Went out with some old friends Saturday night, had a wonderful dinner at Troquet in Boston. Starter bubbly:
1996 Jacquesson Signature Extra Brut - Butterscotch, toffee, lemon and granite on the nose. Showing some age, but no sherried notes. Beautifully balanced on the palate, clean pure sweet lemon fruit and great acidity.
Then we did some side by sides:
2005 Kongsgaard Chardonnay - Pineapple, mango and buttery oak on the nose. The oak has mellowed significantly from the last one of these I had, but it is still very prominent. Sweet buttery oak, orange jam and nice minerals on the plate. Thickly textured with a long finish.
2005 Joseph Drouhin 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc - Gunpowder, flint, lemon and limestone on a very precise and laser like intense nose. Very, very different nose. Also quite unctuous and buttery on the palate, but with more refined oak and very strong acidity leading to a minute plus finish. Still a baby, but drinking quite well and will only improve.
The group was split, but my vote went to the white burg.
2002 Arcadain Fiddlestix Vineyard - Deep dark black cherry, violets and dried roses, chalky earth and salt air on the nose. Very precise and constructed on the palate - cherry vanilla, earth and flowers all in their proper place. Nice medium long finish, nice seamless transitions from attack to mid-palate to finish.
2002 La Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos d’Audignac - Wow this was close to the Arcadian on first whiff. Black cherries, dried flowers, mineral laden earth, but the saltiness of the Arcadian was replaced with a sexy funk - sandlewood and underbrush. A little more subuded on the palate with cherry fruit, limestone and cinammon.
Again, a split vote, with a slight preference for the Arcadian, which was my favorite as well.
2001 Havens Bourriquot - Blackberry bramble, graphite, coffee and mocha on a dark brooding nose. Still pretty young and tannic, but lots of great leather and black fruit on the palate. Still a baby, but showing great promise.
2001 Pavie Decesse - Sweet vanilla, tobacco, violets and lovely sweet blackberry fruit on the palate. Not overly sweet on the palate, actually very nicely balanced with tons of blackberry fruit, but nice earthy graphite notes, fine tannins and good acidity to go along with a long finish.
Pretty clear preference at the table for the Pavie Decesse on this flight.