French Wine Themed Tasting Dinner

I put the wine together for a dinner meeting for a group of colleagues that like wine, but are not very knowledgeable. This was a business meeting, but hey, why can't we have good wine and at the same time. I wanted to give them a taste of a France including Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux.

• NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Big nose with apple, pear, dough, mineral. The palate is tart, crisp and clean, bright and focused, apple, pear, and a long mineral finish. This was just so bright and fresh.

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• 2006 Dujac Fils et Père Puligny-Montrachet 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  Medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over 60 minutes and revisited on day two. Nose offers up smoked butter, florals, mineral, white peach, citrus. The palate is round, lush and creamy, butter, smoke, lemon, peach, minerals. Medium plus finish. Well balanced. 91+ on day one and even better on day 2, 92pts.

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• 2010 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Porêts Saint-Georges 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Medium ruby red color. Slow-O for 5 hours. Drank 1+ glass over 90 minutes. Wow! This was amazingly good for being so young. I was expecting this to be tight and tannic, but it was so open to start that I elected not to decant and just let it sit until dinner. The nose is explosive, bright raspberry, cherry, floral perfume, dry forest floor, and baking spices. The palate while primary, is elegant and bright, raspberry, cherry, earth, fine grained tannins, very long and elegant finish. Loved it.

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• 2001 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Very dark red color with subtle bricking. Decanted for 4 hours. Drank 1 plus glass on consecutive nights. The nose has cassis, plum, black olive, saddle leather, damp earth, smoke. The palate is medium full bodied, tart, dry, cassis, black cherry, tobacco, mineral, smooth tannins. Lacks a little mid palate intensity, yet very good.

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• 2000 Domaine de Chevalier 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 4 hours, drank 1+ glass on consecutive nights. The nose is full of ripe black fruits, cassis, blackberry, scorched earth, tobacco, licorice, mineral. The palate offers dense, chewy black fruits, cassis, dark berries, layered, crushed rocks, mineral, tobacco, licorice, firm round tannins, long finish. 93+pts.

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• 2003 Château Suduiraut 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Gorgeous medium dark gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 40 minutes and again on day 2. This was outstanding to begin with, but it was even more compelling on day 2 and 3. The nose is spicy and effusive with honeysuckle, orange marmalade, white flowers, apricot, pineapple, and honey. The palate is full bodied, thick and viscous, orange marmalade, spicy, honey, pineapple, peach cobbler, vanilla bean. Intense with a long finish. This is caressing and delightful with lots of botrytis. 93pts day 1, 94pts on day 2/3.

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We had some incredible wines highlighted by the Faiveley and Suduiraut. The group was quite pleased and even learned a little bit.