ANDREW’S AND HOWARD’S BIRTHDAY DINNER - Hippopotamus Restaurant, Wellington (11/12/2014)
Andrew’s and my birthdays are reasonably close. Or at least close enough to justify a birthday dinner where we could ask our wine loving friends to bring wines from their cellars for a dinner to celebrate!
The venue was the excellent Hippopotamus Restaurant in the Museum Hotel.
To have a coherent tasting we asked attendees to bring particular types of wines and ordered them into flights of two or three wines. All wines were served blind.
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1990 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année - France, Champagne
Colour dark gold. An interesting nose with aromas of grapefruit and spice. Oxidative, showing a bit of age with savoury notes. On the palate, a little residual sulphur (I did not detect on bouquet) and savoury flavours such as chicken stock. A serious, complex flavour profile showing real development (my guess was 1996, then 1988), mealiness, chalk and minerals. I initially thought this was highly oxidative in the glass, but then the acids came through. Once revealed, with hindsight, the house style was obvious, obscured by the age. Very good. I thought it was on its drinking plateau, probably for the next five years or so. -
2002 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
Light colour. Much fresher on the nose than the Bollinger, citric, but in an oxidative style. Sweet on entry, the impression of a high dosage, also some sulphur on palate. But this is a youthful, primary wine with brisk acidity. Oxidative and quite sweet across the palate, but with nice minerality on the back. This Champagne, showing clear Dom house style, was complex and very classy, but really needs 10+ years cellar time. -
2001 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
The gold colour of the wine showed some evolution. The nose was initially subdued but then blossomed in the glass into a gorgeous, multi-layered bouquet, that could only be quality Hermitage Blanc with some age. It seems a shame to drink it, the bouquet is so good, with aromas including tropical fruit, apricot, citrus, lanolin, talc, grapefruit, meadow flowers and smoke. On the palate, the wine had a lovely unctuous, oily texture. The wine shows excellent density and volume of rich and ripe fruit. Showing some pleasing evolution, the palate was also multidimensional, with flavours including apricots, toffee, yellow peaches, butterscotch, lemon honey, citrus and minerals. Excellent structure, acidity, balance and length. Superb, in it’s optimal drinking window now, but no hurry to drink, I would think. -
2012 La Pèira en Damaisèla Vin de Pays de l’Hérault Deusyls de la Pèira - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault
A bright, lighter coloured wine, showing some youth. A pleasant, fresh, floral bouquet, a little herbaceous, with apricot and mixed herbs, a real contrast with the Chave. Other than detecting the possibility of Viognier, I had no idea as to this wine’s identity (Southern Rhone?). In the mouth, fresh and bright, showing good, racy acidity. Herbaceous, mineral and citric, this individual, interesting wine finishes on a sweet note. I would drink this wine in the next five years or so. -
2002 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
A nose of petrol and kerosene tells you that this is clearly Riesling, with a little age. Also aromas of burnt toffee apple, ore, peaches and pears, with some florality. On the palate, there is surprising freshness. Lovely tactile mouthfeel, unctuous with a complex flavour profile of minerals, green apples, citus, honey and orchard fruit, finishing on its residual sweetness. This is a very good Riesling, drinking very well at the moment, but with many years ahead of it. -
2005 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
The first of a trio of white Burgundies had a pale colour. The nose was a little shy, but showing perfumey, lightly scented florals, spice and lemon. On the palate, this wine shows real depth and power, with a viscous, tactile mouthfeel. The wine is actually quite primary, it clearly needs more time, including for the fairly prominent oak to fully integrate. It seemed fairly low acid, but had sufficient acidity. The flavour spectrum was metals and gravel, pears, lemon, bread dough and chalk. A very promising Grand Cru, I’d hold for 5-10 years, if possible. -
2005 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
A more golden colour suggested (wrongly) more age than the Carillon. A more attractive nose than the Carillon of white flowers, butterscotch, grapefruit rind, treacle and honey notes. A little toasty, spicy oak is present on bouquet. On palate, this is superb, I preferred it to the Carillon. Impressively structured and proportioned, with excellent fruit weight and power. Precise, focused and balanced. Flavours of butterscotch, honey, lemons and grapefruit and flint. Drinking on its plateau now but it should have years ahead of it. -
2004 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Light gold colour. A bouquet of citrus, minerals, gun flint and limestone. On palate, the first impression is of the sparkling, bright acids still present, notwithstanding some evolution. Good precision and focus, as you would expect from the climat. Again this wine has good mid palate fruit weight and power. The flavours are almonds, trace elements, clotted cream and lemons. The toasty oak is visible but now quite well integrated. This is quite long and finishes dry, on that minerality. I’d drink this wine in the next five years. -
2002 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
The Lafarges served blind, in a pair. A gorgeous nose of small red berries, perfume and spice. Luscious on the palate, showing the richness, ripeness and quality of the 2002 vintage. Still quite tight, just beginning to become approachable. Excellent fruit weight, structure and length. Ideally, I’d cellar this wine for five or more years. -
2005 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
This wine was double decanted two hours before serving. A bright, primary colour. There are serious, huge tannins, monumental structure and a large volume of fruit here. I suspect that one day, in at least 15 years, this will be a very good wine. I found it a little drying on the finish and thought I picked up a little greenness, but you cannot really assess this wine this young. Definitely a wine to hold, not to open in the next few years. -
1996 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
The Comte Armands served blind, in a pair. A bright garnet colour. A gorgeous, spicy, perfumed nose, in my view better than the 1998. Quite a complex bouquet with notes of warm earth, violets and red berries. On the palate, the first impression is of the racy, bright acidity, reflecting the vintage. The acids were not over-prominent and lent a nice freshness, focus and vibrancy to the wine. I preferred it to the 1998 because it was more ready to go. Good structure, fruit weight, length and power, with savoury, dry underbrush and red fruited flavours prominent. No hurry to drink this though. -
