Griotte-Chambertin Dinner

Our Burgundy group, the Chicago Lieu-dit Cru gathered to continue our clockwise navigation through the Grand Cru vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin. Tonight we visited Griotte-Chambertin, with good representation from some of the vineyard's top producers. All red flights served single blind, so we knew the wines in the flight, just not which wine was in each glass.

• 1995 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Served double blind alongside its 2002 counterpart. Bready aromatics, showing more age than I'd expect from the typical 1995. Big apple and pear, rounded and slightly fat to start. Yeast and acid most prominent on finish. Good overall, but everybody preferred the wonderful 2002 tonight.

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• 2002 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Tasted double blind alongside its 1995 counterpart. Apple, meyer lemon, lemon custard aromas with plenty of toasted bread. Same flavors with good energy and length. Everybody preferred this to the 1995 which seemed older than you would expect.

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Rob brought two whites with a clear relationship between the two, which was for us to determine as we tasted and discussed.

• 2002 Louis Jadot Montrachet Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Tasted double blind. While I wouldn't say this was "oxidized," it was clearly oxidizing, and a pale shadow of a couple of this same wine I had last year. Tonight it was still good, showing mature, ripe orchard fruit, but was about an "89 point" wine.

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• 2002 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Blanchots Dessus 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasted double blind. Floral with apple, lemon and lemon peel aromas. Ripe on palate with the power and density that made most of us think this was Grand Cru. Long and lean finish. Very impressive bottle.

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• 1990 Louis Jadot Griotte-Chambertin 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open 2 hours before serving. Slightly floral with a balance nose of red cherry and cooked mushrooms. Red and black cherry aromas, good balance, good length. Ripeness and powerful came through with greater intensity with more time in glass.

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• 1988 Frederic Esmonin Griotte-Chambertin 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open 2 hours before serving. Started large scaled and very firm with black fruit and lots of power. Softened with some air, then started deteriorating. After 30 minutes in glass this was mostly acidic and slightly stewy on finish. I would suggest pop-and-pour.

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• 1998 Domaine René Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin 86 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open 3 hours. Red cherry, plenty of new oak spice aromas. Slightly muddy on palate behind red cherry and earthy flavors. Good, but time to drink up.

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• 1998 Claude Dugat Griotte-Chambertin 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open 3 hours, of which 2 were in decanter. Black cherry with some liqueur hints, great spice. Incredibly dense, still youthful and fresh. Long and powerful with a mineral driven finish. Probably just entering its peak drinking window, but alas this is my last bottle.

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• 1998 Domaine Joseph Roty Griotte-Chambertin 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open 3 hours, not decanted. Lean, seemingly slightly under-ripe. Others felt there was reduction and sulfur that never dissipated. Good red and black cherry but nuance or charm never really developed. Perhaps an imperfect bottle? This wasn't nearly at the same level as I last recall from 3-5 years ago.

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• 1998 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open 3 hours before serving, not decanted. Black cherry aromas with exotic, sweet spice. Very enticing start. Elegant red and black cherry flavors, incredibly pure and direct. Very long and powerful. Group's consensus Wine of the Night.

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• 2001 Domaine Joseph Roty Griotte-Chambertin 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open approx 3 1/2 hours, mostly in decanter. Black fruit aromas with plenty of oak spice. Lean on palate, slightly backward but very intense with great concentration. Clearly the best wine in the flight, just in need of more cellar time.

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• 2000 Domaine Joseph Roty Griotte-Chambertin 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open approx 3 1/2 hours, not decanted. Mature black fruit aromas, oak still protrudes a little. Advanced as well on palate, this is in its drinking window but should best be consumed in the next few years.

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• 1999 Domaine Joseph Roty Griotte-Chambertin Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Corked.

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• 1997 Domaine Joseph Roty Griotte-Chambertin 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open approx 3 1/2 hours, not decanted. Rich and opulent black fruit aromas, similar on palate, everything in balance. Lots of power but not close to being over-ripe, this was challenging to identify as the 1997 in the flight.

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• 2002 Domaine Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open 4 hours before serving, half in decanter. Probably the least agreement on this wine of all wines tonight. Huge red cherry and raspberry character with plenty of spice with chalky, mineral-driven finish. At first this was somewhat disjointed but more balance emerged with more time in glass. Others thought it less than pristine.

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• 2002 Claude Dugat Griotte-Chambertin Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Sadly corked. I was expecting this to be Wine of the Night.

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• 2003 Claude Dugat Griotte-Chambertin 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open approx 4 hours, half in decanter. Fairly easily identified in the context of the other wines in the flight. Blackberry, black cherry, some liqueur hints, incredibly lush and concentrated. Great fresh herb and spice, showing thym, licorice and black pepper. I don't think I've had this wine since shortly after release, but it's just as great now as back then, and I would expect it will continue to be sensational for a long time going forward.

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• 2001 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open approx 4 hours, not decanted. Red cherry and anise aromas. Similar on palate with some fresh herb background hints. Lots of energy, long and direct.

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• 2001 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Tasted single blind. Open approx 4 hours, not decanted. Red cherry, anise, fresh herb aromas. Identical on palate with lots of energy, particularly giving a big lift on long finish. Better and better with more time in glass. Excellent now, but probably just entering its peak drinking window. A great night for Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin.

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