How well do you know Burgundy was Matty G’s theme last night at Monday Table. I know Champagne pretty well as I did ok on the bubbles bracket. I obviously need to drink more Burgundy as I was woeful on the Burgs.
Greg took out the annual Walter Bourke Memorial trophy by the length of the straight, he was on fire. Food at St Kilda’s Circa restaurant was excellent.
Champagne
1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Oenothèque: Had a touch of matchstick to the aroma and was very fresh and fruity with some tinned pineapple notes. It was full, creamy and lactic in the mouth with great finesse and outstanding length.
1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Oenotheque Champagne Charlie Brut: Was rich and meaty with some biscuit things going on. It had a touch of mushroom and some red fruits. It was creamy and powerful with a dry chewy finish.
White Burgs
2008 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bourgogne Blanc: There’s a touch of VA to the aroma. It is ripe with some tropical fruit action and a slight nuttiness. On the palate there is green melon coolness and it has good length of flavor.
2008 William Fevre Chablis ‘Valmur: Has a mineral spine and some white peach but far too much butterscotch. Got worse in the glass.
2008 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Chevalier-Montrachet: Has some guava, rockmelon and white peach on the nose. It is full, sappy and fruity in the mouth with layers of flavor. It really builds through the palate and finishes clean, minerally and long but perhaps without the tension of great Chevalier.
2008 Domaine Ponsot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Vieilles Vignes: Quite nutty with some citrus notes. It has good line and is dense and chewy but that nuttiness goes all Sherry like on you once it spends a bit of time in the glass.
2008 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Bâtard-Montrachet: A lovely, fresh and elegant Batard. There are whiffs of lanolin and citrus. It is rocky, direct and detailed in the mouth. There’s great purity and the finish oozes minerality.
2009 Coche-Dury Meursault: Has all of those Cochey struck match things going on. It is rich, broad shouldered and powerful with explosive orchard fruit flavours. There’s so much wine here with nice minerality just below the flesh.
Red Burg with a sneaky German thrown in.
2008 Domaine Dujac Clos St.Denis: Engaging aromatics of ginger, 5 spice powder, beetroot and cherry. Plush, velvety and fine in the mouth. Excellent detail, great cut.
2001 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes: Funkier than James Brown. Horsey, shitty, barn yardy with a palate that is clipped.
2008 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche: A slightly darker fruit profile than the CSD. Also quite spicy with some sarsaparilla root and Chinese 5 spice. Sweet and succulent red and black fruits envelop the mouth. It has good line and really fans out on the finish.
2011 Huber Spatburgunder (no idea of what the vineyard was): Just a little sweet and sour with ripe fruits countered by a greener tinge. Has some sarsaparilla and root vegetables. Decent depth and length.
2008 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes: Quite cool and rocky. Has some menthol and things that are savoury and a little agricultural. There’s good depth of cherry fruit and a finish that is laden with minerals and earth.
2001 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche: complex aromatics of sweet cherry fruit, compost, earth and aniseed. Lovely balance and proportion with a silky mouthfeel. Builds through the palate and has terrific persistence.
Red Burg with a sneaky Rayas thrown in.
2005 Hudelot-Noellat Romanee St.Vivant: the slightest suggestion of tca detracted from what otherwise is a brilliant wine in the making. So dense and sweet with a juicy core of blackberry fruit.
2002 Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg: Absolutely in the zone. Sweet cherry flavours and dense and crisp. There’s engaging perfume and plenty of depth. Lovely structure and poise and a finish that drives on and on.
1999 Domaine Dujac Clos St.Denis: Also drinking beautifully. Has some compost, sandalwood, spice and meat on the nose. It is full and lacy in the mouth with flavours that play in that perfect place between sweet and savoury. Nice definition and exquisite balance.
2000 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve: Smells of rose petals, mace, juniper and beef stock. It is full, sweet and generous in the mouth. It perhaps lacks the detail of some of the great Burgs served around it but is a delicious wine none the less.
1996 Dominique Laurent Musigny: A very calm nose of cherry stone and spice. It is cool, rocky and detailed with crisp red and black fruits and the rigid minerally spine of the vintage. Still quite youthful yet deliciously crunchy.
1999 Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Gaudichots: Has some earth and truffle development on the nose. In the mouth it is full sweet and vinous and trimmed with savoury flavours. There’s good depth and concentration and it breathes up to show some engaging florals.
A couple of sweeties
1989 Château de Fargues: Plenty of apricot, honey and lavender. Rich, fat and long. Absolutely in the zone.
1942 Château Climens: Colour was great, nose was god awful. Feral, cheesy, aldehydic and volatile. Nil by mouth.
The obligatory Aussie fortified
1949 Tintara Vintage Port: Has some red wine smells along with nuts, biscuit, dried fruits and all this is cut by a fine spirit. Rich and sweet in the mouth with some teak and curry leaf development. It finishes clean.