Dinner w/ 04` Bollinger GA, 15` PYCM Batard,7 Grand Cru red Burgs, 05` Rieussec

Having been in Amsterdam for over 3 weeks, I missed a couple of the dinner group outings which I dearly love. So, it was with great pleasure to once again join the group for another stellar evening, this time at one of our favs, Uncorked Wine Tasting & Kitchen.

Our wine theme was also one of my favs, champagne and grand cru white and red Burgundy. Friend and owner, Michael Amador, prepared a special menu for us pairing perfectly with the wines:

Fruit de Mer
Mixed Crostini

Bacon Fig Gorgonzola Flatbread
Mushroom Truffle Flatbread

Heriloom Tomato Caprese

Rack of Lamb with Raspberry- Blueberry Gastric
Mushroom Risotto

Raspberry Tart with Peruvian Hot Chocolate

Our wines:

2004 BOLLINGER LA GRANDE ANNEE BRUT- 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay; disgorged in November 2013; this was very rich and savory with loads of stone fruit notes including apricot and peach with a toasty accent; later on, lemon custard/ meringue flavors come in; it’s round and full bodied with a pleasant after taste. Excellent start.

2017 SCHAFER-FROHLICH BOCKENAUER STROMBERG GROSSES GEWACHS RIESLING- my goodness, this went through continuous changes within a short period of time with multiple taste profiles unfolding, layer after layer; in the nose came some mild petrol, flint and minerals with a hint of grapefruit and pineapple; on the palate, first came kiwi, peach and orange peel, then citrus, apple and pear and more; all was delivered in an oily, glycerin like texture which served to lengthen the finish, thank you.

2015 PIERRE-YVES COLIN-MOREY BATARD-MONTRACHET GRAND CRU- I fully expected the wine of the night to be one of the red Burgs, but for me, this was the star of the show; in perfect balance, this beauty had everything one could ever want from a white Burgundy; the aromatics were so inviting, expressing tangerine, honeysuckle, lemon oil and orange zest notes; the taste profile included all of the above plus golden delicious apples and white peach fruit with a honeyed undertone; it had fantastic mouthfeel that carried all of the goodies to the back end where it just hung out and stayed on the palate for a while; fantastic wine.

Now righteously prepared, we moved into 7 grand cru red Burgundy:

2007 DOMAINE LOUIS LATOUR CORTON GRAND CRU- following the smoke laden aromatics, came wood spice and dried red fruit, all of which continued on with the fruit being more distinctly dried cranberry and dried red cherry; it seemed to get better with time and when it was all over, it showed pretty well although there was a bit of heat at the end.

2001 DOMAINE FAIVELEY ECHEZEAUX GRAND CRU- this clearly was Brettanomyces laden with the 4-ethylphenol type with barnyard/ band aid aromas; beyond the Brett, the taste profile was decent with dried cherry and cranberry notes, so this was relegated to being a wine to drink, but do not smell, a challenging thing to do.

2007 VINCENT GIRARDIN CHAMBERTAIN-CLOS DE BEZ GRAND CRU- I`ve long been a fan of this producer who continuously puts out top quality Burgundy at top quality value; this fell in line with high expectations giving pleasant aromas and tastes along with good feel and length; spicy red and black cherry fruit was most prevalent.

2006 DOMAINE TAUPENOT-MERME CHARMES-CHAMBERTIN GRAND CRU- this showed really nice with inviting aromas of spicy red and dark fruit followed by wood spice and mild burnt toast accents to the red cherry, red plum and blueberry; it had a smooth texture and welcomed long finish; very enjoyable.

1998 DOMAINE DROUHIN-LAROZE BONNES-MARES GRAND CRU- when I pulled the cork, it partially split in half being very dry and required a Durand to remove it in tact;; the wine stain was only on the bottom of the cork and I didn’t think anything about it as the cork was not pushed nor was there any sign of leakage; the nose on the first pour at dinner was foul with funk that strongly indicated it had been cooked; even the color was more brownish. Should have at least nosed it at home which I do 99% of the time. Lesson learned.



1999 LUCIEN LE MOINE BONNES-MARES GRAND CRU- very fine wine here with generous amounts of fruit and embellishments lending to great aromatics and taste profile; I got mild and subtle hints of lavender, violets and rose petals in addition to the dried black cherry/ berry fruit with all being delivered in a silky, soft texture all the way to the back end.

