One of the perks of the job is that you get to try some seriously great wines without ever having to pay for them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse to spending money on wines, but when the wines are $300 a pop I don't tend to drink them frequently, especially not on a Monday evening at a casual BBQ. For this group of wines it is a pity, as the smokey BBQ flavors that accopmany the meaty taste of a chard steak forms a quality food match with expensive Napa Cab.
First up was Schrader T6 To Kalon Vineyard 2006. This wine piqued the 99 points mark from Wine Spectator, being labled a masterpeice from James Laube. Having drank it I can see why, its lovely velvet textrue, ripe chocoalte, mocha and berry flavours all off-set a well structured wine. Great tannic force and some nice stabalising acidity save it from being over blown and flabby. It opitimises Napa Cabernet with its broad shoulders and bombastic amount of flavour.
The second wine was a 2006 Materium from Maybach. Oakville fruit lifts this wine with a slighty less texture and delivery compared to the Schrader. The tannins seemed a little more on edge. The wine was complimmented with large amount of rich dark tones, again, mocha, chocolat a touch of spice and some blackcurrent. Not a bad wine, definately worth while decanting.
Preceedeing both of these wines, thankfully as the Cabernets here are pretty palate domineering, was a Domaine Leflaive Macon-Verze 2006. Lovely little maconnais, with good textural charddonay fruit, some of that oxidative character Leflaive is famous for, hazlenuts, bread a little melon, a little more fruit and bouancy that most of Leflaives wines, a little riper but sound for this region.
Comments