Grand Jury du Vin - Republic of Georgia
Republic of Georgia then stopover in Paris and Dijon
Tasted Wednesday, November 1, 2023 - Thursday, November 9, 2023 by dcwino with 497 views
Introduction
There has been no events for Grand Jury Europeen in the past few years. The last GJE affiliated event was Villa D’Este wine symposium in November of 2018. Laurent Vialette, a close friend and the new president of Grand Jury du Vin emailed with an invitation to a Grand Jury event hosted by the government of the Republic of Georgia, I signed up without immediately. The event was held from November 2 to 5th as part of the Grand Jury in partnership with the government of Georgia.
Flight 1 - Reception at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel in Tbilisi (5 Notes)
I arrived at the hotel almost a day after leaving the house. Laurent greeted us. I had seen Laurent exactly a year earlier in Beaune, so it was really nice to catch up. Our Georgian hosts organized a delicious Georgian spread. I quickly learned about Chacha and had a short. Most of us affectionately referred to it as Chacha Cha! The version we drank was really good, comparable to a well-made Eau de Vie.
Flight 2 - 11/2 - Lunch (3 Notes)
This was only the second Georgian meal but I was falling in love, bold flavors and super tasty. The Giacosa from a magnum was drinking incredibly well. Prior to lunch, we had a walking tour of Tbilisi. There were strong French architectural influences in some of the buildings. Some buildings were very Sovietesque.
Flight 3 - 11/2 - Alaverdi Monastery (2 Notes)
Before reaching Tsinandali Estate, the hotel where Grand Jury du Vin sessions were held, we visited Alaverdi Monastery winery. It was fascinating to learn about the winemaking history, which dates back to the 12th century, and to learn about how the religious artworks were removed during the Soviet era.
Flight 4 - 11/2 - Dinner at the hotel (2 Notes)
We arrived at Tsinandali Estate as the sun was going down. It was a really nice hotel with a Park Hyatt kind of vibe. We had a wonderful meal with our Georgian hosts and other guests. I truly loved all the dishes served. Three gentlemen sang traditional Georgian songs, which were really enjoyable and impressive.
Flight 5 - 11/3 - Grand Jury Session 1 - 2010 Bordeaux (33 Notes)
It was really nice to be a part of a Grand Jury tasting once again. The format was identical to the previous Grand Jury sessions. The 2010s were showing well and aging beautifully, as originally expected. During the 2010 En Primeur, I thought the Mouton was the best wine, and this session confirmed my original assessment.
Flight 6 - 11/4 - Grand Jury du Vin Sessin 2 - Georgian wines
We had a Grand Jury du Vin session featuring Georgian wines. The whites were all yellow wines. It was fascinating that most of both reds and whites were made with indigenous grapes. The reds reminded me of Portuguese wines with a decent amount of Touriga Nacional, i.e., dark and inky fruit dominating other grape varietals. I am not a big fan of yellow wines, but at least half of them were very good.
Flight 7 - 11/4 - Lunch (1 Note)
It was a sushi buffet. As much as I loved all my meals in Georgia, this one was not terribly tasty.
Flight 8 - 11/4 - Gala Dinner (7 Notes)
The gala dinner was truly exceptional, featuring mesmerizing performances by The Georgian National Ballet and traditional singers. The dances were beautifully choreographed, exotic, and highly technical, while the singers delivered soulful and powerful performances.
The wines, all in excellent condition as expected, were contributed by the producers. While all the dishes were excellent, two truly stood out. An Arctic char and its roe was incredible. When I mentioned this to Otto Geiser, my good friend, a great chef, and a fellow Grand Jury du Vin member, he introduced me to Chef Jan Hartwig, who flew in to prepare the dish. Chef Hartwig is the proprietor of the three-star restaurant JAN and also happens to be Otto's son-in-law. The other outstanding dish was the suckling pig, perhaps the best I've had in my life.
