TN: White Burgundy

WCC WHITE BURGUNDY BLIND - Yono's Restaurant, Albany, NY (9/26/2024)

My local group got together to taste White Burgundy at Yono's. Chef and Culinary Director Ian O'Leary really knocked it out of the park with some original and inspired dishes that were so delicious and beautifully matched to the wines.

I organized the flights, and the tasting was blind to everyone but me (though at my age, I easily forget which is which). Dinner started at 7pm and lasted till about 10:30.

Photos and more details can be found on my website.

Flight 1

KOMBU BRINED OYSTER MUSHROOM: Carrot “Shell”, Rosé Champagne Mignonette.

  • 2012 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles Château Grenouilles - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
    Crisp, complex, really tasty. Long finish of citrus and slate. Should continue to age well for another 5-10 years. (92 points)
  • 2018 William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru MontĂ©e de Tonnerre - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
    Seems younger than the first wine, but similar. Quite tart and crisp at this stage. Needs time to mellow out, but I really like it. More mellow with the "vegan oysters". 92-94 (93 points)
  • 2020 Tement Morillon Grosse Lage STK Ried Zieregg - Austria, Styria, SĂĽdsteiermark
    [This was a ringer inserted for fun. It had been decanted into a Burgundy bottle in the late afternoon. Morillon is the Austrian name for Chardonnay.] Another young wine, but this one clearly saw more oak. Bill thought it might be from California. It does seem to fit that style more, especially compared to the other wines in this flight. Lots of vanilla and citrus in the nose. Lovely, crisp, and full bodied. (92 points)

Flight 2

CARMELIZED ONION & GOAT CHEESE TART: Caramelized Cippolini Onion, Chèvre, Puff Pastry, Chervil, Pine Nuts, Pear.

Flight 3

CHAR GRILLED SPANISH OCTOPUS: Roasted Fennel, Creamy Spinach Emulsion, Salmon Roe, Leek Ash Oil.

  • 1992 Remoissenet Père et Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, CĂ´te de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    [Double-decanted for about an hour around 4pm.] Muted nose of vanilla and caramel. Quite mature, but still appealing, complex, and flavorful. A great wine on its decline. Drink up. (93 points)
  • 1996 Louis Latour Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, CĂ´te de Beaune, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Crisp nose of granny smith apples with a hint of caramel. Expansive and complex. Starting to go over the hill, but there's still a lot here. Others thought it was closer to dead. I thought it was a great match with the octopus. (93 points)

Flight 4

CONFIT RABBIT: Crispy Confit Rabbit, Sunchoke Foie Gras Purée, Grilled Asparagus, Chili Oil.

Dessert

SELECTION OF LOCAL CHEESES: McGrath Cheese Company Hootenanny, Adirondack Cheddar, Liveley Blue Cheese.

  • 1986 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    [Pop and pour.] This was a joy to drink with the cheese course. Rich and complex with lots of botrytis and honey. Great balance. (94 points)

Another wonderful evening with this gang!

Posted from CellarTracker

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looks like a fantastic menu and mostly fantastic wines, Ken. Great notes. Sad about the 04 Latour, but not especially surprising.

7 years ago, at his domaine, I tasted Olivier’s 2013 of the Puligny:

2013 Olivier Leflaive Puligny Montrachet

Mix of all their village plots except Enseignieres and Les Charmes. Smoke and steel–unripe melon, surprisingly in aroma. This has the expected leanness and length, lots of lemon-lime and the acidity is pronounced. No mistaking this for other than a Puligny, I think

I haven’t had a chard from Tement, but their Sauvignon Blanc is bonkers-good.

Slainte,

Mike

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