Last weekend I put on what turned out to be one of the best tastings I've done. Very high level of quality across the board, and much enjoyed by all. The choice of 2008 was simply because I had the chance to snag a few at great prices.
Paul Berthelot, Eminence, 1er Cru, Champagne NV
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Extraordinary depth. Cherry, orange, apricot, bread dough, loads of mineral depth. 4 Stars [1/14/17]
Chateau de Meursault, 1er Cru, Meursault 2008
Low key but lovely nose of rich, honeyed fruit, and orange blossom, with hints of hazelnut / butterscotch. Similar notes on the palate, with extraordinary presence and texture; awesome fruit: honeyed pear, orange rind, and rich, fleshy stone fruits, with notes of butter/butterscotch, and lots of stone toward the finish. Fantastic white Burgundy. 5 years more. 4 Stars [1/14/17]
I didn't realize it at the time, but Regions Bas is apparently regarded as producing wines of Grand Cru quality; the following wine certainly reflected that.
Domaine Michel Gaunoux, Rugiens Bas 1er Cru, Pommard 2008
Lovely color, clear ruby with a hint of purple. Gorgeous nose, with black cherry, blueberry, dried blackberry, some leather/smoked meat, lots of black pepper, and lots of cloves. Similar notes on the palate, with gorgeous (!) fruit, and fantastic, juicy, succulent texture, with great drive, and a long, spicy finish. Great structure. One of the very best red Burgundies I’ve had, and compares favorably with the the few Grand Crus I’ve had. This is one of those wines that demonstrates why Burgundy commands the price that it does. A solid 10 years ahead, and may survive much longer, given it’s structure (it would be interesting to see what this is like at age 20). 4.5 Stars [1/14/17]
Domaine Francois Betheau, 1er Cru, Chambolle-Musigny 2008
Low key but excellent nose, meaty, with sweet vegetal notes, and spice, with earthy mineral. On the palate, black cherry, and lots of lemon, with green tea, and earthy mineral. Medium weight and juicy, rather atypical for a Nuits, but nice. 5 years head. 3.5 Stars [1/14/17]
The following wine is not actually a 1er Cru, but I did some research on Les Hautes Maizieres, and it turns out to be a "victim of location," being in Vosne-Romanee; the opinion seems to be that it would be a 1er Cru if it were in any other appellation.
Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, Les Hautes Maizieres, Vosne-Romanee 2008
Outstanding nose, dark cherry, sweet, accentuated blackberry, some tobacco leaf, black tea, leather, and earthy stone, all with roses and gamey notes. Similar notes on the palate, with citrusy acidity, powerful, muscular, dark, savory fruit. Exceptionally good, and very satisfying. 10 years more. 4 Stars [1/14/17]
Speaking as a head-over-heels Sauternes lover, Lafaurie-Peyraguey is my favorite. I love its powerful but elegant style, and it has been for me the most consistently impressive (well, excluding d'Yquem, which I've only had twice).
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes 1989
Lovely amber color. Lovely Sauternes nose, a touch of honeyed pear, honeyed apricot, candied orange, all with wonderful flower nectar and floral honey notes, touches of milk caramel, barley sugar and hazelnut, and with mace and allspice from the botrytis (although not a strong botrytis influence); excellent aromatics. Identical notes on the palate, with a note of fresh pineapple, extremely rich and very sweet, but driven and balanced by a powerful undercurrent of orange peel acidity; also, some nice mature notes of toffee with a whiff of fruitcake; long, potent finish of candied ginger, allspice, and mineral. Full bodied and powerful, unabashedly rich, but with great poise, befitting of L-P’s style. A wonderful, extremely impressive, and memorable Sauternes. Where does it go from here? For those who value primary fruit, this is at its mature zenith, and will stay there for 5 - 10 more years. But it is hinting at what may be a magnificent tertiary mature, that could last a few decades more. I would love to be able to revisit this in 30 years. 4.5 Stars [1/14/17]