I have taken to talking about restarting our humanity along with restarting the economy. To that end, I got together with good friends Heather and Jeff (both of whom have been, like me, super-careful with contact) to enjoy an intimate dinner. We all had a wonderful time, I think (other than Jeff’s 16 Benoit Ente Puligny being corked–boo!). Jeff made delicious Thai meatballs, I contributed Dijon Mustard Stew and Heather added veggies (in the form of the first fiddlesticks of the season) and a scrumptious almond flour and rhubarb flan/torte.
2013 Huet Petillant Brut Vouvray
A most interesting beast. There’s a phenolic bitterness, almost VA/turpentiney, that comes in and out, though never in a bad way. Around that springs bright fruit and some lime cordial. It’s deadly quaffable at times and exerts a sort of fascination on me through the night–held up for about 3 hours in the glass.
2012 Chateau des Rontets Pouilly Fuisse Clos Varambon
Heather pulled this replacement for the Ente. Even a pristine bottle of the Ente, I’ll bet this was better 
Never had this producer, she says this is the only north-facing vineyard in Pouilly. This is astonishing QPR, guys. Riveting presentation of mineral, some marzipan edgeing, full fruit and drive and even a trace of salinity. Might I have guessed Corton Charlie blind? Maybe. The focus and fullness of the experience in the mouth is rather transcendent. And it’s C$45 or so.
1986 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
So this is the end of a lovely story for me. The last of 4 bottles sold to me by a dear friend who passed a couple years ago, I had determined to use all the bottles only in a way that he would want. The first was opened at a charity dinner party that I put into an auction (I cooked all the food, opened all the wine and played the piano) for the organization I was a board member of. The second one was opened 7 years ago on a cruise with my family for my parents’ 50th anniversary. I put the third bottle into a FallTacular silent auction. The fourth bottle was for me. Originally, I was going to wait till my 60th birthday—and indeed, if you have some, I believe 9 more years will see it at the height of its powers—but the pandemic has given me a sense of incipient mortality, and so I chose not to wait.
This was a brick 7 years ago. Not now. I opened it the night before, intending to decant it for 3 hours. I took a first sip and reduced that to one hour. Capped it again and then poured a little more out to taste with a friend the morning of. Then poured for the evening, I’ve kept a little to track today.
This is pure Pauillac for me in the nose—super cigar box/tobacco in the lead, with dark, dried berries supporting. The palate is long, fully defined and, finally, accessible but with a sure acidic thrust still there to drive it down your throat. I find a little very dark plum joins the berry notes and there is some lingering tobacco and pencil lead too. I admire most Bordeaux. There are few that I can think of loving. This, if I get to try it again in a decade, has the potential to be one of those—a wine that can excite the soul. The main point is that, IMHO, it is finally safe to think about opening one and enjoying it. I’d give the peak drinking window lifespan at least 30 years.
2010 Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Les Ursules
Heather pulled this one as well. She commented that 10 years is the minimum one needs to leave this cuvee. I loved this. You’d not know it was zero dosage. It’s so complete, once it gets 15 minutes in the glass to unlock itself. I tend to prefer BdB far above BdN, but this sort of wine could change my mind. The tangy, firm identity of it captures your tongue immediately. Lovely colour to this too, the very lightest amber, and teasy notes of strawberry and rhubarb seem to waft up the glass. Splendid champers.
2004 Vinoptima Gewurtz
I thought I’d had one of these about 6 years ago, but I guess it’s been longer. I do remember it was the 2003 and I didn’t really see the excitement. This one was better, but all 3 of us agreed there was no real gewurtz character to it. That is not necessarily wrong. There’s a super-pure apricot nature about this and it’s definitely lighter on its feet than the one I tried long ago…maybe age has helped it get there. There’s a vibrancy and it was a great match with the flan
A night with, as Heather aptly describes it, a chosen family. Sante!!
Mike
