TN: Volnay & Pommard Themed "Euro Lunch"

WINE TALK
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VOLNAY & POMMARD THEMED “EURO LUNCH” - Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, California (9/4/2009)

First Friday of the month, and it’s time for Euro lunch again. Our theme gave us a chance to compare Volnays and Pommards that had some maturity. Our room and the food were excellent again. All the flights of multiple wines were poured blind. The whites generally outshown the reds for me this time, but I quite enjoyed some of our Volnays. If I had to pick a WOTD, it would be a tie between the '99 Drouhin P-M Les Folatieres, and our closing wine, the '03 Z-H Gewurtz Hengst. Thanks to Jayaram and Krishna for organizing another successful gathering.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Flight

Older Volnay Flight

By happy chance, we ended up with a mini vertical of the Lafon Santenots-Du-Milieu. I quite enjoyed the '85, and it was significantly better than a bottle I had awhile back. The Clos des Ducs was also very good.

  • 1985 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
    Very bricking light medium red color with cloudiness and clear meniscus; nice, mature, strawberry, tobacco, mushroom nose; mature, tobacco, tart strawberry and mineral palate with the taste of chaptalization; medium finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)
  • 2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
    Medium red, slightly bricking color, with pale meniscus; nice tart red fruit, strawberry, tea and orange nose; tart red fruit, rosehips, mineral, tangy, firm but sweet tannins; medium finish (91 pts.)
  • 1993 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
    Medium red color with pale meniscus; big, caramel, ripe cherry and strawberry nose; tart red fruit, mineral, rosehips palate with good structure; medium finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)

Pommard 1er Cru Flight
This was the weakest of our flights for me, but they were good wines that should continue to mellow with additional age.

  • 1990 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Grand Clos des Épenots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
    Slightly cloudy, bright medium red color with clear meniscus; roses, tart red fruit, mineral and soy sauce nose; tasty, tart red fruit, mineral palate with tangy depth; medium finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.)
  • 1998 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
    Medium dark red color with clear meniscus; nice roses, tart cherry, mineral nose; tasty, big, powerful, tart cherry, mineral, red fruit palate with firm tannins, needs time; medium finish (90 pts.)
  • 1999 Vincent Girardin Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Épenots Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
    Dark cherry red color, a little cloudy with sediment, clear meniscus; odd, tart cherry, VA, black cherry, mineral nose with a sense of greenness; tart cherry, mineral palate with green notes; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)

Tweener whackage white
This was the 2nd time I’ve had this one this year, and it was delightful both times.

2nd Volnay Flight

grilled ribeye, with garden vegetables and fingering potatoes

  • 1999 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
    Light medium raspberry red color with clear meniscus; roses, tea, floral, lovely nose; tart red fruit with a firm core, that sweetens toward finish; medium finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)
  • 1998 Comte Armand Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
    Medium bricking red color with some cloudiness, clear meniscus; mature, light tobacco, roses, hybiscus nose; tasty, tart red fruit, rosehips, hybiscus palate with structure and grip, tight yet though; medium finish (92 pts.)
  • 2000 Michel Lafarge Volnay - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay
    Light medium red color with some bricking and pale meniscus; rosehips, roses, nice tart red fruit, hybiscus nose; mature, pretty, caramel, tart red fruit, cinnamon and spice palate; medium finish (93 pts.)

Sweet finish

  • 2003 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Hengst - France, Alsace, Wintzenheim, Alsace Grand Cru AOC
    Bright light medium golden yellow color; rosewater, rose geranium nose; ripe, luscious, rose geranium, nectarine, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (Z-H indice 4) (93 pts.)


Posted from CellarTracker

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Nice notes Richard thanks!

What is the Z-H Indice 4? Having to relate to ripeness? We got and consumed a bottle of 05 Hengst Vandage Tardive Gewurz that was damn tasty!

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Richard, that first appetizer looks yummy - what was it?

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BTW, I have to say that I really like the fact that a few folks around here (Noel, Ken V. & Richard immediately come to mind) have gotten into the habit of posting food pics with the vino - really adds “flavor” to the TNs, IMO [thankyou.gif]

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Nice photos. Last night I brought an 03 de Montille Taillepieds to Peter Cz’s house. The only Burg producer along with Truchot that I will buy regardless of vintage. It did not let me down.

D’Angerville Clos de Ducs is about as good as Burg gets, IMO.

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Mike,
Zind-Humbrecht adopted a 5 level indice system in, I believe, 2001. The number for a particular bottle is shown in the lower left corner, right under the percentage of alcohol. The scale from 1 to 5 runs from dry to sweetest, with 4 being VT level usually.

Bob,
I didn’t write down what that first appetizer was, but I believe it was a chicken, bean and greans dish. Maybe one of our other attendees remembers for sure.

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Richard, nice lunch lineup! I actually think the reds did very well, especially considering the amount of medicore (for Cotes de Beaune) vintages represented, although of course, as Joe alluded to, great producers have a way of working through difficulties to make a consistently excellent end-product.