Marks duckhouse – La Las, 02 HB, 01 Pavie, CSH, Leflaive, QdC and etc.

Eight of us got together to drink a bunch of French wines. Suckling pig, lobster dumplings, scallop dumplings and Peking duck were all tasty as usual. The service was top notch.

• 2006 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Vénus Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs 95 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Expressive nose displaying sweet yellow and white fruits, lemon, pear, oyster jus, wet stone and biscotti. Very good concentration, very generous sweet fruit driven palate impression, strong presence of mineral via wet stone, bright acidity and long cool clean finish that starts very sweet but ends bone dry. It is a very cool, linear and refreshing champagne with decent nutty complexity. Quite deceptive in that the front fruit expression is quite sweet yet the finish is bone dry. This reminds me a bit of Selosse Initial, i.e. a hint of nutty note, sweet yellow fruit and good mineral presence but cooler and with a much drier finish. Really enjoyable for me and definitely will be appreciated by the grower champagne lovers for its unique expression.

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

• 2007 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  En magnum generously added by RJ. Pop and pour, cracker jack and honey which is neither desired nor expected from a young Batard. Deeply toned, dense nose displaying very ripe yellow fruit, honey, caramel, limestone and sweet spices. Excellent concentration, very ripe yellow fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and medium finish. Despite the strong presence of mineral and acidity, the overall impression is a bit cloying and almost three hours of air won’t help to freshen up. For my definition, it is not premoxed but definitely more advanced. This clearly demonstrates the flaw of buying white Burgundies based on barrel tasting notes as I can certain imagine how impressive this would have been with the generous fresher fruit, bright acidity and strong presence of mineral. Considering the failure rate and the the high prices of Leflaives, buy and drink really young or avoid.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère 94 Points

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

  Bright ripe yellow fruits, lemon curd, granny smith, banana, sweet spices and mineral. Excellent concentration, strong presence of mineral and acidity, lovely tension and precision and long acid and mineral driven finish. Extremely consistent showing, i.e. quite ripe yet maintains very good tension and precision. Really wonderful showing.

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

• 1989 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile Vendanges Tardives 95 Points

  France, Alsace

  Absolutely captivating fully mature nose displaying caramel apple, yellow peach, lanoline, a hint of petrol, smoke, burnt sugar, thyme and sweet spices. Excellent concentration, ripe sweet orchard fruit driven palate impression, quite sweet, medium acidity and lovely long smoky finish. Very harmonious and balanced wine. Complements Peking duck and dumplings very well. This particular bottle is at the peak.

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

• 2004 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand Vendange Tardive 94 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  From an half bottle. Since ZH wines were loved by Bob, they used to have very high demand. IMO, ZH is to Alsatian as Aubert is to CA chardonnay, ie they both have so much of everything. Absolutely delicious nose displaying orange marmalade, candied orange rind, fig and sweet spices. For me, the great dessert wines always have beautiful texture and what makes this wine exceptional is the beguiling airy texture. Certainly not so nuance driven, nevertheless so incredibly tasty like a decadent peach cobbler.

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

• 2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Perhaps a blasphemy for J J Prum heads but the appearance of Asti Spumante and taste like one too. Mouthwatering nose displaying pear, key lime pie, lemon oil, a hint of petrol and sweet spices. Excellent concentration, a lot of bubbles, sweet and sour yellow fruit driven palate impression, strong presence of acidity and mineral and medium finish due to spritz. May be mollydooker shake is required. Really like a super delicious Asti Spumante.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 96 Points

  France, Alsace

  Expressive energetic nose displaying white fruits, lemon candy, pear, apple, smoke, lanoline, white pepper, mint and limestone. Excellent concentration, fresh white fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, incredible amount of mineral, very focused and energetic, lovely long cool finish. Drinking wonderfully in very youthful energetic mineral driven way. Finishes deceptively dry. The similar vibrant fruit expression as the 07 but showing more concentration. I will definitely try to savor a bottle at home over a couple nights.

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

• 2007 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 94 Points

  France, Alsace

  The similar energetic fruit expression as the 09 but more elegant and subtle. Subtle nose displaying white fruits, white flowers, lanoline and mineral. Beautiful harmonious and balanced palate, cool white fruit driven palate impression, strong presence of mineral and acidity and lovely long subtle yet energetic clean finish. More ready but I prefer the 09 slightly even for the current drinking for the greater intensity.

