6 Taittingers and a 2015 Domaine Blain-Gagnard Le Montrachet

[Merrill_Lindquist]

Merrill, I bet you needed more than 1 bottle for the longest game in WS history!

Ha! I had only half a bottle of the Brut la Francaise I mentioned above (which, I think, gives other wines in that $range a really good run for the money). I fell asleep on the sofa, woke at the 12th, and decided to go to bed for real. I DID, perhaps, have the longest sleep in MY history - I knocked off a good 12 hours! Super busy week, and my mind/body told me so. Feel great today and up for…more baseball! Pre-game starts in 6 hours…

[Merrill_Lindquist]

What was your reaction to the Comtes from 2006/2007?

Yes, would love to hear your thoughts on the comparison. Also, what were the other Taittinger wines you tasted?

Our arrival offering was Brut la Francaise NV. Nice - priced in the $30s - I have a bottle on tap for tonight’s Red Sox game. It was served with many passed hors’doevres that were visually beautiful and all extremely tasty.

Next was a NV Rose Prestige. I did not finish my glass nor take another pour, but others certainly did. Served with a Kampachi/avocado/finger lime dish. I don’t eat “raw” so I had a roasted/smoky vegetable dish that I was happy with.

Next they served a NV Prelude ($70s) and a NV Folies de la Marquetterie ($80s). Both were very good, but I preferred the Prelude. I believe the Marquetterie is single vineyard wine, with a bit of oak. I just received delivery of both, with twice as many Preludes. Served with roasted baby carrots with smoked seaweed and Buddha’s hand.

Next up were the Comtes pair. Served with sauteed Turbot, carmelized fennel, sea urchin emulsion and caviar.

Finally was roasted breast of pheasant with quince, speck puree and chestnut agnolotti. This was paired with afore mentioned Montrachet.

Desserts were small tastes of many things, and so many of them.

Just to update: I purchased both the Prelude and the Marquetterie and have been able to enjoy them and focus on them at home. I now prefer the Marquetterie to the Prelude. Warmer, richer, and hitting the notes that make for an enjoyable experience.

[Merrill_Lindquist]

Montrachet is Montrachet—I know, quite profound, but Blain-Gagnard and Fontaine-Gagnard have bad track records re premox. Good thing you drank a 2015. Sounds like an epiphany wine. Great thread.

Did you taste 08 Taittinger?

Sooo…I asked my host to send me 6 bottles of white Burgundy that might cost a lot less than the 2015
Blain-Gagnard. I have had a few - nothing profound. But I just went to select a bottle to go with my crab cakes for later, and selected a 2014 Fontaine-Gagnard Vielles Vignes Chassagne-Montrachet. When I received the 6 bottles, I marked the price on them and stored them. Honestly, I did not even check out the labels, since I know little about white Burgundy. How could I resist a taste - even at 11:00 in the morning? No pre-mox here! Lovely medium gold - clear and lovely in my Zalto Universal stem. The nose is not terribly expressive, but on the palate it hits the mark. Quite lovely, though a bit high acid (for my acid-averse palate). Finish is a bit short, and the mouthfeel not very full, but at $46, I shall not complain! I’ll follow it throughout the afternoon as I make my crab cakes, but I think the match will be a good one.

As it opens in the stem, and comes closer to room temp (it was at 55 degrees), the mouthfeel has broadened.

I had better get to making those crab cakes .