North Carolina Cookin' - WB Offline

[OwenJ]

Well, with a little a bit of Echezeaux still flowing through my veins I’ll do my best to honor the group and the evening!

We North Carolinians and nearby compatriots were able to do our part in getting together and living up to what it’s all about with a wonderful evening at Delancey Tavern in Durham, NC. Many thanks to Nick Christie for pulling some strings to get this great group together; and the weekend has only just begun!

Nick Christie, Karl Kazaks and his wonderful wife Jane, Fred B, Stan Yates, John Davila, Brent Keene, and myself.

Champagne, 20+ year old Riesling, 1980s Napa Cab, 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and ‘09/’10 Mugneret-Gibourg. What more could you possibly ask for?

Pair 1: Champagne

Chartogne-Taillet Les Couarres 2016, 100% Pinot Noir, degorgement 2021, dosage 5 gr/L, vinified in oak.

• You could tell it had some age, but despite being able to sense its minor oxidation it remained incisive, and had this almost frolicking wave of freshness. Quite good, and felt quintessentially Chartogne when compared to my memory of the C-T Sainte Anne’s I’ve had.

Famille Moussè Les Vignes de Mons Villages, 100% Pinot Meunier, degorgement 2023, dosage 0, NV.

• • Round, bruised apple, and compared to the Couarres was noticeably less acidic. This seemed to contextualize the green clay that Cuisles is known for. Although it seemed to have less depth compared to the Couarres, I do think it made up for it with breadth. Nice to have side-by-side!

Pair 2: Muller-Catoir

2004 Muller-Catoir Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Spätlese

• Retained a brightness that the 2001 had somewhat lost, it seemed to be the favorite amongst those I polled. Big agreement on “orange marmalade,” and there was persistent honeysuckle on the nose. Really a wine you could dive into enthusiastically, whether it’s your preference or not. Very enjoyable.

2001 Muller-Catoir haardter Bürgergarten Spätlese

• Although a perhaps on the downslope, or simply a slightly uncharacteristic bottle, this 2001 had some unique characteristics that set it apart from the ’04. Lots of subtlety between layers of sweetness and depth, slightly more herbaceous.

Flight 3: Napa Cabs

1985 William Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

• A little flat, the William Hill needed time to clear itself. Unfortunately it had very stiff competition in the Maycamas next to it, and the Mayacamas had stiff competition next to the Dominus… Anyway, some soapiness and flat, it eventually grew into a gentle blackberry on the nose and palate, but it just seemed to stall out after that.

1985 Mayacamas Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

• Fascinating to someone who has had no experience with older California cabs prior to this. I found it remarkable to find a wine that had clearly ripened so beautifully in its time, and all these years later was carrying itself along. Wild blueberry, marjoram, and that impressive acidity that carried on right as the fruit tailed off. Perhaps a little thin now, but that’s getting picky.

1989 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Blend (89% CS, 10% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot), 30% new barrels.

• I didn’t know the blend details until sitting down now at home, but it makes much more sense now. The first remark was how much more like Bordeaux this was next to the Mayacamas, and that clearly lies in the blending and some details of how they picked and vinified. Tobacco leaf, red currants, and such a distinct herbaceousness. Around 20 minutes aromas of chocolate appeared. Beautiful, and remarkably weightless for its character.

Pairing 4: CdP

I’ll admit that this pairing was simultaneously fun and confounding. Lots of opinions on how these wines have aged, but many of those opinions converging. Regardless, I really appreciated how these wines really wore their character on their sleeve. As Fred said, they clearly didn’t struggle to ripen the grapes that year. What really won me over was how these wines handled their dinner pairing of pork with grilled cabbage over a gritcake, with apple chutney. Couldn’t have been timed better.

2004 Chateau du Beaucastel

• Presented as the riper of the two, with that distinct pruniness. A brighter line of white pepper that ran through it, it worked quite well with the seasonings of the dish.

2004 Chateau du Pegau

• Such a colorful wine, with raspberry and the acidity and sweetness of a good lemonade. Strong black pepper carrying along, it partnered strongly with the wood-grilled flavors of the dish.

Pairing 5: ‘09/’10 Mugneret-Gibourg

Alright, let’s face it. Many of us looked forward to this flight, myself included. I wasn’t entirely sure I would ever live to taste wines like this, lol, but the generosity of friends…!

