TNs: Two second takes (Latour-Giraud, São Domingos)

Salted codfish is the star of Portugal’s gastronomical tradition, and to roast it in large cuts after four days of submersion in water, in order to remove excess salt (demolhar) is to present it in its most traditional and noble fashion, the way it’s usually done for Christmas Eve. We were trying a new supplier this year after our previous one has become incapacitated, like a test drive for Christmas, and while cod is traditionally paired with red wine over here, I find its harmonization with structured white Burgundy to be ideal, and a happy coincidence. With that in mind we went for two wines which I am revisiting this year:

The 2018 Latour-Giraud Meursault Perrieres is still a baby but already providing plenty of pleasure. Reductive notes faded fast upon opening, and what is left is a complex nose of flowers, white fruit and tart orange citrus, lots of oaky shades from the elevage (including a hint of cigar box) and a stunning acidity in the already well balanced palate which is the promise of a long life ahead. With wines like these I don’t get the comments on the (excessive) ripeness of 2018 in Burgundy. Appropriate stemware helped integrate the different olfactory elements, although only time will be able to resolve them thoroughly, whereas the palate was already beautiful. An absolutely flawless pairing with the cod (you’d think they were made for each other), and very happy to open this beautiful wine yet again, which last time was somewhat outshined by a perfectly mind-blowing 2010 Amiot-Servelle red. My father quipped that this tasted of top shelf Encruzado, as he always does when I bring white Burgundy of this level to the family table. Now I need to think of which white Burgundy to get for Christmas to pair with the same food… I already own a couple bottles of the 2017 Jean Marc Pillot Clos St. Marc, but reviews would indicate that it’s not very approachable yet.

This was also my second bottle of the 1983 São Domingos Dão Garrafeira this year, a gift from a dear old friend whose husband ran a restaurant many moons ago and kept this in their cellar. Storage was evidently not ideal and the wine had a certain shortness of acidity and end palate which revealed that it’s past its prime, but the nose was stunning: a kaleidoscope of leather and gamey notes, burnt toffee, tobacco leaf, varnish and rocky minerality which might betray its elevage in granite vats. Terrific for a wine which, as our friend Alexandrino from the Caves São Domingos has pointed out, is near worthless and not worth putting on the market today.

For those interested, this wine is among those in a vast tasting of São Domingos wines posted by Laurent Gibet some time ago: Portugal - Bairrada - Verticale Sao Domingos (in french) - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers


A great time was had by all, and the cod was more than approved. Look at the volume on those steaks! Sheer decadence. Tempering them with olive oil from Herdade do Esporão was the icing on the savory cake.