VISITING KELLY W. - Charlotte, NC (6/8/2025)
Kelly and I first met nearly two decades ago when we joined the Grand Jury Européen as American members. Since then, we’ve traveled together more than a dozen times to Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, and Piedmont, sharing exceptional wines and unforgettable meals at exceptional restaurants. I drove down to Charlotte to spend time with Kelly W. and Birdie Y., who often joined us on our travels.
Limani
This was a spacious restaurant. The dishes were excellent. We were joined by Nick T. and Ken B.
- 2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
A beautifully cellared bottle, one of the best examples. Expressive and complex nose displaying sweet yet pure white and yellow fruit, lemon curd, apple, brioche, subtle toasted oak/vanilla, sweet spices, and a limestone mineral. Exceptional concentration, generous, sweet fruit, fine generous mousse, rich yet precise and beautifully detailed. perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long sweet white and yellow fruit driven finish. An exceptional showing. It is fascinating to compare to the 96 Salon, this is more "user" friendly, i.e. sweeter and generous but not as precise and focused. (98 points) - 2015 Domaine Les Monts Fournois Champagne Grand Cru Côte Cramant - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Medium expressive nose displaying generous white fruit with a hint of yellow, lemon curd, granny smith, a hint of sherry/oxidative note, lanoline, a hint of pyrazine/green, sweet spices and limestone. Medium concentration, nicely layered white fruit, very fine shy mousse, good precision and complexity, bright acidity, limestone mineral, and a long white fruit driven finish with a hint of sherry at the end. A bit Bereche like in style. (94 points) - 2019 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Expressive nose displaying pure concentrated white fruit, pear, apple, lemon curd, beeswax, light honey, a hint of oak/vanilla, flint, rain water, spicy spices and limestone. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense sweet white fruit, dense and rich but also showing perfect balance and precision, bright acidity, strong mineral, and a long concentrated rich white fruit driven finish with a hint of flint and toasted sesame at the end. It has lost some of its precision but has become richer and even more concentrated. (97 points) - 2002 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
Perfectly stored bottle. Expressive nose displaying rich concentrated red fruit, raspberry jam, cherry compote, light caramel, black truffle, raw button mushroom, sous bois, sweet spices and earth. There is a hint of oxidative note which gives a bit of rustic impression. Very good concentration, layers upon layers of slightly dry generous red fruit, rich and full, bright acidity, earthy mineral, and a long generous red fruit driven earthy finish. It is slightly rustic but still very enjoyable. (94 points) - 2005 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Well stored example. The color is light gold. Not premoxed but flabby and cloying as descried in Ajnate tn. Avoid, Caveat Emptor! (88 points) - 2019 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Expressive nose displaying intense pure white fruit, white peach, pear, lemon curd, lanoline, gunflint, candied ginger, honeysuckle, spicy spices and limestone. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered concentrated pure white fruit, exceptional purity, precision and detail, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long pure concentrated white fruit driven finish. It may be slightly less concentrated but more elegant than the Pucelles. (97 points)
Yama Loso
This is one of Birdie’s restaurants, and it was my second time dining here. The quality of the fish was exceptional, and each dish was perfectly executed.
- 2014 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Somehow, a Corton Charlemagne from the great 2014 vintage is premoxed. This was a well-cellared example. Caveat Emptor! - 2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
A back up bottle to the 14 H. Boillot Corton Charlemange, also, premoxed! - 2022 Buisson-Charles Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Explosive nose displaying super concentrated black fruit with a touch of red, blackberry concentrate, strawberry and rhubarb tart, licorice, liquid smoke, rose, truffle, a hint of vanilla/oak, sweet spices, and mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of rich black fruit, dense yet silky, the perfect amount of acidity and minerality and a long ripe black fruit driven finish with a hint of liquid smoke and at the end . This is a big-scale, slightly modern expression of Chambertin, drinking beautifully now but with the structure to improve for several more decades. (98 points) - 1978 Antinori Tignanello - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Well stored example. Mostly tertiary, a hint of cassis, plum, ash, lead pencil, leather, mushroom, bell pepper, dark spices and earth. Medium concentration, subtle black and red fruit, silky and slightly lean, medium acidity, earthy mineral, and a medium long subtle black fruit driven finish with a hint of ash at the end. The profile is similar to the 70s Napa cabs. (91 points)
A great time was had by all.
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