2009 Mugneret-Gibourg Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes

• Perhaps the most expressive wine of the night, the Feusselottes was sending every signal it could. Black cherries doused in a light rum, allspice, some small lactone influence, and spiced mocha. Just awesome. At 30 mins it was still going strong, but shifting in attitude. Some valerian root in the underbrush, with much of the same fruit character.

2010 Mugneret-Gibourg Echezeaux

• A clear favorite amongst the group, there was a lot of discussion around what characterizes this as a grand cru, especially when sitting next to a 1er of the same producer. Intense depth, strawberry stem, and quite juicy. What I found interesting was how it was clearly more tannic, with very mild astringency, and yet as Nick put it, it was distinguishable for its “harmony in the mid-palate.” I quite agree. Many sat with this in their glass for quite a long time, and I remember at 30 mins thinking that there was now a layer of red plum that had made its way into the glass. Special stuff, Stan was kind enough to let me take the empty bottle home. I don’t know if I’ll ever see another! Paired quite well with the chicken in cherry sauce with hash brown and mushrooms.

Dessert Wines:

Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2005

• Everyone loved this! Just crushable, John said he could have mainlined this through an IV, lol. Papaya, mango, citrus rind, ridiculously fresh and juicy. Thanks for showing us the light Brent!

Chateau Climens 1988

• Admittedly I had very little of this, but it seemed somewhat tight initially. Nice, classic Sauternes.

Foof! One for the books, I am indebted to you all. @Nick_Christie @Stan_Y @Karl_K @John_Davila @wbkeene @Fred_Bower

[wbkeene]

That was a lot of fun. Really enjoyed meeting everyone. Special thanks to @Nick_Christie for putting that together. Great company, food and drink.

I didn’t take formal notes, but I thought all the wines were all great. No corked bottles! I never drink older Rieslings so that was a nice treat. The ‘04 really popped with the food. Both champagnes were on point.

I don’t have much experience with Napa cabs, particularly 40-year old Napa cabs. If you blinded me, I wouldn’t have pegged any as Napa. The Dominus was interesting. Unique nose and very old world style imho. The Mayacamas came into its own with air and was quite nice. I liked it a lot with the steak frites. The subtle fruit really popped with the steaks with sandalwood and pencil shavings.

I have a fair amount of experience with early 2000 Chateauneuf but I was surprised how the Beaucastel had aged. It’s been a few years since I have had it. Much more “figgy” than I remember. Owen called it prunes, but certainly a dried fruit profile and some tobacco. It didn’t have that red-fruit character that I remember.
The Pegau has always been one of my favorites from the vintage. Still had that characteristic Pegau funk, but plenty of raspberry ganache and meaty flavors. It was one of my favorites of the night.

The Burgs both showed really well and were the highlight of the evening. I preferred the Ech but both were excellent. Echezeaux in general continues to deliver for me. Most of my favorite burgundies I’ve tasted have been from there. Nose on this one was quite earthy but the flavors were crushed strawberry fruit, spice and fresh earth. Very nice with the chicken and mushrooms.
The CM was very expressive and more floral. It really popped in the glass but felt a little more restrained and more mineral in the palate and cherry fruit.

There was discussion about the fruit on the two wines and I had asked about the difference in fruit intensity is the difference b/w GC and PC. The Ech certainly just seemed “more” in comparison. Both wines were just quite sillky in mouthfeel and just sort of glide in the mouth. Very nice.

The Baumard was really fun and is still super fresh. Lots of honeyed pear/apple and tropical fruit. If you’ve never had a Baumard QdC, I definitely recommend it. They aren’t like Sauternes. They just hit different.

Fun night and again very fortunate to be able to participate.

[Karl_K]

Good notes, Owne and Brent!

As for the figgy/pruny aspect of the 2004 Beaucastel I would conjecture that is due to a higher level of Mourvedre in the blend. Certainly educational to try them both side-to-sie.

I agree the Baumard was very nice.

Stan called the 10 Ech “expansive,” and I would certainly agree with that - it showed plenty of drive from the attack through the midpalate and finish. My immediate impression of the wine on the first sip was a sense of deep purity. Over time it developed concentration while still remaiing light in expresson - that concentration to me showing the future ageability of the wine - perhaps what Coates would call an indication of the “good breeding” of the wine/site/vineyards sources.

