Sunday afternoon we had the opportunity to sample 15 1988 Nuits-St.-Georges, three whites and four reds from each of three vineyards. The tasting was put on by Casa del Vino at a new restaurant, Casa Viejo in Corrales. This restaurant was opened in a 400-year old building between six and nine months ago by a young couple from Napa (and other places). They presented an ambitious menu for the tasting, two small courses for each flight. With the three white 1988 Nuits St. Georges - Robert Chevillon ‘Vielles Vignes’ (commune level) and two 1er Crus: Domaine de l’Arlot 'Clos de l’Arlot and Henri Gouges ‘la Perrière’, they served a smoked salmon mousse on a sesame cracker and a lovely Brûléed Goat Cheese Danish. The Chevillon was the oldest tasting of the group - some oxidation, and a spicy dried fruit front, middle, and finish. The l’Arlot was rich, bright white fruit, with a balanced mid-palate with reasonable acidity, and a medium long finish. The Gouges was complex white fruits with a little less acidity and a longer finish. It was best with the salmon. The l’Arlot was best with the goat cheese. The Chevillon was ok with the food but was a bit lacking in acidity to really match well.
With the first red flight: four 1er Cru ‘Boudots’ - J-J Confuron, Joseph Drouhin. Georges Noëllat, and Jean Tardy, we were served a tasty mushroom strudel w/ parsnip purée on a Parmesan fonduta and a nice pork rillettes. The Noëllat was heavily corked and muted fruit. The Drouhin was possibly the best of the flight, the three remaining were remarkably similar - rich dark fruit, light acidity, and medium long finishes, with little of the hardness I associate with 1988s. They were all enjoyable with both the complex strudel and the flavorful rillettes.
The second red flight was four 1er Cru ‘Damodes’ from Faiveley, Machard de Gramont, Jaffelin, & jayer-Gilles with chicken & pork liver pâte on a crostini and a rich Bourgogne Roulade (mostly beef). This flight showed more differences between wines, probably because of lighter fruit and differing oak treatments. The fruit in each was a mix of red and black fruit. The Faiveley was possibly the best of the flight, with spicy fruit and good balance, and a long finish. The Machard de Gramont was rich, darker fruit with a distinct tannic backbone. The Jaffelin was the lightest and least complex of the group. For the Jayer-Gilles, the oak treatment subdued the fruit. The pâte and the roulade were enjoyable with each, less so with more oak.
Then with the final flight of four 1er Cru ‘Pruliers’ from Lucien Boillot, Georges Chicotot, Henri Gouges, & Jean Grivot, we had Duck Confit on a Potato Rosti and some lovely, Sweetbread Popcorn bites (deep fried in a delicate, light batter) with Porcini Oil. This was the richest of the three flights and very good with the foods. The Boillot was rich, bright fruit, ok acidity, and a medium long finish. The Chicotot was slightly lighter fruit, good acidity. with a medium long finish. The wine of the flight (and probably of the tasting) was the Gouges - rich, complex fruit, good acidity, and a long finish. The Grivot was quite good, but not in the league of the Gouges.
After this enlightening and enjoyable tasting, we had to hurry back to Santa Fe to rest up for our group dinner Sunday night. Fortunately the tasting started at one and was over by 3:30pm, so we got home around 4:30 and had an hour to recover before heading to Ackerman’s.