TN: Dinner in LA (w/ pics)

WINE TALK
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DINNER AT ELITE - Elite Chinese Restaurant - Los Angeles, CA (9/10/2014)

Big group got together at Elite to open a nice selection of wines. Lots of champagnes! Thanks to everyone for being there…and to Charlie and Juyuan for all the Chinese help!
Champagne Starters

  • 1995 Lilbert-Fils Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru Cramant - France, Champagne, Cramant, Champagne
    I was very fond of this. It didn’t have much in the way of bubbles, but the chardonnay was very tasty and rich. Reminded me a bit of some Jura chardonnays that has really nice apple and lemon notes. If you’re looking for a chardonnay with lots of bubbles, this may not be what you’re looking for. (90 pts.)
  • 1988 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
    Definitely more advanced than other bottles I’ve had. Lots of waxy apple tones, some minerals, and pears. Still a very tasty champagne, but it was definitely lacking energy. (90 pts.)
  • 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque - France, Champagne
    About the same as the bottle I had a couple weeks earlier. Big and brawny, this is a powerhouse. Tons of dense, creamy, toasty, lemon and apple tones with a very firm bubble. I came back to this later in the night and the firmness had broken down a bit, but this is a bottle that’ll reward patience. (94 pts.)
  • 1997 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
    Big and rich, this had a really creamy, toasty thing going on. Along with the bakery-in-a-glass note, I liked its lime and slate tones too. Had nice balance, but lacked a touch of acidity. Very good, though. (91 pts.)
  • 1997 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne
    Beautiful stuff. With air, this developed a freshness and crispness that made this seemed a bit more focused than the other champagnes on display. Loved the minerality and citrus notes on the palate…great balance, drinking incredibly well. (94 pts.)
  • 2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne
    The first bottle of this I tried seemed a bit more advanced while this had more firmness and tightness (as I would have expected with such a young Krug). This had lots of great material, and the beautiful toasty notes that Krug always seems to have…that “bakery-in-a-bottle” thing. Should reward patience…the firmness here was noteworthy. (92 pts.)
  • 2002 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne - France, Champagne
    This was my first time trying this, and it really blew my hair back. Tons of toasty notes that I love, and big, dense citrus tones. Certainly young, I’d love to get my hands on some of this for some long-term aging. (93 pts.)

White Burgundies

  • 2004 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    The guys in LA love their Boillot! They always seem to open some of these gems when I’m in town…and boy am I always happy about it! This had a cool, sleek slate and citrus personality to it. A bit timid (in a relative sense), but beautiful all the same this had an elegant floral note on the finish. (93 pts.)
  • 2008 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Just a brief taste. Nice flinty notes, with lots of fresh lemon and lime zest tones. Young, but showing great promise already. (91 pts.)
  • 2010 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Lots of crystalline fruit, florals, and flint on the nose…probably a bit closed down, but still smells great. The palate was a bit rigid at first…opening up with some air. Great material…lots of lime, lemon, flint…just beautiful. Will be great with time. (92 pts.)

Everything Else

  • 2007 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
    Holy tropical fruit, Batman! I haven’t had a Brézé in a while and had forgotten how powerful they can be…the fruit here was just massive and sappy. It had some good minerality and acidity, but this all about the big peach, lychee, and mangos. Let it sleep! (90 pts.)
  • 1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
    “Surprise! We’re open for business!” said the 1996 Burgundy. “Oh really?” I replied, “Yeah, I’ve been shut down for the past 10 years or so and figured that tonight seemed like a great time to show what I’m made of…whaddya think?”

“I’m still reeling from the fact that you’re open for business…but, yeah, you have some really sweet dark fruit with a nice meaty, brothy edge to it.” I said.

“That’s cool.” said Bonnes Mares…“I’ve heard other people talk about the meatiness too.”

“You’re a big wine too” I marveled. “You’ll be around for a while I bet!”

“Shit, I hope so…lots to see and do, ya know?” (96 pts.)

