Mostly DRC lazy Sunday lunch

We originally planned a lunch in NYC with my good friend Laurent Vialette, French wine lover who drinks better than just about everyone I know. Unfortunately his flight was cancelled due to the blizzard so the DC crew decided to meet up for a small gathering.

Both showed incredibly well. The Rose was delicious as usual and the 88 Krug was incredible.

• NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Very pretty, subtle and sweet nose displaying essence of raspberry, strawberry jelly, copper, smoke, roasted oyster and caramel. Perfectly harmonious palate, very fine airy mousse, perfect amount of acidity and mineral and a lovely long smoky finish. It is not terribly complex but certainly is one of the most delicious rose champagnes for my palate.

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

• 1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 99 Points

  France, Champagne

  The same source as the Junly, 2015 bottle but fresher. Captivating nose displaying intense yellow fruit, cooked apple, lemon curd, Meyer lemon, lemon oil, crème brulee, smoke, honey and mineral. Intense and energetic palate, coiled lemon oil and intense yellow fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and the finish that lasts over a minute. This is drinking perfectly at the moment, incredible energy and precision yet also decadent and harmonious. The best example to date.

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

The 93 Batard was exceptional. The 79 Laville Haut Brion needed plenty of air.

• 1993 Domaine Michel Niellon Bâtard-Montrachet 98 Points

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

  Clearly fresher than the last bottle. The concentrated lemon oil nose and palate reminds me the 88 Krug. Perfectly mature GC white Burgundy nose, quite coiled and singular, telltale signs of Batard. Expressive youthful energetic nose displaying intense yellow fruit, lemon curd, lemon oil, yellow peach, a hint of butter scotch, sesame/toasted oak, honey and sweet spices. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered sweet citrus fruit driven palate impression, dense and oily yet beautifully balanced and precise, bright acidity, excellent mineral expression and an incredible long sweet yellow fruit and mineral driven finish. Very rich and decadent yet precise and perfectly balanced Batard. This has the fruit concentration to last but no need to wait.

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

• 1979 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  When will I learn that Grave blancs need plenty of air. Light to medium honey color. Pop and pour, a bit musty dirty cellar and oxidized apple. Simple, boring and slightly madeirized. Three hours later, Alan mentions drastic improvement, definitely fresher, decadent apricot and yellow peach fruit, honey, lanoline, crème brulee, sweet spices and earth. No longer showing the musty damp cellar note. Very good concentration, ripe orchard fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long sweet orchard fruit driven finish. It got even fresher at the end of the night. Started undrinkable but ended up in the low 90s. A couple hours of decanting is a must.

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

The 99 RSV was showing well. I would avoid the 88 RSV. The 66 Richebourg was obviously fully mature but drinking well.

• 1988 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 92 Points

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

  Alan S. mentions that this seemed DOA when first opened. The color seems very mature, bricking at the rim. Medium expressive fully mature nose displaying stewed tomato, dry cherry, raspberry preserve, cola, licorice, strong sous bois, tree bark and earth. Very good concentration, sous bois and dry cherry driven palate impression, still showing strong acidity and tannins and a long sous bois and earth driven finish. My initial impression is that the wine was not cellared properly. Based on Burgundy Al’s tn from Sep, 2015, this may have been a correct bottle. Very firm and masculine wine that is quite advanced. If served blind, I may have guessed as a Barolo. Certainly not worth the price tag.

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

• 1999 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Youthful expressive nose displaying ripe black and red fruit, blackberry jam, stewed raspberry, grilled meat, rose, dark spices and earth. Excellent concentration, ripe black fruit and earth driven palate impression, medium acidity and mineral and a medium to long dark fruit and earth driven finish. Still needs another five to ten years as sous bois has not emerged and feels a bit tight and coiled.

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

• 1966 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  Fully mature color, orange/bricking. Fully mature nose displaying decadent red fruit, slightly dry cherry, a hint of strawberry and rhubarb tart, strong sous bois, licorice, Asian spices and caramel. Excellent concentration, fully resolved palate, good acidity, strong earth/mineral and a long sweet caramel and dry cherry driven finish. Drinking nicely with mostly tertiary notes, no need to wait.

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

• 1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 97 Points

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

  It has not budged a bit. Extremely youthful nose displaying crushed blackberry, black cherry, roasted coffee bean, wild flowers, sweet spices and earth. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered intense black fruit, perfectly amount of acidity, strong earthly mineral presence and a long intense finish with a hint of roasted coffee bean and blackberry as the end notes. This truly is a tour de force. It will require minimum ten more years to reach the initial peak as there is no sous bois note yet. Incredibly youthful and intense showing with so much black fruit.

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

Perhaps the red WOTN. Great potential.

• 1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This just like the 99 DRC RSV remains incredibly youthful. Very energetic nose displaying slightly dry red fruits, dry cherry, strawberry jam, rose, tar, strong iron and limestone, balsamico and earth. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered red fruit, strong acidity and mineral presence, and a long mineral driven finish. This is a very concentrated, structured and slightly masculine wine that will benefit from another decade of cellaring. Pretty impressive and imposing showing.

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

We had such a great time that the lunch ended past six.