Dinner at Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen

A really interesting dinner with way too much wine for the 8 of us! The wines fell inteo serendipitous little clusters though - 2002s, 2003s, Cortons.... without even realising it until I wrote my notes, we actually had a preponderance of Cote de Beaune wines for once.

• 2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Very nice. This had a nice nose of yellow fruit, flowers, earth and yeast leading into a round, fleshy mouthful of stone fruit and mineral couched in bright acidity and really fine mousse. Still young and vibrant, very punchy, but already quite giving. The finish had a bit of savoury character just starting to come out. This is a good champagne that will keep getting better over the next decade.

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• 2002 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 91 Points

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

  Very pleasant. The nose was very old school white Burg, with sweet tones of honeyed nuts, cream, yellow fruit and earthy mineral. Rich and ripe on the palette, with a round, creamy mouthfeel and big yellow fruited notes, all just about decently balanced with a little touch of acidity. Finish had a bit of glycerol swimming amidst ripe fruit and a touch of minerality. Not the most elegant wine, almost a big Napa-ish in its ripe weight, but this was quite enjoyable.

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• 2002 Domaine Charles Thomas Corton-Charlemagne 90 Points

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

  Not bad. This had a nice nose - honey, chrysanthemums, yellow fruit, a bit of toast and nuts. A bit less impressive on the palate though. Very creamy, with decent if not quite bright acidity, shading just slightly watery notes of yellow fruit and then a blush of heat at the finish tucked in with a nice touch of earth and mineral. A tad simple for a Grand Cru, but pleasing otherwise.

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• 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine 93 Points

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

  Lovely. This had a really nice nose of cream, white chocolate, ripe yellow fruit, and just a bit of chalky mineral. The palate was big, round and creamy, with layers of honeyed yellowed fruit and soft, but decently balancing acidity leading into a cream flavoured back-palate lined with a nice bit of stony minerality. I think the lack of freshness led the flavours to feel a bit bunched up at the finish, and just a touch hollow on the back-palate. Otherwise, this was very nice.

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• 1971 Domaine Potinet-Ampeau Meursault 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Lovely stuff. The nose was rich and deep, almost liquered, with notes of dried nectarines and apricots coated with a layer of honey, and then little wafts of earth and clay. The palate was still really fresh, with lots of acidity running through otherwise soft, honeyed tones with dried fruit and flower notes. Lovely. Round, mellow, yet still fresh and impeccably balanced, with a long finish lingering on the back palate with a lift of kumquat, a touch of earth and a lovely kick of honey, all resolving into a long minerally tail. Really enjoyable I thought, but this should be drunk sooner rather than later.

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• 2002 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses 92 Points

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

  I liked this. It has a lovely Savigny nose of strawberries, earth, meat and spice with a touch of herb at the edge of the bouquet. Lovely. The palate was a bit on the rustic side, but still charming and genteel - like a gentleman farmer in character, with powdery tannins and bright acidity coating a delicious mouthful of dark cherries, earth and herb, with a bit of flowers and orange peels hovering around the mid palate. Just a touch of bittersweet herb and dark cherries rounded of a decent finish. Very enjoyable, and with the clarity and structure to go on developing for sometime yet.

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• 2003 Camille Giroud Chambertin 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  Very nice. This was classic Chambertin, with the 2003 barely showing. The nose had notes of dark cherries, earth, meat, mineral and just a bit of spice swirling around in a masculine bouquet. There was admirable clarity on the palate for a 2003, with detailed dark cherry flavours layered with gentle bits of earth, meat and a bit of spice and mineral. The hot vintage showed just a bit in the powdery tannins, but otherwise this had a fine balance and lovely integrated feel, all this leading into a nicely meaty and mineral finish. Lovely stuff, drinking well now.

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• 2003 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers Vieille Vigne 91 Points

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

  What a beautiful nose it had, the loveliest on the night, with drifts of florals, sweet cherries and a twist of herb and mineral, all shaded with a bit of sweet oak. Really pretty. The palate was decent rather than great, with red berries layered with powdery tannins and earthy, little herby notes. Altogether quite pleasant, with a nicely juicy transperancy for a 2003, but just lacking a touch of elegance that I would expect from a Fourrier Chambolle.

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• 2003 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Corton-Clos Rognet 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Nice. This had a rich, sweet nose, with almost liquered wafts of cherries and berries, meat and earth, tinged with just a bit of flowers and powdery herbs. Very nice. The palate was pure and powerful, with deep, dark cherry notes, mineral and meat, all wrapped in a cloak of rather more rustic 2003 tannins and rather soft acidity, leading into a long finish of mineral, earth and spice. Nice stuff, with its best years easily 4-5 years ahead of it.

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• 1976 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Good stuff. This started with a deep nose of dried strawberries, dried flowers, earth and flowers, all ringed with a bit of smoke - beautiful matured Burg aromas. The palate was soft and silky, with pure red cherry notes and more matured haw flake flavours with just a touch of florals wrapped in nice acidity, all this leading into a fresh, cherry finish lined with a bit of menthol. Very enjoyable indeed, and drinking beautifully.

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• 1985 Charles Vienot Gevrey-Chambertin 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Really lovely - this had a such a beautiful nose, with sweet cherries, earth and flowers. The palate was soft yet lively, with bright acidity gliding through ripe but lifted flavours of red cherries seasoned with a bit of spice and just that hint of florals and more savoury herbal accents. Simple, but absolutely charming, this village wine was a great example of just how good the 1985 vintage was, and still is.

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• 2008 Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  A bit tougher and more masculine, more truly NSG then the last time I had it, but very pleasing nonetheless. The nose was nice and lifted, with bits of green herb floating about dark cherries, blue fruit and a nice bit of earth, meat and minerality. Nice. The palate had a nice ring of clarity to its notes of black cherries and berries, trailed with a bit of herb, meat and plenty of earthy minerality. Masculine and powerful, if just a touch rustic in its powdery tannic grip. I like the pure transparency on this though. Very good, and this will continue to develop nicely over the next decade.

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• 2015 François Gaunoux Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Way too young, but pleasant enough. This still had all the trappings of youth, with lifted aromas of sweet red fruit, bits of herb, a hint of oak, some florals - pretty, but very primary. The palate almost tasted like something fresh out of barrel, with a bit of oak floating around pure red fruit, spice and flowers, along with a little bite of fine tannins and a blush of warm spice at the finish. Quite impressive really, and delicious for something so young - but this really needed another decade in the bottle. A good snapshot of potential though.

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