All from memory, I didn’t get around to posting in CT.
Dinner last week at Peasant in NYC. The NY Guys Do Gevrey Chambertin.
First Flight
A) 1999 Ponsot ‘Griotte Chambertin’. Corked. Not so bad that you would have turned this away as a ‘by the glass’ wine for $10, but sucks. Classic aromas of cardboard and flavors of not much.
B) 2002 Ponsot ‘Griotte Chambertin’. Lots of love for this. Pretty juicy and pretty open for business.
Second Flight
A) 2001 Fourrier ‘Clos St. Jacques’
B) 2002 Fourrier ‘Clos St. Jacques’
C) 2004 Fourrier ‘Clos St. Jacques’
So rather than individual notes, I’d rather ‘discuss’ the grouping. So interesting this way, you can see/taste/smell that the '01 is a little more austere, the '02 a little more juicy and forward, and the '04 a little shorter and (maybe) a tiny bit green. Not sure any of this would come out if the wines were consumed individually. One other thing, wow is Fourrier tasty.
Third Flight
A) 1999 Damoy ‘Chambertin Clos de Beze’
B) 2002 Damoy 'Chambertin"
Again, the group really liked these wines. Nothing ‘clunky’ or ‘simple’ or ‘over extracted’ here. A bigger style of Burgundy, there’s more substance here. Seems as time goes on, the flavors integrate. I’d give both more time but I think both are winners.
Fourth Flight
A) 1996 Roty ‘Charmes Chambertin TVV’
B) 2001 Roty ‘Charmes Chambertin TVV’
This matchup was in case the '96 was still somewhat young/closed, so to make the ‘competition more fair’. So first, wow did Roty do a good job in 2001, maybe a vintage that fit his style? And the '96s, at least in this case, are ready to go and delicious (though I’m sure another decade would be a fine idea.
And a few more notes
1999 Jadot ‘Bonnes Mares’. I thought too young but took a shot. Answer is, Yes, Dope, Too Young!!! I think there’s the fruit and substance here to work in time, but I won’t touch another until 2024 just to be sure.
2002 Fevre ‘Clos’. PremOx, I hate you. PremOx, I hate you.
BTW, a few days later, sitting here watching football, opened up another of the 2002 Fevre ‘Le Clos’. This one perfect. Color perfect, light, slightly sweet, delicious. PremOx is the devil.
The Griotte is rare like hen’s teeth. I own 32 bottles of various vintages and know I’ll never be allocated another in the primary market. So like Elaine in that old Senifeld episode, every time I think about opening one I think "is this occasion Fourrier ‘Griotte Chamb’ worthy’??
Alan. The stuff is for drinking, but not on a tuesday night sitting in your batman underwear and having a piece of Dominoes pizza! Need people that understand and appreciate what you’re opening!
And 2005 was the last ‘great’ vintage where you could actually find some Fourrier quantity! By the '09 vintage, and certainly by the '10 vintage, Fourrier had become a ‘3 pack’ kind of a producer.
For the '02 vintage, purchased in say '05 or so, I think his CSJ was maybe $75 or so per bottle and you could have all you wanted.
For the '05 vintage, Sold in the US in '07 or so, I really loaded the boat, bought like 8-9 cases of Fourrier. The village wines were like $55, the 1ers not CSJ were like $100, the CSJ was $125 all you wanted, and even the Griotte was findable at like $250. Those days are so gone and allocations have dried up since say 2008.
I didn’t book the reservation. There were a total of 9 people, 2 of us supplied the wines. When the check came, I never saw it, someone else at the table grabbed it. So I never saw the corkage.
Glassware was good (not great), but they were happy to supply all the glasses we wanted. We did our own wine service, and all bottles were pre-decanted, so we didn’t use that service…
Nice wines indeed, sorry to hear about the corked Ponsot and, of course the poxed Fevre. I’m increasingly less unhappy that I polished my sole 02 Les Clos off about 8 years ago and forwent the excitement of taking the risky ride of doom with the bottle.
Thanks for posting these notes, Peter. I was really blown away by the '96 Roty-- still retained its freshness but had tremendous depth and concentration. Easily the WOTN for me. Fourrier CSJ is delicious, but the current price point stings a bit!
The '96 Roty had me thinking that it’s time to start checking in on the 1996s. I’d hung a ‘do not touch until I’m 25 yrs old’ sign on all of mine, but maybe 19 is good, too???