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

• 2001 Château Pavie 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very youthful nose displaying ripe yet cool black fruits, blueberry concentrate, plum, dark milk chocolate, cedar and leather. Excellent concentration, nicely layered fruits, round and silky, black fruit driven palate impression and lovely long finish. This is a very youthful modern style right bank wine. The youthful fruit dominates and not showing much detail. Though I find the fruit expression to be cool, this will still be a slightly polarizing wine. It would be interesting to taste this blind in ten years when the fruit subsides and the additional detail emerges. For my palate, really enjoyable in a very fruit forward way.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Château Haut-Brion 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  The first note is ash and smoke. Expressive nose displaying cassis, black fruit, cedar, leather, bitter chocolate, ink, lead pencil and earth. With air, there is a hint of Cabernet Sauvignon green that gives the freshness. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered fruits, sensual silky palate, bright acidity, noticeable but fine tannins and love long dark fruit and earth driven finish. It is drinking beautifully in very youthful way. I really like how the 02 top wines developing, i.e. generous amount of really ripe dark fruit yet a hint of green that gives the nice freshness and complexity, excellent concentration, bright acidity and noticeable but not too coarse tannins. This will need another ten years to reach the peak. Not a bad wine to own.

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

• 2008 Lucien Le Moine Bonnes Mares Sud 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  I believe there are three versions of the 08 Bonne Mares. Beautiful slightly exotic nose displaying red fruits, cherry, raspberry candy, a hint of sous bois, coffee, lactic, a hint of cannabis like green, perfume and mineral. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered fruits, silky and polished palate, bright acidity and beautiful long seamless finish with a hint of green at the end. This is already showing some tertiary notes. Drinking really well, generous red fruits and very polished and detailed palate. Really enjoyable.

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

• 2001 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 92 Points

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

  Slightly masculine earthy nose displaying ripe black fruit, a hint of cherry as well, caramel, a hint of oak/vanilla, tree bark and earth. Excellent concentration, nicely integrated palate, good balance and medium long finish with earthy end. This is a concentrate riper style of GC wine with generous dark fruits and earth. Pretty enjoyable but not profound which is perhaps typical of Charmes and Mazoyères.

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

• 2007 Coche-Dury Auxey-Duresses Rouge 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Auxey-Duresses

  Soft and delicate clean red fruits, perfume, mineral and earth. Medium to light concentration, good mineral presence, bright acidity and clean mineral driven finish. Really good pretty village wine, not worth paying for the name however.

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

• 2006 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Clos Vougeot 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  Ripe red fruit driven nose, cherry, strawberry rhubarb pie, a hint of mint and earth. Excellent concentration, deeply toned fruit, bright acidity and long cherry fruit driven finish. This is a very solid concentrated style of Clos Vougeot with clean fruit. It will require another ten years of cellaring to reach the peak.

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

• 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 97 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Incredibly youthful nose displaying perfectly ripe intense black fruits, crushed blackberries, blackberry jam, liquid smoke, incense and a hint of crushed pepper. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered fruit, sensual and silky, perfect amount of acidity and mineral and incredibly long smoky black fruit driven finish. Drinking exceptional well in very primary way but can improve for another ten years or more.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1989 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne Flawed

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Slightly corked.

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

• 2000 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Fully mature classic CDP nose displaying dried red fruit, earth, grilled meat, garrigue and a whole lot of tobacco. Drinking perfectly at the moment.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 95 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru

  From a half bottle. Pretty consistent with the last bottle. Intensely fruit driven with a hint of sweet spices. Exceptional concentration, beautiful balance and incredibly long finish. So absolutely delicious.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Château Climens 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Starting to show some maturity with more yellow pit fruits and sweet spices. Exceptional concentration, oily and unctuous, bright acidity and steely mineral provide good balance and precision, and very long sweet spice driven finish. The 01 Climen is very unique in that it shows a lot more fruit than usual. I still remember how crazy good this was upon release with a lot of pear and other white fruits. Though still excellent, the overall expression is a bit denser and deeper. This will last forever, perhaps becoming like the legendary 1929.

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

As usual, a great time was had by all!