Lieu-dit Cru Bastille Day Suchots Dinner

RIA in Chicago
Tasted Thursday, July 14, 2011 by Burgundy Al with 886 views

Introduction

The Chicago-based Lieu-dit Cru convened for a great dinner at RIA restaurant last night, focusing our limited attention on Vosne Romanee "les Suchots." Other than one bottle, all reds were single blind in flights of 4 or 5. A good evening.

Flight 1 - To start...and hydrate after a long day. (1 Note)

  • 1998 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    Very fresh and bright fruit. Lots of lemon and lime to start, followed by lots of minerality and some hints of toast. The wine's richness also provided really nice hints of butter. I like my Champagne in the fresh, crisp style this is showing today.

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

Next cam two blind whites, served double blind, only knowing there is a clear relationship between the bottles.

  • 2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre 89 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

    Seemed slightly reductive to start, but some good floral notes emerged with some time in glass. Tasted blind (along with the 2002 vintage of the same wine), our group guessed these were from Puligny, given their density, minerality and richness. Quite nice but somewhat short, this just showed less of everything than the 02 in the next glass.

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  • 2002 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

    Tasted blind alongside the same wine from 2000, this bottle showed more power, ripe fruit and floral beauty. Our grouped guessed these were from Puligny, with this wine showing the concentration of a great 1er or even a Grand Cru. The 2002's floral aromatics were particularly noteworthy. Palate started with flavors of peach and apricot, with some really nice tart apple coming out in the long, balanced finish. I've always enjoyed 2002 Lafons (if not oxidized) and am quite glad to still have three bottles of this wine in my cellar.

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Flight 3 - First Red Flight (4 Notes)

  • 1996 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    One of two very good wines in its single blind flight. Lots of red and black cherry, the fruit was beautifully complemented by classic Vosne spice. Still showing the acid and tannic structure so common in most 1996s, this wine has a long life going forward. Excellent negociant wine, this wine is another in a long list of very impressive Jadot 1996s I have tried in the past year.

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  • 1996 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Probably the best wine of the flight, with better fruit and density than the 96 Jadot, but I would have liked a bit more subtlety and nuance. Like the entire flight, this showed classic Vosne spice. Good combination of mostly red fruit with a little darker black fruit as well. Very dense and concentrated fruit. Tasted single blind, i guessed this was the 1990 Arnoux Suchots given its ripeness.

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  • 1990 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 88 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Moderate fruit on both nose and palate with a somewhat short and almost bitter finish. Spice was much nicer than the fruit. Not particularly interesting. Tasted single blind in its flight, I was very surprised this was the 1990 Arnoux.

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  • 1996 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 84 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Nice perfumed nose, which made this easily identified as the Prieure-Roch in the (single blind) flight. Wine had a very muddy appearance, even though it had standing upright for quite a while and wasn't particularly shaken en route to dinner. Flavor was more consistent with the wine's appearance than its aromatics, and tasted somewhat stewed and muddy. Disappointing.

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Flight 4 (1 Note)

Between Flights, not served in a blind flight for obvious reasons.

  • 1971 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    This is why we drink aged Burgundy. Aromas of a great mushroom medley along with lots of secondary fruit and really great spice. The power of the 1971 vintage's fruit has kept this wine big and powerful. Really great, slightly sweet, long finish.

    I bought this at auction earlier this year and shared the purchase with a few friends who were at this dinner. I just added a condition to selling them those bottles - they can't open any without me!

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Flight 5 - Second Red Flight (5 Notes)

  • 1999 Jacques Cacheux & Fils Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Big spice with lots of rather dense, primary fruit. Still a little backward. While this was open over 2 hours before serving, I wish we decanted this wine. I would keep this in the cellar another few years. Tasted single blind in its flight.

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  • 2000 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Romanée St. Vivant 87 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

    This was the "ringer" in our single blind flight of 1999 and 2000 Suchots, but was the least interesting bottle in the flight! It was accessible but had very moderate fruit and the least spice of any wine in the flight. I don't see this wine developing into something more interesting in the future.

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  • 1999 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 89 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    With telltale perfumed aromatics, this was very easily identified as the Prieure-Roch 99 in this single blind flight. Nose is certainly better than the palate, which shows good fruit, but slightly overripe. Good spice on both nose and palate. On the border between ripe and overripe. That ripeness along with slight sweetness make me nervous about the wine's longevity, so I'd be drinking these soon if I had any in the cellar.

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  • 1999 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Really dynamic nose - wild strawberry, blackberry, espresso, and lots of spice. Flavors exactly consistent with nose. By far the most interesting and powerful wine in the flight, most of us guessed this was the RSV, given the wine's length and density. Tasted single blind in its flight.

    How sad this was my last bottle of this wine, and the best one yet. Don't make the same mistake I did...while beautiful now, please give this another 5-10 years. This wine might have the potential to be as good as the 1971 we had prior to this flight - if the oak integrates a little more seamlessly.

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  • 2000 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    While not quite as great as the 1999 Arnoux Suchots in this flight, this wine might be slightly better today. Nice balance of red and black fruit, with lots of classic Vosne spice. Wine is elegant and accessible. Probably close to its peak. Tasted single blind in its flight.

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Flight 6 - Third Red Flight (4 Notes)

Flight 7 - Fourth Red Flight (4 Notes)

  • 2006 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    More black than red fruit, this bottle had some of the more powerful Asian spices of all the wines at last night's Suchots dinner. Really big wine, characteristic of the 2006 vintage, this wine still showed nice balance and energy. Very good now, with lots of upside potential tasted single blind in its 2006-2007 flight.

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  • 2007 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 85 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Very confusing wine to me, particularly in contrast to the Arnoux 2006 Suchots in the next glass. Big and powerful with good Vosne spice, I guessed this was a 2006 in the single blind flight of 2006s and 2007s. I found this wine to be too big and too modern. One of the least harmonious wines from the entire Suchots dinner. I hope this isn't the direction Arnoux Suchots is taking as its price gets significantly higher and higher each year.

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  • 2006 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Very good young wine, this was my favorite from a single blind flight of 2006 and 2007 Suchots. really elegant, I guessed this was from 2007 because it was approachable and elegant right now. Lots of red fruit with some traces of black cherry and blackberry on the finish. Lots of Asian spice and espresso aromas and flavors as well.

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  • 2007 Olivier Bernstein Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Opened mid-afternoon, this then had 3+ hours in decanter before poured. Big and bold red and black cherry flavors. Lots of power and density, but also nicely balance and integrated. Moderete spice. More powerful than nuanced, but very pleasurable. Tasted single blind in its flight of 2006 and 2007 Suchots.

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