LONG BIRTHDAY LUNCH AT NOBLE ROT - Noble Rot, Wellington, NZ
The birthdays soon or recently for Victoria, Nick, Christine and Mike called for a celebration over a long lunch at Noble Rot.
All wine served blind (unless indicated otherwise), typically in pairs.
Champagnes
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée - France, Champagne
Served non-blind to accompany the 1988 Krug. An older bottle that had sat in Nick’s cellar for a few years, showing some nice development. Pale gold, good bead. An attractive bouquet of mandarin, baking spices, poached pears, honey and almonds, showing plenty of leesy autolysis and appropriate oxidation. On palate, lovely acidity. Notes of citrus, particularly grapefruit, toffee, peaches, soil tones, marmalade on toast, with touches of secondary, dry underbrush. À point autolysis and oxidation. Good body and length. -
1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne
Deeper colour than for the MV. Served blind you could sense the age here. Most tasters picked in the 1990s but I guessed the Champagne as a 1988. Once revealed, you could easily see the family resemblance with the MV. A fresh bouquet of tangerines, spices, peaches and nut oil with a creamy or lactic element - a little Brie de Meaux-like. In the mouth, superb fresh acidity. ‘The sweet fruit has largely gone but not the acidity’, said Cathy. Grapefruit, burnt toffee, dry brushwood, Turkish delight, soil and clotted cream on apricot pie. Detailed and layered. A superb vintage Krug. For me, now in its prime drinking window.
Other Whites
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2003 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Served blind I did not initially pick this wine as a Chardonnay, let alone as a Chablis. It matched up well the Chave beside it. On the nose, lemons, blanched almonds, pears, pineapple juice and only a hint of chalky minerality. A rich, powerful and full palate. ‘A lot of phenolics’, said John. ‘You can feel the heat and taste the lower acidity’, agreed Andrew. Satiny texture. Appropriately oxidised. Not showing a lot of Chablis typicity but an enjoyable, quality Chardonnay nonetheless. Probably for drinking in the next few years, ideally. -
2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
The bouquet a little muted: apricots, lemon toffee, lemons and subtle florals. But what a palate … Rich, unctuous and opulent, but not overly so. ‘Beautiful persistence’ said Mike. For a hot vintage, Chave had retained good freshness and acidity. A lot of phenolics, structure and power. Oily and viscous. Citric, orchard and exotic fruits with beeswax and rocky minerals. Detailed and layered. Good length, with dryness and minerality on the finish. I picked the wine as little older than it was. On palate, it seemed more advanced than would be expected for a 2007. Still, a lovely Chave Blanc, yet to reach its optimal drinking window
White Burgs
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2005 Coche-Dury Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
The Coches served blind by me and Rauno as a pair. Most of the tasters had them as Grand Cru white Burgundies, and then moved their picks to Puligny-Montrachet. Thoroughly decanted two hours earlier, when the acidity was very aggressive. Unfortunately there was also a touch of musty cork taint, I did not recognise on opening. Hence most, including me, preferred the 2010. Still, attractive Coche-typical elements to the bouquet of flinty reduction, bright citrus, greengages and some baking spices (‘coriander’ said Adithi). On palate, real matière, almost tannic-seeming for a white wine. Grand Cru weight and concentration. Limes, pears, soil tones, chalk and green herbs. The palate was however perhaps a little clipped by the taint. -
2010 Coche-Dury Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
A more pure, clean, precise nose of citrus, pears, chalk, green apple and white flowers. There was also some spicy oak and a touch of minerally, flinty reduction (I assume there was more reduction before Rauno’s thorough decanting, several hours earlier). Very pure and focussed on palate. Ripping acidity. Very intense, but powerful and structured. Lemony and pure, with plenty of slatey, chalky minerality. That creamy oak yet to integrate. Ideally, give it another 3-4 years. A great young Coche!
Rayas and Domaine Romanée-Conti
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2000 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Served blind with the DRC. A superb wine, I guessed a top Côte-Rôtie. Beautiful musky perfumes of spicy plums, leather saddle, dry brushwood and red currants. Some attractive, savoury development. On palate, in some ways, like a Grand Cru Burgundy, elegant and refined yet structured and powerful. Savoury and earthy complexity. Layered. Forest floor, earth, raspberries, plums, leather tones and barbequed bloody meats. Generous and voluptuous but precise. It gave up nothing in finess and elegance to the DRC next to it. In its optimal drinking window on the day, I thought. -
2005 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
Dark, deep colour. Served blind, an intoxicating perfume first showed that this wine was something special. Vosne spices, red and black cherries and berries, rocky minerals and dark florals. On palate (blind), I had the wine as a top drawer Grand Cru Vosne and the maker was no surprise. Surgical precision. Linear, with fine minerality. Red and black berries, earth and iron. Refined and fine - with ultra-fine grained tannins - but with tons of power and fruit weight, seemingly held in check. The oak tannins were well integrated. ‘Surprisingly approachable’, said Mike. However, it has all of the ingredients for a long life from here.
