2001 Red Burgundy at Chez Hugo

Kim and I came to Baltimore to meet up with good friends and Tom set up the evening to Chez Hugo, a new restaurant for us. Kevin and Rob came up form DC to join the Baltimore contingent. We were very happy with the food and the room. If you want to see pictures of the food and more meaningful notes than mine, please see dcwino's notes on the same evening.

• 1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Apple, yeast, some baking almost caramel notes at first that blew off, and biscuit on the nose. It is more oxidative than my other limited experience with this wine. Broad, yet clean, pure, and very deep. A serious champagne of structure. Some saline-mineral notes as well. This has a breadth and creaminess that was an excellent contrast to the cut and acidity. Where the Clos de Goisses is about lightness, grace and subtle power, this is a more imposing and overtly powerful expression of Champagne. While this is an outstanding wine by any measure, this bottle came across as more advanced and less electric than previous bottles, which border on spellbinding.

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• 1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 96 Points

  France, Champagne

  April Disgorgement
  
  Fresher and brighter than the Krug, with less autolytic character. While the Krug had more depth, breadth, and structure, this had clarity, lift, and pinpoint precision while still having impact and more subtle force. Citrus and apple fruit, with fine texture, with great clarity and focus. A fresh, clean, Champagne that beautifully couples a sense of lightness with hidden power. Drinking at peak. Loved it. The best bottle of the '96 CdG I have had.

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• 2010 Michel Colin-Deléger et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet 97 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Wow. A laser sharp focus nose. Tightly coiled at first this blossoms over time in the glass. Incredibly fresh and pure, with lemon, apple, white flowers, and rocks with a sense of limestone. This has great depth and extract, almost toothsome at points, yet incredibly fresh. Power and finesse. It has pinpoint precision, yet is simultaneously expansive on the palate. It's soil, acid, and fruit are all perfectly balanced. A soil to glass transfer to steal a term. It has huge cut with gem like precision. A wine of contrasts that finishes incredibly long yet simultaneously fresh. Terrific tension and balance, a great expression of Chevalier Montrachet. Fantastic. This is exactly what I want in a white Burgundy. 97 pts now with room to grow. Wow.

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• 2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Baudines 94 Points

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

  Some matchstick at first that blows off. Citrus pith, lemon curd, some orchard fruit, subtle white flowers , and esters that I seem to get on PYCM, and well balanced oak. This has excellent tension, a sense of minerality- limestone. Nice soil, fruit and acid balance keep this fuller bodied wine very fresh and light on its feet. While it is still prominent to me at this point, I suspect the wood will integrate very well over time. Lovely youthful wine that offers excellent promise. 93 pts with some room to grow as it integrates.

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• 2006 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Much more along the curve that the two very fresh younger wines. Some sulfur / reductive notes at first not he nose that blow off, and to be honest give me a sense of comfort nowadays drinking white Burgs. Limestone, briny, some oyster shell, some caramel/ toffee and yellow fruits. On the palate, this is baroque and broad and in need of more acidity. It' full bodied, yet lacking definition: an impactful, direct wine lacking nuance. It's structured, with more of the same fruit on the palate, rich, broad shouldered and powerful, but lacking grace and definition. Impressive, but not very lovable. The ripeness and fatness of the vintage make this a difficult task in spite of great terroir and winemaking skill. It seems further along the maturation curve than I would expect from a 12 year old Dauvissat Clos, but in this case, I think it is the vintage and not Pox. It is drinking as well as it ever will I suspect, and to be fair, this is outstanding in a relative sense, but not what I hope fo rain GC Chablis, much less Dauvissat's. Lovers of rich and dense Chardonnay will like this much more than I.

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• 2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Served alongside the Mugnier Musigny
  Darker profiled pinot nose, cherry, florals, some moss, spice and almost meatiness on the nose. That said, this powerful nose was also seductive and beautifully perfumed. On the palate, wonderful texture and sap. Power without weight. Deep and with a sense of gravitas. Fantastic effortless texture with both power and finesse. More bass notes and obvious power than the more elegant Musigny. Finishes with beautiful dark pinto fruit, and a sense of soil. Power and grace. Wonderful and drinking at early peak for me.

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• 2001 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny 97 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  More subtle and savory than the Vogue Bonnes Mares. On the nose, beautiful cherry fruit, loaminess, and wonderful florals. This has power and structure but it is hidden in its lacy exterior. Knock you over with a feather like power. Contrasts with plenty of overused but int his case appropriate metaphor. Sap and density. power without weight. This has the iron fist in a velvet glove feel. Filigree fine texture, elegant yet with hidden power. Very long on the back end. Terrific wine drinking in a great spot with no fear of decline soon. Man do I wish I could still buy this wine nowadays.

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• 2001 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Romanée St. Vivant 96 Points

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

  A deep and almost meaty and simultaneously floral expression of pinot at first. Beautiful serious nose with some Vosne spice. On the palate rich and powerful but incredibly graceful. Sap and dense yet weightless texture, with great clarity and focus. The wood is still evident but beautifully integrated. An effortlessly powerful, regal seeming wine. There is just an ease and effortlessness to its power. Drinking at youthful peak with plenty of time in hand.