The 09 MG did not have that same level of concetnration but its fragance and delicacy were wonderful, IIt did not having the depth of the (still high-toned) Ech the wine was seductive and highly approachable.

Really illuminating to taste them both together.

It was great to get together with everyone!

[Pasquale_De_Marco]

Nice! Sounds like a fun time.
The 2001 Muller-Catoir haardter Bürgergarten Spätlese is one of my favorites.
Looks like you had the “2133” - upper right corner of label.
There is a “2134” which might show a bit younger, at least mine have.
Pat

[Fred_Bower]

It was great to put faces and voices to names. The format worked pretty well with the menu supporting the variety of wines we had on the table. I apologize to the left side of the table for my right-handedness in conversation.

My impressions…
For the Champagnes, I found a lemon Sweetart signature that I often get from pinot meunier-dominant Champagnes. It had a creaminess in the mousse that helped it expand on the palate. The Chartogne-Taillet had enough dosage for the fruit to envelop and expand on the palate. I revisisted it at the end of the night and it had become very deep with more bass notes. I liked both of these.

The rieslings were both nice with the food we had, especially the chicken wings. The 2001 was definitely more tired with a deeper color than the 2004. It showed dried apricot and kerosene and, if representative, is in need of drinking up. The 2004 is also ready, but still more on this side of the hill with more fresh fruit and a bit of citrus. Somebody pointed out that the 2004 was advertised as 8.5% ABV and the 2001 was 11.5% ABV. That difference did not show at all on the palate, to me. My preference was the 2004 and I think that opinion was universal at the table.

The old California wines were an interesting contrast. William Hill to Mayacamas was night and day on how aged/fresh they showed, respectively. The William Hill acted its age and had more leafy, dried fruit elements and was starting to fall out of balance. The Mayacamas is still showing fresh black fruited notes and was structurally suggestive of a long time at this plateau. The Dominus fit right in, despite being a bit younger and a blend. My initial impressions were that it was fully resolved and a well made wine that I just don’t “get”. Delicious, but I suspect others get more of a wow factor from it. I went back to it at the end of the night and thought it had added more depth and the steak course we had with this was certainly an amplifier of the experience. I think I ended up with Mayacamas on top in my ranking, but the Dominus was close behind it.

For the Chateauneuf du Papes, this was my first time having a Pegau Reservee and it was great. Both of these were fully integrated, ripe, and “Chateauneuf-y”. I didn’t get the prune notes on the Beaucastel that Owen mentioned and maybe perceived it as more on the fig side (positive for me). I ended up preferring the Beaucastel. It seemed to have a lot more going on, but at the expense of showing red-fruited character, which the Pegau certainly had more of.

The two Mugneret-Gibourg wines were both delicious. There were two contrasting factors at play - the vintage difference and the cru difference. The 2009 Chambolle Feusselottes seemed more round, red-fruited, and open-knit throughout the 38 seconds I was able to watch it evolve (small hyperbole, but this was very drinkable). It had that silkiness you want from a great Burgundy experience. The 2010 Echezeaux was much more structured and also much more expansive throughout the palate, start to finish. There was more spice and some blue/black fruits along with a more overt structural framework holding it all together. This one probably would have been worth decanting and watching evolve over the entire evening. Of course, we would have needed to have about 4 bottles of it to make it last that long. Loved both of these.

The dessert wines were both delicious. I drink about one bottle of dessert wine a year at home so being able to share a couple at the end of an event like this is a treat. The 2005 Baumard Quarts de Chaume was all fruit salad with a mineral backdrop hidden by the fruit. There is enough sweetness to make this a dessert wine but this is in no way cloying or thick. It does not seem this one had any botrytis affecting it, unlike the 1988 Climens was just starting to turn the corner into maturity. It showed more savory elements alongside the honeyed apricot and tangerine zest that I got as primary fruit descriptors. The finish was more structured and color more golden than the Baumard. The thickness of this wine is balanced by its acidity. In my limited experience, I think I tend to prefer Barsac to non-Barsac Sauternes.

Thanks to all for making this a fun night out!

Cheers,
fred

[OwenJ]

Excellent impressions from everyone!

Reading everyone else’s notes, particularly yours @Fred_Bower , does pull me into reflecting how unfamiliarity with a category can really shape the language I use to describe a wine. Some of the wines I almost feel bad for not having a clearer impression of, but it shouldn’t surprise me considering they’re essentially singular instances of my experience with the category (the CdP of that era for example).