2013 LUCIEN LE MOINE BONNES-MARES GRAND CRU- when I saw the vintage, I was thinking this had to be way too young and probably needing more time to please; I had to have another thought as it was as good as any of the red Burgs on the night, if not the best one; it did have youthful exuberance with lots of energy and thrust; the nose and taste were big, rich and boisterous; loads of fresh and ripe fruit abounded with loud accents of spice and smoke with a hint of white pepper; blueberry, blackberry, red and black cherry all came out and some mocha arrived late to join the party; it was full bodied and had a super long finish.

2005 CHATEAU RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES- our Prince of Sweets added this 750 ml bottle to the mix and we all enjoyed a taste of the nectar from the botrytis gods with its honeyed and vanilla laden apricot, orange marmalade, caramel and almond butter notes delivered in spades; it was thick and syrupy and clung to the back of the palate until the next morning. Great mouthwash.

Another fabulous night with the gang with the BIG ONE coming up, our 20th Millennium dinner in early December. Can’t wait.

Cheers,
Blake

Great notes Blake! Has Girardin dialed down his oak use in the last 15 -20 years (last time I checked in on his wine)?

Thanks Barry. I don’t know about any change in oak influence, but I am finding both whites and reds from older and more recent vintages to be closer to being in ideal balance. My current inventory shows only a few of their wines remaining. Some in our group seem to bring one every once in a while and I am usually amazed at how well they are showing.

I’ve attempted to find out more about any stylistic changes in Vincent Giradin wines and have yet to come with anything, but here is a link to their website that does have some solid info:

Huge changes! This was my blurb in the last TWA vintage report:

“Vincent Girardin debuted as a winemaker in 1982, creating his négociant maison in 1990 with his family domaine holdings at its core, distinguished by insisting on purchasing grapes as opposed to must or finished wines. When Girardin’s expanding holdings became too much to handle, Eric Germain—brother of Jean-François Germain, who presides over Meursault reference-point Domaine Henri Germain—was brought in to supervise winemaking in 2002. Germain, as he puts it, harbored the ambition “to make not merely good wine but instead great wine,” and also wines that could age. He presided over a wholesale change in winemaking practices that has continued to progress since the maison’s purchase by the Compagnie des Vins d’Autrefois in 2011. Wines that were once oaky and somewhat exaggerated are now deep, precise and beautifully differentiated by site. There’s more work in the vineyards—fully 21 hectares of which are now owned—which are increasingly being converted to biodynamic farming. Élevage is longer, with the last of these 2017s set to be bottled in April 2019. And Germain uses much less new oak and little bâtonnage. This is now a very serious source for high quality white Burgundy, and the reflex to dismiss this producer as “commercial” is entirely misplaced. I found much to admire in this collection of 2017s, and warmly recommend them to readers. What’s more, under Germain’s able and punctilious direction, the future is very bright indeed.”

Thanks for this William,
Very helpful as always (and always great to read your notes Blake!),
I accidentally ended up with a passle of Girardin’s 14 Chassagne Morgeot–I know not a top vineyard–so I hope that you are right.

Much appreciated William. And to the point of the use of oak question, it’s clearly answered “Wines that were once oaky and somewhat exaggerated are now deep, precise and beautifully differentiated by site.”

Great job Blake. Some nice wines in there. Wishing you all the best.

Hey Don. Much appreciated and back at you.

Great work, Blake. Can only imagine how good the Batard was. Pleased to see the 07 Corton showed well—I have one from Domaine Dublere and personally feel that it may have been one of the best-showing communes for 07. Definitely a fan of the Taupenot-Merme product, I think I have a 12 Charmes Chamb tucked away somewhere.

Nice to see this very positive note on the 05 Rieussec. More and more, I think our LCBO got a less-than-good batch when they ran it out. I tried it 3 times and gave back all the rest of my bottles—simply wasn’t any there there. I don’t think I was being impatient either…some 05 Guirauds and especially the 05 Climens have drunk consistently beautifully for me. I may look for some halves in other locations now.

Hope to catch up soon

Mike

Thanks Mike- the best of the holiday season to you and yours.

Interesting that the '13 Bonnes Mares was showing so well. I have been hearing a lot of people say that the '13’s are in a good spot right now. Might have to pop one of my own to see for myself.