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• 2001 Camille Giroud Romanée St. Vivant 93 Points

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

  Lovely perfume, earthy yet floral, with lovely cherry fruit and Vosne spice on the nose. Rose petals, cherry fruit, and with beautiful inner mouth perfume. A wonderful mix of fruit, florals and soil. Great lift and freshness to its medium weight yet powerful frame. Finishes long and with a little herbal leafiness I really like. Shows quite a bit of similar background to the Arnoux RSV. More understated and maybe holding back than the more open and singing Arnoux. Beautiful nonetheless.

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• 2001 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot 92 Points

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

  The darkest and most closed wine of the night. On the nose, a sense of minerality and earth, mossy, some heme, and dark fruits. This is deep but seems still pretty closed. Beefy and savory, with dark pinot fruit only playing a supportive role this point, and maybe forever here. It opens up some with time, and this is the one bottle that I wish I had been able to keep and try after a few hours, or better yet 10 years. I think it has the requisite material to show much better in time. 92 +

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• 2001 Camille Giroud Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 94 Points

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

  More open than the Jadot. Earthy and meaty for pinot. Some heme, and subtle florals along with beautiful fruit. Powerful and savory, yet with great lift and if there could be earthy savory perfume I would call it that. Sap, density, and power yet beautifully poised. Showing much better than the Jadot at this point, and with promise to become something special. This was my surprise on the upside wine of the night. Serious structured harmonious wine drinking a the beginning of a very long peak.

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• 2001 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 97 Points

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

  Huge perfume. Roses and cherry fruit. If all wine could smell like this. Sap and density on the palate, clarity and focus, and above all harmony. This is the iron fist in a velvet glove. A wine of multiple layers and sensory input, yet all in perfect harmony. Great inner mouth perfume. There is wonderful earthiness below the wealth of perfume, fruit and florals. An effortless, wonderful, Zen like wine. While the Chambertin may be the better wine in a decade, this is drinking at its apogee, and I doubt it will fade any time soon. For me there is great joy in drinking at bottle at its absolute apogee, and I felt like this wine was there tonight. Wonderful 97

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• 2001 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin 97 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  Earthy and mineral, with some undergrowth/moss at first. It's savory more than dark pinot fruit on the nose to start. A more introspective nose than the wide open inviting Clos St Jacques. On the palate, a serious thought provoking wine of consequence, with wonderful sap and density delivered with grace. The soil and fruit in great balance on the palate. More gravitas and depth than the Clos St Jacques, yet also a bit less giving at this point. Deep and intense yet all this power delivered with grace and while I do not want to cal lit a soft touch, it has terrific finesse. Great structure and balance, and I suspect it may be the better wine in a decade, the Clos St Jacques is the wine at its peak. Wonderful wine.

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• 2001 Domaine Denis Mortet Clos Vougeot 92 Points

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

  Earthy and mossy on the nose at first. Ripe and dense, with darker fruits, it's a savory and mineral driven structured, serous wine. The wood is evident but not intrusive, and even with the larger scaled body there is nice lift and no sense of heaviness on the palate. it is structured, yet harmonious and with both power and subtlety. Earthy and with a little heme and subtle florals compliment everything else going on. Youthful powerful pinot.

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• 2001 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes 92 Points

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

  Dark and brooding nose. Earthy some undergrowth, and the fruit cherry and rhubarb. There is depth and sap, with density without heaviness. There is focus and clarity to the youthful fruit all with a sense of minerality and depth without weight. I enjoyed its quiet person with something worth hearing if you listen feel. Outstanding but suffering its company this night.

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• 1989 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain Sélection de Grains Nobles 94 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  The color of 30 weight motor oil. Viscous, rich and dense on the palate, yet with enough acid to lift it and keep it in balance. Intense perfume that follows on the palate. Stone fruit and fig compote, toffee, some rancio notes, Grand Mariner, and some white florals. This is rich and dense and while it has high acidity to carry its rich frame, I would like more lift. I suspect this is the variety. That said, this does have a lot of acidity for Pinot Gris, yet in overall terms it is more overt and hedonistic than intriguing. Outstanding and very impressive more than lovable for me. Still a decadent rich and layered wine. Fully mature and going to stay there for a decade plus.

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It was a great night of wine, food, and company Admittedly, this group of wines may not be a representative sample for the vintage in whole, but I feel that these 2001s are in a great spot right now. I like the grace and poise that the wines have. I think all the wines showed really well, some exceptionally well, with the exception of the Jadot which I think just needs time. The food was very complimentary to the wines and done well. The courses blend between flights and showed the versatility of these courses as the transitions were pretty seamless when changing wine but not food or vice versa. Kevin has some great pictures and descriptions for the food, and I don't think I could add much of substance more than he did. The duck in puff pastry was wonderful though and deserves another mention.