Thank you all so much for sharing such special wines!

[Nick_Christie]

Look at all these awesome notes in this thread .

I was happy we pulled off an actual Wine Dinner in Durham & with very smooth aplomb. Karl making the trek into the Triangle was a lovely impetus. We’ll hopefully be able to include more locals in a future dinner.

As you can tell by these notes: Our Mottley Crew was able to have some lovely depth to our conversations . Good dialogues about these wines. And other stuff.

I’ll add some thoughts later, but honestly, this thread is already action-packed on thoughtful notes & wine impressions.

Which is lovely to see

[MackS]

Such excellent impressions. Fun to read from multiple POV. I also would have been looking forward to the MG flight

[Fred_Bower]

We have sent Nick back to his thesaurus for more words! They better be good ones!

And, in retrospect, maybe I should be apologizing to the right side of the table for the constant blathering.

Cheers,
fred

[P_L_owet]

Well done, everyone! Sounds great.

[wbkeene]

As good as the wines were, I continue to think about those fries as lunchtime nears.

[MChang]

Nick definitely is clutch at ordering fries at the right time.

[OwenJ]

In this case, that meant every single flight up until the MGs.

[wbkeene]

There was much rejoicing on our side of the table when we saw the steaks came with a boatload of those fries on the side.

[Stan_Y]

Some excellent notes up-thread. What struck me most in retrospect is that I should be drinking more 20 year old Riesling and mature dessert wines!

Adding to the earlier notes:

The 2004 Muller-Catoir not only retained freshness, it had a unique, not-quite-floral high note in the nose that made this wine stand out as special.

I picked up some reduction in the nose of the Beaucastel; by the time that blew off, I think the figgy notes had become more prominent. (This is pretty normal on the Beaucastel aging curve btw.) I have a soft spot for Pegau and have had several other vintages; the ‘04 came across as more primary and clean than I had expected.

The Dominus was my favorite of the cabs after a bit of metallic bottle funk blew off. Fully resolved but still very lively, with a fine middle, and a generous line of dark fruit remaining.

The Baumard was on fire, a real pop in the nose, sweet but not heavy, first time trying this. The Climens showed exactly how I had hoped, burnished complex and classy, balanced, just classic.

It was great meeting everyone. As many years as I’ve been on this board, even though NC is sortof out in the provinces, I’m a little surprised it’s taken this long to do an offline!

[wbkeene]

Curious for the folks that were there: if you had multiple bottles of those burgs would you be inclined to consume some now or wait before opening them after trying them at the restaurant? Did you feel they were in their drinking window?
For me, I don’t know what more I would want from those two wines, particularly the Echezeaux. I would be hard pressed to keep my hands off them. It would be nice to be able to try them again at the 20-year mark but they were quite giving now.
Also, I continue to feel that I prefer my wines slightly on the younger side of the curve.

[Rahsaan_M]

Sounds like an impressive Durham gathering, even without a @Nathan_V sighting!

Also, the location brings back memories of taking my little son to Cocoa Cinnamon down the block…

[Karl_K]

I would drink the Chambolle before the Ech as I feel the Ech has a longer runway ahead of it and holding it would give you the opportunity to experience it at a different point on its evolution.

That being said the Ech was delicious!!! And the Chambolle is still fresh with time to hold.

I would also keep trying other wines to keep gaining “data points.”

[MChang]

I don’t think there’s any rush on 09-10 Gibourg.

[Nick_Christie]

As Fred requested, I have gone to the Library for more words. It has been a busy Lego Weekend. My home is a truck depot

Overview

Very happy to have such fond memories of a very smooth Piedmont gathering. I am glad people were so enthusiastic to see Karl & Jane, as their visit gave me some leverage in getting us all together.

I like a range of Wine Regions when meeting people for the first time, and while future gatherings may be more focused, I thought this fluidity made for a good wine introduction. Plus, I like provoking/tricking people into giving actual opinions on wines, so having some leaps to different grapes/regions is very handy for generating authenticity.

Champagnes

I was very fond of the Les Couarres. Very Burgundian in its nose & character. Plenty of complexity without being compromised in any way. I am enjoying learning/revisiting some of these non big-houses this year. I do less experimenting with my own Champagne buying, and I like thinking about these wines afterwards.

