Dinner at Brian and Sylvia's

Dinner with Brian, Sylvia, Kelvin and Joyce. Sylvia cooked up an absolutely wonderful dinner.

• 2008 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Millésimé 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  This was really nice for a basic vintage champagne - a testament to the strength of the 2008 year. The nose was quite attractive, with wafts of white fruit, deeper aromas of sweet cherry flesh, and then a little touch of spice and minerality. It was still very youthful and energetic on the palate, with plenty of bright tensile acidity and a creamy mousse running through juicy flavours of white fruit, cherry flesh and a burst of lemon pips. There was a lovely bright finish, with a nice citrus kiss pulling away into a gently fruity end. Very good, and will keep getting better.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Rapet Père et Fils Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux Blanc 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru

  I thought this was very nice. The nose had swirls of cream, melons and pears traced with a lick of chalk, flint and white flowers. A touch sweet, but otherwise very attractive. The palate was still youthful, but definitely coming together well, with more sweet notes of cream, melons and pears, these marked with both the sweet ripeness as well as the bright citrus acidity of the 2010 vintage. Decent finish too, not the longest, but with a nice twist of flinty mineral at the back. When a bit warmer, there was a bit of ice-cream soda on it. Nice now, will get better, but altogether a good white Burgundy.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• NV Mouzon-Leroux & Fils Champagne Grand Cru L'Atavique Tradition 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  A rather funky, characterful grower’s champagne, but quite nice in its own way. The nose was very aromatic, with little yeasty, oxidative shades dancing around sweeter, almost perfumed notes of cherry, apples and wilting florals. The palate had a very clearly effervescent mousse and a good dose of juicy citrus acidity running though a rich mouthful of ciderish apple flavours. The influence of the lliquer d’expedition came up quite clearly on this. Finish was decent enough - full, creamy, with a nice lick of white fruit. Altogether pretty good and definitely interesting, without quite being mindblowing.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1990 Clos du Marquis 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  A real delight. Light for a 1990 but delicious and absolutely at peak. The nose was lovely, with gentle twirls of tobacco and spice curled around a core of ripe cassis and blueberry aromas, and then just a nice touch of damp earthiness. A really alluring bouquet. The palate was drinking absolutely beautifully now, with silky tannins and bright acidity draped over a wonderfully fresh mouthful of black cherries and cassis, these just touched likely with notes of leather, spice and tobacco trailing away into a light, charming finish. Elegant, noble, and really light on its feet. This lacked the weight and depth of the Grand Vin, but boy was it ever delicious. Wonderful now.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot 93 Points

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

  Very good, but perhaps the weakest bottle of the 2002 Jadot CSJ I have had so far. The nose was lovely, and quite classic Clos St Jacques, with a little stream of wet stony mineral notes underlying touches of dark cherries, meat, earth and just that little sprinkle of almost Christmassy spice. The palate was where this was a bit disappointing - while still pleasing, it was neither as full or complete as prior examples, with the structure of fine tannins and grippy acidity somewhat sticking out amidst otherwise elegantly shaped flavours of dark cherries and cherries, these laced with a lovely mineral streak. There was a lovely cut and focus to this all, from its neat attack all the way into a very nicely defined finish. Altogether though, while a very good wine, this seemed rather more stubborn and tight than previous bottles.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue