David Sugarman got a bunch of us together at Il Corso to welcome a few Burgundy-heads in from the west coast with a theme of Gevrey-Chambertins and Volnays. Really good to meet Amnon, Kim and Jayaram, catch up with some old friends and enjoy a fantastic lineup of wine. Food at Il Corso was solid as always, table perhaps a little small/cramped but a really great time.
To start:
2008 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge
Suzanne sent this around blind to start. Most of us guessed Burgundy. Bright, high toned strawberry and cherry fruit accented by fresh herbal notes and stony elements on a frame that's a little lean and very precise with really bright acidity. This isn't about weight or richness, just bright, elegant fruit in a package that's all too easy to drink.
2007 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Gorgeous aromatics here; freshly picked red fruits and berries, touches of spice, earth, some green herbal notes and orange zest combining into a really lovely scent. It's very polished and elegant in the mouth with plenty of depth and complexity echoing the aromatics, most of the structure here comes from the acidity and the tannin is quite gentle, so it's all too easy to drink right now. Delightful.
1999 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne
Really lovely. Citrus, pear and green apple fruit combined with brioche, vanilla cream and yeasty notes; very rich and intense yet conveying a sense of precision and freshness throughout.
Flight 1:
1969 Remoissenet Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes
Surprisingly fresh for its age, full of rose-tinged cherries accented by touches of earth and spice. The fruit's very bright and deep in complexion with a little tannic bite on the back end that makes it feel remarkably young (though David suggested this was probably topped up with a younger vintage), only quibble is that it finishes a little short.
1979 Viard Freres Le Chambertin
Starts out with lovely rustic aromas that have me thinking of a Northern Rhone, full of earth, meat and leather with gentle red fruited flavours. It's very polished and light in the mouth, mature with the structure fully resolved and the fruit quite bright and fresh initially with meaty and saline notes on the back end. Nicely balanced and lovely to drink at first, though with some air this starts to fade and feels tired. Very nice while it lasted though.
Flight 2:
1993 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans
A little tight and reticent aromatically for the first few minutes - then it transforms as if somebody just turned on a switch, developing a beautiful perfume of cherry fruit, flowers, cardamom and other spices and more savoury earthy notes. Tremendous complexity and power in the mouth, still very youthful with intense fruit, florality and spice and wonderful balance and length. Stunning.
1998 Hubert Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes
A bit disappointing - drinking quite nicely with a little air, full of red fruited flavours and warm earth with a touch of leathery funk on a medium weight frame - but there's a slightly oaky/caramel aromatic component that sticks out amidst the fruit and earth and spoils it.
1993 Sylvie Esmonin (Michel et Fille) Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques
Very pretty; medium weight and slightly restrained at first, but opening with air to show violet-tinged red fruits, warm earth and some leathery funk. Still a little tannic on the back end, but very enjoyable.
Flight 3:
2001 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs
Very primary right now, but oh so delicious. Starts out with an incredibly vivid scent of freshly picked black cherries, with time it gets increasingly floral and perfumed. Plenty of power and depth in the mouth but a sense of finesse and a lightness of touch at the same time, iron fist in a velvet glove. Fantastic now, and the balance and stuffing suggests this will be stunning over the long haul.
1989 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs
A little awkward at first with an aroma that's rather metallic and tinged by a little volatile acidity, but it quickly settles down and becomes much more pleasurable with a little air, showing fully mature red fruits, truffles, herbal and floral elements in a package that conveys flavour with barely any sense of weight. Perhaps a little short on the back end, but it's a minor quibble.
Flight 4:
2000 Domaine St. Martin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
Remarkably green in character; there's a strong vegetal aspect to the aromas with green peas and stalky notes dominating softer cranberry and earthy flavours. It's rather shrill and tart in the mouth with slightly sour red fruited flavours, high acidity and overall there's not much here to enjoy.
1990 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
A little on the ripe side; the fruit's quite dark in complexion, more along the lines of ripe plums and currants rather than the classic red fruitedness I'd expect, and there are faint licorice and caramel aspects that hint at a little overripeness. That said it's still very enjoyable with a rich, polished texture, plenty of complexity with with perfumed and spicy notes developing with air, and impressive length.
2000 Domaine Maume Mazis-Chambertin
Spectacular aromatics that are hard to move away from; rose petals, exotic cardamom, cumin and clove spice and wild herbal and funky notes combining with freshly picked red fruits into one incredible perfume. Very much a wow wine from the aromatics alone (David calls this a mini-DRC), but its equally attractive in the mouth with a very polished, satiny texture, plenty of complexity echoing the aromatics and a sense of incredible freshness, vibrancy and tremendous persistence. Stunning!
Flight 5:
1990 Adrien Belland Chambertin
A little soft and ripe for my liking; rich plum and black cherry fruit with a slightly roasted aromatic quality and savoury meaty and earthy flavours beneath. Very rich and expansive in the mouth, but there's not much acidity here and it doesn't have the brightness or finesse of the other 2 Drouhins alongside.
1998 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin
Absolutely stunning. A seamless combination of fresh cherries and red berries, meat, exotic spicy notes and touches of earth and leather - it's still very young, but all the flavour and structural elements merge into a whole so flawlessly with incredible polish and elegance. There's a sense of real purity and clarity to the flavours, tremendous presence and persistence and yet barely any sense of weight as this just seems to float over the tongue. Amazing wine.
1995 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin
Very similar in most aspects to the stunning '98, the only difference is that the fruit isn't as bright and forward here, and the meaty flavour aspects stand out more. This conveys the same sense of elegance and near-weightlessness, really a treat to sit down and explore these side-by-side.
Dessert:
1998 Kurt Darting Dürkheimer Nonnengarten Rieslaner Auslese
Spicy, exotic aromatics, full of ripe apricots and tropical fruits drizzled in honey, spices and wild herbal notes. Very rich, easily Beerenauslese in ripeness, but the sweetness starts to feel a little heavy after a couple of sips, as this doesn't have quite the acidity I'd expect to cut through the richness. Still really nice, but outclassed by the Eiswein.
2007 Hexamer Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Eiswein
Electric. Packed with fresh cherries, peaches and apples accented by minerally, honeyed and spicy accents, incredibly rich yet very light and perfectly balanced with tremendous acidity that keeps it really focused, precise and vibrant. Fantastic.
Tremendous night, thanks all for your company and generosity!
