…Decanter.
So, last night Big D left the room to get a 1942 Maison Thomas Bassot Clos des Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru and came back with a wet leg. He’d picked up the decanter (a cheap arsed carafe) and the bottom fell off giving him a Ruchottes shower. He offered that we could smell his leg if we wanted to know what this rare wine was like. Despite it being his birthday this week we all politely declined.
Last night’s Monday Table kicked off with the very good 2004 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. It was rich and bready with enticing notes of red berries, white peach and flint. In the mouth it is delicate and creamy yet there is power and presence. It is a Champagne of great finesse.
We were served 4 whites blind and told there were two vineyards and one was Montrachet. No one picked the Monty and only Paul Hanna picked the other vineyard. A 2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet Grand Cru was fresh, vibrant, intense and powerful. It had notes of banana, spearmint and sappy white peach. It had good mineral line and outstanding length. A 2008 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru had a touch of the exotic about it. There was some apricot, guava, rockmelon and vanilla. It was full, layered, powerful and long. The 2000 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru was in scintillating form. It looked about 10 years younger starting off tight and compact and blossoming into a thing of beauty. There was some fine floral spice to the aroma along with pure white peach. In the mouth it had great shape and strong line. The palate was left with a most pleasant amalgam of flora, fruit and mineral once the wine was swallowed. A 2011 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru was not premox’d but showed a little too fat, forward and oaky. There were whiffs of liniment, vanilla and orchard fruits. It was rich and heady in the mouth with generous fruit flavours and relatively gentle acidity.
The bracket of younger reds kicked off with a 1953 Dolamore Corton ‘Les Marechaudes’ Grand Cru that was a little cheesy and funky on the nose. It was deep of colour and flavour and had a dark, vinous sweet core. There was plenty of mossy, nutty savoury elements along with a fresh pine needle note. A 1961 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares Grand Cru was a beautiful bottle of classy, mature Burgundy. It smelt of sandalwood and other sweet spices. There was a touch of earth too. In the mouth it was fine, delicate and lacy with delicious vinous sweetness and rocky detail. It really fanned out on the finish and had terrific persistence. A 1955 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Cuvée Docteur Peste Grand Cru had an engaging nose of freshly grated ginger, Chinese five spice and soy. It was quite savoury in the mouth with loads of hoisin and soy and some smoked meats. It still had some chew to the finish. A 1959 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Épenots was full, sweet and meaty. It tasted a bit like liver and had ripe raisin like fruit and a very savoury finish.
Three older wines closed out the table wines for the evening starting with the 1923 Hospices de Beaune Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Fouquerand Henri de Villamont Collection du Docteur Barolet. It had some smoked meats and brown sugar on the nose. In the mouth there were notes of moss, meats, cold tea, leather and spice. There was a line of tart acidity and it finished fresh and minerally. A 1949 Poulet Pere & Fils Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru was quite dark in colour and aldehydic on the nose with some nuttiness and plenty of cheese. The palate was much better than the nose with sweet vinous flavours and some salty soy sauce action. It built through the palate and fanned out on the finish. A 1921 Faiveley Vosne-Romanée was a relatively recent release from the Domaine that had been re-corked. It had a fabulous nose of hoisin, soy, sweet earth, compost and sandalwood. It almost smelt like an old La Tache. In the mouth it was fine and silky yet possessed great volume and shape. Balance was exquisite and it is quite simply a majestic bottle of wine.
We finished with a splendid bottle of Port and then Darren went off into the night searching for a 24 hour dry cleaners. The 1947 Butler Nephew and Co Porto Vintage had a feisty, almost Armagnac like spirit. There was a touch of volatility that punched raisin fruits and Turkish delight smells up into the nostrils. It was full, sweet and fruity in the mouth with real freshness and good detail. There was floral complexity and length of flavour drove on and on.