I invited Sarah Kirschbaum and Kevin Wagner over for dinner last night to celebrate their mutual birthdays. Kevin had mentioned he loved lapin a la moutarde, so I offered to make some as this is one of my favorite dishes. And what goes better with Bugs Bunny than Burgundy…
-2004 Girardin Corton Charlemagne
Served straight from the decanter, this was our aperitif as well as the cheese course wine. The first taste was quite crisp and tight, offering hints of things to come but really taking its time to unfold. Later, after the mains had been eaten and the air was stinky with the aromas of cheeses (the stinkiest, BTW, was Fromage d’O Cow from CT), we revisited the wine. It had really opened up, with tons of lemony minerals, meringue, and some oak (a tad too much for me, actually, maybe the wine was slightly warmer than it should have been), on a relatively fat frame. The acidity and length were long and scrumptious however, saving the wine from being a woodsy mess.
-2001 Roumier Chambolle Musigny
We opened this and the first comment from me was how dark and brooding this was for a Chambolle. There was a distracting mushroomy element, but the wine was fighting to shine through, and every now and then I’d get flashes of fine, elegant fruit. However, as it breathed, the fruit faded, to be replaced by a dirty mushroom thing. Corked? Off? Who knew? Whatever it was, we left half the bottle untouched. Sigh…
-2002 Roumier Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras
Ah, OK, now we’re talking. Still pretty dark for a Chambolle, but much more alive, with an inherent energy and a higher pitch than the 2001. Granted, we’re talking Village vs Premier, but still. Dark and red berries fought for attention, on an elegant frame that was backed up by some interesting minerality and a long finish, along with a lovely grip.
-1999 Dujac Clos St Denis
Oooooh, I could smell this all night without letting it touch my tongue. Gorgeous, just pure unadulterated gorgeousness. Is that even a word? Who cares, this rocked. Sexy mouthfeel, beautiful notes of dark and red berries, earth, sous-bois, all carried forth on a velvet glove that hid an iron fist of minerality. The finish alone was worth the price of entry, gripping your palate and never really letting go, leaving a haunting presence that lasted well into the night.
-2005 Domaine Clark Bourgogne au Pelson
Sarah’s been telling me about this producer for a while, so I was thrilled to try it when she offered a bottle. The nose was tight at first, but an hour later, when we got to it at dinner, it was very high-pitched, with dark fruits and berries and just a hint of vanilla from some unresolved oak. But it was nice, with an elegant mouthfeel and quite light on its feet, with good acidity to back up the darker aspects.
Happy Birthday to both of you and thanks for bringing such great wines!
Cheers! ![[berserker.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/8600bbd4810d342b8fbd4ffb62b4f0026275fd37.gif "berserker"){kind=small}
