HM's Bruno Clair SLB 1er Cru La Dominode Vertical + Other Gems

HM kindly invited Elsa and I as his guest during his turn to host a dinner where one person provides all the wines. It was a chance for a nicely curated series of wines to be shared and our host, having trumpeted the praises of Clair's La Dominode with its srouce of 100 year-old vines for the longest time, put together a vertical of the wine peppered with some interesting gems.

I have had quite a few of the Clair wines in the past (many courtesy of HM), but it was interesting having all these side-by-side with a couple of ringers thrown in for good measure. Served blind, a few conclusions stood out for me. First, the ringer (in this case a 2001 Meo-Camuzet Vlos Vougeot) clearly stood out, although this may have been as much due to Meo's distinct wine-making style as it was to terroir differences. Second, the La Dominodes were more or less identifiable as coming from the Cote de Beaune - I guessed one bottle Pommard, another Beaune, and one more actually Savigny. Third, they all share certain characteristics - a clear spicy overtone, hints of wild brambliness, a very masculine feel with savoury and meat and earth notes, and a rather dark fruited expression (with perhaps the expection of the red-fruited 2001. Structure-wise, the wine was normally quite broad-shouldered and quite deep, with every vintage also showing some firm tannins, and a clear freshness. In other words, they all seem built to age very well. Finally, this is certainly good terroir, capable of turning out very good wines on a consistent basis. Unlike our host though, I have my doubts on whether the wines hit Grand Cru quality, except in the very best of vintages. A very interesting, educational night all in all - much thanks to HM.

• 2000 Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Aÿ Fût De Chêne Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  A very good Champagne, but somehow rather short of the great experiences I have had with other vintages. This had a very pronounced, very matured nose, with deep wafts of yeast and umami-draped white meat aromas, dollops of cream and honey, then fruitier notes of preserved kumquats and ripe apples lined with a bit of minerality. Quite nice actually – I remember thinking this smelt very much like an aged Burg. The palate was surprisingly youthful after that, with lots of juicy acid on the attack running through snappy green apple flavours and some citrusy lemon notes. There was solid depth across the midpalate, with some honeyed sweetness on a bed of subtle mousse. The finish seemed a bit short at first, but it too filled up quite beautifully after an hour or so, opening up in the backpalate with an interesting twist of exotic spice, almost hinting at something Middle-eastern or Sumac-like. However, even with that, the wine somehow seemed less authoritative and less complex than previous years. I am not sure whether this has hit peak and is on the way down, or whether it is just going through an awkward stage. If you have a few bottles though, it is worth the wager of leaving a couple aside for a few more years to see – there is some serious quality in the wine after all.

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• 2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Excellent as always, I liked this a little more than the 2000 Henri Giraud Fut de Chene that we had alongside. Although amongst the more developed bottles of 2002 DP that I have had, this clearly had a fresher nose than the Giraud, with nice little wafts of exotic spice and bready notes of brioche and cream floating around a fruitier core of apples and pears, with a good touch of earthiness trailing on behind – a very assertive, expressive bouquet, quite different from some previous bottles. I liked it. The palate was very good indeed, with a nice depth to its rather straightforward, but powerful flavours of apples and lemons, wed to a solid, minerally spine. Very clean cut, very focused, all the way into a long, mouth-clinging finish where some sprinkles of exotic spice emerged again. Really nice stuff – still tremendously young, but I like the way these have been growing in the bottle. While quite pleasurable now, I will be keeping my own bottles for a good 6-7 more years at very least.

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• 1998 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Wow, this was impressive. A large-scaled wine by any book, I do not think anyone had hesitation calling it a Grand-Cru Burg from the get-go. The nose was really big, but very complex, with heady scents of ripe yellow fruit - pineapples and mangoes – along with drippings of honey and butter, savoury mushroomy aromas, whiffs of very smoky, spicy mineral, and even a layer of new oak, showing in vanilla and popcorn accents. Lots going on here. Like the nose, the palate was rich and warm, with ripe apples, sweet apricots and pineapples, even a tropical shade of sweet green mangoes, all draped in a warm honeyed tones and underlined by another mouthful of spice and minerality. There was such great depth here, tons of substance and fat and power, but thankfully it also had a lovely stream bright acidity that kept it from becoming flabby. With some time, the wine really seemed to stretch out, opening up on the midpalate into deep white fruited layers, and then into a long, persistent finish that completed the wine as it started - sticky, ripe, with a touch of alcohol at points, but still nicely fresh as it pulled away in the mouth with nut and spice notes that refused to quit. Very impressive stuff, maybe lacking a bit of elegance for a full Monty (I thought it was Batard when blind), but this was a realy solid wine. I would give it at least a few more years in the bottle to further integrated and shed whatever puppy fat it still carries.

