Birthday Celebration

Casual dinner of great wines to celebrate Paul Bortin's birthday. It's a good thing he was born in 1961, given the number of 61s we opened tonight.

I think most people agreed on the top three wines tonight (Jadot 1999 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles, DRC 2007 Echezeaux and Fontanafredda 1961 Barolo), but we didn't necessarily agree on the order.

• 2000 Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Dent de Chien 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Fourth time I've had this wine in the past year, this was certainly the most advanced, least interesting bottle. Still showing lush and ripe stone fruit with a very fat start. Earthy from middle to finish. More dark and golden than other bottles enjoyed more.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1999 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 94 Points

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

  First bottle from a solid case was great a few weeks ago, so I thought it time to open a 2nd. Almost identical, maybe slightly better with some orchard fruit to complement the stone fruit character. Very impressive.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2002 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Lemon and apple aromas. Simple fruit on palate with good minerality and acidity, but a slightly simple and austere finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Great perfume, spice and red fruit to start, showing more maturity than I'd expect from a 2007. Ripe red cherry and strawberry flavors, also reasonably advanced. Great spice to support the fruit, but just modest acidity and tannins coming through. In my opinion, this is entering its peak drinking window already. Best now through 2020.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2009 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Lots of dense, fresh black fruit aromas accompanied by plenty of toasty wood spice. Massive and backward on palate. Open and decanted for perhaps and hour, this would have benefited from 6 hours...or ten more years in the cellar. Great raw material, fun to try, but impossible to fairly assess.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1961 Domaine Grivelet Echezeaux 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Alluring old Burg aromas of forest floor, reduced mushroom, lingering dried red fruit and some baking spice. More exciting aromas than flavors, but good earthy character with good textures and some nice surviving structure.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2000 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Clos Vougeot 90 Points

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

  Ripe red cherry aromas and flavors with good spice as well. Very accessible and charming, even if slightly simple. Very typically 2000, drinking very well now.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1961 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  From 375 ml bottle. Tart black cherry aromas and flavors to start, fell off very quickly into something much less interesting after 15 minutes.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1961 Fontanafredda Barolo 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  From the same source as another bottle opened earlier this year, this bottle showed much better, but the prior bottle was opened the day it arrived in Chicago from California. Aromas of rose petal, dried red cherry and earth. same of palate with some licorice as well. Long and well textured.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1990 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Murky and stewy. While i haven't had this wine in several years, I think it either slightly corked or heat damaged, not just showing the character of a very ripe vintage. This had been open 8 or 9 hours, the last 2 in decanter.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1996 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano di Nieve 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Lots of fresh fruit aromas to start with modest floral and spice elements. Sharp and acidic start on palate making this a bit austere, not necessarily providing lots of pleasure tonight. Black cherry and licorice on finish. Decanted perhaps 2 hours.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No