White Burgundy and Italians at La Scarola in Chicago with @Matt_England and others.
Majority pick for WOTN:
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What a line up!
Know you’re busy with BD, but notes please when dust settles 
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2022 DRC Duvault-Blochet - Super impressive showing last night. Very reasonable off a list locally, and it was a trial victory celebration dinner, so YOLO. It’s super fragrant and the fruit is concentrated and deep and oh so pure. Dark and spicy and opulent even at this young age. This may shut down, but it is exceptionally enjoyable in its youth.
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Nice, congrats!
1983 Château Marquis de Terme. A fading light. Gentle tertiary flavors, warmth and comfort. I would open any you have in the near term, and adjust expectations to account for its age and pedigree. Taken on its own terms, it is a lovely drink for a cold winter’s night
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I didnt take detailed notes, and I was sort of marveled by the food which I actually took pics of, though I forgot to take a pic of the dessert. But here are my general thoughts a day, and 10 wines later!
From left to right
2011 Clos Cibonne Speciale des VIgnettes was remarkable again. Easily my favorite vintage that I have had, followed by the 2017. Still so youthful and fresh. We consumed this too quickly, as it would have continued to evolve, but it does drink well right out the gate.
1997 Isole e Olena Cepparello - it was exciting to taste this sbs with the 2003 Percarlo, the stylistic differences, and the terroir differences were clear even from such different vintages. Cepparello a bit more finessed, a bit more red fruited, a bit more mineral, still showing its Tuscanicity, and still quite lively. In a great place, but will continue to age gracefully another decade+.
2003 San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo. I have had this wine a handful of times in recent years, and everytime it shows wonderfully. Deep, concentraded with dark cherry notes, some mocha, dried herbs, sweet tobacco… My preference on this night leaned towards the 1997 Cepparello, but Julie was the other way. Both remarkable.
1978 Chateau Gruaud Larose - fully tertiary, cedar, mushrooms, tobacco, and some dried fruit hanging on. Enjoyable, but showed a little tired. I think this was going to show better with more air, but never had a chance to get there.
2004 Pintia (Vega Sicilia) - powerful, black and purple fruit, some cocoa, crushed stone. Enjoyable, but I am waiting 5-10 more years if I had any in the cellar.
2018 Drappier Champagne Brut Millésimé Exception - Pretty damn tasty. I dont have much experience with these, but I very much enjoyed this. Some nice yeasty notes, but not overpowering. Fresh and young, but I am not sure I will like this better in the distant future. Only one way to find out!
1978 Montrose - First time I heard someone pronounce this winery correctly (to be fair I dont pronounce it correctly even knowing) A bit darker and more concentrated than the Gruaud Larose. Still showing a bit more fruit too, but also I think this would have shown much better with 7-10 hours of air. Pair well with the duck confit.
1991 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl Vendange Tardive - This was spectacular! Paired with some orange sponge cake, made from whole oranges. Killer pairing. The wine showed orchard fruits, apricot, lively acidity. Light, but not thin. I can’t get enough of 90s Zind-Humbrecht!
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Dry January is over. Paris 24-hour pitstop to get back into the rotation at Caves Legrand.
2022 Boigey Frères ‘Le Rochere’: Sourced from the alluvial silt below the RD974. Solar '22 fruit with that specific Vosne spice but a floral lift that mirrors Chambolle. Definitely a producer to watch for high-value regional plays.
NV Cédric Bouchard ‘Val Vilaine’ (Base 16): Perfect shape at the 10-year mark. The '16 fruit has integrated into beeswax and smoke, but the structural chalkiness from those '74 vines is still front and center.
Tom Gauditiabois ‘Exploration E|07’: 100% Meunier, Base 2020, disgorged Dec 2023. Only 1,217 bottles. Total transparency here, zero dosage and high tension.
Letting this sit for 48 hours to see how the Meunier density handles the air.
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Way too soon. The wine is all over the place, with overwhelming loads of blackberries and florals. I will try now to forget about the remaining bottles for a good while.
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Very satisfying demi Leoville Las Cases 2007 - a great beef wine. Balance is amazing, do not show like an off vintage. Maybe only visible with a bit airy / less intense mid palate - but I actually prefer the lighter touch. First out of case and very happy.
Querciabella riserva 2013 - was also a wow wine. Very pure, at perfect maturity. Need to buy more from this producer. But they need some age based on experience.
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Another (and my last) bottle same evolution and profile. Just beautiful.
I just ordered a 6-pack of the 2024.
Also, this in restaurant:
Vignoble de la Bauge ÉlémentAir 2019
I hadn’t heard of this (but then again I don’t follow Quebec wines too closely, mea culpa). From the Somm, this is négoce with the grapes coming from Ontario. They didn’t intend to make a sous-voile but they got voile when in foudre. The winemaker knows Fanfan so he called him and asked what he should do. And so 2019 ÉlémentAir was born. 100% Frontenac Blanc, 5 years sous voile. Beautiful nose with bright lemon, fresh walnuts, a little smoke and florals. On the palate, the oxidative profile is not in your face. The nuttiness and curry twang, acts as a backdrop to a fairly tight and acidic wine. Very well made with the sous-voile adding length and complexity. I see this as long-lived. If blinded, is like to think I would have guessed Jura Savagnin blend.