People in Georgia seem to love to party, dressing up, drinking, and celebrating. The big afterparty involved a lot of singing, including both traditional and western songs. Orazio, another Grand Jury du Vin member, joined in and sang 'O Sole Mio' with a new Georgian friend. The party at the bar lasted through we hours. Unfortunately, I had to catch a shuttle to the airport at 5 in the morning, so I headed up around midnight.
Flight 9 - 11/5 - Jules Verne (2 Notes)
The last visit was in 2019, and the restaurant was under Alain Ducasse's team. There was a cheaper lunch menu that was no longer available.
The dishes under Chef Frederic Anton were all excellent, definitely worthy of two stars. The wine list was a bit pricier, but the choices were greater and still included a number of excellent values.
I highly recommend Jules Verne. Please do not dismiss it as a tourist trap. Dining at Jules Verne is a civilized way to experience the Eiffel Tower, with priority access to the plaza and the tower.
Flight 10 - 11/5 - Bar at Le Train Bleu (1 Note)
The lunch at Jules Verne was exceptional, and we lost track of time. We somehow misjudged how long it would take to get to Gare Lyon. We were almost an hour late.
The station was super busy and trying to purchase two new tickets were quite stressful. We had about an hour wait so we had a bottle at Le Train Bleu. The place was a bit too chaotic and busy.
Flight 11 - 11/6 - Comte LIger-Belair (17 Notes)
I have known Louis Michel for close to two decades. We were both young back then, him even younger than I.
Unfortunately, we were unable to visit him last year as he was on vacation with his family. Visiting Louis Michel is always one of the top highlights of our trips. Louis Michel is a straightshooter without any pretense.
He added a number of new Cuvees, Vosne village Aus Reas, La Croix Rameau, Malconsorts and Grands-Echezeaux. It was remarkable how the new Cuvees clearly expressed the Domaine's style. For my palate, he is the best wine maker in Burgundy.
Obligatory photo
Flight 12 - 11/6 - Buisson-Charles (14 Notes)
This marked our second year visiting Pascal. I connected with Patrick via Facebook last year after hearing many positive comments about Buisson-Charles. The 21s were excellent, and since Patrick kindly allowed us to visit again, I was really looking forward to our return.
I was pleasantly surprised as the wines were even better than the 21s. The 22 Chambertin was my top two wines of the trip. I have no idea how the fruit was sourced but this was simply a "Wow" wine.
Flight 13 - 11/6-La Cuverie De Vosne (1 Note)
We had originally planned to have lunch here. Fortunately, our visit with Louis Michel lasted longer than expected, and we had to go directly to Buisson-Charles.
We missed the grand opening of the Cuverie by a week during our last year's trip. The place had a cool vibe and was super nice to chill and enjoy a bottle or two. The wine list was extensive and featured a lot of great options which were all certified organic.
It was a chilly, drizzly day. We sat near the window with a beautiful view of the Vosne vineyards, a nice way to end the day.
Flight 14 - 11/7 - Marchand Tawse (35 Notes)
We arrived a bit early. I stopped by a patisserie and grabbed an apple chausson, super delicious and under $2, gotta love France. We were greeted by Amandine, Pascal's lovely wife. Pascal somehow got chlorine in his eye, requiring medical attention. Then, there was a roof leak that needed to be addressed. Despite all the troubles, Pascal and Amandine were incredibly hospitable and spent ample time with us. We also tasted a half dozen whites, but the wines were hard to evaluate.
Flight 15 - 11/7 - La Cabotte (1 Note)
In an earlier email, Pascal and Amandine invited us to lunch, and they reserved a table at La Cabotte. Pascal greeted two ladies who were seated next to us, and we were introduced to Nathalie. She introduced herself as the sister of Jean-Charles Boisset. I was fascinated by how calm and subtle she appeared. Those who have met Mr. Jean-Charles would understand what I meant.
I was always curious about the wine list at La Cabotte. The list was still great but there were too many bargains. The cooking however, were classic and well executed.
Flight 16 - 11/7 - Clos de Tart (3 Notes)
This was the second year that I visited Clos de Tart with Alessandro. Since he became in charge of Clos de Tart, he meticulously analyzed the vineyards and the wines. For my palate, Clos de Tart has improved since Alessandro came on board, becoming more refined and detailed.
