Our dinner group enjoyed another fine evening out while dining on the private outside patio of one of our consistent favs, Uncorked.
The wine theme was champagne, white Burgundy and top tier Barolo and we had some really good bottles:
NV ALEXANDRE LE BRUN FASCINATION EXTRA BRUT BLANC de BLANC- this was very rich and full bodied with generous amounts of honeyed lemon, peach, mango and pear accented by a streak of minerals and saline; it had a soft and creamy mousse and showed beautifully, getting us off to a grand start.
NV BILLECART-SALMON BRUT SOUS BOIS- one of our members brought a bottle of this bubbly to our last dinner and I was so impressed by it, I sought it out and bought a few only to discover that the label is an entirely color. but no indication as to why; this one was a dark brown with gold print whereas the first one was burnt orange with black print; I suspect this one is a later release, but bottom line, it was as good as I had hoped and pretty much the same with balance, elegance and classiness; the taste profile again was right in the middle of my wheelhouse with classic fresh, crisp and spicy lemon, lime, blood orange, vanilla and brioche; as with the other bottle, this is made up of equal parts of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay and is entirely vinified in oak casks at low temperature, undergoes partial ML and is dosed at 7 gpl.
2010 LOUIS LATOUR CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRU- as with many wines, this went through a few stages before it finally landed on a really nice profile that included mineral laced citrus fruit delivered in a honeyed like texture and at the same time contributing a honey like accent to the taste; the initially strong toasty aromas dissipated and blended in subtlety as did the streak of coconut that prevailed early on. Here’s great example of not giving up on a wine after the first few passes through.
2016 PIERRE-YVES COLIN-MOREY EN REMILLY SAINT AUBIN 1er Cru- consistently amazing, this fabulous release is stellar in any vintage and on a night when we had 4 superior white Burgs, it still shined above and beyond; it had the requisite flint and mineral notes in the nose along with fresh, clean citrus fruit; on the palate it translates into lemon zest, apple and pear enhanced buy a dollop of honey and minerals; it’s viscous texture adds an impressive tactile sense to the overall experience and then it just does not want to quit as it hangs on for a long, satisfying finish that seals the deal.
2010 DOMAINE BACHELET-MONNOT LES FOLATIERES PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er Cru- I believe this is a first exposure for me to this producer and an impressive one at that as it can stand up to some of the better white Burgs, PYCMs included; the hallmark of this bottle was its incredible balance although it had so much more to give in the form of inviting aromas, a solid taste profile, great feel and an impressive finish; more specifically, it had an initial hit of minerality followed by fresh citrus notes with creamy lemon and lime most prevalent; good stuff.
2018 DOMAINE BACHELET-MONNOT GRAND VIN de BOURGOGNE CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET- the most surprising thing about this bottle was to discover it was from 2018 as it seemed much more mature and was another impressive showing from this domaine; it was much less serious and lighter in weight and body, but very pleasing with nice citrus fruit followed by apple and pear notes as well as some minerals; elegance is the hallmark on this easy and fine quaffer.
2001 GIACOMO CONTERNO CASCINA FRANCIA BAROLO- I decanted this 5 hours ahead of time, then re-bottled it, placed a stopper in it and put it in my wine bag that also held the Billecart-Salmon and accessories; moments later, I heard a loud bang and discovered the bag had fallen off the kitchen counter on to the floor; I picked it up, opened the bag and found that about 3/4 of the wine had spilled out and there was about $75 worth remaining; so, with very limited pours, we were able to sample it and recognize that more would have been better; it was really good with lots of black currant fruit accented by leather, mocha and tar; it was super smooth, rich and full bodied along with great length; it’s easily the WOTN without the upcoming Gaja in the mix.
2012 ELIO ALTARE CERRATTA VIGNE BRICCO RISERVA BAROLO- it had a dark purple youthful color worthy of a young Barolo; the nose was very fruit forward with first, black raspberry and black cherry, then some black currant coming in late; it was extremely approachable and very easy to like as the texture was super soft and smooth and it was full bodied, had depth and complexity and lots of structure to support a long pleasing life.
2000 GAJA NEBBIOLO SORI SAN LORENZO LANGHE- the color was a dark, vibrant, almost inky purple; it had as much power as color, but at the same time, exuded lots of charm and finesse and here’s a perfect time to use the iron fist in a velvet glove analogy with a slight hedge toward the charm and finesse; the super soft texture was truly a hallmark as it just glided over the palate to the back end and then eased it’s way down while delivering earth and mocha laden dark fruit in layers; it was a standout on the night and therefore our WOTN.
2004 ODDERO LA MORRA BAROLO- this dandy is made in large Slavonian oak barrels and there’s enough oak influence to suggest some serious treatment here, but not to a fault or state of domination as it seemed nicely integrated; the wine itself is very tasty as its loaded with fresh and ripe dark fruit while being big and very full bodied, yet not overpowering; soft tannins allow for this to have good feel and along with nice acidity, ensure longevity.
1995 KRACHER NUMBER 11 WELCHRIESLING TROCKENBERENAUSLESE- 375 ml; another sweetie from our prince of sweets who also brought the Gaja; this is honeyed apricot with a touch of coconut delivered in a honey like textured medium; basically, dessert in liquid form in a glass; however, we did have a small blueberry chiffon dessert prepared for the table that extended the sweet tooth.
Great night, great friends, great food and wines; a much needed interjection at a time when we all need to have some positives in our lives.
Cheers,
Blake