An evening with friends

Chez Nous and Chez Panisse Cafe
Tasted Saturday, August 20, 2011 by darvid with 426 views

Introduction

A leisurely evening of food, folks and fun ...

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

  • 1996 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune Flawed

    France, Alsace

    Medium gold color. Muted personality with stone, acid and fruit all weighted down with the sherried/fusel character of a really old and not very distinguished Spatlese. Seemed to be trying to brighten up, but couldn't quite muster the strength. Deteriorated rapidly after the first 90 minutes of air. The consensus was that this bottle had suffered heat damage or poor storage at some point. Too bad.

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  • 1985 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé Rare

    France, Champagne

    Beautiful deep "rose gold" color reminiscent of the sheen on an old pocket watch. Light but sturdy mousse. Subtle scents of dried rose petal, nutmeg, and surprisingly sweet, fresh fruit. Higher-toned in flavor than the nose suggests, with a good balance of citrus, underbrush and what I can best describe as old cranberry. Delicately persistent finish. Bottles with good provenance should continue to drink well for several years.

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  • 1999 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    Sourced directly from the producer. Pale yellow with minimal signs of maturity. Very strong mineral, citrus pith nose. Fantastically intense, rich, coruscating palate of the site's namesake pebbles, grilled nuts, lemon cream, and ripe, heady fruit. Very young and fresh. Very, very big and strong without going over the top. I could still taste this wine the next day. The best '99 Beaune blanc 1er I've ever tried.

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  • 2005 Domaine Michel Niellon Bâtard-Montrachet

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

    NOTE: THIS WAS IN FACT THE CHEVALIER, NOT THE BATARD. Sourced directly from the producer. With my first sip, I said "We served this in the wrong order!" (We had to reset our circuit breakers to appreciate this world-class bottle after the bigger, bolder '99 Roulot Perrieres.) Balanced and utterly poised from front to back, with none of the excesses that 05's sometimes display. White flowers; a touch of "honey on toast"; round, supple, textured fruit; and enough acid to provide a long, graceful and authoritative finish. Quite young and should improve for several years.

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  • 1998 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

    Deep, medium-dark ruby; slightly watery edges and no apparent browning. Strong, fresh red and black fruit scents with streaks of mineral, acid and tannin that you can pick up by nose alone, and carry though to the palate. This is young all right; but glorious, star-spangled Volnay fruit is draped generously over the framework. A beautiful Ducs that needs three to five years of further aging.

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