| | Great dinner with winemaker Charles Van Canneyt, who is also from the family owning Hudelot-Noellat. Also featuring the great Johan Bjorklund from Bistro del"Hotel in Beaune. All organized by Hart Davis Hart. Whites with Seafood - 2004 Domaine & Selection Meursault Coche-Dury - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Green apple aromas with subtle spice hints. Similar on palate with lean, elegant fruit, lots of energy to start. Ever-so-slightly hollow in the middle but with an elegant finish. Drinking well now and with the structure and fruit to stay at this level until at least 2020. (91 pts.)
- 2009 Vincent Dancer Meursault Les Corbins - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Lush stone fruit aromas, lots of baby fat. Peach flavors with a distinct sweetness that almost seemed like peach cobbler. Good power and concentration to start but a little short and sweet on the end. Perhaps give this some more cellar time for the baby fat to dissipate. I don't recall ever having wine from this Lieu-dit previously. (86 pts.)
Richebourg - 2011 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Richebourg - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Incredibly pretty start-to-finish. Red cherry and strawberry with great spice aromatics and some fresh thyme. Similar fruit flavors, incredibly well textured. elegant, forward and accessible. This will certainly benefit from a decade+ in the cellar but it doesn't seem as necessary as for its 2009 and 2010 counterparts in this flight. (93 pts.)
- 2010 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Richebourg - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Slightly reductive to start, thankfully we had the opportunity to taste this wine over several hours. Past the reduction this showed incredibly charming black and red cherry aromas and some smoky spice. Similar flavor profile with slightly more prominent spice that really stood out with more time in glass. Great textures and seemingly tightly wound "spring coil" energy. An exciting wine with huge potential, but don't touch for at least a decade. Very difficult to decide if I preferred this 2010 or its 2009 counterpart; my preference kept changing through the evening and I doubt I ever really decided for now, so I will have to try them both again around 2025. (95 pts.)
- 2009 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Richebourg - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Huge, dense black and red cherry aromas with some wild strawberry and background spice. Very similar flavor profile, all very meaty and concentrated with impressive density from start-to-finish. Lots of fruit forward 2009 character but with the spice, minerality, acidity and silky tannins that make clear this wine will evolve into an incredibly complex and nuanced charmer. I couldn't decide if I preferred this to the 2010 in the next glass, so will need to revisit the pair again around 2025. (95 pts.)
Romanée St. Vivant - 2011 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Bright red fruit aromas and slightly floral with some soy and Chinese five spice hints. Red fruit again on palate with nice spice support and overall balance. Very charming and balanced at this early stage. (93 pts.)
- 2010 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Absolutely sensational in every regard, this was definitely my WOTN for both its long-term potential as well as the pleasure it provided tonight. Red cherry and berry aromas with a touch of smoke and robust spice and cocoa. Power jumps out on palate, with a balance of both red and black fruit. Great energy, minerality and overall structure. Long and already nuanced. I imagine this will shut down some point soon and require patience after that. I am go glad I managed to purchase 12 bottles from various sources pre-release. I doubt this will be easy to find going forward. (96 pts.)
- 2009 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Very similar to how well this showed recently at La Paulee. Lots of dense black fruit on nose and palate, some new oak that still needs to be absorbed. Lots of power, just a little backward today but clearly showing great raw materials, great potential. (94 pts.)
- 1990 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Lots of ripe black fruit with some power, but clearly fading and past its prime, somewhat short, simple and a bit too earthy. Good, interesting and fun to taste. Not as good (not as fresh) as a taste I had from magnum earlier this month at La Paulee.
Some Dujac to Finish, plus bonus Rousseau - 2001 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Spicy aromatic start with lots of seemingly lush red fruit. Leaner red fruit on plate, also nicely spiced with good whole cluster character. A bit shorter than expected on finish, also ever-so-slightly drying. I preferred its 1998 counterpart in the next glass. (91 pts.)
- 1998 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
I've had mixed results trying this wine in recent years and thought tonight's showing was one of the best. Great spice start with fresh strawberry and red cherry aromas. Similar on palate with faint emerging earthiness, also very good, silky textures and good length. (92 pts.)
- 1988 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Very alluring floral start with meaty spice and a good balance of black fruit and forest floor. Similar balance of fruit and earth on palate, also well spiced. Much better when first poured than 30 minutes later, going down hill quickly from around a "92 point" wine.
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