Another Final Dinner at Charlie Trotter's with "Guests" Henri Jayer, Meo-Camuzet and Rouget

I guess I can't have enough farewell dinners at Charlie Trotter's, so tonight we had another. This time the theme was driven by a couple of rare bottles of Henri Jayer wine on the list. Tonight's dinner worked incredibly well with the wines and was probably the best meal I have had this year, and one of the 2 or 3 best I've ever had at Trotter's.

• 1999 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Popped and poured. Started off badly, just got more madeirized with more time in glass. Shame this was so oxidized, since it was served alongside the same wine from the 2000 vintage and the 1999 Jadot Montrachet.

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• 2000 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Tasted alongside its 1999 counterpart (oxidized) and Jadot 1999 Montrachet (wonderful). Lots of spice aromas with fresh orchard fruit. Similar apple and pear flavors on palate with lots of acidity and minerality, with Montrachet power really just emerging on the finish. A great expression of the vintage.

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• 1999 Louis Jadot Le Montrachet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Popped and poured. Served alongside the Drouhin 1999 and 2000 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche. This 1999 started lush and ripe with lots of concentration. big stone fruit character with good spice, particularly on the finish. I would have liked a bit more acidity, but still a great bottle probably just entering its peak drinking window.

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• 1998 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  In a great Brulees flight. Decanted approx 30 minutes before serving, I was then able to hold and revisit this over the next 3+ hours. It's been a few years since I've had this wine and it certainly didn't disappoint. Great baking spice aromas to start with red and black fruit. Slightly more restrained on palate to start but more fruit intensity and concentration emerging with more air. Moderate length and nuance (compared to the Meo 93 for example), but this was the easiest wine in the flight to enjoy all through the evening.

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• 1996 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Moderately corked. Open 30 minutes before serving, started off nicely, was uninteresting after 15 minutes, undrinkable after 45 minutes. Thankfully not decanted, which would have taken away those few minutes of pleasure this wine provided.

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• 1993 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Best wine in tonight's Brulees flight. Open 30 minutes before serving, I wish this had been decanted because it kept improving for the 3 hours it was in my glass. Shut down aromatically to start, the nose evolved into a wine showing dark black cherry and meaty spice. Great flavors from start to finish, with lots of black cherry and blackberry that are well supported with great spice. Lots of big, but elegant tannins and also lots of acidity help provide a great structural backbone. This wine will last for a long time.

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• 1986 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Open 30 minutes prior to serving, not decanted. Served with 3 vintages of Meo-Camuzet Brulees, which I thought would be interesting and fun given they are the "successor" wines to Henri Jayer's aux Brulees. This started out with great spice aromas with fairly fresh red cherry and just hints of earth. Aromas were at a "94-95 point" level and stayed quite consistent over 3+ hours. Flavors were much less interesting to start, showing simple red cherry and an overall lean and angular palate. This didn't change much for several hours, but around the two-hour mark this starting showing greater density and balance on the palate. Palate was around "87 points" to start but ended close to "92."

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• 1989 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Open 30-45 minutes before serving. Big spice driven aromatic start. Lots of power and concentration on palate with robust black fruit. Very direct and textured all the way from start-to-finish, this showed more energy and acidity than almost any 1989 I can recall in recent years. We had a long discussion regarding this wine's longer-term potential and I would say I was most positive in the group, thinking this wine will start to show some exciting earthy character in another 10+ years and will still retain some freshness and energy from the structure. Others felt that the fruit started shortening after 60-90 minutes so were less optimistic on the wine's trajectory. Only time (and opening another bottle) will tell....

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• 2000 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Lush red and black fruit aromas with huge spicebox. Same on palate with trace hints of mushroom. Entering its peak drinking window now, this was beautiful and easy to enjoy, and easy to admire for its nuance.

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• 1997 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Open 30-45 minutes before serving, also not decanted. Served alongside the Rouget 1989 and 2000 vintages of Cros Parantoux, which are paradoxically what I'd consider the "successor" wines to Henri Jayer's legendary Cros Parantoux. Ripe black and red cherry aromas with a spicy, dense, meaty character. Very long and powerful with great structure, noteworthy acidity for a 1997, also great power and balance for the vintage. Great spice re-emerges on long finish.

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• 2001 Château de Fargues

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Tropical fruit, lots of botrytis, overall good balance and easy to enjoy today.

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