Incredible Charity Dinner with 1945 Mouton and Others

Meals on Wheels and 7 lucky compatriots were the beneficiaries of the extraordinary generosity of a dear friend and the legendary collector Wilf Jaeger, who provided the wines and joined us for this memorable event.

• NV Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs

  France, Champagne

  Elegant, vibrant with moderately dry red fruit. Excellent.

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• 2006 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru

  Special cuvee vinified by/for Wilf Jaeger. A strong whiff of oak that died down to show more lemon. Rich and ripe but in the end, I was impressed with the amount of minerality and acidity that came through. Not nearly as fat or woody as I feared it would be from the first sniff.

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• 2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru

  Special cuvee vinified by/for Wilf Jaeger. Much less encumbered by wood than the 2006, this had lovely, floral, citrus tones. Dry, light, and refined. Excellent acidity. Pretty terrific wine from this commune which reminded me of a Puligny (rather than Chassagne despite its proximity to that commune).

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• 2006 Domaine Dujac Romanée St. Vivant

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  Medium ruby. Sensuously aromatic already with anise and a combination of red and black fruit which unfolded. Medium weight, silky feel with adequate acidity and low tannins for a Grand Cru of this age. Some enticing spice. This one was easy to love but is probably not one for the ages.

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• 2007 Domaine Dujac Romanée St. Vivant

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  Lighter color. Here the nose veers toward greener tones and a cooler profile which reminded me of 2001 red Burgundy. Lean, light, and somewhat compressed. Attenuated over several hours. Clearly the least of the trio of Dujacs.

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• 2008 Domaine Dujac Romanée St. Vivant

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  Deepest color of the 3 RSV's. Ripe, slightly brambly fruit. Excellent volume and concentration with a hint of the '06's spiciness but simpler at this point and lacking the definition of that wine. I'm not sure about where this one will go and feel more confident about the future of the '06.

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• 2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  An extra wine thrown into the line up since talk turned to '01's as a comparator to the '07 Dujac. Deep, youthful color. All black fruit and licorice on the nose. Not a big wine at all, but amazing in its length and persistence in making its point. It indeed bears some resemblance to the '07 RSV in its cooler aromatics, but that wine pales in comparison to the additional stuffing and reserve of the Richebourg. Way too young (strikingly, more so than any of the younger Dujacs), this continued to unfurl at a leisurely pace and gained complexity and sap. Serious but not stern, drinkable but will benefit from much more time in bottle. With only one bottle, it is hard to ascribe differences to vintage versus vineyard versus producer, but a completely different animal from the Dujac Romanee St. Vivants, much more structured and not built to please early.

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• 1945 Château Mouton Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Magnum. If I had to guess the age of this wine from the color, I would have said 5-10 year old Bordeaux! Astonishingly deep, dark robe. Distinctive, high toned mintiness that imprints an olfactory impression I will never forget. Big wine without being massive, incredible first impression of perfectly ripe fruit with a sense of sweetness that is difficult to believe in a 65 year old wine. The fruit is hard to characterize, some menthol/mint persists on the palate, and one is left with a feel of complete integration enlivened by great remaining acidity and soft tannins. A marvel. I have had this wine twice before, but was never as moved by it as I was tonight, and I can now understand the stories of experienced tasters identifying it blind-it is that unique.

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• 1946 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Medium ruby without any signs of age. Some caramel (not meaning to imply any oxidation) and red fruit. Mellow, resolved but still very much alive. Like the Mouton, some mint or eucalyptus on the palate too. Completely mature, faded tannins, soft lingering finish. No slouch next to its legendary Bordeaux cousin, and that speaks volumes about the quality and staying power of this wine. Let's see-how many California Cabernets of this age have I had? One!

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• 1967 Château Climens

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Gorgeous, relatively light amber orange color. Lightly honeyed nose with spice, orange, and apricot. What a fantastically elegant feel and weight for a Sauternes. Pure class without too much of anything. Delicate and amazingly fresh. Great finish to a fabulous evening.

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For anyone who viewed these notes early, I mistakenly noted the DRC RSV instead of the Richebourg which was actually served. Sorry.