Blake - Thank you for your great notes. I am encouraged by your comments on the 96 Krug. I have two bottles left and have been unable to decide on whether to keep or drink. Seems like time to enjoy one.
Yes on initial open, I like to decant the non-Bourgogne blancs for an hour if itās overwhelming and the fruit usually comes out more.
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clever for a wine tasting. Intentional?
And what a great venue. Spent a couple nights at SY Ranch last December and ate there both nights, loved it.
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Strongly recommend opening one NOW. Be aware, how it shows may not be indicative of how the other one will be.
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Iām not that clever; just edited to correct. Thanks for the notice.
Curious what they charged for corkage? Last time I was there it was $20 (pretty good for that venue, but this was before the remodel).
Nice āonlyā pic of OKR! Itās a fun pub, one of the few places in town that serve draught Boddingtonās.
In a generous Public Relations move, Blake found a local Celebrity to aid me in showing off a Happy California Face 
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Much better!
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Nick, if you popped that ladyās hat on, you could masquerade as a Venetian gondolier.
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I am so happy, NIck, that you got to see Blake on his home turf with the wonderful wine friends he has cultivated there.
this was maybe the best champagne Iāve had in the last few years and that includes many superlative bottles
That is quite a statement, my friend. I love 06 Comtes, probably the most of any vintage of it Iāve had, and that includes an 02 as well.
I was fortunate to have the 13 En Remilly on my last visit with Blake and friends:
" Flinty and mineral and apple bring the 2nd wine into focus. Itās beautifully strict, with lemon, flint and apple core. Showing like a star. I guessed 14 PYCM and Batard maybe? Nope, itās the 2013 PYCM St. Aubin En Remilly I really think this was my # 2, it was that good. Love the structure to bits"
Iām surprised Nick consented to put such a young Burgundy white (the 2017) in his mouth. 
Looks like all the reds showed extremely well and faithfully.
A bientot
MIke
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Jeremy, Iāve been waiting for Nick to respond and since he has not, that is my wife who is from the Netherlands; so, you got part of it right in that she is from the country of canals.
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this was maybe the best champagne Iāve had in the last few years and that includes many superlative bottles
That is quite a statement, my friend. I love 06 Comtes, probably the most of any vintage of it Iāve had, and that includes an 02 as well.
I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME COMING UP WITH MY FAVORITE CDC. HAVE HAD A LOT OF THE 2006 (FOR A WHILE, BLAKE KEPT POSTING TASTING NOTES AND I KEPT BUYING BOTTLES FROM ENVOYER), BUT MY FAVORITE OF RECENT VINTAGES IS THE 2008 AND I ALSO LOVE THE 2007, WHICH SEEMS TO GET BETTER EVERY TIME I GO BACK TO IT (SAME WITH THE 2007 DOM RUINART). AND, 2006, 2007 AND 2008, WHAT A TRIO OF VINTAGES. THEN, THERE IS THE 1996. THANKFULLY, I DONāT HAVE TO CHOOSE.
Iām surprised Nick consented to put such a young Burgundy white (the 2017) in his mouth.
I AM SURPRISED THAT NICK HAD DINNER WITHOUT ANY GERMAN RIESLING. WE IN DC HAVE NEVER DONE THAT TO NICK. 
Howard, we did not know what we did not know or a German Riesling or 3 would have been in the mix. The emphasis was put on Nickās response to his #1 fav, red Burgundy.
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(Laughs)
You know, Blake is only a few years older than me & yet he is so much more on point with his posting schedule regimen 
. I accept his gentle chastisement that I need to set aside my weekend domestic errands to transcribe some necessary wine thoughts!
Yes, that is the very celebrated Roelanda joining me in the photo above. Simultaneously a local SB celebrity & also a featured player on the Champagne threads with her many sunset pics with Blake. She & I had a few brainstorming sessions about 2025 canal seasons 
. We agree with Jeremy: weād run a pretty chic private boat operation .
It is good to see old friends remembering my drinking quirks! For the Record, Iāve posted some very happy notes on '17 Grand Cru White Burgs (Batard & Bienvenue-Batard) as well as some Raveneau. So, you know, I do have some kind thoughts on 17s. All that being said: it is true that Iād much rather show up with some 20-yr old Spatlese in tow than the great majority of young White Burgs. Blakeās group was so wonderfully generous in planning such an exceptional lineup. And the folks were very vocal in their love for the PYCM style. So I had my small tastes and listened to their joy.
When Blake & I were chatting about potential ideas (once I realized weād have less than 10 people but likely more than 10 wines) I actually suggested simply having two flights of Champagne & then going into the Red Burgundy. In other wordsā¦ I suggested going full Michael Chang 
(Chuckles) You know, along with many others, @MChang has taught me a lot these past few years. Which I shall expand upon in some more wine-centric notes below. And other than my devotion to Riesling, his patterns & savvy are noticeable in their effect on me. No man is an island, I supposeā¦
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Wine Thoughts:
First of all, to the surprise of no one, re-reading Blakeās conscientious presentations are a joy. His notes are so detailed and flowing. And, as my table companion at our end, we certainly chatted a lot about each wine throughout the evening. So, rather than give my own comprehensive takes, I wish to focus on just a couple of wines. Particularly the most thought-provoking.
