1996 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs- France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne
Bright nose with lemons, sage, lime and a lot of baking spices. With some air, I think this really blossomed. The palate seemed to ripen with time and good lord was this nice. I dare you to drink this and not concede that it’s a perfecty ccomposed chardonnay. Beautiful stufff. (95 pts.)
1973 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia- Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
One of the first glasses of the night, this was all class. Not sure it really surprised us that Lopez was serving elegant wines at this age, but it’s always fun to get into the 1973s again. Thought that the palate was nicely composed with many layers of subtley oxidized cranberry and cherry. Brilliant stuff. (94 pts.)
1990 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero di Castiglione Falletto- Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
This was great. Dusty red cherries and a steely minerality were hallmarks of this wine, and it kept maturing and evolving with time. After about 45 minutes this rivaled the best Nebbiolo’s I ever tried - rustic edge of red fruits, tar, and earth. Just brilliant stuff. (96 pts.)
1988 Domaine Leroy Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots- France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
The aromas were simply perfection…baking spices, brown sugar, crystalline red fruits, damp earth, and dried rose petals. Most of us at the table were entranced by the nose, and thankfully, the palate was great too. Spices, red fruits, and vivid earth composed the palate. Just brilliant, brilliant stuff. A wine that people lust after. (98 pts.)
1988 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Ruchottes-Chambertin- France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
A sleeping giant. This, to me, started off somewhat quiet. Its dark fruits and spices really began to build after it had been opened an hour. It morphed from a 6 to a 8 (or higher)…just dark and aromatic notes of earth made this a super attractive bottle of wine. Definitely took a back seat to the 1988 Leroy Boudots that was opened alongside it…but this is crazy good pinot. (95 pts.)
2001 Bernard Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin- France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
This was shy at first. Compared to the older pinots we had this surely was the most forward. No one was surprised by this, but I think the wine’s progression was quite a treat. Dark, dark, dark…that never changed, but it did (at least for me) gain a bit of elegance and balance with air time. Great stuff that will benefit with another 10-15 years. Young but great. (93 pts.)
2004 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chevalier-Montrachet- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Thanks to Fred for opening up this wine. Incredible nose of flint, lemon, and smoke. Certainly a modern palate, but after a taste I realize how structured, elegant, and serious this wine was. Chevy is always elegant, profound, and serious…but this was a +1 in every category. A brilliant Chardonnay. One of the best I’ve had in a long time. (97 pts.)
Great dinner. Nice meeting Matt and Matt. This was one of those rare times where each wine was strutting and there was no need to speculate.
The 96 Salon was my 3rd bottle and probably the best one I’ve tasted to date. The Giacosa was so delicious but so young. The Heredia seemed to be in a perfect spot. The Dugat Py was fragrant and so dark and deep. I’ve only opened a couple of these but always feel like it would be even more impressive with at least 20 more years.
So far I’ve only got around to 3 notes:
1988 Domaine Leroy Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots- France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (7/23/2013)
That black tea, spice, dark fruited Leroy nose. The palate is silken, balanced and sweet. The house style takes center stage over terroir but wow, what a gorgeous house style.
1988 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Ruchottes-Chambertin- France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru (7/23/2013)
A great contrast in style next to the 1988 Leroy Boudots. I would have guessed 01 or 96 for this Roumier. So youthful with bright fruit and acid. Initially outclassed by the Leroy Boudots but by the end of the night, it put on weight and aromas of earth and sweeter fruit. This has a long life ahead of it.
2004 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chevalier-Montrachet- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (7/23/2013)
In a night of impressive reds from Roumier and Leroy, this wine showed that when a white burgundy is on, it is nearly unrivaled. Light straw in color, the honeyed nose was redolent with white flowers and a bare hint of hazelnut. The palate was deep and rich with sweet fruit but enough acidity and lift to make this superb. In one word enchanting. In two words enchanting and beguiling.
Great night as always. Service at patina was excellent. They do have the most absurd decanters ever.
Wines were all excellent. It was great to see matt Goldman out and great to see Matt Latchuie all the way from the windy city. And I guess it’s good to hang out with the usual guys as well :p. it was a rough two hour morning commute to west la after this great wine night!
I have no real notes to contribute but a few quick bites
right now the 96 salon is my favorite 96 champagne. Consistently intensely great bottles with such vibrancy and purity of fruit. I love me some bdc.
considering I double decanted the giacosa 10 hours before dinner it still needed a lot of time.
had the 04 pycm chev out of mag last month at la paulee 2.0 and this 750 was significantly more open and delicious. We also had the Montrachet from 04 a few months ago and I’m not sure which I like more. Monty has this incredible structure but the density of fruit on the chev was incredible.
every other wine was drinking on point. The 88’s were fun to try side by side and the Rioja was just so savory and delicious.
As I said on Charlie’s Facebook post, you should have had your Old Fashioneds at the tiny bar inside Patina - the bartender makes a fantastic one, and their cocktail glasses are awesome.
It was a fantastic dinner and it was great seeing everybody again (and meeting Fred for the first time). I don’t have much to add in the way of notes, but the wines were all singing. The Chev stood out to me as exquisite, and I can never get enough Giacosa, but really everything was just so on point. I’m relatively new to Burgundy, but I’m beginning to see what all the fuss is about. It looks like I may have to expand the scope of my cellar. Anyway, great times, and I look forward to the next get together.
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. Good seeing you bud!