Stella Crinita Omaggio Pet-Nat
100% Cabernet Franc. Funky little beast that sees 4 days maceration. Deep red, abundant bubble and mucho taninns! The tannic structure, vegetable/ savoury profile is surprising but enjoyable. I see this as a restaurant only wine with the Somm trying to sell some to curious diners based on unexpected pairings. This was 18$ a glass at the restaurant and I now see it sells for 18$ a bottle in the US. I was bamboozled.
Finished with a Génépi du Trièves from Jérémy Bricka. I should have been told this wasn’t really a Génépi. No added sugar, this drinks like a Gin with Génépi florals understated.
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1996 Domaine Fabien Coche-Bouillot Meursault Charmes
My choice to mark the end of Dry January. Picked up from Zachy’s auction last year for only $50…it had all the makings of an absolute disaster. A bargain-priced, no-photo 5-pack of 30-year-old white Burgundy? If even one bottle was in reasonable shape, I was going to be happy.
Color in bottle looked excellent. Bottle is in immaculate shape, cork looks like it was made yesterday.
Poured a pleasing gold, slightly youthful. The nose is reassuring…not a hint of premox! Nose leads with light butterscotch, hazelnut, beeswax, slightly oxidized yellow apple just in the background. Beautifully integrated nose. The palate is slightly oily, a bit linear…still plenty of acid here with salt and light flint minerality and medium finish of bitter apple.
Not profound, still surprisingly youthful. It has a rich nose and delicate texture.
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So my SO pulled, popped, poured and drank through the day before I was ready to sit with a glass. She thought it was very tasty.
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2022 Domaine Latour-Giraud Meursault Les Narvaux - Mineral, salinity and crisp stone fruits, but with a smooth rounded finish. Was nice to open and drink now but will definitely benefit from more time in the bottle.
2013 Trapet Chambertin - very red fruited and hint of black cherry with a touch more sweetness than I expected. I wouldn’t say it’s closed, but it wasn’t particularly complex, enjoyable but not quite a wow.
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A couple wines for my SIL’s birthday. The Goodfellow was excellent. The Tronquoy-Lalande was really good. I don’t drink a lot of bordeaux, but this was in my wheelhouse, and very reasonably priced. I bought a few of them after reading the favorable comments here. I’m excited to try it in another five years.
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A baby for sure but still fun and tasty. Red crunchy fruits and some sappy red candy. Rose petals. Hints of tar and red licorice. Some spice. High acid.
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Friends came for the weekend and we drank well (very well!)
edit: very brief impressions added
2009 BS Cuvee Elizabeth Salmon Rose. Shows the ripe character of the vintage but well balanced and great acidity holds it together. Very drinkable right now
2008 Wenbach Schlossberg. Fully mature,full yellow. Drank really well, stone fruits and a bit of peach pit bitterness to the back end added interest.
2012 Ch. Rayas. Decanted for 12 hours. 24 hours would havbe been better. Last glass was the best. Powerful deep and long with sweet strawberry confit on the front palate and then an intense savoury spicy mid palate that dragged on into a crazy long finish. Drinkable and approachable but better in 10 years.
2017 Bouchard Montrachet. Definitely showing very youthful and a bit tight under Diam 10. But showed real power and depth and length. Great with roasted potatoes.
1998 LMHB. Just fabulous. Early maturity and showing threw full spectrum of Graves. Balanced and perfumed and very intense and deep. Wonderful
2010 Donnhoff NH TBA: Crikey this may be the best TBA I have ever had. So pure and balanced. Intense deept fruited with Pineapple notes. Incredible acidity completely buffers the sweetness. A monument to Helmut Donnhoff and the Niederhauser Hermanshohle vineyard
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Felettig Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2023
- A tasty young village. Orange peel, deeper red fruit, strawberry compote. Touch of balloon. Fine tannins, good texture and length. A little bitterness adds interest through the finish. Really enjoyed this. There’s depth if not quite the structure of the Fuées I had a bit ago. I paid $50 and I’m glad I bought a few. Tempted to grab more.
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Brodie, I’m getting together with some buddies in a few weeks and had planned a 2012 Rayas horizontal, should I do the 2011 instead?
This rendition of Eola Amity Hills is declassified Koosah, and Koosah in particular is strikingly Chablisian. Quite a flinty nose with subtle new oak. On the palate you get that kerosene-mineral character on the palate that makes the wine feel as if it sublimates in your mouth—something that reminds me of Vaillons. That said, this is clearly Eola terroir, and I mean that in the best possible way: crystalline acidity at levels modern Burgundy can frankly only dream of, and a mineral profile that leans toward volcanic smoke rather than Kimmeridgian salt. This is a baby and needs another 5+ years in the cellar.
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