The 90 La Tache dinner

To the contrast to some may believe, I prefer drinking and savoring Burgundy in a small setting with good friends. So we decided to emulate how my European friends prefer to drink, ie a bit of progression and only one super star. That super star was the 90 La Tache. Three of us cost shared this elixir. The setting was at a private club in DC where we got a semi private room. The food was very good, simple yet perfectly executed, and complemented the wines perfectly. The wine service was perfect. We drank the wines over three hours.

• 1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 97 Points

  France, Champagne

  According to Paul, a bit of bottle variation. This particular bottle from the list is quite fresh. Lovely light golden color. Perfectly mature Champagne with mostly yellow fruits, tarte tatin, dry apricot, roasted almond, honey, wet stone and sweet spices. Medium concentration, fine mousse, intense sweet and rich yellow fruit/honey driven palate impression, mouth puckering acidity and lovely long sweet finish. Although the age gives the wine lovely sweetness, it is very precise, sharp and focused. Very 88 in that it is very focused with strong presence of acidity. Excellent showing.

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• 2006 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes 92 Points

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

  One of the less impressive wines during the 12 barrel tasting with Louis Michel. Very youthful expressive nose displaying ripe black fruits, blackberry jelly, black cherries, dark spices, coffee, cola, and earth. Excellent concentration, ripe black fruit driven palate impression, good acidity, nicely integrated tannins and good finish but a hint of alcohol at the end. Still need another ten years of cellaring as still not much secondary notes. Showing excellent concentration but a bit monolithic and showing a hint of heat. Very enjoyable but the lower end of Louis Michel’s line up and definitely suffers next to the 90 La Tache.

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• 1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 100 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru

  Excellent appearance. Pop and pour. Explosive nose displaying decadent black fruits, essence of blackberry and black cherry, a perfect cup of Kona, rose and lavender, so much Vosne spices that it is exotic and kinky, licorice, hoisin, stem, dark spices and sweet incense. This is certainly very ripe, clearly expression the vintage character, yet there is subtle freshness and precision. The stem inclusion really adds lovely complexity at this stage and keeps the impressive tension. The palate is fascinating in that as the wine touches the lips, the vosne spices and the most intense rose explode. The palate in perfect: incredibly intense yet airy and so darn silky, decadent almost kinky black fruit and Vosne spice driven palate impression, just the perfect amount of acidity, perfectly integrated tannins and incredibly long and perfectly seamless finish that ends with explosive Vosne spices. This is so perfect in incredibly youthful way but will improve for at least another couple decades gaining a bit more of sous bois and a bit more sweet raspberry fruits. The is no doubt that this will equal to the perfect 62. Just perfect in every way! Total sensory overload once again. The wine is so intense that the empty stem still remains explosive. Truly an emotional wine that will make a grown man cry.

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The 90 La Tache definitely made my top five wines of all time.