We met Kent and Christine Comley and a few other friends in Adelaide last night for a wonderful meal. It was one of those nights where every bottle shone.
2007 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot: Incredibly youthful. Great nose of fennel bulb, minty, preserved lemon and oyster shell. Rich, dense layered and sharp Great presence and cut and so cool, long and minerally.
2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru: A touch of minerally reduction to the nose along with pure white peach, citrus and floral spice. It is powerful, with great line and clarity. There’s so much chalky dry extract to the back end and it has great drive.
2011 Mount Mary Chardonnay: Generous and expressive with ripe orchard fruits, some cashew and a suggestion of fig. It is voluminous and intense, loaded with fruit and finishing with an uptick of fresh acidity.
2004 Domaine de L’Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St. Georges: A complex, ethereal and highly perfumed nose of rose petals, sandalwood, beef stock and mirepoix. The palate is fine and lacy, moderate of weight but fresh and inviting. There are red fruits and plenty of earth. It finishes with good crunch and is persistent.
2008 Domaine Dujac Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru: Still quite primary with deliciously crunchy blueberry and black cherry fruits. There’s freshly tilled earth and some smoked meats. It has fabulous depth and intensity and flavours are all back-lit by a line of minerally acidity. It is a tight and compact wine for now but balance is supreme.
2010 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo Veneto IGT: A ripe nose of dried fruits, chocolate, sweet tobacco and earth. It is rich and heady in the mouth, tasting of macerated cherries and possessing a high glycerol feel. The finish is long with interesting savoury nuance.
1983 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo: Ripe raisin fruits, tar, decaying rose and black earth on the nose. It is very savoury in the mouth with plenty of muscle and authority and elements of floral beauty. There’s plenty of volatile, balsamic lift to the long finish.
1994 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot: Whilst this had a hint of leather and meaty development it was a wonderfully fresh bottle. There were red fruits, liniment, wild sage and green bean aromas and flavours. It was deliciously pure possessing both power and precision. It had great perfume, was layered and airy and left a lovely calling card of sweet and savoury tastes once swallowed.
2009 Château Suduiraut: Complex aromatics of tinned peaches, honey, apricot and vanilla. Luscious and sensual in the mouth, invading every crevice and filling it with sweet nectar. It has plenty going on and finishes with cleansing acidity, inviting another sip.