My (Most Interesting) Wines of the Year: Pernot, Dirty & Rowdy, Dethune

These aren’t the best wines I had, but rather the most interesting.


  • 2007 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru (12/25/2014)
    Pours a gorgeous liquid gold color. Smells of freshly cut cipollini onions then turmeric. As it opens, more and deeper curry notes, then lilacs and white flowers, honeysuckle. Gains weight with air. Really gorgeous wine with an expansive nose that delivers on that promise. Long finish.

Paired with Rabbit Vin Santo

  • 2013 Dirty and Rowdy Mourvedre FAMILIAR - USA, California (11/22/2014)
    Mind bendingly good. Not because of a complex experience within any one sip but because it’s really a different wine each sip. Takes about an hour to open up but then it displays beautiful fruit, similar to a Beaujolais or Lemberger, lithe, never heavy, just pure, gorgeous fruit. Deep, deep violets, like an Aglianico. But wait! Then there’s blood and iron. Still never heavy or flabby.

Drank half, then corked it and kept in the fridge for 14 days, then tried again. Same incredible deep violets on the nose, pure fruit in the mouth.

Paired with Black Cod Kasuzuke and Chestnut Miso.

  • 2004 Paul Dethune Champagne Brut Grand Cru - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne (10/28/2014)
    Consumed over 4 hours, I felt this was close to peak. Sophie suggests consuming their vintage wines within 3 years of disgorgement and this was April 2012.

At first very crunchy, crisp red berries, then evolving later into pear skins and finally white chocolate. Kept dancing between pinot flavors and chardonnay flavors, like two wines in one. The last nose was pure freshly baked sugar cookies.

A really fantastic wine that can outshine a big house at twice the price. 9g/l dosage.

Posted from CellarTracker

14 days?! The Dirty and Rowdy lasted a fortnight in your fridge?! Wow…

I do agree though, that stuff is interesting, and really special to boot.

man i can’t even get wine to stay the same after a night in the fridge, let alone 14 days

You need a colder fridge.

I recently drank through 6-7 D&R wines with Hardy which had been open for 9 days. They were fine.

The Dirty and Rowdy was in the walk in cooler at our restaurant at 36F so I couldn’t steal sips (and couldn’t serve it given it had been open so long). Still, impressive longevity given the very low tannins in the wine. I’d expect the Semillon to behave similarly given what I perceive to be high amino acids.