Burgundy Dinner at John and Jen's

Thanks to John and Jen for opening up their (gorgeous) apartment and some killer Burgundies. It was a perfect Chicago summer night, we enjoyed the great view from their deck, grilled some kabobs, and opened some great bottles.

These were opened to start while we enjoyed the view and the weather outside on the deck.

• 2008 Domaine Dublère Corton-Charlemagne 92 Points

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

  A really good showing. Rich and forward, this had a beautiful fruit profile with nice toasty, and flinty notes. The fruit had a crystalline focus to it - but was also approachable and inviting. This was a great surprise as the only other vintage of this I have tried (2010) was less exciting.

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• 2004 Domaine des Lambrays Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Cailleret 91 Points

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

  A bit fat at first, it opened up and smoothed out a bit after an hour or so. The fruit was lush and exotic with melons, citrus, a subtle creaminess. The finish was mineral driven, with beautiful flint notes.

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• 2001 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Amazing aromas of seawater, lemons, and flint. This was showing perfectly, with lots of acidic tang and rich fruit - a hallmark of their wines.

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• 2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  I really liked how funky this was. It reminded me a lot actually of pinot noir from the Loire. Lots of barnyard, tart red fruit (cranberries/pomegranate), and a touch of tomato. The palate was elegant and lithe with beautiful floral softness and a distinct meatiness that was great. Super yum!

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Served with dinner.

• 2001 Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  As Richebourg goes, I thought this was rather feminine and lithe. The "power" of this wine was the intensely pure and refined fruit profile. Painfully pure, the gorgeous cherry, cranberry and pomegranates were remarkably delicious and complex. The flavors seemed to intensify and deepen with time, too. This is one of those anti-social wines...when you're drinking it, you just want to sit by yourself and savor.

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• 2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  Definitely a miss. Something seemed off here...a bit of VA, a bit of funk. I didn't try this later on in the evening to see if mellowed out.

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• 2001 Bernard Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin 92 Points

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

  Much like the last bottle, this was dark, rich, and layered. Beautifully primed fruit is only going to get more complex and elegant with age, but already is on point. It's one of those tough situations us wine collectors find ourselves in; do we wait for 10-15 more years for this to REALLY tune up, or do we have a blast drinking it today? I think it'll be awesome in the future, but I'm glad I opened it today.

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More bottles were opened!

• 1996 Domaine Leroy Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Lavières 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges

  A real treat. Had that rich, woodsy, warm spiced aroma that is so recognizable in Leroy wines. The palate had that "1996 firmness", but with some air softened and fleshed out. Loved its Super-smooth cherries, and the rich and textured floral notes.

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• 1996 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Romanée St. Vivant 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  A real delight. Super elegant, cool aromas of red fruit, dried florals, and dark spices on the nose were hauntingly expressive. I was a bit nervous this was going to fall into the "96s that aren't ready to drink yet" category, but was pleasantly surprised by how fleshy, earthy, and plush it was. Great composition of earthy, floral and fruity flavors - seamlessly tied together. This is drinking in a great spot and should probably camp out here for quite a bit longer.

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• 2001 Camille Giroud Romanée St. Vivant 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  A very beautiful, floral-driven bottle of RSV. I really enjoyed its elegant, lithe perfume that jumped out of the glass - both zesty, and rich, it was just beautiful. Thought the palate showed well, too. The red fruits were extracted and juicy, but had great structure and a mineral-driven firmness that gave it great balance. Yum.

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Two vintages, 2001 & 1996, are sometimes lumped together as "not ready yet" vintages. Luckily, all of the bottles tonight (except for the funky Vogue) were drinking beautifully well. Both vintages should last a good deal of time, too.