Burgalicious Week

WINE TALK
1

Last week I found myself opening lots of Burgundies, something that’s always a pleasure to do.

-2004 Louis Latour Meursault
Bloody Hell, fucking corked. You’ve got to be kidding me. [emot-pwn.gif]

-2002 William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru les Clos
Pissed off at the Meursault, I grabbed this, gave a big [1928_middle_finger.gif] to the TCA’d bottle, and popped and poured. Ooooh, yeah, this is the good stuff. Seashells, lemon, iodine and almonds and what I imagine crystals smell like, with a slightly fat but light on its feet body that ended in racy acidity that had me coming back for more, and a finish that wouldn’t let go. As it breathed, things seemed to get bigger and more complex, with flowery aspects arriving to add their notes to the lovely symphony that this wine was.

-1993 Ampeau Volnay Santenots
ARGH, another corker. I am running 50% with TCA’d bottles of this wine, happily this was my last. When it’s on, it’s ON. But I am not buying anymore until the Portuguese or the producer give me my money back.

-1998 Hubert Lignier Gevrey Chambertin les Combottes
At first this had a very sharp cherry smell that reminded us of a Barolo, but with some of the shrill acidity that 1998 has in spades. However, as it breathed, it rounded out and began to pull its flavors together, finally becoming a lovely middle-aged Gevrey, with earthy cherries, leather, and a precise mineral streak running down the middle of a powerful frame. The ending was a bit shorter than I’d like, but it still drank beautifully.

-2000 Pernot Bienvenues Batard Montrachet
Giggle This is what we live for when it comes to white Burgundy.[give_heart.gif] While it was a bit soft, it had lovely aromatics and a palate presence that while big wasn’t over the top or spoofy in any way. Imagine if a voluptuous actress walked into the room and everyone knows she’s there but she doesn’t have to announce her presence. It’s that understated self-confidence and it makes wines like this just a pleasure to taste. White peaches, flowers, almonds, on a sensuously fat but elegant frame that ended with a ridiculously long finish. Wow.

-2005 Morot Beaune Toussaints
This smelled almost CA Pinot the moment I opened it, with darker fruits backed up by some Burgundian earth. Blind, I might think it’s New World wine at first, but a very elegant and balanced one at that (Skewis or Arcadian perhaps). With time it fleshed out a bit and some red fruits joined the black Pinot party, with a slightly muddy mid-palate and some nice acidity at the back. Not bad, not sure if it is closing down, opening up, or just trying to figure which way to go. With Peking Duck, however, it was quite nice.
Cheers! [gen_fro.gif]

2

Nice work. I am sitting on about 8 of those Fevre’s…safely hidden away from in Orange County where it is difficult to get my mitts on them.

3

Hey guys,

Yeah, the 2004s are just crisp and precise and really really yummy. That 2002 was a point though it had many, many years ahead. No sign, BTW, of any premox.

4

Oh, to be a fruit fly on the wall of your lovely, glass-tiled kitchen!

5

I cooked up a storm last week too for some reason! Here’s what I made on various nights:
-scallops and hazelnuts in a brown butter vinaigrette (who knew? it rocked!), 28-day dry-aged prime boneless sirloin a la plancha with sauteed mushrooms and wilted mixed greens
-roasted chicken with veggies and a wild mushroom risotto (using stock from rehydrated wild mushrooms)
-various salads with some fantastic and stinky cheeses
-popcorn (for use before heading out for Peking Duck) and saucisson sec

I forgot to mention there was a NV Champagne Moutard Rose (delicious) and a 2006 St Cosme Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albions (quite yummy).