Last night, Lynn and I joined Doug and Jan Roskelley, their partner in Tero Estates and Waters Wineries, Mike Tembruell, Brian Rudin and Ashley Trout for a dinner at the Marc Restaurant at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. Mike brought two magnums of wines he had been saving over the years, a 1994 Chateu L'Eglise Clinet from Pomerol and a 1994 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. It was a enjoyable and memorable dinner. Rather than decant the wines, they were carefully poured out of the magnums. First, a bit about the properties, then my tasting notes.

Chateau L'Eglise Clinet is a property located in the north part of Pomerol, not far from the famed Chateau Petrus. The soil is composed of clay and gravel, which gives the wine a distinct minerality. The vineyard is planted to 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec.

Dunn Vineyards is located on Howell Mountain, northeast of Calistoga, at the north end of the Napa Valley. The winery became a cult winery early on, back in the 1980's and 1990's, known for its muscular Cabernet Sauvignons. Owner-winemaker Randy Dunn has a Walla Walla Valley connection in that he directs the winemaking for Long Shadows' Feather Cabernet Sauvignon.

1994 Chateau L'Eglise Clinet, Pomerol - Deep ruby colored, this wine showed a classic Pomerol nose of wild berries, cedar and truffles, with scents of cigar smoke and sultry oriental perfumes. The dark fruit flavors were thick and minerally and penetrated into a thick core. The back revealed sensations of roasted berries and nuts, and picked up a touch of fleshiness to complement the dried, mature fruits, followed by a lingering, nutted finish. This wine ishowed signs of age, yet was still remarkably alive. 19.5/20 points.

1994 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain - This wine showed a deep, opaque ruby color and a dark, mysterious nose of black currants, dried plums and cherries, attar of rose and oriental incense. The flavors were thick and authoritative, characteristic of Howell Mountain, and composed of dried, yet still vibrant fruits. The intensity continued on the back and finish, with notes of roasted berries and nuts. As the wine aerated, age was evident, but occasional flashes of fruit emerged. 19+/20 points.

All the diners had various meat entrees, pork, lamb, beef, expertly cooked, sauced and served. The wines complemented the meal very nicely. Nearly all preferred the Pomerol to the Cabernet, but found the Dunn Vineyards to be admirable as well. Another observation about the wines is that bottling in magnums (1.5 liters) enhances the ageworthiness of the wines greatly. If they had been regular 750's, they most likely would have been over the hill. If you want to have a wine that will age twenty years or more, it pays to get magnums.

Thanks to Mike Tembruell for hosting this fabulous event!