1998 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
A deeper colour than the 1998. The nose of the 1998 was dumber, less luxuriant than the 1996, but with similar notes of earth and red berry fruit. On palate, this wine was still very primary. It showed less acidity than the 1996, with richer, more luxuriant fruit. Flavours more dark berries than the 1996, also game meats, with a suggestion of animale. But it was quite unresolved and blocky and needs at least five more years to come together. -
2001 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Served blind beside the DRC. Deep ruby colour. A beautiful nose of raspberry jam, red berries, Indian spices, dark earth, a full peacock’s tail of aromas. On the palate, your first impression is of the beautiful, crystalline fruit, after a relatively sweet entry. I’m immediately thinking Chambolle but this wine clearly has impressive, serious Grand Cru fruit weight and drive. It is elegant and laser-like focused, with its power and gravitas below the surface: the classic iron fist in a velvet glove. Besides the beautiful fruit sweetness there is a lovely, refined tannin structure, and excellent detail and length. The wine is fairly youthful with years ahead of it, of course. Thanks very much Mike. -
2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Deep garnet colour. And wow, what a gorgeous nose! A full spectrum of aromas: spice, perfume, violets and other dark flowers, sweet, dark cherries and other red and black fruits … very aromatically complex. Another wine where you just want to take it in the corner and sniff it for half an hour. On the palate, this wine is hugely intense, large scaled but very focused. Quite explosive on the palate. The palate shows some evolution and is in a lighter style with sappy and spicy flavours (the latter partly from the oak, not yet fully integrated). Multi-layered with a complex flavour profile. Nick said he chose this DRC for its combination of the forward vintage and the site, notwithstanding Burghound indicating a drinking window from 2019. Accessible now, but this wine will improve in the medium term in the cellar, no doubt. Thanks very much Nick. -
1998 Château Latour à Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
The first of a flight of non-Burgundies, again all served blind. Clearly a Right Bank Bordeaux nose of plums, blackberries and warm earth. On palate, Pomerol is also no surprise, with a flavour profile dominated by spicy plums, cherries and blackberries. The fruit here is very ripe, with lush and quite gorgeous flavours. The scale, structure and fruit weight here are large. On the reveal, the vintage is a surprise however, as the wine seems very young and relatively primary for a 16 year old. A very good Pomerol with many years ahead of it, I would hold for 5-10 years minimum. -
2001 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Deep, fairly primary looking colour. A lovely, expressive bouquet of ripe berries particularly blackberries and other dark fruits, crème de cassis, with chalk and peppery and savoury notes. Gorgeous, fully (but not over-) ripe, rich fruit. Impressive structure, fruit weight and length, with excellent flavour complexity, spicy and savoury. Suave, fine grained tannins. Excellent vibrant acidity, just quite primary and a little closed at the moment. An excellent wine I would hold for 5+ years if I had a bottle. -
2004 Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata - Argentina, Mendoza
Deep purple colour, the wine looked very young. An attractive, modern bouquet of spicy plums, blackberries, cassis, dark chocolate, with some toasty oak aromas present. On palate, clearly a deep, powerful, large scaled wine in the international style. Fully ripe. The oak carried onto the palate with flavours of vanilla, cassis, espresso and herbs. For a 10 year old wine, this is also quite primary and an excellent wine if you like this style. -
2007 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
This was my wine, so it was not blind to me. I have recently had several bottles of this wine, including in the context of a Climens mini-vertical, and have also recently tasted the top 2001 Sauternes/Barsacs, including d’Yquem and Climens. The 2007 Climens is presently my favourite Sauternes/Barsac of the noughties (although some of those 2001s may ultimately surpass it). Colour fairly deep gold. A lovely, multi-dimensional bouquet with aromas of apricots and yellow orchard fruits, baking spices, Manuka honey, pineapple, white flowers, citrus zest and minerals. There is some spicy oak in the background, but in proportion with the fruit. Fresh on entry to the palate. It is the balance between precision and finesse, on the one hand, and serious power, intensity, concentration and structure on the other, that makes this a great wine. Lovely racy acids, yet unctuous, glycerol and luxuriant at the same time. The flavour profile is complex and multi-layered. Drinking beautifully now, with a long life ahead of it obviously. -
1999 Disznókő Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos - Hungary, Tokaji
I picked this as a Tokaji and it performed very well up against the 2007 Climens and my creme brûlée. Deep gold colour. An attractive, expressive nose of spices, apricot, candied mandarin and glycerol. On the palate there is real concentration and power here. Decadent and opulent, with gobs of fruit, but with good acidity. There were orange marmalade, peach and candied citrus fruit flavours, but also Asian spices and minerals, providing complexity. Rich and very sweet, but not overdone or cloying. An excellent Tokaji, no hurry to drink here. -
2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
The Huet was a no doubt a very good wine in the wrong place. It didn’t have the residual sugar, up against the Climens and the Tokaji in this lineup and my creme brûlée, for me to fairly evaluate it. Helen made this point quite forcefully in a short declarative sentence of monosylabic words to Andrew.
Andrew S also brought a couple of other bottles of dessert wines I somehow missed out on. I only had eyes for the Climens. Other attendees may be able to comment about them.
A great night! Thanks to all attendees for their contributions and great company!
Posted from CellarTracker
. I wondered at the “reveal” whether the first two WBs had been swapped for some at the table, and I wonder again now, as I thought the Carillon BBM the darker by a margin. For me, the Ramonet was great (but young!) and showed the spearmint signature associated with the domaine, especially on the nose. The Carillon was quite awkward at first. Of course, there’s only one way to tell whether you had them round the right way, so that’s something to look forward to 
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