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 12/1/2007 (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL)
 

 

This is becoming a great annual tradition. Even as the group changes, the tradition of great wine over multiple courses prepared with fresh white truffles continues.

 

Champagne to Start

  • 1985 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne
    Very evolved with lots of classic Krug yeasty aromas and flavors with even more of that toasted brioche character than I'd prefer. Others like this style more than I do, and liked this wine more than I did. (91 pts.)

Clos St. Hune Vertical

  • 1989 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardives - France, Alsace
    I wasn't sure what to expect from this, and found it fascinating. Candied lemon peel and orange peel on the nose. Similar flavors on palate evolving towards ripe melon on finish. Powerful on finish with lots of acidity. (91 pts.)
  • 2000 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune - France, Alsace
    Incredibly ripe fruit on nose, bordering tropical. Palate is far more lean, showcasing lemon peel and orange peel with plenty of spice, then massive acidity and minerality. Eye-opening energy on finish. Not even close to its peak. (95 pts.)
  • 2001 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune - France, Alsace
    Good floral start. Probably more accessible than the 2000 in the next glass but less powerful or exciting (to me). Lemon and lime on nose and palate, with some riper stone fruit coming through on palate as well. Acidity and minerality help extend the finish nicely. (93 pts.)

White Burgundy

  • 1999 Etienne Sauzet Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Great nose of white flowers, lemon and then some peach, then some mint in the background that continues nicely on to the palate. Sweet and ripe fruit also on palate with great concentration. There is still a trace of oak here but it complements everything else going on. This will last a good, long time. Sensational wine. (96 pts.)
  • 1999 Domaine Thenard Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
    Impressive nose of ripe fruit with impressive spice from underlying fruit, terroir as well as plenty of oak. Flavors of ripe peach and apricot with great concentration, good spice, again showing some overt signs of oak. Powerful and alluring at the same time. (94 pts.)
  • 1999 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Ripe stone fruit on nose and palate. Reasonable spice on nose, less so on palate, other than form oak. Certainly a nice wine but not showing the precision and density I expect from Chevalier-Montrachet. (90 pts.)

Something Sweet with Foie Gras

  • 2003 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    Super ripe fruit on nose but doesn't show lots of botrytis; the opposite is true on the palate, which shows lots of botrytis flavors, but not incredibly sweet. Seems to have slightly less acidity than a typical d'Yquem. (92 pts.)
  • 1995 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Aszú Essencia - Hungary, Tokaji
    Great floral nose with ripe stone fruit. Same fruit profile on the palate with great intensity, then showing some candied lemon and orange peel on finish with lots of acidity and energy. (94 pts.)

Palate Cleanser

  • 1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne
    Incredibly clean and crisp from first sniff through to the end. Lots of citrus, just some traces of toasted brioche. Energy exploding on finish. (94 pts.)

Red Burgundy

  • 1989 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée Les Genaivrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
    Sensational aromas - perfumed and spicy with mostly primary red cherry. Palate shows the same tart red cherry flavors with lush brown spice, followed by some earthy elements in the background. Really powerful and spicy on finish. Perhaps the best Villages level burgundy I've ever had. At its peak today. (92 pts.)
  • 1989 Domaine Leroy Latricières-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
    Started with musty aromas which faded away and developed into a nose of black cherry and forest floor, along with lots Asian spice, somewhat more Vosne (or Leroy) than Gevrey-Chambertin. Palate was more classic, with more meaty flavors and spices unfolding in interesting layers with lots of nuance. This kept getting more interesting and nuanced with more time in glass. It's rare to taste a Latricieres-Chambertin that truly shows as legitimate Grand Cru, but this was sensational. (95 pts.)
  • 1989 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Romanée Grand Cru
    Good floral nose with ripe black fruit. Fair amount of mushroom flavors. Palate also brings out some good baking spice to accompany the ripe fruit, which started to show a bit flabby toward the finish after an hour+ in glass. (92 pts.)
  • 1999 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
    Tasted single blind. Ripe black fruit on nose with moderate spice behind a floral start. Big tannins and acidity are in the forefront on the palate today, so clearly this needs more time to integrate and lose a bit of its jamminess. Surprised to see this was Mugnier. Hold to 2014 or later. (92 pts.)

Bordeaux

  • 1959 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
    Nose was mostly secondary but had a substantial component of lively dried black fruit. Also great perfume and spice on both nose and palate. Impressive mushroom, black fruit and spice flavors continue over a very long finish. (95 pts.)
  • 1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
    Corked. (FLAWED)
  • 1986 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Black fruit on nose with some espresso and cigar box aromas. Black cassis and black cherry that are still almost completely primary, this really showed lots of spice, power and intensity. (93 pts.)

Chave Rouge

  • 1982 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Great spice on nose - black pepper and allspice with some good red fruit and forest floor. Same fruit, reduced mushroom and spice profile comes through on the palate with impressive intensity. Really nuanced finish highlights great spice. Close call, but this was my WOTN in a night of grerat wines. (96 pts.)
  • 1985 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Aromas of red fruit, coffee and some cocoa. Red cherry flavors with at least as much earthiness. Good energy and concentration on finish. (92 pts.)
  • 2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Black cherry and cassis on nose with great meaty spice. Same fruit comes through on palate with incredible balance, acidity and textures. Great spice on very long finish. (95 pts.)

There was more wine. I didn't write it down.

 


 
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