Tasting Group Dinner

Jeff's House
Tasted Saturday, July 14, 2007 by Siggy with 789 views

Introduction

Jeff Samuelson invited our tasting group over for a Saturday night dinner. In attendance were Jeff, Brad England, Chris Larson, Chris Palm, Craig Vanderah, and me. (Unfortunately Dave Dalluge was busy with a family commitment, so naturally we called to harass him as we were sipping on our two bottles of DRC). The theme was Burgundy, with reds from 1999 or earlier. Of course, I had to sneak in a couple of Rhones and a Loire dessert wine to keep us honest. Jeff prepared a simple and delicious meal of oven-roasted salmon, potatoes, and green beans that paired perfectly with the wines. He also served two fantastic cheeses that he smuggled back from France last month. We spent several hours in Jeff's kitchen and (mosquito-free) patio. I really enjoyed trying all the wines; my WOTN was the brilliant 2005 Dauvissat Les Clos. Thanks Jeff and everyone for another great evening!

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

Flight 2 (3 Notes)

  • 2005 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Light straw color. Gorgeously perfumed, stony, and delicious. Intense floral and mineral flavors. Lime, green apple, and melon fruit. Racy acidity. This was really tight all evening, although it was beginning to open up 3-4 hours after opening. My WOTN amidst some pretty stiff competition from the rest of our Burg lineup.

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  • 2004 Jean Boillot & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère 92 Points

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

    White gold color. Perfumed citrus/apple fruit, with quite a bit of smoky oak that grew more pronounced with air. Nice minerality and acidity. Very promising; needs more time to integrate the oak.

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  • 2005 Peter Michael Chardonnay La Carrière 93 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Intense straw/gold, with a tinge of green. Thicker and cloudier than the two Burgs. Intense, sweet orange marmalade, apricot, and lemon curd flavors. Slightly leesy, with good supporting acidity and minerality. Lots of spicy oak, as is typical for Peter Michael Chards at this age. Delicious and hedonistic.

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 1997 Domaine Leroy Pommard Les Vignots 87 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard

    Nose of freshly chopped mushrooms, smoke, and ripe red cherries. Ripe cola/cinnamon. With air, this grew funkier and less pleasant, developing VA/Band-Aid on the nose. I liked the 1997 Leroy NSG much better.

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  • 1997 Domaine Leroy Nuits St. Georges Aux Allots 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges

    The nose is much deeper and more mineral-infused than the 97 Leroy Pommard Les Vignots, tasted alongside. Smoky blackberries, tobacco, minerals, and Asian spice. Ripe but not over-the-top. Put on weight and gained complexity with air. Excellent stuff.

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Flight 4 (1 Note)

  • 1978 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 94 Points

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

    A fascinating bottle. Jeff had opened this before the crowd arrived (the cork was in miserable shape), and we decided to pour it before it saw too much air. The color is a mature maroon, with strikingly brilliant clarity. Incredible nose -- smoked turkey breast and bacon fat jump out at you, followed by gorgeously effervescent, perfumed layers of earth, spice, tea, and black truffles. The nose was utterly perfect and quite Rhone-like, and reminded me and Brad of the 88 La Mouline. Unfortunately the palate didn't come close to the nose, showing mature, somewhat muted, lightly spicy red fruit, tea, and baking spices. Interestingly, despite its age and several hours of air, this never faded, and seemed to be putting on a little weight by the end of the evening.

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • 1998 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

    Intense, perfumed nose of crushed blackberries and baking spices. On the palate this is young and fresh, showing deep, richly concentrated dark fruit and minerals. A mid-weight, nicely aromatic wine that is just beginning to unfold.

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Flight 6 (2 Notes)

  • 1990 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot 93 Points

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

    Dark and structured, showing mushrooms, minerals, and dark fruits, along with a slight violet/floral component on the nose. Some coffee/espresso flavors on the midpalate. Still somewhat brooding and closed, but perhaps beginning to come out of hibernation. Another wine that improved significantly with a few hours of decanting.

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  • 1990 Frederic Esmonin Griotte-Chambertin 87 Points

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

    This had a seriously funky, bretty nose at first -- Brad's term was "Swamp-A-Thon". The funk diminished quite a bit with air, but never really settled down. I don't mind funky Burgs, but this was out of balance. On the palate this dark and serious, showing smoke, ash, and black fruit. Mature tannins.

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Flight 7 (2 Notes)

  • 1989 Domaine les Goubert Gigondas Cuvée Florence 90 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

    A bottle I bought at the domaine. A little out of place amidst all of our Burgs. Funky and stinky, showing slightly smoky red fruit, tea, leather, and light garrigue spice. Fully mature. Interesting, but not up to the level of other bottles I've had.

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  • 1990 Domaine les Goubert Gigondas Cuvée Florence 90 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

    Another bottle I bought at the domaine. This had a similar profile to the 1989, showing darker fruit and additional smoke and coffee flavors. Slight VA. Fully mature. Excellent but not up to the level of the other bottle tasted while in France.

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Flight 8 (2 Notes)

  • 1999 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin 93 Points

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

    Fragrant floral, mocha, and smoky black fruit on the nose. The palate is well-structured and concentrated, but young and very tight. Medium body; long finish; highly tannic. Quite promising.

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  • 1989 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 94 Points

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

    Deliciously fresh and youthful. Crystalline clarity. Complex nose of smoke, ripe black cherries, and Asian spice that carries through to the palate. Finely textured and richly concentrated, without any obvious weight or heaviness. Delicious.

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Flight 9 (1 Note)

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