Chablis Grand Cru chez Daniel Boulud

Food by Daniel Boulud, composed to match the chablis flights, handpicked by Daniel Johnnes. All of the vignerons were present as we tasted through Chablis' grand crus terroirs. The wines served from Magnums, except for the surprise wine at the end.

Aperitifs

Aperitif wines that would be serious contenders in the company of many other chardonnay wines

• 2007 Domaine Louis Michel Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
  Fine classic chablis nose; some complexity (musk and a newly cut lawn that it has rained on). Perfect balance, a lot of body; a warm and charming wine. (91 pts.)
• 2008 Pascal Bouchard Chablis Le Classique - France, Burgundy, Chablis
  Bad notes, but I don't remember tasting any bad wine this evening....
• 2006 Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis 1er Cru Vaulignot - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
  A great wine: this was considerably longer on the finish and much more strict and tight than the 2007 1er crus tasted side by side; a frame that can stand on its own legs. (93 pts.)
• 2007 Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Fevre Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
  Fine chablis nose (wet pebbles, gunflint, seaflavors), grassy, citrusy on top, well made wine. (88 pts.)
• 2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
  Round, charming, fine nose and long finish: an excellent wine.
  Style and structure more like a grand cru, although I felt it lacked the complexity and core for that comparison to hold up. But great qpr, especially for 2007. (88 pts.)

Madai ceviche, watercress bavarois, shaved radishes

This was the most fun tasting flight in that the Vaudesir and the Valmur were very different in style: finesse versus power; elegance versus richness

• 2005 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  This has a superbly elegant and interesting nose: grass, wet stone, exciting things happen to the aromas during the whole evening, including as the wine warms up to room temperature.
  In the mouth this is the most light of all the grand crus tonight; like an arrow, that's how structured and tight this is on the palate. Lovely. (95 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  Fantastic: this is a round and fat grand cru with a whole host of expressive flavors on the palate: including trending towards some more tropical fruit to complement classic chablis. This is soft and fine, I wrote, but deceptfully so, as I think there is a lot of structure here and this could last a long time compared to the Vaudesir by Christian Moreau tasted side by side. The wine that was closest in style to the two examples of Les Clos that we had later on. (93 pts.)

Dover sole stuffed with morels: fiddleheads and lovage emulsion

This was the best match between food and wine. Incredible. I must admit that the matchmaking may have introduced a slight bias in favor of these wines. I also seem to prefer 2006 ahead of 2007 as a general experience.

• 2006 Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  Fine, soft, mellow citrus tart flavors; breadfruit, tapioca pudding; musky, honey comb; and underneath all of that is a quite racy wine that was one of my favourites. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Pascal Bouchard Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  Great! Soft and round and very civilised rendering of the chablis experience. Quite long finish, beautiful balance. A wine that will please sophisticates and chard-lovers alike. (90 pts.)

Duo of rabbit: foie gras stuffed saddle, young spring vegetables, braised leg fleischnecke, sage jus

Just very impressed that these wines stood up to such rich food. Les Clos - my favourite grand cru (I understand that there may be more who have similar inclinations).

• 2005 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  Fine, soft, long finish; fine tuned, grassy, citrusy, wet chalk, and very elegant. Perhaps not as much complexity as the other les clos by Christian Moreau, tasted side by side: but it had quite a body and stood up to a foies gras stuffed rabbit saddle more than well. Impressive. (93 pts.)
• 2003 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  Racy, fat, delicious and at the same time perfectly balanced and elegant; everything at once. (95 pts.)

Cheeses: Selles sur cher, tomme de la chataigneraie, comte aged 18 months

The wines were fine, but not all could take on the cheese. Perhaps a younger vintage of the first two wines would have done the trick.
The last wine was a surprise and it was served from a "Gargante" (never heard of it, but it looked like it was in the Jeroboam-Rehoboam span)

• 1998 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots Domaine de la Maladière - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  This was funny; at first I thought this too light and ephemeral as it did not stand up to the cheese plate with which it had been matched by one of the world's best wine team. But on its own, oh, what a nose with a incredible complexity on the nose. aged and rounded off with a hint of oxidation. Perhaps it has lost much of its original freshness over the years; but who cares?! (92 pts.)
• 1998 Domaine Louis Michel Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  More of pure petroleum flavors and as previous reviewer has pointed out a bit dulled off; a very good wine but only par for the course in this company (88 pts.)
• 1995 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Bougros - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  Honey richness, fat and round and mighty; but clean and pure flavors. Wow. (93 pts.)
• 1995 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Chablis
  My wine of the night: incredibly rich and complex, some botrytis musk and honey tokaji magic going on here, but in a lighter and more elegant hue. Think essencia aromas on a 50 yr old puligny-montrachet...
  Petroleum, a fluid minerality that defeats description and yet elegant and with a core of freshness intact. Vines are 110 yrs old according to Jean Marc Brocard. (96 pts.)
• 2000 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Chablis
  Superfine: racy, elegant, grassy, brilliant equilibrium. Younger than the 1995 and no botrytis, but more fat body on this. There's a rustic quality to these two wines that none of the other wines of the evening had and which I enjoyed tremendously. (91 pts.)

What a treat. I can heartily recommend it :)