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Gareth's glorious game dinner
Canary Wharf
Tasted December 9, 2021 by NickA with 205 views
Introduction
A dinner for the sheer fun of it
Flight 1 - Cheese gougeres; Foie gras, roast hazelnut and sugared apple gougeres (2 notes)
White - Sparkling
1985 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
95 points
Lovely example of mature Champagne. Certainly mature, but not overly so given its age, retaining some effervessence and having a nice balance of tertiary and fresher flavours. Honey, sour yoghurt, popcorn, baked apple, blackcurrant, verging on herbal. Would have been glad to drink multiple glasses of this!
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White - Sparkling
1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
91 points
A fair amount of drive and more straightforwardly creamy than the 1985, but on this showing somewhat further advanced and less energetic than that wine. Lots to like here, although there were suspicions of low level TCA that hollowed out the mid-palate.
Flight 2 - Wild rabbit raviolo in a cream and tarragon sauce (2 notes)
Red
1993 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts
96 points
Took a few minutes to get going, and then showed really well. Still dark and arguably on the young side, but the mouthfeel was very resolved and the nose was flamboyant and full of complex perfume. Words couldn't really capture that adequately, but my recollection is of a spicy, smoky, faintly truffley wine, with tons of energy, excellent acidity and generous length. No formal vote, but I think this was probably WOTN.
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Red
1996 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin
91 points
Something not quite right with the nose of this bottle; I would have said heat damage, but it only just came out of climate-controlled storage, so perhaps an unlucky bacterial issue. Despite that, the wine was enjoyable to drink, especially towards and on the long, juicy, still primary finish. 1996 acidity was pretty prominent, but luckily we had the food to deal with that.
Flight 3 - Game pithivier, game jus, pomme frites, carrots (3 notes)
Red
1983 Delas Frères Cornas Chante-Perdrix
93 points
Nicely rounded and tertiary, with no particular element standing out: a real 'all rounder'. Some juicy fruit, a bit of meat, ample vitality and even some grip.
Red
1983 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas
93 points
A real Cornas caricature: blood and iron, coffee bean, even smelling of shit at times. Good acidity, and plenty of zip and complexity, but not necessarily delicious (perhaps the more hedonistic Chave overshadowed it).
Red
1985 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
95 points
Loved this, especially the nose, which was ethereal and very perfumed - a veritable aromatic symphony that I won't attempt to describe in detail! Extremely silky and resolved on the palate, with some red fruit, violets, savoury elements and an underlying confidence in its excellence.
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Flight 4 - Sika deer loin, roast beetroot, buttered greens, black winter truffle jus (3 notes)
Red
1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
93 points
Just a little disjointed compared to the 1995 drunk alongside it. Darkish fruit, graphite, solidly-built and with good freshness.
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Red
1995 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
94 points
Double-decanted around three hours before it was drunk. A nice surprise, this - really open and well-integrated, juicy, with woodsy aromatics and plenty of red/black fruit. Felt à point - just so easy (and pleasurable) to drink.
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Red
1999 Château Cheval Blanc
92 points
Off the subs' bench at short notice, to fill-in for the corked LLC '86. Such treatment probably didn't do the wine any favours, as it showed less well than when I had it last year. Dark fruit, espresso, tight and mineral. A treat, but not as expressive as we would have liked.
Flight 5 - Tunworth, 24 Month Comté & Dorstone Goat (1 note)
White - Sparkling
1995 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut
94 points
The second half of a magnum that had been opened 48 hours before and then stoppered. I wasn't paying close attention by this point, but the wine was delightful, with excellent ease and balance, plenty of energy, creamy mouthfeel, and tasty lemon curd and lemon shortbread. Plenty of time in hand, at least in magnum, based on this example.
Flight 6 - Chocolate mousse à la Paul Bocuse (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2007 Horst Sauer Escherndorfer Lump Riesling Beerenauslese
94 points
Served from 50cl Bocksbeutel. I'm not familiar with Sauer, but perhaps that should change as this was an excellent example, almost TBA in intensity, and delightfully low in alcohol. Relatively dark for a Riesling, with fruity caramel, passionfruit, burnt lemon, plenty of sweetness. Yum.
Flight 7 - Digestif (1 note)
White - Sparkling
2008 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée
92 points
Definitely improved since I had it nearly two years ago - on the young side now, rather than young. Quite peppy, bitter lemon fruit, some white floral notes. Tons of potential, and already made for a really good palate-cleanser!
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Closing
What a treat!!