The tradition in our family is for oysters, lobster, assorted cheeses and dessert, so dry white wines took the place of honour.
Champagne Royale Réserve Non Dosé – Philipponnat confirmed the promise of a too cold sample at a tasting. It was very dry, crisp and mineral so it coped well with the Marennes “creuses” oysters but in also had a certain roundness, white fruit and biscuit touch which allowed it to work as a starter; 16/20++.
I have already written enthusiastic notes about Chablis 1er cru Montmains 2007- Denis Race and this one was the same showing plenty of crisp minerality, backbone and length together with juicy white and citrus fruit and real class making for an absolutely delicious drink; it was particularly good with flat Colchester oysters; 17/20
Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 1995 – Maison Champy was a mild disappointment being rather New World in style; aromas were cedary, buttery and burnished, body was quite full and rich, the remaining fruit was dark, there was a shortage of minerality and length was average; no sign of the pox, though; 15.5/20
Niepoort 20 years old Tawny port was not quite so much to my taste as the Christmas Colheita but was still an admirably elegant tawny with a rich marzipan undertow; 16.5/20++.
Crémant d’Alsace Cuvée Prestige – René Muré was very recently disgorged and showed a rawness which I don’t recall from earlier bottles; a few extra months in the bottle should correct that; 14.5/20 now.
New Year’s Day
Venison was on the menu.
Châteauneuf du Pape 1996 – Château Beaucastel was an unusually elegant CndP with medium/full body, fine length and aromas of dark fruit, including rich cherry and kirsch; 17/20+.
Châteauneuf du Pape 1998 – Clos des Papes showed an alarming whiff of barnyard on opening but 2 hours in a decanter this integrated as a leathery tang in into rich tangy fruit with touches of tar and spice; fuller bodied and more typically robust than the Beaucastel, it made up for lesser elegance by greater generosity ands complexity; it was still improving by the last glass; 17/20+ with more potential.
Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito Arquata 2002 – Adanti, made from dried grapes, was quite sweet, medium/full bodied and full of attractive dark fruit and some minerals but showed less power and tannin than I recall from a taste of the 2004 due to a lighter 2002 vintage, no doubt; 16/20.
Château de Malle Sauternes 1996 was in a delicious place with elegant botrytis much in evidence but enough fruit, minerals and acidity to keep up the interest and avoid cloying. Am I the only person to find that botrytis often dominates to the extent of masking terroir character? But not here; 16.5/20++.
Other meals
Coteaux Champenois Ambonnay Rouge Vieilles Vignes 1998 – Egly-Ouriet did not live up to my memories of a sublime 1995 but showed great finesse with light colour and body showing elegant Pinot fruit with sour cherry touches and good length;16/20.
Rully Les Maizières 2003 – Domaine Vincent Dureuil-Janthial. First bottle corked. The second bottle cool from the cellar has shed the strongly candied notes which it showed when younger and has emerged as a fine rich Burgundy, sweeter fruited than in moist vintages, but enlivened by a slight metallic tang and showing some velvet and a good structure; I begin to understand why Vincent Dureuil considers this his finest effort; 16.5/20+.
Coteaux du Loir Vieilles Vignes Éparses 2004 – Domaine de la Bellivière. David Bueker has aptly described the aroma which marks a lot of 2004s as “cigar ash”. This now dominates the nose here so as to render it unpleasant; the palate is less badly balanced with some fat and white fruit there but the cigar ash lurks in the background. I don’t remember the previous bottles as so unbalanced. Is the fruit closed down right now? Or should the remaining bottles be consigned to EBay? 13/20.
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