This was excellent with food, and I like that a Champagne lieu-dit full of pinot noir can nonetheless elicit some wonderful White Burgundian notes. That’s more than a little fascinating. Good freshness & life in this wine. I quite enjoyed it.

Owen’s summary of the Zero-Dosage Mousse is quite on point. The language (less depth, more bruised apple) reveals why these kinds of wines aren’t really my favorite. They feel more of a magic trick than a wine that really brings out my inner meditations. Well-made in its fashion, but not a fashion that really speaks to me.

Rieslings

When quizzed on their thoughts on these Muller-Cattoir (And the merits of aged Spatlese) Owen & Brent spontaneously reenacted one of my favorite little scenes of 1999 Teen Romantic Comedy.

These WB kids thought the Rieslings were Skechers, sadly . Stan & Fred thankfully see the Prada in these wines. The 2004 was definitely in its prime of life. The 2001 I’ve drank through, and I think my last bottle was a few years go. And at 20-21 years was still showing excellently. This 01 just lost a little bit of acid, but it’s hard to say whether that’s bottle variation of an overall comment. Loved this 2004. Stan’s note on this is very concise & on point. Harmonious, floral, and with a little je ne sais quoi in its interplay.

Old Napa

Karl is much much one of my old Napa brethren. And he was very gracious to bring us two excellent wines. My William Hill had a lot of Claret qualities. Fred lays out that Tobacco quality. Had it more acid & structure, it would have been more evocative of a wine like '85 Ducru-Beaucaillou. Loved its nose, but the rest of the wine didn’t come along.

Both the Mayacamas & the Dominus had their luxurious merits. I love a flight like this because you can really take your time and see different kinds of pure Napa Cabernet in their aged glory. And see how they shift a bit with some air. I really enjoy going down this list of notes above me and see everyone’s little palate notes & opinions with these two wines. These wines are very thought-provoking in their character. And, as we know, will eventually be somewhat lost to time compared with the wines coming after them.

Both beautiful wines with the steak & frites. And Completely did their job of making us all enjoy in their ease & think on their complexity.

Chateauneuf

The Pegau was a lot cleaner than what I’m used to. The Wine Advocate adored these wines & this was a fun example of that style of wine making. A bit big in the mouth but with lots of freshness of fruits. I enjoyed Owen talking through his deep lemonade background on this wine .

I have a hard time with the Fig of the Beaucastel. Unsure if more bottles will follow suit or if this wine had an issue with its ripeness/structure balance.

Mugneret-Gibourg

Another very thoughtful discussion with these wines. As you can read above. Very elegant & easy to love. Plenty of Sophistication to chat about their respective nuance.

The 2009 Feusselottes had very elegant aromatics, and was very open for expression. It was more ‘premier cru’ in its mid-palate. A little less depth, less substantive roundness. An interesting contrast with the 2009s that Michael brought to NY (Ruchottes & Clos Vougeot). We found those wines utterly sensational and undeniable in their quality. This Feusselottes is an excellent wine. Its lightness & front-loaded quality is a contrast to the Grand Crus.

The 2010 Echezeaux was harmonious & beautiful. Even more finely balanced & beautifully textured. Both these wines showed MG silk; the Echezeaux had more richness & gentle structure to its silk. Adding layers of complexity & substance. A wonderful wine to ponder & enjoy.

These wines set a high bar for Burgundy.

Bonus Bottles

Both of these really excelled. I drank a lot more dessert wine in my youth than I do now. These guys were adamant in bringing these jewels, and they were a blast to taste.

Baumard was every bit as crushable as others have written. Really beautiful balance in its acid. Very much a joyous wine. The Climens was a little more restrained by comparison, but showing all the elegance of the 1988 vintage. Very ideal version of a ‘slightly’ less sweet than expected Sauternes but still with youthful color & classic style. Really good as well.

Fin

A very interesting group of characters. I could have used even more Fred blathering about his travels to Asia and experiences with wines over the years. And Stan and I did not talk nearly as much about music as we could have.

And Owen & Brent delivered on their energy and enthusiasm in full bore. Such energy is very motivational for us a little more set in our patterns. I very much enjoyed listening to them go through the wines. Especially the wines of first impression.

Hopefully our next event will be similarly successful.