A Memorable Seaside Dinner in Corsica

As business turned to pleasure on this magical island, we were treated to quite a night. My tasting notes don't evoke the full panoply of pleasures, rewarding all five senses amidst dear colleagues, in a special locale. I need to work on my picture-uploading techniques at a minimum!

The set menu featured fresh burrata, a dizzying array of local seafood, and special cuts of Kobe and Galice beef, with the protein simply prepared at an enormous barbecue steps away from the table. By then end I felt like I had been in a vanishing, perhaps imaginary place like in One Hundred Years of Solitude.

• 1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé P2 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  I have to confess I feel a bit overmatched in trying to review this wine, having had so little experience with aged champagne of this quality. That said, if this is not at peak I will be very impressed if I have the good fortune to follow it over time. Pale, pink salmon in appearance, with tight bubbles and compelling bouquet. Clean and pure on the palate, with no hints of oxidation, impressive minerality and extraordinary persistence.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Bright, vibrant and compelling, with a clean saline nose and loads of flavor. The lemon notes dominate on the front palate, and the persistence is impressive. I think this is drinking at peak right now, with no hint of oxidation and impressive depth.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  I was really drawn to this wine, which though young seemed to me to be fairly rounded out, and in an impressive way. The bouquet still haunts me, with balanced notes of red fruit, smoke and spice. On the palate, the wine seamlessly features raspberry, cranberry and fig, along with a chewy smokiness I found very compelling. Classic Morey St. Denis. I would love to be able to follow this over time, and will look for some bottles to lay down.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Clos Canarelli Corse Figari Blanc 92 Points

  France, Corsica, Corse Figari

  My first encounter with this one, and I certainly hope not my last. Served from a magnum, the wine opened fairly quickly in the glass and displayed an impressive array of floral notes, tropical fruits, dried herbs, fig and citrus, with impressive precision and persistence. This had a far greater richness than any Vermentino I've previously had, almost Viognier-like. A great accompaniment to an assortment of local cheeses.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

We finished with some utterly unnecessary and fantastically indulgent Hennessy Paradis Imperial cognac -- no notes taken, just a well savored sip here and there.

Hope you enjoy my brief write-up a fraction as much as I did simply in gathering my recollections to share it, cheers!