Celebrating 2021, welcoming 2022

We has a small gathering for the New Year, with two couples braving the snowy roads. Fedex failed to deliver the truffles, but the caviar made it, and the meal and company were outstanding. Wines were a mixed bag; Burgundy flipped us the bird last night.

MB and I opened our first '06 BdM while preparing, thinking we'd have plenty left to share by the time guests arrived. Silly us, that plan failed as it was destined to. Surprisingly, it was probably my WOTN.

The Comtes was served with Osetra Caviar, charcuterie and cheese.

• 2006 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires

  France, Champagne

  I'm loving drinking relatively warm vintage wines, like 2006 and 2009 when they're done right. This wine didn't disappoint. It's drinking better than the last '04 I opened a year ago, which was shut down. Rich lemon and orchard, good balance and cut. Good now with a promising future.

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• 2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

  France, Champagne

  From a magnum to celebrate the old year and bring in the new. This wine rarely disappoints. It shows the lushness of the vintage and the house style, but less so than out of a 750. This had a lot of reductive notes, with the typical luxurious mouthfeel. The magnums need a bit more time, and I'll open 2 750's if needed before I open another magnum for a few years.

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I was able to pull off the truffled pasta without the undelivered fresh burgundy perigord truffles. I had some nice butter with truffles, real truffle olive oil and truffle paste, so with enough butter, olive oil and fresh microplaned parmesan, it turned out just fine.

• 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  For New Years with pasta and black winter truffles. It's a beauty, but more restrained than the Ovello of the same vintage I opened a week or two ago. It's still quite tannic, but delicious with red fruit and savory herb flavors and aromas. I'll either decant a while, or hold off on opening these for a while.

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Three strikes and I gave up.

• 2014 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie

  I opened a bottle a month or so ago and declared this vintage of Tardive ready to go. Last night's bottle made me doubt my initial exuberance. While within a reasonable drinking window, it's still early. This bottle had more savory notes than dark fruit and licorice. A subtle rubber aroma made me think reduction, but was it a subtle brett? We were to far into the night to analyze.

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• 2011 A. et P. de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey

  I really liked the bottle I opened over 1 1/2 years ago, but this one disappointed. It was brambly, herbacious and green. So different than my last, I'm hoping this was a flawed bottle rather than a wine starting to show pyrazines that weren't noticeable earlier.

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• 2001 Domaine Louis Remy Clos de la Roche Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  This wasn't as dense or complex as I had hoped, and the subtle band-aid aroma suggested some brett had stepped in to diminish this wine.

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• 2003 Dow Porto Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Okay, I didn't have any ruby port to use for rye crumb crusted endive in a port reduction, so I used 1/2 cup of this .375 bottle to cook, then enjoyed the remainder after dinner with Rogue River Blue Cheese. Elegant, especially for an '03, with great dark fruit and dark chocolate. Not much evolution this point. I like Dow in '03.

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• NV Grande Chartreuse Chartreuse V.E.P. Verte

  France

  I love this as a digestif. I first tried the VEP at the Hotel Royal Champagne, at the recommendation of the restaurant and bar staff. I finally was able to procure some outside of Portland the last time we visited.
  Last night, we did a side by side tasting comparing this with the regular Chartreuse Verte. The VEP "exceptionally long aging" version was easily my favorite, although not for everyone who tried it. It's far more polished, precise and complex. It's worth the effort to find, and the extra expense.

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While I had hoped for more out of the Comtes magnum and all of the Burgs/Beaujolais, we can't complain. Life is more complicated but still very good, and I couldn't be more thankful as we start the New Year.
Cheers!