Lovely meal with Paul Hanna at Cocotte last night. This is a terrific little Japanese fusion joint in the burbs of the Gold Coast and we launched into a few very good wines.
An Agrapart ‘Terroirs’ was a great way to get the gastric juices flowing. Dry and flinty with a squeeze of lemon and a whiff of smoke. It had just a hint of toasty development and was direct and detailed. White peach, white flowers and mineral are the markers for Puligny for mine and the 2012 Jacques Carillon Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru has these three in spades. It is so fine and elegant with outstanding balance and poise. There’s a touch of spice, kind of Ramonet ‘spearminty’ in a way. Length is impressive. A 2010 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru was a riot of sappy, exotic, ripe fruit. It was dense and powerful, built like red wine structurally. It was rich and layered and looked a bit like Montrachet whereas the Carillon’s DNA was closer to Chevalier. A 1966 Faiveley Bonnes Mares Grand Cru was in great nick until a faint tca taint became apparent half way through. It had notes of pine needle sap, leather, meat and musk. It was a little funky but had a dense fruit sweet heart. A 1993 Comte de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny ‘Les Amoureuses’ 1er Cru was dark, deep and brooding. It was full of fresh black cherry fruit and had some delightful sweet earth and floral nuance. It had a rocky, chewy structure and excellent cut to the finish. It is still a decade or two away from its apogee. A 2014 Ochota Barrels ‘A Sense Of Compression’ Grenache poured out weak of colour, like a glass of cordial that had been over-watered and under-cordial’d. It was highly fragrant with floral spice and gin botanical notes. There was some Turkish delight and red fruits. Very engaging wine.
Instead of doing the sensible thing and calling it a night we went back to Paul’s, put on some Iron Maiden and shot some pool. He served a cheeky little 2005 Lucie and Auguste Lignier Clos de la Roche Grand Cru to accompany the game. It was super dense and creamy with waves of blackberry and cherry fruits. It was incredibly luscious with great intensity and sweet, spherical tannins. Length was superb.
Nobody lives/drinks better than Jeremy on this board and lives to blog about it. There used to be Ray the Champagne superstar but no way he can light a candle to the man down under.
Last time I had a Clos de la Roche to accompany the game, the game was pheasant…
Did you have a preference between the Carillon and the Leflaive? Sounds like both were darn fine.
Nice Jeremy. I had a glass of 1975 Saltram with James March last night. Thought of you and was grateful that you’d not had all of Peter’s cellar yourself!
Who would of thought I’d find some fellow Iron Maiden fans on a wine board?! I cranked up Rime of the Ancient Mariner on Ozzy’s Boneyard this morning on my way into work. My favorite metal band by far.
JH,
Have one bottle of this and have never tasted it.
Would like to have it five years down the road (70th Birthday, hope I make it).
Do you reckon it will be clicking on all cylinders by then?
I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon,
Then beer from a bottle.
Friends, let me tell you what I mean.
You got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table.
Pockets that mark the diff’rence
Between a gentlemen and a bum,
With a capital “B,”
And that rhymes with “P” and that stands for pool!
And all week long your River City
Youth’ll be frittern away,
I say your young men’ll be frittern!
Frittern away their noontime, suppertime, choretime too!
Get the ball in the pocket,
Never mind gittin’ Dandelions pulled
Libertine men and Scarlet women!
And Rag-time, shameless music
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