Countryside Relaxation with a finish in Paris

A quick trip to France to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We spend Friday and Saturday in Mâcon and then took the TGV up to Paris on Sunday.

Relaxing in the kitchen, conversation and an unhurried dinner.

• 2017 Sainchargny Crémant de Bourgogne Emerite

  France, Burgundy, Crémant de Bourgogne

  (9/9/2022)

  Crisp and clean

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• 2018 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes-Dessus

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

  (9/9/2022)

  Briny and spiny with a nice electric crackle and richness.

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• 2000 Château Mouton Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (9/9/2022)

  Textbook nose, dark, brooding, very Mouton. Cigar. Palate is still very locked up, balanced, powerful, many years to go.

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• 2003 Château Saint-Pierre

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (9/9/2022)

  Disturbingly figgy with lots of dried fruit at first, but this quickly blew off to become a background note on a rather fresh, round, tasty and fairly mature St. Julien.

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• 2008 Domaine de Chevalier

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  (9/9/2022)

  Quite classic, very nice acidity, Graves smokiness, nice fruit, very soft tannins. Very pleasing.

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Auberge des Grenouillats in Saint-Maurice-de-Satonnay. A charming little restaurant.

• 2015 Domaine des Perdrix Vosne-Romanée

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

  (9/10/2022)

  Young, taut, dark fruit, exotic Vosne spice. Excellent.

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Another late dinner, this time pondering two more amazing wines.

• 1996 Château Lafite Rothschild 100 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (9/10/2022)

  Absolutely mindblowing. Literally perfect. Quite young, massive aromatics, incredible freshness and more power and depth than I am used to for Lafite, very approachable yet so, so much in reserve. This is a remarkable treat to drink now, and there are literally decades ahead.

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• 1990 Château Haut-Brion 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  (9/10/2022)

  Deeply smoky, roasted coffee, earth, cherry. Exotic, warm, so very Haut Brion, although this had a tough act to follow. Some bitterness on the finish by comparison.

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We finished out the weekend with a long day of walking around Paris (10 miles) in perfect weather and then a lovely meal at Allard.

• 2017 Dominique Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Les Lurets 90 Points

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

  (9/11/2022)

  Nice nose with no off-putting moves to a very austere palate, deep, concentrated, tannic with strong acidity. This was tough sledding for 30 minutes, but then it simply exploded as soon as it was paired with a delicious stuffed quail (stuffed with Swiss Chard and foie gras) in a really lovely sauce. Then it was simply magical, really the perfect wine with the bird.

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