Dinner at Tilia -- the new, old Heidi's

Craig and Steve arranged for a group of six of us to meet at Tilia's for a night of great food, lively conversation and great wine. Service was excellent and the food was consistently excellent. It got us talking about the good old days at the original Heidi's. As good as the new Heidi's is, it just doesn't have the old vibe we all loved. Apparently that all went to Tilia's because this was as good as any night at the old Heidi's. With luck we'll resume our weekly wine dinners at Tilia's!

• 2002 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée 93 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Fresh fruit on the nose. Great in the mouth with tons of bubbles, great acidity and a long, pleasant finish. Feels a little thin, but there is plenty of flavors that expand nicely on the palate. Drinking great now so I see no reason to wait on these.

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• 1995 Pommery Champagne Brut Millésimé 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Most (including our server) liked this more than me. The nose exuded orange/citrus, bread dough and mineral along with overt oxidation. On the palate this seemed rough and rustic with more iron/mineral than fruit, but good expansive flavors and a nice, long finish. Worth seeking out if you are a fan of this style Champagne.

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• 2006 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  The nose offers pleasant but mild aromas of lemon. Very clean. On the palate this has a great, creamy texture that was most delightful. This is almost full-bodied and is packed with ripe fruit; just barely enough structure/acidity to approach balanced. Great long finish.

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• 2008 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  The nose is clean, fresh and exuberant, with lovely lemon and mineral aromas. Showing grapefruit flavors that coat the palate. A little on the lean side (especially after the Dauvissat), but with great acidity and a long, ringing finish. I've got no idea how this will age, but it's certainly enjoyable for now.

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• 2001 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Light rusty, red color. Beautiful nose with deep black cherry and earth. Maybe slightly closed but still enjoyable. The taste is packed with flavor -- more black cherry with baking spices and what I took to be mint (?). It has great texture with plenty of acidity; still extremely tannic, which obscures the otherwise nice finish. I'd guess this needs at least five more years and will then be drinkable for an extended period of time.

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• 2001 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 94 Points

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

  The color is a thin, ruby red. The nose gives great aromas of red cherry, earth and sous bois. Much more open than the Clos St. Jacques. Equally good in the mouth with plenty of flavor (but some cola, which I don't usually like). Great texture, great length. As good as this is now, it should get even better with some additional time in the cellar.

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• 2001 Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  Deep red color. Showed a touch of brett when first opened but this blew off to reveal an intriguing blend of dark fruit, red cherry, spice, dried herbs and oak. Has a dark and brooding nature that I associate with Richebourg. Giving more dark fruit in the mouth but not much else at the moment due to it's impressive concentration. Has a really Silky texture, great balance and nice length on the finish.

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• 1999 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Dark red color. Awesome nose, bursting with aromas of red fruit with some alcohol/glycerin. On the palate this is relatively clean, with deep cherry flavors. Surprisingly elegant for Corton. Well balanced with a decent dose of acidity to go with all that fruit. Very, very tannic. For some reason I just loved this wine (and I don't generally like Corton), but it really needs many more years in the cellar to show all it's got to offer.

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• 1985 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  I thought this was a really beauty, but for some reason didn't take many notes. The nose started a bit funky, but eventually gave mature aromas of red fruit, dried herbs and much more. Equally great on the palate with a great blending of elegance and muscle. Perfect balance with fully resolved tannins. Great long finish. To me this showed as well as I would have hoped, and reaffirms my passion for La Chapelle. I only wish I had a few more.

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• 2001 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  I didn't take any notes on this one. When first opened it was dominated by ripe fruit and new oak (and plenty of vanilla). In time this seemed to become less pronounced, but it still seemed like a young, new-world wine. I have a few more, and will hold off opening them for as long as I can in hopes that the oak integrates and some other aromas/flavors emerge.

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I'd call the '85 La Chapelle despite the fact that it's the wine I brought. The Rousseau flight was close behind and really all the wines showed really well.