For next time then, it’s tempting to ignore your 2nd post, Zack and say “2001 Leflaive Chevy Montrachet. That is all”
But I won’t. Suggestions for future or others interested? Maybe if you can source a Cecile Tremblay Vosne 1er or Echezeaux from 09 or 10 or even 05 if back that far?
Both your choices sound great. And yes, Taupenot-Merme makes a half barrel or so each year of the Lambrays—CdL has been trying to get Romain to part with it for years. The 1999 version was my WOTY a few years ago, it was absolutely sublime.
Christiane is great but as a $450+ wine it is just silly. I am actually glad it is $600+ now because then I don’t even have to think about it - at $400 maybe I’d buy some and then just feel crappy about spending so much. The whole point of the wine was that you were getting something like a Vosne-Romanee grand cru without paying Richebourg or RSV (much less La Tache) prices. At $600, screw it, just get some Richebourg. And like I said before, for what it is, it has plenty of cheaper competitors in the 1er cru space too - Dujac Malconsorts, various Gaudichots. Sounds like a pretty good theme for a blind tasting actually.
Gerhard has posted some killer tastings here including one just like this and one about Chambertin v. Beze. Both really, really helpful just to read.
But opening more than two bottles at any one event, regardless of the number of attendees, is a gluttonous waste and destroys what wine is all about and the person who does it doesn’t deserve to drink wine. Wine is meant to be contemplated, only over dinner, only one bottle at a time, not actually consumed. You cannot compare two wines to each other. You cannot rate wine as if it were a skirted lawyer strolling past your construction site. Wine is subjective. The idea that wine change is caused by human activity is a myth. Etc.
Burgundy is small production wine so you can’t expect any suggestions you get to actually be available for purchase at any particular place or time. Where are you posting from? You’ll probably get more useful responses if people can see what’s out there in your market and which auctions are available to you.
I was also thinking Lignier (Hubert), or Dujac CDLR as still fitting in this price range for bottles with age. Would appreciate those as a gift, they are really good producers that most experienced Burg lovers would appreciate. If the recipient already has a cellar full of high-end Burgs though, wondering if they would also appreciate something outside of what they collect. (Someone bring me a couple of bottles of 1990 LLC please .)
Wine Searcher shows a 1999 Rossignol-Trapet Chambertin for $500. Excellent wine. I have not tried the 1999 Trapet Chambertin at around the same price, but Trapet is an outstanding producer.
I think trapet is better more recently than in the past, it may be the most rapidly improving large estate in burgundy (alongside places like Hudelot Noellat, Arnoux-Lachaux and Bruno Clair). I’ve had the 99 and 01s and they are pretty good, but I think the wine is better now.
The 1999 Trapet is good, but in recent vintages, the wines have gone up several notches. Not sure exactly when the change took place, but the 2013 was stellar for the vintage. The 2016 Chambertin was superb, a standout in a generally strong vintage.
I tasted the Jouan Clos Saint Denis 2022 last week, and would highly recommend it. Made from ancient vines,this definitely had old vine intensity. The Clos Sorbe, usually the steal of the Jouan range, seemed to suffer from the vintage ripeness, and I far preferred the 2021.
If your friend loves Burgundy and it’s a special occasion gift, I’d go for an iconic bottling. Many will be well outside the $1000 ballpark, but if you can stretch the budget like 10-20%, I think you would be able to find some Rousseau Clos St Jacques from solid vintages.
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and say “2001 Leflaive Chevy Montrachet. That is all”
Suggestions for future or others interested? Maybe if you can source a Cecile Tremblay Vosne 1er or Echezeaux from 09 or 10 or even 05 if back that far?
.)