A Ledbury lunch

The Ledbury
Tasted Friday, January 23, 2015 by SimonG with 464 views

Flight 1 (1 Note)

Canapés

Flight 2 (2 Notes)

Hampshire Buffalo Milk Curd with Aged Comte, St Nectaire Truffle Toast and a Broth of Grilled Onions
and
Poached Skate, brassicas and bonito butter

  • 2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    Mid straw. Lovely nose, classic Leflaive mineral, lightly toasted hazelnut, white mushroom and a slightly floral lift. Very bright and focused on the attack, mid weight with a lightness and elegance through the mid palate before a long and lingering finish that is delicate without being weak. Lovely, and holds well over several hours. Understated class. ****

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  • 2008 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

    Pale straw. Refined and elegant nose, mineral, with hints of white fruit and a floral lift. Very bright and precise on the attack. Mineral and focused, passing through to a richer, quite dense mid-palate and then a long, fresh finish. Lovely. Combines effortless mineral elegance with a ripeness and density. ****

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

Aged pigeon, dried blackcurrant, red leaves and vegetables

  • 2002 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru

    Deep garnet. Lovely nose, quite earthy and savoury with a florally-scented top note. This has lost its high-toned tension since last tasted four years ago and settled in to a comfortable secondary phase. Nothing flashy, just good breeding, a sense of assurance and a twinkle in its eye cf the younger and less subtle Dujac alongside. Lots of mid-palate complexity and a slightly open-knit silkiness to the texture. ****

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  • 2006 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 94 Points

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

    Bright ruby. Lovely nose, dark red fruit, spice and an almost rose-like florality. Sweet-fruited attack, really quite round and lush and giving. Densely silky texture. A little more exuberant than the 02 Ruchottes alongside, currently a good-time rather than cerebral wine, but none the worse for that. Quite the opposite. This is satisfying and sexy and with a more serious core of dark red fruit, ripe tannins and fresh acidity for the future. It's great fun now though. ****1/2

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Flight 4 (3 Notes)

Herdwick lamb, salt baked kohlrabi, padron and garlic

  • 1992 Ridge Monte Bello 92 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Dark, blackcurrant colour with little difference across the three Montebellos (92/96/99). The 92 is a little softer and relatively muted on the nose. Good core of reasonably sweet cassis fruit tempered by an elegance and line. Harmonious. Such a strong family line between three. ****

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  • 1996 Ridge Monte Bello 93 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Similarly dark and dense. Not showing quite as well as a bottle this time last year, but I think that's more about the context (two other Montebellos cf a straight pairing with a Dominus last time). Blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf on the nose which is fuller and more focused than the 92, and not quite the sweet (relative) exuberance of the 99. Long and persistent. Cooly classy with a finely mineral line on the finish. Lovely. ****

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  • 1999 Ridge Monte Bello 93 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Dark and really quite dense. Blackcurrant. Similar on the nose, blackcurrant with a sense of ripeness/sweetness. Cool and refined on the attack with a sweet-fruited mid-palate and a minerally frame. Such a strong family line. This one a little more outgoing and with a slightly brighter personality, but qualitatively there's so little in it. Really lovely. ****

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

Cheese

  • 1991 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 94 Points

    Australia, South Australia

    Dark and dense ruby. Bright nose of blackcurrant with a pinch of slightly redder fruit too and the faintest waft of vanilla and mint, but this is a blackcurrant thoroughbred. Similar on palate. Sweetly blackcurrant fruited, some mineral spice and the slightest hint of secondary development. Certainly drinkable now with a hefty decant, but this will last decades. Beautifully balanced: nicely fine tannin and good acidity enveloped in dense fruit. ****1/2

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

Pavé of chocolate, vanilla and clementine leaf ice cream

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