Leo's Blind Tasting Group March 2018

WINE TALK
1

Here are a few short notes, hopefully others will chime in:


We started with the only 2 Brut Nature biodynamique Champagnes produced by Roederer to date.

  1. 2006 Roederer Brut Nature ‘Starck’ - a favorite since release my last bottle was a bit shut down but this was singing. Crystalline and yellow fruited.
  2. 2009 Roederer Brut Nature ‘Starck’ - needed more air to come around, a heavier and steelier wine, the nose opened dramatically with time. Should have decanted.

Then we moved onto dry riesling from 3 different countries:

  1. 2015 Kunstler Riesling Trocken “Erste Lage Domdechaney” - beautiful piercing nose,
  2. 1995 Clos Ste Hune - premoxed
  3. 2007 Prager Bodenstein - ripe and delicious, fantastic nose

Then a pair of Bereche rose Champagnes from the stellar vintage pair of 2012 and 2013:

  1. 2012 Bereche Remensis Rose Champagne -

  2. 2013 Bereche Remensis Rose Champagne
    On first pour I greatly preferred the somewhat riper 2013 but both kept improving and after 30 minutes in the glass I preferred the 2012. Bereche is making some of my absolutely favorite Champagnes these days.


    Next a check in on the 2001 Burgundy vintage since I’ve had good experiences recently. This backs up my opinion that many are in a good place right now though obviously in no need of drinking up:

  3. 2001 Joseph Drouhin Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbé - ethereal and a delight

  4. 2001 Roumier Chambolle Musigny - rich and entirely delicious

  5. 2001 Château de La Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru - star of the flight and probably the night, structured, young, but oh so enjoyable right now


    Two 1988 Tuscans:

  6. 1988 Felsina Fontalloro - young and structured

  7. 1988 Biondi Santi Brunello - corked and maderized


    Two sweetish Vouvrays from one of my favorite producers:

  8. 1996 Pinon Vouvray Moelleux 1er Trie - The 1996 vintage continues to be my favorite of the stellar '95-'97 trio. The vintage’s acidity perfectly balances the slightly sweet fruit.

  9. 1997 Pinon Vouvray Moelleux - a bit riper and fleshier but still delicious.

2

Great notes. Agree on Bereche, although I have not have a Rose from them.

3

Thanks for the notes. Can a 23 year old Riesling be “premoxed”…or just “oxed” at that point? I’ve never had a 20, 30 or 40+ year old Clos St. Hune so wouldn’t know what to expect.

Nice Burg flight and stop talking about Bereche! [snort.gif]

RT

4

It’s premox or damage. I don’t get to drink much CSH but Trimbach CFE back into the 80’s is not oxidized (some people report premox in CFE as well though I have never had a problem).

5

So Trimbach does have a long time Premox problem with CFE and CSH?..i.e.: wines prematurely oxidizing within a few years after bottling?

I presume a certain small number of fine whites will simply oxidize and be flawed due to bad luck and too much air contact.

Premox is a Burg epidemic. Nevertheless, some of the older alleged “bullet proof” whites from the early 90s and 80s (in contrast to late 90s and younger) are still susceptible to oxidation.

RT

6

I bought a case about a year after release and it’s been 50/50 on whether they are crystalline and beautiful or completely oxidized. Fred Emile was badly hit in 1996 but CSH has had problems for at least the entire second half of the '90s.

And I’ve had much older versions which showed beautifully.

7

Total bummer to read about that 95 Hune. I’m glad that 07 Prager Bodenstein is showing well - have a few in storage, and excited to pop them in a few years.

On Pinon - always a delight to try those wines, wish I could have been around for the 96/97. Though I need to find a way to pop one of those 89s I picked up (from Chambers) with you some time - had a bottle recently, and it was beautiful.

8

Oh, and I wanted to add a shout out to the phenomenal service we experienced at North End Grill for this dinner. I like to support no tipping establishments so that was one of my reasons for choosing them.

Service was great as was most of the food. The duck and the oysters deserve a special shout out. Lamb chops could be skipped but they were a good match for the flight.

9

This is the group where one person provides all the wines? Was this your night?

10

Yes on both counts.

11

I love this concept, and I’m trying to get my local group to do this more often. MattBillet and I are doing one at the end of this month.

12

An excellent dinner with very interesting wines, many not in my wheelhouse, so it was a good learning experience. <y notes interspersed below:

13

PS - The duck might have been the best duck breast I have ever had, including what I bought fresh and made myself.

14

[quote=“J a y H a c k”]An excellent dinner with very interesting wines, many not in my wheelhouse, so it was a good learning experience. <y notes interspersed

  1. 1996 Pinon Vouvray Moelleux 1er Trie - The 1996 vintage continues to be my favorite of the stellar '95-'97 trio. The vintage’s acidity perfectly balances the slightly sweet fruit.
  2. 1997 Pinon Vouvray Moelleux - a bit riper and fleshier but still delicious.

I do not remember which was which, but I very much liked these as dessert wines because they were not too sweet and not too acidic, which were in balance. They had none of the negative components of overly sweet or overly acidic dessert wines.

Glad you liked them, I love the producer.

15

2001 Château de La Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru - star of the flight and probably the night, structured, young, but oh so enjoyable right now

This was not the VV?