Big Burg Weekend - Mortet, Grivot, Dauvissat etc and some Clarets for the unbelievers

Some great wines to accompany fine food and excellent company. All the bottles were on prime form it was one of those bleesed weekends.

Spanish influnced (just add chorizo) chicken stew with endives.

• 1995 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin En Motrot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  (3/11/2005)

  This is a point, pungent nose of wild raspberries, game and graphite no sign of any 95 tannic bestiality just rich bramble fruit, underpinned by metallic mineral thrust and great balance of flavour and structure. Smooth, delicious and more complex than your average village.

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• 1995 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses

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

  (3/11/2005)

  I’m consistently amazed by the Savigny’s of Bize and Pavelot, is there a better bargain in red Burgundy? Bize’s Verglesses and Pavelot Dominode are consistently knocking on the qualitative door of many more illustrious terroirs and they age like a dream. This, from a 375, was singing. Silky as you like, lots of trebly red fruit, great freshness with some lovely stink, it slips down easy yet remains on the palate and mind long after the bottle was drained and what a QPR.

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Served with Jambon Persillade, (handmade by me! and dare I say delicious) the classic Bugrundian easter dish served a little early.
Then Lamb Shanks, panfried parsnips(lots of butter and some slight indian spice)and PSB.
Finishing with some cheese -Coolea (a great Irish Goudas style cheese), some Blue d'Auvergne and Talleggio.

• 1997 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  (3/12/2005)

  Droin for my money is in the second rank behind Dauvissat and Raveneau but on the showing of this not too far behind, he’s certainly at the head of the group pushing for promotion, (along with post 2000 Fevre). This was glorious. Fairly fat (that 1997 heat again) with classic honey, straw and mineral dominated nose. Generous palate that despite un-Chablis like richness showed no lack of freshness, though it’s maybe not for those who like their Chablis mouth puckeringly precise. Glad I’ve got some of his 2000 and 2002 in my cellar.

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• 1993 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  (3/12/2005)

  Supreme elegance combined with power and intensity that only Burgundy can do. Still quite tight, could do with another year or two. Rich nose of earth, dark fruits and grilled meat. Smooth and aristocratic palate, really terroir ridden with pure precise high-toned fruit. The persistence and complexity of the finish lift it into the top rank. 1993 and it best.

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• 1985 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (3/12/2005)

  This is also on fire. Outrageous cedar wood and graphite on the nose, a bit like being shrunk and have to rummage around in the shavings at the bottom of my schooldaze Transformers pencil case. Wonderful elegance but with amazing plump fruit that creeps up on you and loiters on the senses till you have to take notice and confront it. But it’s not an aggressive meeting more a realization of the inner beauty of the wallflower cassis that doesn’t have to dress like a streetwalker to get noticed.. Far more feminine than the Leoville but just as memorable.

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• 1985 Château Léoville Barton

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (3/12/2005)

  This is proper Yorkshire Claret, rugged, no-nonsense, masculine (no poncy aftershave wearer this boy) but with a generous heart and a soft side that has to be coaxed out of it. A little harder on the attack than the GPL, the fruit wiry and lithe with real mineral and earthy middle. Finishes generously and the tannins are ripe and juicy even at 20 years old. Gotta love the Fink.

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My beautiful wifes tonno a limone spaghetti
Shepherd Pie's made from the left over shank (hmmmm!) and with sweet potato topping

• 1995 Dauvissat-Camus Chablis 1er Cru La Forest

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  (3/13/2005)

  Now this is more classical. The fruit takes third billing behind the intense minerality and the intense minerality. I believe the vines in Forest are some of Dauvissat oldest which accounts for the tremendous depth and a Grand Cru feel, to paraphrase Vogue’s Francois Millet this is a ‘short trouser’ Clos, and totally at it apogee (for my taste!)

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• 1997 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées

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

  (3/13/2005)

  One of the more successful producers in 1997 - his full on style coping with the heat.. This is Richebourg lite though it won’t please the pinot purists, not much ‘grip’ but there is sensual ripe fruit- strawberry jam and cherries- and a lush drink me style that, though lacking the acidity and freshness of a 1996, is hard not to like.

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• 1996 Domaine René Engel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées

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

  (3/13/2005)

  This is the polar opposite to the Grivot, hard to recognise they come from the same piece of dirt. The nose is all dirty cranberries, stones and a bit of spicy hickory (?) smoke. The palate is like a laser, initially invisible but slowly zapping the taste buds into life with a wealth of summer fruit, mineral and a hint of poo. Not as instant as the Grivot and could do with a couple more years under cork, but it really blossomed in the glass into something beautiful.

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Well, my fave was the 1993 Mortet Lavaux, but I wouldn't kick any of them out of bed. All in all a lovely early easter treat.