2010 Simple Wine Dinner Series No.7 - JT Farewell

JT invited for a 'Dunno What theme' dinner. Thought it was some kind of celebration. He disclosed during the dinner said that he gonna leave to Burgundy and Germany for wine discovery and working for the harvest! Great one! Will certainly wait for his long discovery story. Bon Voyage.

Theme - Burg-Alsace-Germany aka "BAG".
This turn out to be a very nice line up with two German Riesling, 2 "Village" White Burg, 5 Grand Cru Red Burg, a joker 'Spanish' and the Noble Alsace.

Delicious cold crab, very fresh and almost chewy crab meat with good sweetness, and the roe is heavenly, very firm and tasty. Pair really well with the 1996 JJP Auslese. Good lesson. Paul's mention that for cold crab, must go with Auslese level, at least. We should also really drink the JJ Prum with age.

• 1996 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Alcohol 8%
  Tasted Blind. Quite medium golden color display complexly focus aromas of fresh grape fruits, floral, orangey pink guava that is even more broad with the soft touch of petroleum, honey and cold minerality that is very fresh on the palate with creamy texture on the entry but quickly supersede by the strong lively zingy ripe acidity keep the wines in good precision, perfectly balance and delineation that went through seamlessly with its rich citrus, grapefruits and hint of spicy flavor along with very long salted mineral finishing (somewhat disjointed at first) with haw and sour plum undertones. Excellent. Buy - Yes.

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A must try! Rich but light on the palate with 'high extract' essence of seafood and winter melon flavor. Clearly overpowering the Spat that serve in this flight.

• 2008 Weingut Jakob Schneider Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Nahe

  Alcohol 8.5%
  Tasted Blind. Was right that it is from Nahe (my guess is Nahe or Pflaz Silvaner) and 2008 vintage for the clean acidity and classic German Riesling. Straw yellow, expressively floral nose with lots of minerality background along citrus fruits and Guava that lay on the wet stone with hint of steely spiciness. This is also quite creamy in texture, but rather straight forward and easy going palate that end with dry and orange peel bitterness. Drinking beautifully now and IMO this is an early drinking wine. It does get richer at the end of dinner but still lack of depth that this plot can deliver and clearly that Donnhoff is still the one who manipulate for this plot. Buy - No.

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Not the best but certainly very good. Pair well with the Chablis too.
The Dauvissat Chablis is powerful with good weight, but clearly very young, and most of the ppl guessed it was a 2006.
The real show began with the d'Auvenay Meursault, a VILLAGE. Everyone shouted this deliver a grand cru quality, but the palate is telling more on Meursault, so most of ppl bet this was a Meursault Les Perriere at the very least from Lafon, Dury etc. Oh my.

• 2006 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  Alcohol : 13%
  Tasted blind. A soft gentle nose of floral, chalky mineral and smoky lemony note that is suggesting a Puligny but the palate which is telling this is a Chablis, perhaps a mid tier 1er cru Chablis that delivery complex and weighty flavor of gun flint, chalky mineral, creamy vanilla with spiciness which is clean and pure with gripping acidity that is quite fine with oyster shell, lemon peel bitterness and slight dry finish. Very good village which will only show it best with another 5yrs aged. I was shouting for oyster when I tasted it. Buy - Yes.

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• 2000 Domaine d'Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Meursault Les Narvaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Alcohol : 13%
  Tasted blind. Reduction nose which is deep in mineral and broad shoulder with smoke oak and wildness. Almost everyone shouted a Puligny Grand Cru for the nose. However, I got a little bit confuse when I tasted it. This is certainly very powerful, with creamy texture with vanilla oak flavor (a Meursault?) which is pure raw power but thanks to the high tone acidity to keep the wine in perfect shape, clean and pure with super long lemony finish.
  
  1.5hrs from the glass. WOW WOW WOW! What a nose! Highly expressive and absolutely Grand Cru quality aromas that is deep, focus, incredible complex nose continue explodes on the painfully rich and round palate seamlessly, the power has mellow down a little bit which is even more refined, fresh, elegant and finesse. My bet was a 99/00 Meursault 1er cru or a village with top 1er cru quality, a Lafon?, no! This is just a village from Madam Lalou! A village wine in total harmony with power and grace which deliver grand cru quality (and sadly, grand cru price too). Incredible young for a village wine which has long long life ahead! My WOTN and Kudos to Madam! A small production of 200+ cases. Buy - Why not if I'm able find it and $$ isn't an issue?

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One of the best Peking Ducks in town.
The Mazis turned out to be one of the best aromatic wines of the night and show that a Gev can be highly perfumy floral while not losing its real profile.

• 2000 Nicolas Potel Mazis-Chambertin

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

  Alcohol : 13.5%
  Tasted blind. Mature garnet red that display gorgeous aromas of l along with deep dark and red Pinot fruits with sense of wild, animal character and underbrush that is framed by utterly perfume-y background of red and blue floravery seductive and complex and I understand why the 50% guessing Chambolle (for the perfumy floral) and 50% guessing Gevrey (for the wildness). The palate is somewhat lack of the dimension and depth of the nose. Med body, again, very rich with animal and wild character, with pure texture and silky fine tannins that went seamlessly to the slight austere med finish that is slight austere and spicy, meaty flavors. Drinking very well now and have no problem to hold for another 5yrs. Buy - No.

