Thanks for the inspiring notes on some of the Northern Rhone favourites.
+1
Don’t have a comment, just wanted to make sure you knew we are reading, and appreciate the great report!
OK, I will comment. Haven’t had as much opportunity with Verset, but I looked back on my notes to find that I drank a 99 and a 95 in 2010. Both beautiful wines, though I detected a “pickle” note on the nose of each of them, probably a sign of slight oxidation. I wondered if this was a commonality to the style and winemaking at Verset?
Awesome notes Faryan. Sounds amazing. I saw the pics and was drooling!
Though that is for the Cote Brune, which is much more rare and expensive than the regular bottling. If my inventory is accurate, there may be 2 or 3 bottles of the regular bottling showing up on Commerce Corner in the next couple of months.
+1
Plenty of life there still.
Phil had a little too much enjoyment reminding me of the things I did NOT buy way back when on Saturday evening. D’oh!
Bottle variation is bottle variation, it happens. Some of those '90 Doms from the same case(s) have been downright ethereal and exceptional.
Yeah, I sold mine a while back as well Mike (maybe even to Rare, I can’t remember). It reached a threshold where corked bottles would bum me out (and I had my share of both 1995 and 1998 Jamet). Speaking of which, the 1995 Jamet was always my 2nd favorite of the 1990s after the 1991. I drank most of these long ago, before the price hikes when they just seemed like normal $30-40 wines. This whole scarcity thing is really weirding me out. I wonder if I’ll ever drink another Verset (or Allemand, Jamet’s already gone) again or whether all mine are headed for sale? As good as these wines are (and they’re really good or I wouldn’t have been buying for years), I’d probably take a 1995 Chave over any of the same from 1995.
I have also really liked the 1994 Chave when I’ve had it, but it doesn’t seem to register in this dinner.
Darryl, I did not mean to pick on the '90 Dom in particular. I didn’t really find pleasure in the '95 Oeno, either, and have recently had mediocre to bad experiences with the '02, '03, '04 Dom and the '02 and '03 Dom rose (sure, maybe all of those bottles need more time, but that was not the only factor at play). I’ve had great bottles of Dom, too (The '96 Oeno has been consistently great on the 4 or 5 occasions I have had it), but given the price and my anecdotal varied experience with the wines, I just would no longer consider buying Dom. And I feel similarly about Krug, notwithstanding the occasional brilliant bottle (hello '81 Clos du Mesnil - thanks Tooch!).
Give me Prevost, Cedric Bouchard, Selosse, Chartogne Taillet and Ulysse Collin any day. Or Salon. I have to admit that much.
Fantastic lineup and a great writeup. Thanks for posting, Faryan.
Michael… sssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
It’s ok to pick on the '90 Dom because it was corked. And I’m pretty sure the '95 Oeno was an off bottle. But that just bolsters your argument that Dom is inconsistent. However, I don’t think Dom is any more inconsistent than any other Champagne house (or winery in general, really). Just from your list, I can tell you that the Selosse Initial bottlings are all over the map in terms of quality (although I’ll admit I don’t track disgorgements, so that certainly plays into it). Same with C-T Cuvee Sainte Anne. To each his own (and you and I have had this discussion a few times), but I’ve just had way too many amazing bottles of Dom and Krug to ever write them off completely.
Scott, I am always appreciative of the opportunity to try any Dom or Krug when someone wants to open a bottle, so I wouldn’t say I am writing them off completely. I just won’t be the guy buying or bringing those bottles. Resources are limited; I must make choices about what not to buy.
I think we might have rather different preferences in Champagne. 
I preferred the '95 Oeno as I found it more focused and linear. I’ve found recent bottles of the '96 Oeno to be a bit more oxidative and maybe even too yeasty for my tastes, bottles years back were much more enjoyable to me.
However, that being said I have found recent very pleasurable experiences with smaller house Champagnes such as JL Vergnon.
Michael, I am more than happy to bring the Dom or Krug anytime you want to open Selosse or Salon.
These mature Cornas and Cote Rotie are so attractive in all ways.
Need to backfill some based on thenotes. Alas not the 1998 Jamet 