Good evening all,
It has been a rough couple of years, with sun increasingly shining through the clouds in the last few months. Nearing age 48, I would not have thought I would be happy to be back in the gym twice a day plus working so much on so many things that Saturday at 1AM would be a good time to post some TNs, but there it is. Following are the notes from Friday night- one of those home run wine dinners with thanks to many friends old and new here in Dallas. Added in a couple of extra champagne TNs from the prior night that I thought might be useful to a wider group. I have never been a daily wine drinker, and these days it is more like twice a month aside from trade tasting events, but nights like Friday remind me of just how great wine, and my fellow wine lovers, can be.
2012 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Oenophile Non-Dosé
ight lemon color, elegant nose of steel with hints of lemon and apple, on the palate wonderfully vibrant with a very light fruit footprint of pear and citrus, elegant tension, light in presentation but with a marvelous persistence, icy cool long finish with pure and gently rounded acids, this is champagne in a very pure and ethereal state, a delicate progression with no distractions, as an intellectual exercise it is a great delight- but for those who share my love of lean and elegant champagnes, this is the ultimate expression of form, sleek, endearing and most of all fascinating, very much worth seeking out.
*(), now to 2032+
2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
bright young champagne color, when first opened quite restrained but showing far better balance that a bottle opened late last fall at release, I never made a note for that bottle because it was so disjointed that I felt the wine needed more time and a second chance, that is a rare need- but then again 2008 is a singular vintage and even the clear superstars like Dom Perignon and Cristal have shown enormous change and movement during their first few years, but now all is as it should be- though note this is going to be a rather singular vintage for this wine, after 4 hours it is brooding, a great mass of pure Chardonnay fruit and cream, toasty lemons on the nose, a good deal of sweetness yet to be resolved, this second tasting a few months after release offers much reassurance, but for me personally it does not quite persuade, this will be a great wine in time- but I also think sweeter and more full-bodied than I would expect from Taittinger, this is not a bad thing- but one key takeaway, especially given the recent price increase and the frankly annoying manner in which the wine is being dribbled out (not sure where that directive is coming from- so no way to lay blame)- if you really like the big sweet vintages like 2002 and 2006- then I think you will love this wine, if you do not have any strong preferences along the sweetness and power spectra- odds are you will love this wine, but if you share my strong preference for the leaner and lighter ways of champagne then I would strongly suggest trying this before buying, it is going to be a very fine Comtes in time, but sufficiently outside the norm that it is worth the up front investment in a tasting bottle to be sure it will ideally match your tastes.
(*****), a long wait ahead- 2033++
2017 Joseph Drouhin Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet
medium lemon color, sexy toasty nose with apple, lime, honeysuckle, river stones and grey gravel, on the palate a dramatic impact of grey boulders right down the middle with young apple and pear fruit on the edges, fine long finish with exceptional persistence, acids prominent but in proper balance, after an hour a rich cream note on the middle, blazing orange notes with an intense stony tension underneath, finish filling out as well becoming broader and more fragrant, this is big for a Criots but classically rendered and even by Drouhin’s high standards a very, very special wine, it is early days and this wine’s first vintage was 2012- but I am predicting for now that this needs another 4-5 years to hit its peak but should be approachable all along the way.
(*), 2025-2037+
2012 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame
light lemon color, genteel nose of pale citrus and grass with a distinct red raspberry note in the center, on the palate very young and a bit backward with robust acids dominating at first, with time a creamy mousse comes to the forefront, bread notes, pure lime and lemon notes, a touch of saline flowing through, excellent finish, while the 2008 was a very nice wine- it is here with the 2012 that I feel Grande Dame is finally back on form, indeed- tasting this over 3 hours brought back many memories of my early days in retail when we were selling and tasting the excellent 88-90 vintages of the various Veuve Clicquot wines, and to top it off- in over 25 years of wine appreciation I have never seen a more splendid gift box than this one created by the very talented Yayoi Kusama, this is Veuve Clicquot back on form and at its best in all respects.
()+, 2027++ - but it is perfectly enjoyable now as well.
2019 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese
light lemon color, dazzling nose with pear, peach and blood orange- and all subtly sweet, on the palate imagine the most perfect and succulent slice of ripe pear with just a hint of sugar sprinkled on top, hints of peach and apple in the base, light sweet honey and a serene topnote of white cherries, fine long finish, over time it slowly unfurled to show hints of more subtle delights to come in time yet remained hauntingly ethereal, in time this could prove to be among the greatest of Donnhoff’s beautiful renderings.
(*), 2029++
2006 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Cuvée Palmes d’Or
medium gold color, broad sweet nose, brioche and apples, on the palate a generous and sweet citrus with pear notes- and with that sweetness being subtle and well tempered by the structure and a fine earth and fig note leading into a good finish, I am not generally a personal fan of the 2006 vintage- but I quite like this, approachable now but there is room for development with a little more cellar time.
***+, now to 2036
2005 Nicolas Potel Charmes-Chambertin
medium red color just starting to brick at the rim, on the nose plums and cherries with a still noticeable presence of spicy oak, on the palate a very textured wine and quite deep (for Charmes) with red and black fruits showing well but still in development, excellent highly aromatic finish with intense spices- notably clove, given the sheer size and generosity of the fruit in the best 2005s this is deceptively good now- but I think a good deal of nuance is yet to come as it begins to unfurl, the structure here is rather firm and this may end up ever so slightly rustic or dusty on the finish in time, but overall I think there is a very good future ahead here.
