Last Saturday we had some mates over for the day for some food and wine. We did well, and everything we opened showed well. Lucky day!
I took notes, but must admit that by the end of the day my palate started to tire, which probably led to me missing a couple things. Regardless, great day, and good to be back to writing notes again!
2013 Franck Bonville Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut
Lees and toasted notes on the nose, as well as toffee. Palate was dominated by acidity and lees/brioche complexity. Decent length.
2002 Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage Collection
Less lees influence, more citrus/lemon spritz component on pour, with a touch of complexity from lees in the background. Long and viscous mousse, yet quite linear and precise palate which is more citrus fruit driven when compared to the first Champagne.
1988 Weingut Hans Crusius Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese
Candied apricot, vinous sweetness, just a hint of kerosene. Incredible palate. Fully resolved, touch of residual without any cloying aspect. Beautifully integrated. Sweetness and acidity complemented each other perfectly which resulted in a really impressive length of palate.
2012 Vincent Prunier Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur le Sentier du Clou Blanc
Cool nose, hint of high toast with a touch of spearmint and star anise. Lovely integrated palate, albeit slightly muted. Good length, ample acidity, subtle fresh fruit notes.
2019 Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé
Struck match/sulfur reduction on opening. With time the reductive signature blows off revealing a flinty and mineral nose with a hint of mint. Sea spritz and mineral on the palate, a bit of stirred barrel / lees complexity without being overblown. Good length.
2021 Paul Pillot Bourgogne Blanc
Touch of struck match reduction as well, but more subtle. Smoky and flinty. Lovely palate. Beautifully fresh, more fruit driven when compared to the prior two but still has wonderful purity with a clean lifted acidic spine. To my palate this was the best white Burg on the day.
2022 Michel Rebourgeon Beaune 1er Cru Chouacheux
Quite an engaging nose, good richness of fruit without being overdone. High toast oak and glacé cherry dominate. Clean palate, bright red fruited, decent richness and depth of fruit on the mid palate. Quite a nice bottle given the tariff.
2009 Marchand and Burch Nuits St. Georges
Meaty/sauvage nose. Menthol and dark fruits as well. Nuits typicity on the palate as well. Red fruited with sauvage notes on the palate, but also somewhat pretty all considered. A lovely NSG village.
2015 Karl-Heinz Schnabel Blaufränkisch Koregg Ermilhof
Pretty/high toned and lifted fruit. Stem inclusion? Hint of green and white flowers has me questioning that. Bright red fruits, but slightly one dimensional and arguably simple on the palate when compared to the previous red burgs. A touch short as well.
2013 Château Raymond-Lafon
Beautiful candied nose dominated by apricots with an almost caramel richness behind it. Beautiful palate, candied fruit sweetness carried by the acidity and a viscous richness that delivered good length of palate.
2021 Carl Loewen Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett
Beautiful nose, albeit slightly muted. A touch of noticeable sweetness on the nose. On the palate there’s residual sugar and decent acidity, but it’s not overtly complex.
All considered, we did very well on the day!