Roumier Bonnes Mares
Nick, Mike and I brought a Roumier Bonnes Mares each. All three bottles were flawless. They were also all, very much, of a piece, being more similar to eachother than different. It was a close call, but I, and the majority (I think), liked the 1996 best of the three. This may however have just been due to it’s five or six years additional bottle age …
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1996 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
A gorgeous bouquet of Vosne spice rack, red and black fruits, musks, minerals and a hint of sous bois. On palate, there was good, positive acidity, but, for a 1996, very good flesh on the bones. Powerful, dense, sweet fruit. Black and red cherries, mixed spices, graphite minerals and cooked game meats. John commented on the 1996’s ‘perfume and flavour intensity’, saying that the cuvée was ‘1996 at its best’. Ethereal. -
2001 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Again mixed spices with lifted florals, blackberries, dark cherries and other mainly black fruit and mineral perfumes. A bouquet slightly darker in the fruit spectrum than for the 1996. On palate, purity and crystalline beauty. Lively, direct acidity. ‘A Chambolle-like quality’, said Mike. Red and black cherries with iron minerality. Lovely mouthfeel, again with ultra-fine grained tannins. Beautifully in proportion and balance. But still a little coiled and closed, with more to give. (Note to self: hold the last bottle for five years minimum). -
2002 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Luxuriant aromas of compote of red and black berry fruit, spices and lifted florals. Seemingly, a richer and riper bouquet than the other two Roumiers. A sweet-seeming entry to the palate. ‘Finely textured’, said Mike. Sappy, concentrated berry fruit. Raspberries, cherries, plums, spices and warm earth. Quite young and primary. Fleshy and full. Closed in a different way, on that fruit. Hedonistic but, at this early stage, lacking a little distinct personality. A hold for 8-10 years, I’d guess.
Rousseau Chambertin en Magnum
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2002 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Served non-blind from magnum. More primary, purple than any of the three Roumiers. Again, an attractive bouquet, but more earth-bound, less ethereal and floral, than the Roumiers. Earth, dry underbrush, ripe red and black cherries, barbequed, smoky meats and iron ore. On palate, beautiful minerality. Mainly dark berries and earth, wrapped around a core of iron. The sense of much more volume and mid palate weight than the Roumiers, particularly the 1996 or 2001. No real Gevrey signature funky or feral element I could see. Accessible and enjoyable on the day but with years ahead of it, of course. I’m sure it’ll be even better in another 10+ years.
Two Piemontese
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2009 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A pale colour, after the Burgundies. A developed, Burgundy-like bouquet of dark spices, underbrush, dry clay, red currants, red cherries and other mainly red fruit. On palate, a lighter, riper Barolo style that made me immediately think of 2009. Traditional in character, showing little or no oak influence. Olive tapenade, raspberries, cinnamon and other spices, dried herbs, soil and dry tobacco leaves. I’m a huge fan of this Cru but I’d put the 2009 a little behind all of the 2010-2013 vintages of Burlotto Monvigliero. Obviously, years ahead of this Monvigliero, but I doubt that this vintage will make really old bones. Still, a nice, savoury, non-interventionist Barolo. -
1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Conteisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
Inky, dark colour. Served blind but there’s no mistaking this Gaja. Tar, black cherries, peaty soil, dark spices, tobacco and a hint of minty menthol on the bouquet. On palate, very dark fruited, deep and powerful. Lots of blackberries and dark cherries, tar, black soil, umami hoisin sauce and liquorice. Flecks of high cacao chocolate. The oak well integrated, the tannins fine grained. Lively acidity, not over-prominent. A bit of grip on the long, dry finish. Very good. Now in it’s drinking window but no hurry necessary.
With dessert …
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2003 Château d’Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Served blind. A complex bouquet of marmalade on buttered toast, pineapples, lemon Turkish delight, honeysuckle, gentle spices, peaches and vanilla. It did not drink as lower acidity, so I did not pick the d’Yquem as a 2003. Good freshness, although viscous and full. Glycerol and tactile. Barley sugars, honey, tinned apricots and peaches and cream flavours. Even a suggestion of banana custard. The oak is still a little intrusive, but there I’m being picky. Ideally, I’d give it another five years, but I wouldn’t expect the 2003 to be an ultra-long lived d’Yquem.
A great lunch. Thanks to all for digging deep in your cellars …
Posted from CellarTracker
