Private Dinner

The theme of this dinner was Domaine Fourrier in 2007. We love Fourrier, and with the 2007 vintage drinking so well at present we decided on a horizontal lineup of reds.

The only Fourrier from a vintage other than 2007, this was served as an aperitif.

• 2010 Domaine Fourrier Bourgogne Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  My first experience with this wine changed my opinion of white wine in general: I was captivated by its subtle fruit (honeydew, lemon zest, white nectarine) and crushed limestone minerality and began to drink white wine with increasing frequency. This time around I found it enjoyable—no one would (or should) complain about this—but not as distinguished as my first experience. This says more about my palate than the wine itself. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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We decided to arrange the reds in order of what we anticipated would be least to most complex. All five bottles were opened at the same time. The Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vigne were served with a butternut squash soup and the Les Petits Vougeot and Champeaux were served with a leg of lamb with mustard and rosemary. The Clos Saint-Jacques was a last-mintue surprise addition to the lineup, and was served with bread from Maison Kayser and a selection of cheeses.

• 2007 Domaine Fourrier Morey St. Denis Clos Solon Vieille Vigne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis

  Expressive bouquet of dark cherry and black fruits with hints of vanilla and earth. There's a high-toned sweetness that seems to be a combination of the oak and fruit. In the mouth, the fruit is redder than the nose—think bright red cherry. The real problem here is that the acid was still unhinged and it really got in the way of enjoying this wine. Just not as good as the last bottle I had. Give it another year or two, but not much longer. Rated 0 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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• 2007 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vigne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Darker than the Morey-Saint-Denis in every way. The fruit is red, but it's baked—almost stewed—and joined on the nose and palate by a meaty, bloody element that struck me as surprisingly masculine for Fourrier. Some brambly fruit and spice could also be found on the palate. Like the MSD, this had a fair amount of acid going and it could do with another year or two in bottle. I'd also recommend pairing it with a meat. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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• 2007 Domaine Fourrier Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots Vieille Vigne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vougeot 1er Cru

  The most ready to drink of all the reds we tasted. My first thought after sticking my nose in the glass was that it smelled like a 2007 Barolo that had been in a decanter for 3-5 hours. Very floral (fresh and dried flowers), with notes of cherry, forest floor, leather, and raw meat. Just a hint of oak. Great tension in the mouth, with extremely gamey flavors and the sensation of swallowing incense smoke. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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• 2007 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux Vieille Vigne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  I found this to be extremely closed on the nose even after breathing for three hours. The palate was another story altogether: an explosion of red and black fruits and smoke that seemed endlessly layered. Fantastic structure, absolutely chock-full of mouthwatering flavor. The leg of lamb pairing was perfect. Of all the wines we tasted, this has the greatest potential to improve considerably; I'd cellar it for another five years. Rated 3 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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• 2007 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  The ringer. "What a nose, what a nose," said one of our dinner companions, and he couldn't have been more right: most of us sat at the table smelling this wine for five minutes or more before tasting it. Dark red fruit, trending to black fruit; brooding. Gamey and saline. A complete spectrum of pure, dark fruit coats the mouth. This after being open for nearly three hours. Eminently enjoyable now, but no concerns about longevity. Rated 3 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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Jim Simring, the master of Madeira, kindly put on what amounted to a tasting of his own. This was a great opportunity to try a number of Madeiras and also to learn a great deal from Jim about how they're made, how they evolve, and so on. I have almost no experience with Madeira, so my tasting notes are rather thin at this point, and five years down the line I may read them again and ask myself, "What was I thinking?" The Madeira was accompanied by canelés from Céline, and boy were they tasty.

• 1969 Blandy's Madeira Terrantez

  Portugal, Madeira

  Opened October 27, 2013. Aromas of maple syrup and brown sugar provide a solid base of sweetness. In the mouth, crazy acidity, like biting into a lime and then letting it sit on your teeth while the juice sneaks into your gums and starts a not-so-slow burn. Not for everyone, but I happen to like biting into limes and found this really fun to drink. The intensity of the acid keeps the sugar in check. Make sure you brush your teeth afterwards. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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• 1922 D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal Reserva

  Portugal, Madeira

  Opened November 17, 2013. I found this hard to taste, perhaps because of the intensity of the acid in the previous bottle. One of our dinner companions said, "It's like a sassy blonde chewing on a tobacco leaf while sliding down an old mahogany banister, with a splinter of acidity." Take that for what you will. Perhaps at some point I'll get to revisit this and will be able to distinguish some of the aromas or flavors myself. Not rated.

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• 1907 Blandy's Madeira Bual

  Portugal, Madeira

  Opened December 22, 2013. For me, this was the most un-fortified-like of the Madeiras we tasted, and perhaps for that reason it was also my favorite. Caramel, maple syrup—all of those aromas. High-toned in the mouth with piercing acidity—not as broad as the previous two, but rather like a surgeon's knife cutting through every layer of the wine. Flavors of vanilla, coffee, and roasted nuts, with a long finish. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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• 1850 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho Reserva

  Portugal, Madeira

  Opened December 22, 2013. What happened in 1850? Zachary Taylor died in office; Los Angeles and San Francisco were incorporated as cities; American Express was founded. Oh, and the grapes for this Madeira were grown and harvested. This was more about the experience of drinking something 164 years old than the organoleptic properties (some orange rind, roasted nuts, acid and sugar keeping one another in check). Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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The dinner was a great success. With the exception of the Morey-Saint-Denis, I felt that all of the wines showed really well. There's nothing like tasting the differences between different villages and vineyards with a bit of bottle age (usually you only get to do this at release time at a distributor or wine store tasting). The step-up in quality from the village bottlings to the 1er Crus was crystal clear. It's really true that an excellent producer's village wines will be the equal of most producers' 1er Cru wines, and that their 1er Cru wines will be the equal of most producers' Grand Cru wines. The food was excellent, too, and accompanied the wine perfectly.