(**), 2025++
2014 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras
deepish purple red color, sexy gamey nose with cassis, venison and plums, on the palate punchy and alluring, ripe fruit, blueberry, cherry, a bit of underbrush already peeping out here and there, fine long elegant finish, with time it became more racy and vibrant yet still it is not yet showing all of the great nuance I expect in time, as with many of my fellow burgundy fans who have been collecting for over 20 years- it feels a little surreal to see a Nuits St. George premier cru selling for what used to be a Romanee-Conti price, but it is what it is- and while I think the point scores of the major critics are generally accurate in an objective sense, this wine has that “wow” factor that cannot be reflected in a cold analytical number, for my part I really loved this and it held its own against a grand Drouhin Chambolle Musigny Les Amoureuses served alongside, this is really lovely now and may never fully shut down- but there is clearly so much more yet to come.
(), 2024++
2017 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses
deepish purple red color, soaring buttery Pinot nose with sweet cherries, bright forest notes just barely showing themselves, on the palate a sensation already though still primary with little detail showing, sexy cherry and berry fruits with hints of animale and a touch of forest floor around the edges, joyous buttery young fruits and violets on the long expressive finish, elegant, alluring, with time in glass one observes the occasional glimmer of the fiery beauty this will become in time, to my mind Roumier and Drouhin consistently yield the greatest Amoureuses because their renditions manage to be elegant and incredibly detailed while retaining a certain simple- almost rustic- chaotically natural beauty of their own, at maturity they are nuanced and thrilling- never safe or precisely defined, I remember opening my last bottle of the 1990 Roumier Amoureuses at a top restaurant in NYC where it showed perfectly alongside a magnificent beef dish- and I also remember thinking that while that was a very fine pairing that I would rather have had it with boeuf bourguignon or steak frites with bearnaise, despite all the finery in a great Amoureuses- the call of the land is strong in this wine, and in 2017 in particular Drouhin has given us an Amoureuses that truly tugs at the soul and will be at its happiest alongside fare that is as simple as it is perfect, the highest potential here, as good as it gets.
(*****), 2027-2047
1995 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
deep red color just starting to brick at the rim, classic profile on the nose of cedar, cassis, plums and clove, on the palate again a very traditional feel with ripe plums and cassis, aged forest and moss notes- with textured edges of dark spices and hints of vintage saddle throughout, all of this leads into a fine full peppery finish with intense forest and pine notes and aromas, of the many top 1995 Bordeaux I have revisited in the past two years this is the only one where a classically beautiful wine on the front end has led into a classic and lengthy finish to match, the balance here is superb and- for the moment- a rare thing, it gives me hope that perhaps some other 1995s will get to a better place with good finishes, but for now this is one 1995 you can revel in without worry, time in hand and perhaps a bit more development to come- but this is in a perfect place right now and drinking beatifully.
****+, ready to go with time in hand
1998 Vieux Château Certan
young red purple color, cassis, plums, mint, pine and clay on the nose which is developing nicely, on the palate ripe cherry and plum fruit, there is some secondary development here but this remains very young and primary overall, fine long finish, the substantial tannins are well integrated but still a bit more obvious than on the Lafleur and Magdelaine tasted recently, spicy oak in its proper place, as pretty and complex as this is on the nose- I really do think that as with its aforementioned peers the 1998 VCC has a long road ahead to reveal all it has in store, certainly now is a good time to check in, but greater days are ahead.
(*****), 2033++
2014 Mark Ryan Olivia Grace
black purple color, roasted fruits and ash on the nose, ripe plums, on the palate a dense fruit core at the darker end of the spectrum, blueberry, chalk, ripe blackberry, good length with an enduring aftertaste and just a hint of warmth, despite its heavy textures this manages to be seamless in its delivery, my first encounter with this wine and it seems ready to go but with potential to mellow a bit and show some more nuance with time.
***+, ready to drink with the potential for further development.
2006 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard
deep red purple color, intense primary fruit nose with polish and spice notes, on the palate a large scale fruit with pepper notes, blackberries, dark plums, a bit of heat on the tail end but well balanced in the middle, unapologetically big and burly, a bruiser- but well balanced and a lot of fun to drink, serve it up with a big steak.
****, ready to drink and time in hand.
2007 Oremus Tokaji Eszencia
Note- this was my first ever experience with true Eszencia, and I can now confirm the advice to serve this in tiny doses on a mother of pearl spoon is the best way to go. The intensity here is such that a full teaspoon is 2-3 “sips” and sufficient to bring untold delight to one person in a single evening.
rich bronze-orange color, a nose almost beyond belief, intense honey, a siren call of ripe oranges, cascades of honeysuckle, cool fields of rose petals and textures of custard with a hint of liquid brown sugar, and yet for all the intensity the elements are perfectly aligned with an overpowering elegance and a riveting underlying finesse, on the palate an experience unlike any other beverage- the tiniest dose rapidly coats the tongue and quite literally adheres to it before gradually being largely absorbed, at first there is a fresh minty sensation of honey, and then it just builds and builds- that tiny little taste- completely beyond your control, slowly and steadily- the floral notes come first, roses and honeysuckle just as on the nose, and then melon and orange tones, and finally sweet golden honey, just as slowly as it builds on the palate so does it slowly and gently fade leaving one relaxed and completely content, I can only imagine what will come with a few decades of age, on this night 10 people were served and we were left with the half bottle about 80% full- still with the level in the low shoulder, Eszencia is pretty much bulletproof- and so the half bottle has been recorked and will be good in that state for years to come, I imagine by the time this bottle is gone it will have served at least 50 people over a period of several months, for a treat so very rare and singular- there is something wonderful in the thought that so little a portion is fully satisfying such that a single half bottle may bring smiles to so many people, and I cannot even begin to imagine what nuances are to come in the decades ahead.
*(), worth experiencing now, but both legend and what is evident in the bottle make it clear this will still be evolving long after any of us reading this note have gone to our eternal rest.