Burgundy Dinner
Mark & Dawne's
Tasted Saturday, August 27, 2005 by mdstenner with 759 views
Introduction
A BYOB dinner in which everyone purchased a Burgundian wine. The dinner was based around Mark's French Hen cooked in a honey glaze to which we all brought appetizers, a starter soup, side dishes and desserts. The food was excellent. None of us had more than a rudimentary experience with Burgundy so the evening was very educational for us all. Mark printed topographic maps of the various appellations with detailed vineyard maps that made for much discussion.
I was the solitary Brit amongst my American friends. They drink primarily American wines (Cabs and Zins mostly) with a smattering of Australian and Bordeaux on occasion. Since we got the group together a year ago we've tasted nearly all domestic wines from Martinelli, Siduri, etc and thought it high time to broaden our collective experiences. There are some fine palates in the group and I just wish they posted and wrote notes as they are far better tasters than I. Alas these notes will be the only formal record of this fun evening.
Flight 1 - White Burgundies (3 Notes)
A great starter flight enjoyed alone and then with the appetizers. I enjoyed every wine but there was a distinct difference in class between the Morey, a very nice and enjoyable wine, and the latter two wines. The Verget was the finest white from Burgundy I've ever enjoyed. If this is what lies in store for me I must find and consume more of these nectars.
Flight 2 - Red Burgundies (5 Notes)
The reds were enjoyed alone, with appetizers, and then with the super dinner. The Prudhon was a disappointment, a four square wine that paled with all else that followed. The Joblot was a fine wine with much more to come. The first Girardin was surprisingly fruity and jammy. I felt that the Geantet never really got going, but the Girardin Clos du Roi was absolutely first rate and a delight to drink alone and with the glazed hen. It had all I could ever hope to find in a red Burgundy with all of the earth and mineral notes I love in old world wines. For those experiened with Burgundy maybe a fine wine but for me a profound wine and possibly life changing wine.
Closing
It was a great evening of fun, friendship and wine. Although no formal notes were taken a straw poll revleaed that everyone ranked the wines pretty much in the same order. Great Burgundy is expensive but it sure is worth it if you can afford it. After the recent thread talking about the contents of your cellar I repeated again my wish that if I could go back two years when I began collecting I'd have a better mix in my cellar with wines of the breeding and pedigree like the wines enjoyed tonight.
2002 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Rully Blanc 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Rully
A delicious way to start the evening. Rich gold color, nose of butterscotch, pear and apple. A creamy and lush mouthfeel. Round and generous with a nice acid streak.
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1996 Verget Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Pale gold. Glorious aroma of truffle oil (?), mineral, stone. The wine is rich and expresive in the mouth and fruit flavor descriptors won't do it justice. The wine is medium-bodied with just a superb mid-palate. The finish is short with tart Granny Smith and lemon spritz that lets the wine down somewhat. Nevethless a terrific bottle of wine that left me wondering why I drink American and Australian Chardonnays (price probably).
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1998 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
A strange wine. Pale gold color with an initial nose of mineral and smoke and white truffle. There was also an aroma of candied apples which another taster pinned as a 'jolly green rancher' aroma which was close. Initially the wine was pretty flat tasting but with air it improved to reveal intertwining apple and white truffle / mushrooom / decayed earth flavors with quite a tart acid driven finish. Never sublime it was nevertheless intellectual and intriguing as the wine peaked and troughed over 90 minutes. Note: I assume it was not tainted as there was no mustiness, the flavors were expressive and ever evolving, and the overall mouthfeel was rich and creamy.
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