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• 2004 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  After a string of 2004s that were completely clean, this was a bit on the borderline, but a pretty good wine nonetheless. The nose was very earthy, very savoury, with undergrowth and bramble tones wrapped around sweet black cherry and gamy meat aromas, and then tons of wood spice - licorice root and anise at the fore – and a little touch of wet fur in there as well. A really masculine nose. Like the nose, the palate was also very spicy, almost brambly, with menthol and black peppercorns on the attack leading into a surprisingly clear, clean midpalate. There was obviously good quality on the fruit, but it all seemed a little buried at the moment, showing subtle tones of black cherries riding on a savoury, meaty background. The finish was especially tight, with firm, muscular tannins gripping the backpalate quite dramatically. Blind, I thought this must have been a 2005 Pommard. This was interesting, with some quality to it, but it needs years and years yet.

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• 2005 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  A decently good wine at a rather difficult stage. Strange thing with this was that it seemed even greener than the 2004 that preceded it, so much so that I guessed this as a 2004 Burg and the earlier wine as a 2005 instead. The nose here opened up in slightly stemmy, brambly, leafy notes, with high-toned drifts of menthol and licorice and mint alongside a pronounced Buah Salak (palm fruit) scent. With time the leafiness cleared a little to show some meat and spice and little flecks of sweet vanilla. The fruit was more or less completely subdued on that nose. Thankfully, the palate was more open, with mouthfilling flavours of sweet dark cherries on a bright, high-toned attack. I thought it was very fresh, balanced and well-focused, with a lovely vibrance to it. The tannins were slightly chewy, but nicely fine as well. However, that distracting greenness on the nose popped up again past the midpalate, showing in menthol and ginseng qualities this time, and more of that strange Buah Salak ring as well. To be fair, the disturbing herbaciousness does go down a little with time, and a more spicy, brambly character emerged, but there is more than enough green here to shake the enjoyment of the wine somewhat. This is a wine of some character though. Given its great fruit and structure though, it will easily last a decade and beyond – I would really lay it aside and see how it grows.

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• 2001 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  This was one of the more enjoyable wines amongst the many blinded bottles of La Dominode. In fact, I liked it quite a bit more than the last bottle of 2001 I tried a couple of years back. The nose here was a bit on the sweeter side, but really attractive, with its notes of red cherries and slightly candied maraschinos, a touch of undergrowth and meat, some green herbs and a little smoky tinge. After the two rather difficult wines that came before it (the 2004 and 2005 respectively), the palate here was a real pleasure - fresh, clean, transparent and juicy with mouthwatering acidity. This again showed a lick of sweetness in its ripe, ever-so-slightly candied red cherry tones, with a nice infusion of spice, earth and mineral towards a very lively finish – there was a lovely sappiness to it wed to the underlying purity and energy that shows up in the very best 2001 Burgundies. I thought it had a lovely shape to it as well, with its fine tannins and lithe length. This may have been amongst the simplest the wines lined-up, but it was certainly one of the the yummiest at the moment. Good stuff, drinking well now, and it will probably continue to develop nicely over the next couple of years as well.

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• 2001 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot 92 Points

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

  It may not be quite worth its price tag, but I liked this. It clearly stood out from the pack as the ringer though. The nose still showed lots of smoky, toasty oak alongside deeper notes of earth and spice, a small hint of bramble, and really nice core of dark cherry aromas. Very attractive I thought, even with the oaky notes which, to be fair, had started to integrate nicely with the rest of the bouquet. The palate was clearly more extracted than the Bruno Clair wines, with rich dark-fruited notes in the shape of black cherries and blackberries seasoned with bits of herb and bramble. However, I liked the cool, clean feel that the wine managed to convey in spite of the obvious extraction. There was really nice depth as well, but this was wed to a muscular structure and some bright, lively acidity on the midpalate. The wine had a very masculine tone towards the back-end, with savoury meat and earth and tons of dark spicy depth emerging to meet the black fruited notes at the long finish. I thought it went just a bit soft at the very end, with the strength on the midpalate petering out in slightly cottony tannins, something that does not bode well in terms of long-term aging. That aside though, this was still not quite at peak on the day, and should be really nice over the next 5-7 years. Pretty good stuff.

