2000 Calon Segur and 2002 Dunn Howell Mountain

Thanks to Scott Nelson for bringing these beautiful wines to dinner at Acqua Al 2 in Washington D.C. (located next to the Eastern Market in the Capitol Hill area).  Opened both wines at table, we decanted the Calon Segur and poured the Dunn Howell Mountain from bottle.

The Dunn was fairly ready to drink from the start and opened up quickly. 2002 has a reputation for being a supple, earlier drinking vintage in Napa, I believe.  Rich blackberry and cassis set with sweetly aged tannins. Nice finish with mellow plum and spice notes. Although not all that complex, it was the favorite wine of the group at dinner. 

The Calon Segur (St. Estephe) was tight, and started to open up after an hour in the decanter. It was my favorite wine of the two.  60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Let this sit open for a day if you try one.  It is still just a bit early in the drinking window. I drink Bordeaux infrequently so this was a real treat. Black cherry with really nice tobacco notes as it opened up over a couple of hours. Super tasty bit of minerality along with still firm, yet elegant tannins.  Paired incredibly well with filet mignon in a crazy good blueberry reduction (sounds weird but it was executed perfectly) and roasted garlic potatoes. 

The Dunn went better with the charcuterie plate at the beginning of the meal, which had an incredibly beautiful mortadella as a component.