White Burgundy and Tuscan Reds

These are my brief notes on a very enjoyable evening of paired wines with another knock out menu from Grant's.

• 1997 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Chapelot 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  [Served with hors douvres including blue cheese & fig tarts and truffle risotto in puff pastry] Interesting starter wine - aromas of grapefruit and apple. Medium bodied with interesting steely, mineral qualities. Likely at peak, although fruit was still prominent.

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• 1999 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Boudriotte 91 Points

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

  [With diver scallop and butter poached lobster]. Excellent accompaniment to the lobster and scallop, with an interesting nose of pear, toast, and a slightly salt air quality. Still fairly tight on the palate, with crisp acid profile.

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• 1999 Jean-Philippe Fichet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts 88 Points

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

  [With diver scallop and butter poached lobster]. Aromas of wet stones and green apple with some funkiness. Well made wine, but a bit tough to handle at this point. Give it time.

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• 1998 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 86 Points

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

  [With pan roasted sea bass with black truffle broth.] A tough match with the pungent truffle aromas about, somewhat cloying with unusual mango and pineapple notes on the nose. Very rich and soft in the mouth, but lacking a bit as far as acid structure.

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• 1988 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 94 Points

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

  [With pan roasted sea bass with black truffle broth.] Showing only the slightest signs of age, this beauty enveloped the nose in floral honey, citrus, and peach aromas. Great definition on the palate, with an expansive, softness balanced perfectly with subtle acidity. Has another 5 - 10 years of life at least.

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• 1995 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  [Served with duck three ways - foie gras, roasted breast, confit]. Great nose of spice, briary blackberry, and vanilla with musky, leathery undertones. Still showing very young despite several hours of decanting, tannins were well defined and played well off solid mid-palate core.

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• 1997 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino 88 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  [Served with duck three ways - foie gras, roasted breast, confit]. Appeared closed and rather monolithic compared to the Siro Pacenti. Opened with time in glass to reveal some spice and black cherry notes. Would have been better with a few hours in the decanter.

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• 1995 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

  [Served with beef duo - short rib and sliced tenderloin.] First time with this wine, it lead off with an impressive dark ruby color with no signs of brick. Bright aromas of black cherry, cassis, and rose petals. A bit thinner on the palate than I expected, but nonetheless a distinctive flavor profile of licorice and black fruits...assertive tannins need some time to calm down.

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• 1997 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

  [Served with beef duo - short rib and sliced tenderloin.] Funky nose, with some almost yeasty, primal qualities. That blew off enough to reveal black cherry liqueur, vanilla oak, and tar-like aromas. Not showing much on palate other than in-your-face tannins and resinous, thick mouthfeel.

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• 1997 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT 85 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  [Served with beef duo - short rib and sliced tenderloin.]. Somewhat closed at first whiff, but not impressed with what followed of jammy, raisiny hints reminiscent of Amarone. Perhaps a bit oxidized? Maybe just in a dumb phase, although I'd expect most 97s to be coming around by now.

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• 1990 Domaine Ostertag Pinot Gris Muenchberg Vendanges Tardives 90 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  [Served with dessert trio of chocolate Opera cake, crème brulee, and pistachio ice cream]. Very attractive, off-dry wine worked well with the less-sweet portions of the dessert. Nose of dried mangos, pineapple, and green apples followed by very refined flavors of mulling spices and pears.

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• 2002 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé 94 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Passito di Pantelleria

  [Served with dessert trio of chocolate Opera cake, crème brulee, and pistachio ice cream.] Laser-like clarity of aromas encompassing the ripest apricot notes I've ever gotten from a wine. On the palate, medium in weight with a luscious, effervescent quality. Not something I'd want to drink every week, but an interesting counterpoint to more traditional dessert wines.

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I think most of the table gave top white honors to the 88 Bonneau du Martray and top red to the 95 Siro Pacenti Brunello...the Ben Rye was in a class by itself as far as unique dessert wines go. Thanks to all for a fun and educational evening.