Mixed Bag: Blain-Gagnard, Albert Morot, JP Brun, ESJ, Kistler, Guigal d'Ampuis, Bonneau du Martray

Some wines from drinks at home and a few from what I remember from the 30 or so bottles passed about during fried chicken night last night.

2006 Blain-Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Morgeot–Consistent with my last bottles of this in the last couple years. Spring fruit notes on the nose. Not much presence to the palate, there’s a bit of structure and cut, but the wine falls a bit flat. Good, but that’s it.

2009 Jean Paul Brun Fleurie—Just ok. Lean. Seemed tighter tonight than I remember. Austere and slightly dirty. Needs time maybe?

2000 Edmunds St. John Syrah Wylie Fenaughty–Pop and pour along with 30 or so other bottles on the table. Earthy, meaty. Dark fruit, bbq spice, a nice touch of acidity. It’s very floral tonight. Finish is long, but resolving. My last of 6. Sad to see it go, but it was a good run.

1985 Albert Morot Beaune Bressandes—Out of Magnum. Aged Burgundy in a great place is a great thing. Terrific showing. Earthy. Drying, aged pinot fruit, but the touch of acidity to give lift to the palate. Lively. Tasty.

**1999 Guigal Cote-Rotie d’Ampuis—**still youthful and grippy on opening, but nice nonetheless. Comes on with rich, red fruit and deep, dark, smokey-bacon fat goodness. Almost elegant on the palate. Still young. Very good.

1996 Kistler Chardonnay Dutton Ranch—Still showing some good power and lines. Somewhat white Burgundy-ish to me. But also slightly buttery and silky. Tasty. In a good spot.

2000 Bonneu du Martray Corton Charlemagne—Premox!

2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne—Good bottle. Needs time…to do what, I’m not sure, but probably oxidize. Rather rich right now, vanilla bean and butter. Some nice notes here, very good, but not showing all that much right now.

Loved seeing you there Dennis.
Let me give you a sip of some of my 08 Blain-Gagnard Chassagne Morgeots. WAY different experience.
Some very interesting wines and great fried chicken too!
07 Bonneau du Martray is slammed shut now. It was so fabulous for a couple of years. It really does need a few years to come out of the shell.

Fun times with all last night.

I thought the Kistler was showing great for a '96, has a few years left but in a good spot.
Just finished last night’s 07 Scherrer Big Brother PN- Big Broad pinot not int he fruit forward sense but in the sense of structure and a great balance that was still present tonight.

I liked the “Orange Wine” from Pax and the 99 Latour.

Lets have another one soon!!!

Good to see you too, Don.
Ken-Good to see you too, it had been a while.
I missed half the wines that were there, too many bottles flying around.
The Scherrer was good, as was the 2007? Rhys Pinot.
2008 Donhoff, too.
Good times.

+1
I’ve enjoyed this out of 750ml, and it reinforces my hope that well-made, moderately priced burgundy can also become pretty special. A burgundy lover’s burgundy – not surprised that you mentioned earthy descriptor before fruit. The importer thinks that more recent vintages of this wine are even better. I’ll cross my fingers about the 2005 … in 2020.

2000 Bonneu du Martray Corton Charlemagne> —Premox!

+1 … similar experience. When I bought it, it seemed like a bargain. Not anymore.

Regards,
Peter

Stop teasing here, guys. Talk about this “Fried Chicken Night” you refer to. It has me hungry. Is there a competitive/tasting aspect to the chicken or is it the specialty of the venue you held this at?

Cheers,
fred

Monday nights at One eared Stag a Giant 1/2 chicken and two sides for $20. Restaurant is very worthy on any night of the week, Mondays are extra special flirtysmile

Photo courtesy of Jimmy at http://www.eatitatlanta.com

That photo is making me hungry, Dennis. Had a fabulous 1990 Beaune Teurons not too long ago, fabulous wine that just delivers all one could ask of a Beaune 1er cru.

I’m not a fan of Guigal’s interpretation of Cote Rotie. I have that '99 and also the '98, and I like them OK, but the oak dominates, IMO.

Thanks for the notes.

I hear that Lew.
I often treat 1ers, especially from Beaune, or even Savigny, lightly. Yet, when I have I a good one, with years on it, I realize what they can become and that I often kill them too young,
The Guigal didn’t strike me as oaky the other night, but to be honest, it was a shit show of wine, so there’s a lot that was flying around.

Or maybe just out of place?
09 fleurie side by side with 99 Chateau d’Ampuis? Can you really expect something else from this kind of confrontation?

Fwiw…the Fleurie and Gagnard were consumed two nights earlier at home, not alongside the Gugial and all the other wines noted from the Mon night dinner.

Wish that I had read this before last night. I found this to be completely closed, tight as a drum. I should have known better b/c this only confirmed what I had seen previously. A year ago it was great, 6 months closing, now closed. I have several more and intend to wait a good while.

Oh, I guess I should point out that I meant the Fleurie.

Thanks, Michael.
Confirms my take, I wasn’t imagining it.