Drinking DRC with Bipin

I was recently offered the opportunity to attend a DRC tasting hosted by one of the great wine masters, Bipin Desai. I graciously accepted the offer and I am so glad that I did. The weekend included 3 separate DRC events, at 3 of the top Vegas restaurants including Robuchon (Friday dinner), Guy Savoy (Saturday lunch) and Picasso (Sunday lunch). I was unable to attend the Sunday lunch being that it was Mother's Day and my wife and son wanted me back home by dinner time. In any case, I would have been happy attending just one event, so attending 2 was a bonus. The wines consisted mostly of DRC Montrachet and La Tache, but a few Richebourgs were also included. The dinner at Robuchon (3 star Michelin) was fantastic, but the lunch at Guy Savoy, was a top 5 all-time meal for me. Guy was not only supervising/cooking during the lunch, he also greeted us as we entered the restaurant and came out a few times during service to ensure that we were enjoying the meal.

The wines tasted during the dinner included Montrachet '01, '00, '99, '90, '89; La Tache '03, '98, '93, '90, '88, '85, '78; Richebourg '93, '88. The wines of the dinner for me were '01 and '90 Montrachet; '03, '90 and '78 La Tache.

The wines tasted during the lunch included Montrachet '06,'05, '86, '85, '78; La Tache '04, '02, '01, '00, '96, '95, '91, '89, '80; Richebourg '89, '64; and Madeira Barbeito Malvazia 1875. The wines of the lunch for me were '05 and '78 Montrachet; '91, '02, '89, '80 La Tache; and '64 Richebourg. I only took notes on the '06 and '05 Montrachet as I just wanted to enjoy the wines and John Kapon was sitting next to me taking lots of notes, so I can just refer to his notes when he publishes them.

As a bonus, our local hosts took us to Lotus of Siam, which is a non-descript Thai restaurant in a shopping mall off the strip. This was the best Thai food I ever had. While we did not have any DRC with this meal, Jullian brought an impressive collection of over a dozen whites, mostly older Rieslings that matched perfectly with the food. Although we were BYO, the restaurant has a great wine list with a strong emphasis on Rieslings.

• 2005 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet 97 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  (5/9/2009)

  This was paired in a flight with the '06, which was great in its own right, but the '05 was ethereal. It was a big wine with oak, viscosity, creaminess and some brown notes from the botrytis. Bipin told me that they pick the wines late so that they get a little touch of botrytis which really kicks the flavor up a notch.

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• 2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  (5/9/2009)

  This was paired with the '05 - tough luck. It was difficult to tell either apart at first, lots of oak and cream and some tropical fruits. While the '05 grew even bigger during the course of the meal, the '06 was relatively constant and then started to fade near the end. Still an amazing white, but overshadowed by the '05.

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