1996 Krug
This was an especially unique bottle in my eyes. Namely it was very much in the gloaming zone of oxidative but remarkable fresh & composed in its structure. It was like a Roger Deakins low-light piece of Cinematography. Transfixing.
I thought this wine was more than āgood.ā I found it special. Sure, muted oxidative nose. Visually āflatā compared to the Comtes. But in the mid-palate and then onto the finish it had a stunning, lithe crystalline structure in the mouth. Simultaneously some bright, blood orange & Apricot soaked in broth. Like a North African Tagine. With a fresh, powerful verve. Iāve had several 1995 Krug and each one has been bright-eyed and exceptionally youthful. A few tight, even. And this '96, advanced in color as it was, still had that raw structure coalescing through the mouthfeel and finish.
It was pretty baffling that so much of the table thought it so āmid.ā And Iām not a old Champagne completist, by any means. But this '96 was neither flat, nor reductive in the nose. (Shrugs) I get that most of us enjoy wine from front to back. But sometimes, a wine can start in the middle and still be lithe & dancing. I didnāt follow this all night, so I donāt know what happens as the wine warms up or gets more air. But, my two half-glasses were exceptional. I was grateful to try this.
I donāt know if guys like @Brad_England or @Jeremy_Holmes or @Alex_Valdes or @MChang or @Mike_Evans have any thoughts on this āzoneā of older champagne. I know they have vastly more experience than I, so I welcome their stories. But I have a hard time recalling a āChampagne on the borderā, if you will, like this 1996 Krug. Almost a one-of-one Champagne experience for me, it was that unique.
2010 Dujac Clos de la Roche
Front-to-back, this wine was a true stunner. So much beautiful tea smoked duck on the nose. A textured mid-palate. A finish with finesse but also a touch of grip & mineral structure. Exceptionally textbook demonstration of what āGrand Cruā can represent.
One of the thrills of Burgundy is when the puzzle pieces of various vineyards and producers overlap in beautiful ways. But for Michael Chang, I would never think to taste a 2020 Lignier MSD, V.V. but it is eerie how that 2020 is the Burgundy I have had recently that most emulated in symmetry the nose of the Dujac. 10 years from now, that wine will undoubtedly evolve differently, particularly as the back-end of the Lignier was so brooding & shut. But itās fascinating learning & experiencing the poetry of the Cote Nuits and seeing different authors materialize verse in different ways & vintages.
1998 Arlot RSV
Another special wine. Given the uniformity of consensus in choosing the Dujac as wine of the night, I tried hard to present a case for this wonderful signing Magnum. Ultimately, I couldnāt do it as the Dujac simply had more complexity and je ne sais quois. But I adored this wine, too. Exceptionally elegant and full of juicy finesse. And juicy mouthfeel. Without being opulent or primary. The sort of wine you keep wanting to have in your mouth as it is simply so easily approachable and delicious. Another very generous bring & I hope other bottles shall show as well as this one.
I have had some fantastic '98s these past six months. Highlighted by this RSV and a '98 Bonnefond Ruchottes-Chambertin.
2008 Mongeard-Mugneret Clos de Vougeot
Blakesās runner-up Burg of the evening was my third. Precisely for that lovely finish of spice & pepper to go along with its sophisticated structure. A more āclassicalā Grand Cru Burgundy than the RSV or the Dujac, but so well-balanced and full of character.
You know, it is haunting how wonderful it is to have two or three glasses of Burgundy to linger over and witness the kaleidoscope of flavor & structure. Finishing the night with the '10 Clos de la Roche, the '08 Clos de Vougeot, and the '98 RSV was a wonderful hour+ of my summer. Especially on an outside veranda in the hills. To be able to shift back and forth between such beautiful demonstrations of winemaking with each its own signature style is a rare & extremely memorable present.
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Iāve had the 96 Krug probably a half dozen times in the past year or two. The first time we had it, it sounded more similar to your example, oxidative but not oxidized, but vinous and sensual. The next couple bottles were fresh and bonkers good. I imagine a great deal is bottle condition and storage. When itās on, itās one of my favorite champagnes, in many cases giving salon and clos de mesnil a run for their money.
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This could be an idea that takes offāThe āMichael Changā. Love it!
Your notes are, of course, a gorgeous counterpoint to Blakeās. May you have many more such wonderful hours, my friend. Super-interesting that the Lignier MSD came to mind with the Dujacāintriguing.
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Guys,
How ready to drink was the Mongeard-Mugneret Clos Vougeot? I have a couple of bottles of their 2008 Echezeaux and am looking for some guidance as to when to start opening them.
Nick, you are becoming a legend! Awesome!
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For me, my experience when drinking 2002+ champagne and pre-2000 champagne (assuming nothing is late disgorged) together is usually a showing of sharp differences. As it gets older, the forgiveness shrinks, revealing any flaws (either at the bottle of winemaking level) that might have always been lurking. Seems like this parcel of wines might have not been a great set of bottles - the flaws are starting to crack what is a very strong foundation in 96 Krug.
Sounds like a wonderful evening of revery. Glad you all enjoyed!
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