N.V. Jacques Selosse Champagne Version Originale Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs
July 2008 disgorgement. Elegant, understated and complex, though showing a slightly oxidative character - full of ripe white fruits and green apples accented by chalk, yeasty notes and touches of butterscotch. The mouthfeel's very polished and slightly creamy, finishing long. Very enjoyable, though I'm really not sure if this is worth the price or the massive hype that accompanies Selosse (especially as I felt the Tarlant blew this away at a fraction of the price).
N.V. Tarlant Champagne La Vigne d'Antan Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
2000 vintage fruit from ungrafted vines, from the July 2007 disgorgement. Stunning from the first sip, and this only gets better with air - starts out with incredibly fresh, clear citrus, pear and green apple fruit framed by gentle yeasty and toasty notes, and with air it gains depth and power while other smoky and minerally elements emerge. The texture here is quite remarkable; there's tremendous acidity that keeps it racy and very precise, yet this feels incredibly gentle, almost glossy over the tongue with tremendous finesse and a sense of harmony.
2007 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs
Tremendous. A spectrum of bright, fresh fruit combined with intense stony mineral and gentle floral elements in a seamless, incredibly polished whole. Everything here is in perfect balance and proportion, and given how well this is drinking right now I will have a hard time keeping my hands off other bottles. A stunning foil for the pan roasted quail.
2009 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Senior Faß 6
Kicks ass again. Made of the same bright fruit, minerality and electric acids as the last bottle I encountered, but the fruit here seemed even more piercingly bright and precise. Delicious.
1997 Noël Verset Cornas
One of the greatest food and wine combinations I've ever had - this was served with wild boar tenderloin wrapped in duck bacon, and it's amazing how much the aromatics in the wine reflects the gamey flavours of the boar and the salty cured bacon notes. Classic Verset; equal parts meat and fruit accented by developed saddle leather, smoky and herbal accents, and a medium-weight mouthfeel that's more like a top Burgundy than a Syrah with gentle, mostly resolved tannins and lovely acidity keeping it very fresh and elegant. My wine of the night, though it was a tough call.
1990 Château La Conseillante
Surprisingly Cabernet Franc-like on the nose upon opening, with fresh herbal and tobacco flavours and a little leathery funk. With air this really fleshes out and develops, with a core of cassis and berried fruit and savoury earthy, leather, herbal and exotic spicy notes around it. Still quite youthful with lots of power and richness in the mouth, and a solid tannin spine suggesting this has plenty of time ahead of it still - but it's delicious now.