  • 1996 Georges Lignier et Fils Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
    Awesome wine that with some air really fleshed out and showed beautiful fruit, florals, and some earth. Yum! (93 pts.)
  • 2009 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
    What a beautiful nose! Dark, deep and perfumed with lots of florals, wet earth, and red fruits. The palate was juicy, fresh, and YOUNG. Certainly time will do wonders for this wine, but it’s already drinking nicely. I think some of the earthy tones will develop with time…right now it’s mostly about the fruits. (93 pts.)
  • 1998 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    I’ve enjoyed this vintage a lot in the Northern Rhone and this was a fine example (to my tastes). Tons of meaty, earthy, raw Syrah fruit here with some licorice too. A very traditional, rustic Syrah…just loved it. (94 pts.)
  • 2004 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    Beautiful nose of meat, dark fruit, earth, and violets. The was very nice…firm, but showing nice complexity. Dark fruits, earth, beefy notes, and more violets. This is probably entering its peak…should be in a good place for a while. (93 pts.)
  • 2005 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
    My first Schrader. It’s big, and has a lot of powerful dark fruits packed in there. Definitely a glossy wine that is filled with lots of rich and sweet fruit. Balanced though, and with a few more years some secondary tones may emerge from the big fruit. (88 pts.)
  • 2007 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Gewürztraminer Spätlese - Germany, Pfalz
    Exotic and spicy, this was delicious. Only had a small taste, but the tropical fruits were awesome. (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Some pics (thanks Andy!)

the bubbly

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the pig

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sniffing

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Eric & Charlie

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Me, Juyuan, & Katharine

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Was that Lilbert the “Perle” bottling? If so, that is intentionally less fizzy…

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I’m just amazed that you did these notes from memory.

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I love suckling pig! Please tell me that skin was crispy. I am craving champagne and crispy suckling pig now.

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Super crispy. Delicious

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Nice looking dinner gents!

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you were missed Fred…Spain looked sweet, though!

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Great night. My WOTN was the 96 Vogue Bonnes Mares. I was expecting tight as nails and what I got was a beautifully open bottle. Loved this.

Oh, and the pig was amazing.

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Looks awesome guys! Sad I couldn’t be there!

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WOTN for me was the Salon.

All around great night of juice though.

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Salon/Vogue/Oeno were neck n’ neck for me. can’t go wrong with any of them.

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Yeah, that Salon’s got verve!

Great photos–makes such a huge different.

Thanks,

Kenney

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The rougeard opened up a lot on the palate the following day. Still tons of sulfur. I’m burying my other bottles.

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That suckling pig looks delicious. Haven’t had a good one in years, Sam Woo BBQ used to be a decent place to go for this.

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Wow. . . all these notes from memory Matt? Impressive.

For me, the 97 Salon was really shining - I think it’s at a really good place now. 96 Dom Oeno was also really yummy. 97 Cristal was my first Cristal. Have to admit, it didn’t blow me away. Perhaps overshadowed by Salon and others? 04 Boillot Batard was singing. . . nose so beautiful and fresh. Can’t say the same for my 08 Niellon Chevalier. . . completed closed and not showing at all for me. Disappointing. I think Charlie later mentioned could be storage issues? 09 Dujac Beauxmonts had an incredible nose about 2 hours into dinner. So young yet showing all the potential of this wine - fantastic! 96 Lignier Roche was a surprise. Showing beautifully - definitely had the clos de la roche characteristics. And of course the 96 Vogue Bonnes Mares. As with everyone else, surprised how open it was. Elegant nose and just an overall fantastic bottle.

Food was great as usual. Great seeing everyone again and meeting new people! That’s always the best part of these wine dinners!

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pretty close for me as well. Either the 97 was the WOTN (at the end of the night with sufficient air) or the 96 vogue bonnes mares. I was not expecting either of them to be so open for business, so it was pretty damn delightful.

Almost all the wines showed pretty well and as always it was a great group of people to hang out, shoot the shit, and drink great wine. Not every wine dinner has to be a discussion of all the wines being consumed with an indepth analysis on each wine. Sometimes it’s just great to drink wine and hang out with friends. I guess some will see us as less serious at these dinners in regards to “respect” for wine, but I’m fine with that.

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Very nice notes and wines! But what is that….a pygmy pig? [pwn.gif]

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Is “Elite” the… elite place to go in LA for Chinese food?

That pig looks delish tho…

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Suckling pig!