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• 1998 Coudray-Bizot Echezeaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Alcohol 13%
  Tasted Blind. The only hint was this was from a difficult vintage and we have quickly eliminated 2004 as we didn't detect any greenness. The group was pointing out 97 & 97. Brick red color. Fresh red fruits and focus nose with some dried tea left and soy with sense of rustiness undertones. Med body, high in acid and slight rustic but fresh, with good mid palate sap and grippy tannins that is slight edgy along with dry austere long finish. At its peak now, the fruits slowly dried out over the dinner. Drink up. Buy - No.

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• 1999 Louis Jadot Echezeaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Alcohol : 13.5%
  Tasted blind. This is more to the elegant Jadot CDB style than the Chambolle style (strangely, not as elegant and aromatic as the Gev) that I encountered. Highly aromatic, perfumy nose of red flower, dark red fruits with fresh, chalky mineral that is round and deep. Good weight, with lively ripe acidity that perfectly balance with its rich dark red fruits flavors with hint of spiciness and silky tannins that ended with long, spicy juicy finish. A better wine that is more complex and better depth than the Bizot. There are some upside potential though I think it will not improve much, but certainly this will become more lovely when it start to evolve and mature. Buy - No.

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A little bit to the salty side but pair well with the Engel Vougeot.
The Engel showed us what a 2003 Burgundy can be.

• 2003 Domaine René Engel Clos Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  Alcohol : 13.5%
  Tasted Blind. Deep dark ruby with slight watery purplish rim. This too very aromatic in profile, broad with dark Pinot fruits that wrap by a hint of rustiness. Very high acidity that overpower the underlying sweetness which make this wine hard to approach now but also contribute a good freshness to the wine. The smoky spices and touch of soy sauce flavor added more depth and complex that finish long and quite acidic finish. Need time. Paul and I gave this a bet for a 2003 while others hard to believe this is a 2003 for its powerful acidity (acidify?) and seriously I can't pin point if this is CDV or FE, but Paul get both the Vintage and village right, great one :) This clearly show that the 2003 can be very lively with great freshness and not being overripe, alcoholic and new worldish. Buy - No.

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• 1996 Faiveley Clos Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  Alcohol : 13%
  Tasted Blind. This is quite similar aromatic profile with the Engel CDV but also more depth, and more age than with high tone of mineral background. The palate is not up to the par with the Nose though it is also very rich, good mid palate weight and sappiness but it is not as fresh and the fruits started to dry out which results in it slight alcoholic and austere, dry finish. Enjoyable now. Drink up. Buy - No.

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Can I have more of this Beef??!!
Sean tot he brought a Spanish and 'TEH' us for guessing this is a Bord. Haha.

• 2004 Château Lucia

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Alcohol : 13.5%
  Tasted Blind. Very dark in color boost with very modern aromas of sweet dark cherry, blueberry, leather with gravel soil and mineral that is highlighted by slight alcoholic sweetness. 1st impression was a right bank but the palate that show full body, round with roasted coffee bitterness, tobacco leaf flavors and slight austere mouth feel that direct me to the left bank (I was wrong!). Though ripe, but this maintain very good freshness with its supportive acidity that went on to the medium long finishing and slight heaty undertones. A modern bordeaux that is technically right but perhaps lack of some breed. Buy - No.

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An eye-opening exp that how well this Burg can age, not to mention this is from a normal vintage.

• 1976 Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  Alcohol : Non stated
  Tasted Non-Blind. A clearly knock out mature burg bouquet that has high tone perfumy dried floral note which is soft and seductive with slight animal, underbrush, dried tea leaf with touch of soy, mushroom truffle and dried cherry fruits that is really complex and stunningly deep and fresh. The palate is also very fresh, but clearly at its plateau now as the structure is complete mellow down resulted in really silky smooth texture, good complete palate that is balance immensely with its acidity, sweetness and dry extract accompany with some soy source. The finish is rather shortish but it does improve a little, drinking surprisingly well and this has to be drank up in the next few years. A mature burg is always excellent, not to mention this is a normal vintage instead of a great.

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At last I tried the SGN by one of the Top three. But not too much surprise though.

• 1995 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Sélection de Grains Nobles

  France, Alsace

  Alcohol : 10%
  Tasted Blind. Everyone guess this is the Pinot Gris SGN. It is hard for me to define the vintage as this was my 2nd SGN. Surprisingly this turn out as a Riesling! Botrytis nose like a Sauternes which possessed high tone Botrytis spice, chalky almond note with deep apricot peaches as well as coconut and huge mineral backbone with no alcohol trace which commonly appear in Sauternes. This is fresh, very rich yet remain feather light on the palate thanks to the super lively acidity that backup to the medium sweetness level and extend the a mid level of complexity to a long, soft persistent juicy finish. Very firm and precise. A very good wine, jus hope it has a little bit more depth to make it GREAT. Hopefully this will improve in the bottle to gain more weight and depth.

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I must admit that tonight was one of the best dinners and very educational one, especially with the Village burg that deliver mid tier 1er Cru quality and a stunning village that deliver Grand Cru quality. That proof in Burgundy, maker is really the matter, as a Village, can deliver Grand Cru quality. On the other hand, a Grand Cru plot for a mediacore maker, could only able to archieve a mid tier 1er Cru quality.