Big Guns: Burgs and Bordeaux at Bellecour

This was the rescheduled, and long anticipated Heidi's Dinner Group redux. The Heidi's group had many a great night at that beloved original location. While I didn't have the privilege of being a part of things back in the day, I had other memorable evenings there myself, and I consider myself very fortunate to be included now. Our original dinner had to be rescheduled after an untimely virus took one of us down. But just about a month later everything came together with the original list of wines intact. Dave D, Siggy, Lonny, Craig, Brad E and myself were in attendance. A pretty fine group of wine geeks if I do say so. As it turned out, we had a fantastic night, worthy of the Heidi's memories I would say given the table talk that night. Hopefully a new tradition has been born.

• NV Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Medium pink color. This is pretty representative of past bottles. A riper, bigger style of red fruits, bold strawberry, raspberry, and tart red currant on the nose. The palate comes off largely as ripe red berries. Maybe a bit more one dimensional this time. I like this, but I will admit to finding myself being a bit less enthused the more I drink this though.

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• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 160eme 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Light-medium gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. With a 2004 base, you'd expect this to be pretty good, and it is. This just feels like classic Krug M/V. It has all the power and drive, coupled with an essence of sophistication. Toasted, fresh, vibrant, great green orchard fruits, quince spice, almond paste, long. Great now, I think this will get better. 94+(+)pts.

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• 2010 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 97 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Light greenish color. PNP, drank 1+ glass over 90 minutes. Oh my, what 3 years can do. I knew this was going to be great, but this was even better than I imagined. Flat out stunning, this has an explosive nose, amazing energy and depth, powerful, poised, classic Chablis character with gorgeous green fruits, crystalline minerality, saline and an ocean of minerality, signature Fevre, earth and so lifted, this goes on and on. It doesn't get much better than this. I'm totally enamored by the 2010 vintage in general is it really captures the trifecta of fruit, minerality, and acidity in such a compelling way. At some point we need to get a flight of '10 Fevre Grand Crus together for a direct comparison. 96+ to 97pts.

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• 2011 Domaine Jacques Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Pale gold color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank a glass over an hour plus. Butterscotch, medium full bodied, very even handed, tart green fruits, pear, deep and linear, hint of vanilla bean, wet stone, spice.

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• 2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 93 Points

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

  Light straw color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank a glass over an hour. Racy acidity, rich, yellow and green fruits, apple, tart pear, oak. Youthful and develops in glass.

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• 1961 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Dark red color. Drank a glass over 2 hours. This was wonky out of the gate, and I was afraid it might be a little bit off. Over the next 15 to 20 minutes it seemed to largely blow off. This got better over the next hour and really was surprisingly youthful for 57 years. Always special to drink a birth year wine and one as great as this even more so. I'm always challenged to put a number on a bottle like this as they are so special in their own way. Orange peel, pomegranate, dried flowers, dried wood, dried red fruits. The palate is more subtle, emulating the nose with more subtle dried red fruits and spices, forest floor, and crushed herbs. Not ethereal, but darn good. Thanks for sharing this Brad. 93+ to 94pts.

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• 1983 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Dark red color. Slow-O-ed for 5 hours. This was classic Graves; filled with scorched earth and tar, graphite, cassis, silky and long with a medium full body and the finish goes on for at least a minute. A wow wine in the glass, really pretty and energetic this has a youthful edge at 35 years that says I'm still getting better. This can go for a long, long time. In retrospect, I wish I would have decanted for a bit as this was just singing after an hour and 45 minutes in glass. 94+ to 95pts.

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• 1983 Château Montrose 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours. Another gorgeous bottle, tons of minerality, earth, earth, earth, really nice red fruits on the nose. The palate is deeper with a mix of red fruits and cassis notes, more of that same earth, pencil, tobacco leaf, spices, and nicely integrated tannins. A fun wine and I'm really glad to have one. Thanks Dave!

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• 2001 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses 95 Points

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

  Medium red color, pure and translucent. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. Same bottle as Chablis28 and I think he nailed his note. This has a wow nose, amazing red fruits; and when you talk about purity this is what people mean. The palate is elegant and lacy, refined, great dried earth, cremini mushroom, focused red fruits, oak spice, exotic spice, lifted and harmonious. 94+ to 95pts.

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• 1996 Domaine Jacques Prieur Musigny 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  Medium red plus color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. Siggy's bottle and another stunner for me. Amazingly youthful, great nose and this has deeply intense flavors, dark berries, amazing fruit and depth, savory and intense, umami, very earthy, sour red currants. Just great. Hard for me to pick a favorite between the '01 Amoureuses and this.

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• 1999 Georges Lignier et Fils Bonnes Mares 91 Points

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

  Very cloudy dark red color. Lonny's bottle. PNP, murky dark red fruit, tart cherry, sour fruit, a bit overly spiced and peppery, damp earth, mushroom, sous bois, a bit of heat. I went back and forth between 91 and 92pts so we'll split the difference at 91+pts.

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Really, some magnificent wines tonight. Many standouts, but that '10 Fevre Preuses was hauntingly good.