We started with a champagne:
Jacques Selosse V.O. Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs NV (disgorged 5.5.2006) was nice but rather advanced and didn't taste like Bl de Bl. It was like white Burgundy but with bubbles in it, very vinous and oaky, rather earthy and rye-bread-like. Nice, but not my preferred style in Champagne.
Domaine de Chassorney Saint-Romain Blanc "Combe Bazin" 2005 was appley and mineral, more acid-forward than expected from the vintage, but I didn't mind that at all. It had nice fruit also. It seemed more like a very nice Chablis because there was no oak influence.
Domaine de Chassorney Auxey-Duresses Blanc "Les Crais" 2005 was in a similar acid-forward style with lots of minerals and Chablis-like aromatics. It was a more full-bodied/limpid and was quite a delightful wine.
Philippe Pacalet Saint-Aubin 1er Cru "En Remilly" 2005 was a more rounded wine than the previous two with more honeyed fruit, more limpid, more like what I expect from non-Chablis white Burgundy (but no overt oak influence here either). The palate was rather full bodied with much fruit but lovely, citrus-like acidity. Quite a delight!
Philippe Pacalet Saint-Aubin 1er Cru "Les Murgers des Dents de Chien" 2005 had the most oak influence of the four whites today, but was still less oaked than most white Burgundies I've tasted. It was full bodied, limpid, gloriously fruity and high in acidity and I liked it very much.
These four white Burgundies are the type of mineral-forward wines that I would love to drink bucketfuls of. I wish I could find them here.
Domaine de Chassorney Saint-Romain Rouge "Sous Roche" 2005 was vetetal and beetrooty but with such a peppery nose that I thought for a moment I was drinking a lovely minor N. Rhone wine! It shows a bit of volatility, but not in flawed amounts. Juicy and charming palate, well structured. Nice! And just to be clear, when I say it is a bit Syrah-like, I don't mean that in the way that some call CaliPinots Syrah-like. This wasn't a gobby mostrosity but an elegant and juicy wine but with some unexpected aromatics.
Domaine de Chassorney Auxey-Duresses Rouge "Les Crais" 2005 was more "traditional" in smelling more like Burgundy than Syrah. Beetrooty yet sweet and very much fun to drink. It did develop some off-aromas when open for an hour, it became funky and volatile and smelled chemical - possibly because of the no-sulphur-totally-natural-winemaking? For the first hour or so, this was a very charming wine.
Then we had some fully blind wines:
Château Beaulieu "Comtes de Tastes" 2005 (Bordeaux Superieur; 60% Merlot, 40% Cabs) tasted much like a St-Emilion to me with tons of ripe fruit in a rather modern style but without overdone oakiness (warm year I guess? or house style?). The palate was big and rightbanky and despite the huge concentration of fruit was a rather lovable wine.
Château Musar 1999 - f*** me this is b****y brilliant! I suck at blind tastings but I think this is the second time in my life that I guessed the wine right!
Smells like Musar, tastes like Musar, ergo it rocks!
Casanova di Neri Cerretalto Brunello di Montalcino 2001 was full of blueberry oak and barrique-like scents (though none of us knew if this actually sees barrique). Tannic, oaky, extracted and even when revealed I saw little Brunellosity to it. On the plus side, it was nicely acidic and there were lovely red-berry aromatics to it. But, alas, all was smothered in oak.
Château de Valandraud 1994 smelled a bit too oaky, but otherwise was a rather delightful wine. It is semi-mature - no shame in drinking now, but I would prefer to taste again in a couple years. It had true St.-Emilion scents under the oak and it was savoury in style. I understand that Valandraud is supposed to be a garagiste and awfully modern, but this was more a mid-modernist: true St-Emilion yet oakier than I would prefer. Very nice! (I never thought I'd say this about this wine - which is why blind tastes are so much fun!)
-O-(edit: the red Burgs are added now)