Heading back to the motherland next week along with @dcornutt and some others for 10 days of wine, food and friends. Lots of fun activities planned - mostly inside because it’s going to be HOT! @Nick_Christie will also join us in Champagne. First time there for me, so feel free to suggest any highlights.
Will try to keep things fairly updated as we go along - mostly with TNs and bottle pics.
Beaune
Several tastings lined up including Lafon, Alex Moreau, Leroux, Vogüé, JM Millot, C&G Boillot, Genot-Boulanger. Had to go deep into the well this trip as we found it unusually difficult to arrange visits. This is my first trip in July due to scheduling conflicts in May/June and several of our usuals are either on vacation due to the high heat or are right in the middle of racking and vineyard work before heading on vacation. Everyone seems to be doing early vacations in anticipation of an early harvest. Next year we’ll be sure to go a bit earlier again to align better with schedules. But the highlight of the trip is always the amazing wine lists and meals including the two best restaurants in the area - Lameloise and Levernois.
Reims
This is going to be a bit of a blur. Less than 48 hours for visits at Taittinger, Salon and DP along with dinners at L’Assiette and Le Parc. But we also found this gem of a bistro with a fun wine list for lunch, so definitely looking forward to that.
Paris
Only one day before we fly out, but we have Substance for lunch (with a very special wine already reserved) and Epicure for dinner along with the requisite shopping.
Andrew - If you don’t mind my asking, how much did you pay for the Vincent Dancer? (I just got offered a pile of this & Theo Dancer in Paris, so curious.). Thanks in advance.
A wonderful visit this afternoon as always with Alex and Martine Moreau. Spent a full 90 minutes in the cellar with them tasting the entire lineup of 24s that are just being bottled this week as well a couple of 25s from Barrel and some 22s.
24s have just continued to improve since I tasted them from tank in October. They are ready to rock and roll. Caillerets was the star of the show today while the Grand Ruchottes was the star last time. Today the Grand Ruchottes is starting to reveal a deeper character that’s going to require more bottle age to be ready to drink. They recommend at least 8-10 years.
We tasted the 25 Maltroie, Champs Gain and Bâtard from barrel. There’s a bit less concentration in this vintage, less fruit forward and approachable right now. Will look forward to following this vintage in tank next year to see what becomes of it.
The one notable absence from the 24 lineup was the Bâtard. We had tasted it from barrel in October and I was looking forward to seeing how it had turned out. As we were tasting the 25, Martine told us that there was a forklift accident in the cellar and the entire tank of 24 Bâtard exploded somehow. Alex managed to save only 170 bottles out of 2 barrels. A true tragedy.
As we were about to leave, down comes Alex with one last bottle - the final of the 170 bottles that had been bottled yesterday and wasn’t quite filled. So he saved it for us and his team to taste. It’s truly spectacular - but of course will be unobtainium. But as luck may have it, I realized I may have a bottle coming my way already. We’ll see how it all shakes out.
Thanks Andrew. I guess I’ll put some in the cellar/cave as they are offered @ 195E, plus maybe a little pile of the Bourgogne Aligote for daily drinkers (as offered @ 32E). I wonder what cellar-door prices are?
Chambertin was approachable but way too primary and wild. Need to give it a few years and then it will probably be lovely young like the 17.
Dancer is stunning as expected. Loads of extract, body and acid balance.
Grabbed the C&G Boillot because we’re going to taste with them on Tuesday and never had their wines. I would say I can see where they are going, but they need to fully commit. It’s only their second vintage so I expect they will dial things in before long.
Great to run into you and thanks to your mate for the pour of Chambertin!
Enjoy the meal at Levernois. We are checking out tomorrow. Great hotel though, highly recommend for Berserkers! The pool is beautiful.
Rav was surprisingly tight at first but once it opened up it really didn’t have the acidity and minerality you want from Rav. I’m not bullish on 23 Chablis.
Dancer was Dancer. Wonderful and precise.
Roumier was super reductive on first pour. Decanted and an hour later it started to open. Two hours in and it was singing with beautiful red fruits and spice. Depth of flavor and soft and sultry texture. Obviously very young but developing quite nicely.
Great visit with Jean Lupitelli at Vogüé this afternoon.
Tasted through the 25s from barrel. Average plus yields and good quality so they are very happy. The reds are quite good. Amoureuses was sexy and approachable. Musigny Rouge was deeper, but almost tasted like a complete wine already. 9 barrels of Musigny Blanc which is on the high side vs 80+ barrels of the Rouge.
The Chambolle 1er is all young vine Musigny which was planted in 2007. The youngest of the regular Musigny was planted in 1986 with the oldest in the 1930s.
Dinner tonight at Le Montrachet. Short list is don’t bother. Food is great, but service and wine list are subpar. But we managed to squeeze a bottle of Tremblay out of them, not on the list.
