Farewell Dinner

A group of 30 of us came together to have one last blowout dinner at Charlie Trotter's before they close at the end of August.

This is not necessarily the order in which the wines were served and I know that there were more bottles I did not get to try.

• 2005 Domaine Amiot Guy et Fils Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  From 6L. Fairly powerful white orchard fruit and lemon with pretty floral. Densely packed aromatics and showing some wood. Concentrated fruit and spice on the palate as well. Mineral backbone. Lots of power and not showing a lot of elegance as this point in this size format.

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• 1982 Jean Noel Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet

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

  Opened as more of a curiosity than anything and turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Golden color. Petrol notes dominated the nose, with some burnt lemon and orange peel and lemon custard notes. Palate showed a lot of burnt lemon and custard notes as well. Shorter finish where the acidity was a bit too pronounced. Fun to try and a lot better than I expected.

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• 1978 Maison Leroy Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Caramel and honey tones on the nose and palate intermixed with ripe lemon and orchard fruit. As it opened up, more oxidative notes started to emerge and it quickly fell apart. Nowhere near the level of a bottle from the same case roughly two years ago. Too bad.

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• 1978 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

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

  Lemon peel, white floral, almond paste and some honey on the nose and palate. Nice spice and mineral component as well. Good texture. Very pretty and in much better shape than the 78 Leroy Montrachet in the next glass. Leroy's importer brought these bottles to the dinner and told us that this was declassified Montrachet.

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• 2000 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  From 1.5L. Ripe yellow orchard and citrus fruit with a good bit of floral. Some mineral on the nose as well. Good fruit and spice on the palate, but showing more age than I would like, especially in this format. Moderate intensity and finish.
  
  There was also a 750ml bottle at tonights dinner which I am told showed much better.

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• 2007 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Ripe stone fruit and lemon peel on the nose with delicate floral and bits of spice. The palate was a bit richer than I remember from last time, but still showing its mineral backbone. Good weight and intensity with the acidity coming through on the lengthy finish. Very nice.

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• 1998 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet

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

  Ordered off Trotter's wine list by one of the guests. A lot of mineral on the nose intermixed with lemon and lime. Good structure with nice acidity and balance. Showing maturity.

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• 1966 Louis Latour Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles

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

  Ripe yellow citrus and apple with some lighter honey tones. Hints of toasted nuts. Palate showed more mature than the nose and the honeyed character came out more. Still good spice and some creamy lemon flavors. Rich texture with a moderate finish.

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• 2001 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  Unfortunately I only got a small taste of this one. Great minerality on both the nose and palate with tense citrus. Great power with a long finish. Fantastic acidity.

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• 2001 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Lots of floral on the nose. Yellow orchard fruit, orange and lemon peel with marzipan. Orange blossoms and lighter honey tones. Good concentration of fruit and a lengthy finish. Very nice.

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• 1959 Maison Leroy Grands-Echezeaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Lighter bodied red fruits with fantastic floral and great spice aromas. Pretty earth aromas and flavors too. Medium body with a lengthy, energetic finish. Delicious!

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• 1959 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Dark red and black berry fruit on the nose and palate with great earth and baking spice components. Mushroom reduction. Fantastic texture and length on the palate. Outstanding!

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• 1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Fantastic aromatics of very ripe dark red/black berry fruit intermixed with damp earth. Darker spice tones. Great concentration of fruit on the palate, medium bodied with a long finish. There was a lot in reserve for this wine. Not sure how long it had been open when I got around to tasting it. Fantastic.

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• 1976 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  From 1.5L. Huge spice on the nose and palate. Mostly red fruit with some dried floral and earth tones coming through as well. Fully mature and drinking wonderful. Great balance and length.

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• 1966 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru

  Much better fill than the bottle opened roughly 6 weeks ago. Huge baking spice on the nose with great red cherry and berry. Pretty floral. Nice mix of fruit and earth on the palate and, again, great spice. Kept getting star anise. Wonderful balance with a long finish.

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• 1970 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru

  Unfortunately dead. All acid, no fruit.

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• 2000 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  Very ripe, dark red/black cherry and berry on the nose and palate. Some brunt orange peel notes with nice spice. Great texture with an iron streak running through the wine. Medium body and finish. Very nice.

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• 2001 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  Unfortunately only opened about 15 minutes before serving and not decanted. I got about 3oz of this wine, which I shared with another person, so there was not much to let evolve in the glass. Sweet, dark red berry fruit with great asian spice notes. Bits of clove and star anise. Elegant floral. Medium body with a long finish and great acidity on the finish. Simply fantastic.

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• 1990 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Lots of ripe black fruit and earth on the hugely powerful nose. Very dense dark spice as well. Richly textured palate, again, showing lots of dense, ripe black berry fruit, damp earth, and spice. Very good acidity. Long, powerful finish.

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• 1937 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  Side by side with the '47. Much more elegantly styled. The spice was the first thing that jumped out of the glass followed by delicate red fruit and pretty earth tones. Lovely texture with some nice grip on the lengthy finish. Fantastic.

