Rob Walters was in charge of organising our Monday Table last night. The theme was rare 1er Crus from Vosne- Romanée, and he devised some stonking brackets. The Flower Drum did a splendid job with service and the food was spectacular. Two wines were advanced, but the rest of the line-up was splendid.
Champagne
2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut: Some struck match to the aroma. Lightly toasty. Sweet peach fruit and plenty of spice. Full and frothy. Fresh and very long.
2004 Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé: A little advanced, showing some butterscotch notes. Dry and chalky, complex and spicy. Fruits have a waxy feel. Very deep and chewy. Good length. Rob mentioned that a recent bottle was much fresher, so let down by its cork a bit.
White Bracket. Rob thought we should explore Chassagne’s La Romanée, given the connection (in name only) to the main theme. He mentioned that Dancer and Pillot are great mates and that the Pillot parcel is at the top of the vineyard. Pillot picks exactly 7 days after Dancer each year here and in nearly every case their potential alcohols are exactly the same.
2007 Vincent Dancer Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée: Remarkably fresh. A nose of green melon, white peach, walnut and spearmint. Rich, intense, layered and long. Brilliant!
2010 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée: Far too advanced. Bruised apple central. Some acid drive to the palate.
2012 Vincent Dancer Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée: Some petrol-like reduction. Nice Arum lily florals. A touch of spice. Rich and layered with a good core of fruit. Generous and giving and drinking in the zone.
2015 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée: Melon and peach fruits. Some aniseed spice. Unctuous through the mid palate and good depth and drive. Fresh and persistent and quite delicious.
Reignots
1995 Bouchard Père et Fils Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots: The aroma is like red jelly crystals being hit with hot water. There’s florals and earthy nuance too. Fruits have a waxy feel and texture is silky. It has powdery tannins, good build and is expansive and long. Still youthful but starting to drink very well.
1999 Domaine Robert Arnoux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots: This grew and grew in the glass and was wonderful. There are light florals, smoked meats and some cedar. Red and black fruits are in high definition. It is deep and complex and velvety of texture. The finish is expansive and very long.
2009 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots: A real crowd pleaser. Deep, fleshy, luscious, and voluminous. Black cherry fruit with some rose petal and cedar. Asian spices with air. Really expansive and plenty of authority to the finish.
Malconsorts
2007 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: Looked like a wine that had plenty of whole bunch, but when the de-stemmed Cathiard was revealed, we knew we had been tricked by the vintage. Loads of rose petal and dried flower action. Red of fruit. Some beef stock and Hoisin development sneaking in. Silky and layered. Drinking somewhere near its apogee.
2009 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: A rich and opulent wine. Sweet berry and cherry fruits with some ginger spice. It is layered and deep, with waves of velvety fruits lapping around the gums. It has a creaminess through the mid-palate and good energy to the long finish.
2009 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts: A little reductive to begin with and showing some Vitamin B. Breathed up beautifully. There were perfectly ripe cherry and blackberry fruits. It had some light florals and a suggestion of orange oil. It was full and luscious, with real depth and presence. The finish was really long and expansive.
Beaux Monts
2005 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts: An open-knit nose of simmering beef stock, sweet berries and spice. Good flesh and volume. Plenty of minerality lurking. Balanced and possesses ample structure.
2006 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts: A punchy nose of sandalwood, pomegranate, raspberry and aniseed. It has a beautiful, luscious, sweet core and super silky texture. It builds through the palate and fans out on the very long finish, leaving a flora infused calling card.
2007 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts: As with the ’06, there’s plenty of sandalwood to the aroma here. It is red and black fruited and has some smoke, dried flowers and freshly grated ginger. It is deep, voluminous, layered and long. Such great balance and poise and very persistent.
Dessert Wine and Port
1995 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel: Apricot jam, lime brulee and honey. The palate has some spritz and is tangy and fresh. There’s slatey minerality and good acid cut to counter the wines sweetness. Excellent balance and in a very nice spot.
1967 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage Nacional: Punchy but clean spirit lift on the nose. It is loaded with chocolate and dark fruits. It is deep, sweet and rich, but so light on its feet. There’s plenty of spice and it is an ethereal drink that is so beautifully balanced and proportioned. The bottle was in spectacular condition and the Port was impeccable. Several at the table couldn’t believe how youthful it looked.