Anthony forget to send us down some of his Greenlip Abalone to Tassie so we had to settle for an outstanding meal at Hobart’s Me Wah restaurant. Greg was our generous host and the exploration of Malconsorts our mission.
1996 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut: This has great acid line and so much complexity. There’s bread, chalk, biscuits, citrus and red fruits. It is full, beautifully balanced and proportioned and so fine and long.
1998 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut: The consensus at the table was that this just nudged out the excellent ’96 Cristal, it is splendid Champagne. There’s some lemon, peach, toast and spice. It has tremendous acid drive and is rich and powerful with a high degree of finesse and elegance. It builds and builds, finishing with a crescendo of chalk and citrus.
2014 Domaine Fabien Coche Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru: Has a banana esther character on the nose. It is a little tropical and has some candied fruit notes. It is full and rich with a fresh finish.
2014 Blain-Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru: There’s a hint of spicy oak to the aroma along with a wisp of smoke and pure white peach fruit. It is rich and textured with a suggestion of fig fruit to the flavour profile. The finish is long and minerally.
2014 Domaine Jean Chartron Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru: Rich, dense and sappy with a core of explosive peach fruit. Great line and drive. Outstanding depth and a wine that is a kinetic ball of vinous potential. Should be brilliant in a few years.
2014 Domaine Jomain Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru: Richly fruited and possesses plenty of aniseed and fennel aromas and flavours. It is layered in the mouth and the finish is long and cool. Quite delicious.
1995 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: There a slight mushroomy/mouldy quality to the nose (perhaps from the cork). It has bright pomegranate fruit, plenty of mineral and some Asian spice. It is a little lean through the mid-palate.
1999 Domaine Thomas-Moillard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: Looked 30 years older. Had loads of V.A and aldehyde. There was some vinous sweetness and some tart mineral. Very disappointing.
2002 Domaine Francois Lamarche Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: Red berry and spice a plenty. Good detail, relatively compact. Quite lovely.
2006 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: Complex aromatics of Chinese 5 spice powder, red berries and freshly grated ginger. It is a generous wine with a sweet core of berries and cherries. It has great flesh and is supremely youthful. Balance is exquisite.
2009 Maison Albert Bichot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts Domaine du Clos Frantin: Deep colour and plenty of ripe sweet fruit on the nose and in the mouth. There’s a core of mineral buried beneath the flesh. Excellent density, concentration and length.
2009 Domaine de Montille Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: A fabulous nose of Hosin, sandalwood, rose petals and cherries. Silky in the mouth with excellent detail and a finish that really fans out. Supreme elegance here.
2009 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: There’s a whiff of vitamin B to the aroma along with decaying rose, violets and cherries. It is fine, sweet, detailed and quite lovely. A harmonious wine of good character.
2009 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: This has a core of sweet, jube-like fruit. There’s plenty of spice and good flesh and depth. It finishes with crunchy cherry notes and is silky and long.
2011 Maison Albert Bichot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts Domaine du Clos Frantin: A cool wine with plenty of mineral and dried flower action. There’s sweet cherry fruit and it has good balance and finesse and shows excellent persistence.
2011 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: The nose is quite spicy and there are sweet cherry and plum fruits a plenty. It breathes to show the scent of rose petals. It is very fine and lacy and delicate flavours fan out on the finish.
2010 Domaine de Montille Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts Christiane: Complex aromas of freshly grated ginger, red currant, rose petal, flint and smoke. The palate has brilliant definition and oozes minerality. It is a wine that builds and has the peacock’s tale of delicious flavours. Really good.
2001 Château Coutet Cuvée Madame: Enticing aromas of mandarin, honey, coconut and apricot. It is so deep, luscious and sweet yet never feels heavy. This luscious nectar fills every crevice of the mouth, hitting it with exotic flavours. Length is outstanding.