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• 1947 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  Served alongside the '37. Much more powerful than the '37. Very dark color; inky. Almost black fruit profile with some sweet spice and earth notes on the nose and palate. Great density with a moderately powerful finish. Really fun to try these two incredibly different vintages side by side.

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• 1990 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Hugely powerful dark berry fruit on the nose and palate with incredible spice. Great damp earth component. Meaty and dense. Fantastic balance with a long, powerful finish. One of the my favorite wines tonight in this evening of incredible bottles.

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• 1993 Christophe Roumier Ruchottes-Chambertin

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

  From 1.5L. Ripe black cherry and berry fruit and dominate the aromatics with a goot bit of earth. Dark meaty spices. Lots of structure to the palate. Long, powerful finish. So very young.

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• 1986 Château Cheval Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Red cherry and plum with some cocoa and earth notes as well. Very pretty aromatics. Elegant fruit on the palate as well. Medium body and good acidity on the moderate finish. A nice bottle of Bordeaux.

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• 1970 Pétrus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  From 1.5L. Darker ripe plums with damp earth notes, cooca and some cedar and a touch of tobacco leaf. Good mix of fruit, earth and spice on the palate with a decent finish. Nice texture. Overall a very nice wine and a pleasure to drink, but I think we were all expecting a little more from this wine, especially in magnum.

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• 1949 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  I was told that this had some interesting character when it was first opened, but by the time I tried it, maybe 20 mintues later (?) it was all acid and decaying leaves.

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• 1961 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  My notes only say not pristine. Some off putting aromas.

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• 1982 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Mildly corked. Some nice elements buried underneath, but on to the next glass...

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• 1982 Château La Conseillante

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Darker fruit profile. Black plums and currant with some wet earth. Good ripeness of fruit. Moderate weight with a lengthy finish.

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• 1982 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  From 6L. Big, ripe, powerful aromatics. Red and black currant with some plum and earth. Very densely packed nose and took a lot of coaxing tonight. Quite firm on the palate. Powerful, gripping finish as well.

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• 1959 Château Montrose

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  Very fresh and youthful. Dark red berry and currant with lovely earth and tobacco. Cedar notes. Ripe fruit coming through on the palate as well with a lengthy finish. Well integrated tannins, though still shows some grip. Delicious!

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• 1966 Château Montrose

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  Red cherry and berry dominated with beautiful floral tones. Mostly dried fruit on the palate, though there was a touch of sweetness remaining. Medium body and finish. Well balanced acidity on the finish.

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• 1905 Château Latour Grand Vin

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Classic Bordeaux aromatics. Red currant, cedar, tobacco. Some nice floral perfume. Lighter in body than the one I remember from last year. A very elegant glass of wine.

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• 1945 Château Latour Grand Vin Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From 750ml reconditioned at the Chateau in 1993. Corked. With heavy swirling some red fruit came out, but within a few seconds the mustiness came back out.

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• 1947 Château Lafite Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From 750ml recorked at the Chateau in 1986. Very classic Lafite nose of red currant, cedar and tobacco leaf. Graphite. Some sweet fruit remains on the palate. Great balance. Medium body and a medium plus finish.

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• 1947 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From 1.5L. Great balance of ripe fruit and earth. Currant, plum and some blackberry. Wet tobacco leaf. Sweet fruit and mushroom on the palate with great balance. Powerful finish with good acidity.

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• 1979 Château Lafleur

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Elegant red fruit with a lot of floral. Lighter bodied on the palate with mostly dried fruit. The acidity stands out a bit too much on the shorter finish.

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• 1990 Château Lafleur

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Powerful, ripe aromatics. Black plums, currant, damp earth and an interesting array of spices. Cocoa and espresso notes. Very ripe on the palate as well with a good bit of structure. Lengthy, powerful finish.

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• 1941 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino Stravecchio

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Pretty dried red fruit and floral on the nose. Showing a little bit of heat on the nose too. I didn't find it very interesting on the palate and it showed a lot of acidity. Fell apart very quickly. I'm not sure how long after it was opened I got a taste, so it may have held up a little better earlier.

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• 1997 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Dark red and black currant and plum. Cedar notes and some tobacco leaf. Lots of power on both the nose and palate. Quite ripe fruit on the palate with great texture. A long powerful finish with nice acidity on the backend. In a really great place.

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• 1928 Château d'Yquem

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Brunt sugar and vanilla on the nose with some grilled peach and apricot in the backgroud. The palate had some nice burnt sugar flavors, but had a slightly bitter note on the finish. Still overall fun to try a d'Yquem this old.

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• 1990 Château d'Yquem

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  From 1.5L. As I remember it from previous tastings. Incredibly youthful in this size format, though I'm not sure even in 375 format it would be starting to show signs maturity/middle age yet. Ripe peaches and apricot with vanilla custard. Delicious!

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• 1948 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  By this point in the evening my notes were becoming very sparse. Elegant fruit and spice aromatics. Not overly rich on the palate, but with good sweetness. Nice balance. Medium plus finish.

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• 1966 Graham Porto Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  From 1.5L. The few notes I say mention lighter, less powerful fruit than the '48 Taylor. A lighter bodied palate as well. Showing good balance and acidity. Medium finish.

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