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• 1988 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  Third time with the 1988 Clair Dominode. Two years down the road from the last bottle, this seems to be weakening. Still very charming, but it was clearly starting to get tired. The nose was still very pleasing, with little furry hints on the nose along with bassy notes of meat and earth, sweet aromas of dried cherries and dried berries, a little bramble and spice, some floral notes, a line of stony minerality - quite a beautiful bouquet. The palate was very juicy, with delicious flavours of dark cherries and plums blessed with plenty of fresh acidity. It was clearly thinning out a little on the base though, finishing a little short as well, with a burst of spice and some lingering meatiness. Very pleasant still, but time to drink up.

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• 1996 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  Pretty good. This had a nice dark fruited nose, with plums and dark berries, patted down with a bit of earth, some gentle spice notes and a nice floral scent. I liked the palate too. It was marked by the high acidity of the vintage, but this was well married to firm flavours of black cherries and berries and a nice, meaty midpalate. The acidity really kept the wine ever so clear and transparent, a bit linear maybe, but with a lovely sense of focus to it. Very nice stuff. It was well-structured too, with a bit of chew from the tannins right at the end of a very fresh, nicely mouthwatering finish that lingered on the back-palate with notes of spice, meat and the slightest touch of florals. A very charming wine, still youthful, a bit straightforward at the moment, but it should age quite gracefully over the next decade and perhaps beyond as well.

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• 1983 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  Excellent stuff – this was the oldest and the best amongst the La Dominode vertical. This bottle was a lot stronger than one we had about two years back. Served blind, it was actually more lively and youthful than the 1988 that came on the previous flight on the day. It offered up a very complex nose, with savoury meat and earthy undertones and nice dark fruited notes of plums, blackberries surrounded by lots of spicy aromas. There was a bit of mint in there somewhere as well. A very intriguing, attention-grabbing bouquet. The palate was still super-fresh and lively, showing a wonderful juiciness in its black cherries and berries patted down with more of those savoury earth notes picked up on the nose at the midpalate. This showed none of the thinning out that I noted from the previous bottle of 1983. The finish was long too, with still a great grip from its tannins, only letting go with a drift of floral notes right at the very end. Such a wonderful pleasure, drinking beautifully now. I loved this.

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• 2001 Domaine Bruno Clair Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Flawed

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

  Very sadly corked, with cardboard scents littered all over its black cherries nose. The palate was less scarred by the TCA and still carried some strength. More's the pity, because it showed how nice the wine might have otherwise been, with a sense of balance, fulness and depth to what flavours of deep black cherries and sweet it still carried. It was only at the meatym earthy midpalate, and the slightly spicy finish that the flaw set-in fully, truncating the wine and scalping it of any complexity. Sigh.

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• 1962 Château Rieussec 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  A wonderful wine. It had a glorious nose, with treacle and molasses, caramel, malt honey, and wafts of dried flowers and orange blossoms with a nice candied orange note underneath. There were the slightest hints of dried figs and apricot aromas just hanging around at the corners of the bouquet, but these had almost melted into the larger melange of malty goodness in the bouquet. Swirl a bit and some typical Rieussec spiciness drifts out of the glass - cloves, nutmeg and cinamon - alongside the honeyed tones. Great stuff – one of those noses that you could go one sniffing for ages. The palate, while perhaps just a half-step behind, was no slouch either. It was wonderfully fresh, with juicy acidity pressed into great flavours of dried fruit, particularly preserved oranges, and then some lemon zest, all drizzled with lovely dollops of honey and brown-sugary treacle. Well-balanced, elegant, quite lovely depth for its age - this showed none of the gradual watering down that weaker Sauternes go through at this stage of their evolution. The nicely gentle finish was replete with lots more of that lovely sweet spice - again cloves and nutmeg and cinnamon- and lined with a little touch of minerality. Absolutely lovely stuff and quite at peak.

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