Flight 17 - 11/7 - Dinner (2 Notes)
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Burgundy. The wine prices have gone up since last year. I was hoping for a bottle of Ramonet Montrachet but no luck. The dishes were spot on which didn't surprise me at all.
Flight 18 - 11/8 - L'Astrance (2 Notes)
This was the restaurant I always meant to dine in before COVID hit. The wine list was quite good, but the main reason was to try a mature Saint Christophe Mondeuse. Chef Barbot's dishes were perfectly executed and often showed strong Japanese influences. I had to shamefully admit that my favorite dish was tagliolini with copious amounts of white truffle. Although the truffles were small, the aroma was heavenly.
Wild mushroom tart that was memorable
The Branzino was perfectly steamed, and the entire course had a distinct Japanese flair. The server also informed us about the specific city in Japan where the rice originated.
In heaven
Super baby Iberico
Pear and then Pear
Flight 19 - 11/8 - Le Bar (2 Notes)
After a big lunch, we decided to walk it off and headed toward the Champs-Élysées. November weather in Paris is unpredictable, and it started to rain. We noticed a fancy-looking hotel and decided to stop by. Both Kelly and I had been to George V, but we didn’t recognize it until we got closer. We reached the lounge area, and the beautiful hostess was rather cold and showed no interest in helping us. Luckily, the bar opened, and we were seated at a nice table. Great minds think alike, and both Kelly and I found two great wines.
Closing
This was another memorable trip. The hospitality in the Republic of Georgia was incredible. I truly love the bold flavors of Georgian cuisine. The Georgian wines, mostly from indigenous grape varietals, were fascinating and enjoyable. The visit to my favorite region in the world, Burgundy, was special once again. It was fun and memorable to travel with my best wine buddy, Kelly Walker.
1990 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 97 Points
France, Champagne
(11/1/2023)
Perfectly cellared en magnum. Perfectly mature nose displaying succulent sweet yellow fruit, peach, baked apple, clementine, honey, light caramel, brioche, sweet spices and mineral. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of generous yellow fruit, rich and opulent but also beautifully balanced, medium generous fine mousse, good acidity, strong mineral, and a long ripe opulent yellow fruit driven finish with honey and caramel at the end. Drinking incredibly well. Champagne is always better in magnum format.
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1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
(11/1/2023)
En Jeroboam. Not premoxed but a bit one dimensional. Exceptional concentration, very ripe yellow fruit, rich and deeply toned, peach and dry apricot, a lot of honey. A good demonstration where a great red vintage may not be so great for the whites. Slightly lacking acidity. The time has not been kind.
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1997 Château La Conseillante 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
(11/1/2023)
In double magnum, complex nose displaying sweet subtle red fruit, strawberry, belle pepper, smoke, mushroom and earth. Medium concentration, shy red fruit, silky, cool and lean, medium acidity, earthy mineral, mostly resolved tannins and a medium long subtle red fruit driven finish. This has developed nicely in double magnum format. It reminds me Clos Rougeard a bit. A pleasant surprise.
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2004 Vieux Château Certan 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
(11/1/2023)
In double magnum, medium expressive nose displaying cool youthful black fruit, crushed blackberries, dusty flower, sweet spices, thyme and limestone. Very good concentration, nicely layered cool black fruit, silky and polished, medium acidity, strong limestone mineral, and a medium to long pure cool black fruit driven mineral finish. This is not quite ready in this format. Very promising.
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1966 Château Talbot 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
(11/1/2023)
In double magnum format. Laurent V. opened this in honor of George, our host, as it is his birth year. This came from an impeccable cellar, the fill is still into the middle neck. Expressive nose displaying generous super sweet red fruit, strawberry and a hint of cherry, truffle, grilled cep, light caramel, ash, sweet spices and mineral. Excellent concentration, generous mature sweet red fruit, silky and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long sweet red fruit driven finish with a hint of ash at the end. This is a great example of perfectly cellared large format Bordeaux.
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