed a little flat on the mid-palate. Light spice notes on the finish. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Decanted 2+ hr’s. Clear, strong nose with some bing cherry and a light powdery edge. Generous dark cherry and black berry flavors with a touch of earth all exhibiting great density and depth on the rich and full palate. Texture has good bite on the mid-palate and picks up all-spice towards the back of the palate that continues to increase on the long finish. Built to age longer than previous vintages, this needs a few years to show its best. A somewhat different flavor profile than previous vintages, which some K-B fans may not fully appreciate. (93 pts.)
• 2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Decanted 2+ hr’s. Nose of pomegranate, cherry and light cinnamon. Very tight flavors of dark cherry with cinnamon spice and some heat. Surprisingly lighter body than the SC, with supple texture and a consistent palate. But this wine is not ready. NS

• 2002 Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
  Decanted 2+ hr’s. Good and vibrant cassis nose with some mineral notes carry through on the lovely palate along with a touch of mocha and a subtle cherry core. Full bodied and supple tannins that broaden nicely on the mid-palate with a touch of oak and some acidity leading to a really fine, lingering finish. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Robert Foley Claret - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
  What a disappointment. Muted nose, hidden fruit and a clipped finish. Clearly an off-bottle. NS
• 2005 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  Decanted 8.5 hours and probably could have gone another day or two. Big nose of cassis, blueberry, chocolate dough and touches of eucalyptus. Low acidity with huge and mouth coating flavors of candied chocolate, cassis, and some coffee, along with oak spices towards the monster finish. Exclusive of the nose, in a blind tasting, I don’t think anyone would pick this as a Shiraz - it’s more Cab like. Needs a very long decant time, but I don’t see this improving with age. (92 pts.)

• 1999 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
  Served way too cold, I let this warm up in my hands before tasting. Nose was crisp and nutty. Sharp, delineated structure and effervescence along with the abundant acidity were almost metallic like, masking somewhat the apple, dough and nut flavors. (93 pts.)

If any of you are in the Atlanta area, please let me know and we will have to do this again.