I had misplaced my notebook with notes from this mid-February tasting for a while and recently came across it tucked in a fold of my wine glass carrying case. So, my apologies for the 1-month out-of-date notes.
Anyway, a few of us gathered at King Fung with a couple of Peking Ducks and the usual extras, with an agenda to drink some red Burgundies. A few of the guys had recently returned from Ampuis, so I think they might have been tired of all that Syrah...
2000 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvee Laurence. OK, so we are off to a nice start. This wine jumps out of the glass and grabs the nostrils with its mélange of orange blossoms, ripe tangerine, litchi, rose hips, and apricot pit aromas. In the mouth, it has a nice viscous texture with a similar fruit profile to the nose and just the right level of sweetness for me. There are also nice toasted spices that lend a hint of balancing bitterness to the finish.
2006 Laurent Tribut Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy. I am really impressed with this wine. It offers up a “wow” aromatic burst of intense crushed chalk, wet river stones, graphite, lemon/lime zest, cotton candy and yellow pixie stick. It offers such a cornucopia of aromas yet is so sharply focused that it is impossible to ignore. In the mouth, there are flavors of sour lemon balls and a nice citrusy squirt of acidity. It has a solidly dense feel and rounded body, but plenty of cut. It has solid grip and a clean, bright, flavorful finish. Needless to say, I feel it is drinking quite well right now.
1993 Domaine Amiot-Servelle Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses. The color is starting to show a hint of browning. The nose is wonderfully complex as it shifts and changes over time, throwing out aromas of old growth forest, dried leather, persimmon, small dark berries, soft plum and something like orange peel steeped in mulled wine. In the mouth, it is sadly not nearly so complex, with some dark fruits on the attack, but mostly dried fruit and brittle leaves through the middle, where it feels interestingly matted in texture. It dries out on the finish a bit, as well. It certainly shows glimpses of great attractiveness at times, but it is the nose that I will remember best.
1995 Bernard Morey et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vielles Vignes. This is a faded but bright ruby red color. This has a brightly-toned nose featuring strawberries and raspberries, along with some soft dusty spices. The bouquet has a certain prettiness to it, but it cannot be called deep or overly complex. It is light in the mouth, definitely more on the elegant side. Yet, there is a dry hint of austerity to the acids and the structure of the wine is poking through a bit at this point. It finishes quite dry, cool and bright, with slightly sour red fruits and a bit of dried spices.
1995 Domaine A.-F. Gros Vosne Romanee Aux Reas. CORKED.
1996 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Cazetiers. The Bruno Clair has a very nice, overt nose that offers up lots of interesting but hard to describe aromatics. My notes show that I tried sassafras, cola nut, roasted chestnuts, dried black cherries, graphite, bark, horsehair, pine sap and new leather as descriptors. It has a cool entry and an initial sense of savory notes. As it expands through the middle, it is more about cool blackberry, black currant and stemmy sensations. The tannins are totally in check and the acids are finely interwoven. The finish is juicy at first, but turns drier as it sits in the glass. It is an interesting wine that can be drunk now or held for a while.
1996 Daniel Bocquenet Nuits St. Georges Aux St. Julien. This is a very healthy, dark ruby color. The nose is deep and moderately sexy, featuring notes of spice cake, crushed blueberries, mulling spices and soy. It seems quite young, yet it is showing good complexity. On the palate, it offers a fairly big and bold mouthful of Pinot Noir, with abundant black fruits and toasty herbs or stems. It has solid sappy grip, good density, fuller body and some sticky tannins hanging around. Again, this comes across as the youngest wine tonight and would likely benefit from a few more years in the cellar.
1996 Remoissenet Pere et Fils Corton Clos du Roi. There is a little bit of fading at the rim here. The nose exhibits scents of dried orange peel, raspberry, persimmon and chestnut paste. In the mouth, it has decent concentration of fruit and is fairly soft and approachable. Acids do dry out the finish a bit, however. Overall, it is enjoyable enough, but it comes across as relatively foursquare and unexciting at this point. I can’t say with any confidence whether this will improve with added time in the cellar, but it might be worth trying.
1999 Francois Gay Ladoix. This wine offers the most savory nose of the evening, with notes of forest greens, tree bark, mushrooms and dry autumn leaves dominating. With some extended aeration, some dried red fruits, menthol and autumn spices also pop in and out. It is fresh in the mouth, with some soft chalky tannins clearly present. The flavors are a bit narrowly focused in a tight arc across the palate and the wine overall is not especially long, but it is clean and easy to drink. It could probably benefit from 1-3 years of added cellar time.
1997 V. Sattui Winery Muscat California. This is a dark, rich yellow color. As it warms, notes of apricot, fig, limoncello, yellow gummy bears, honey and candied pineapple come through on the nose. In the mouth, it offers some flavors of lemon drops, apricot marmalade and dark honey that bounce between dry and just sweet. It has a gently mealy texture and some light viscosity. It finishes on the dry side with moderate length. It was fun to try and did pretty well for itself.
2004 Selbach-Oster Riesling Auslese Zeltinger Schlossberg ‘Schmitt’. This Auslese presents aromas of honeycomb, bergamot, spun sugar, citrus peel and faint kerosene. It has a solidly sweet profile, but not overly done. It is not exceedingly heavy, though it comes across as pretty young and sugary, with somewhat primary yellow peach and crème brulee crust flavors. It is long and quite promising, as well as drinking pretty well early.
1996 Alois Kracher Scheurebe TBA #3. Pmac has a good memory, for he recalled me mentioning some time back that I had never tried a wine from Alois Kracher. I offer my sincere thanks for his thoughtfulness in opening this beauty. And now I can see what the fuss is all about! I love the deeply-honeyed yet bright gold color. Man, this is just fabulous on the nose. One gets aromas of yellow raisins, dried figs, caramel, pistachios, dried apricot, thick cream and a very interesting ashy note. It is just as lovely in the mouth, where it coats the whole mouth with a texture that is viscous without quite being syrupy. It has full body and just holds a fine line from entry to finish, with great concentration and delineation throughout. It is layered and complex, with flavors of fresh caramel, apricots, yellow raisins, rhubarb and complex citrus notes. Wine of the Night for me, followed by the 2006 Tribut Chablis Beauroy. The red Burgs were nice, but these were the two wines that have stayed with me the longest.
-Michael
