The one for Prof. AC (Bar-a-Thym)

Tasted Thursday, July 11, 2024 by RobinTeo with 120 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2013 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Bechalin 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    Kicking off the night with 2 fantastic bottles of champagne! Disgorged in 2013 and base 2006, this turned heads immediately in admirable fashion. Bouquet of almond skin, toast, nashi pear and lemon rind shines as the layers continually unfurl on the palate as it warms up in glass. Plenty of fruit and complexity here - I don’t drink or collect champagne much but this is a top one for me.

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  • 2017 Aurélien Lurquin Champagne Les Forcières 95 Points

    France, Champagne

    First time trying this producer, to which my tablemates exclaimed that this has long been achieving a cult status. This kicks off in an oxidative fashion with bruised apples, hazelnuts, yellow pear and honeysuckle coming to the fore, followed grapefruit, pomelo, oak, almonds and walnut skin on the palate. Very complexed champagne with a long finish that actually left my mouth dry with tannins - this was remarkable and I have never had something in this vein before.

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2007 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 96 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    In great shape and drinking superbly! Bouquet dominated by apricots, preserved lemon rind and petroleum while palate showing lovely layers and nuances of pear juice, apricot, dried mango and peaches. Long finish with fine tannins, great acidity and fruit concentration. This is immaculate with pitch perfect balance and elegance.

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  • 2015 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Sangiovese Toscana IGT 96 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

    Opened from magnum with half decanted and half left in bottle. Stroke of luck to have had the 2013 and 2014 a week prior and then to be able to try the 2015 today.

    From the onset, this was ethereal and elegant with heft and complexity. I want to avoid describing this as “Burgundian” and this was magic in any other right. Cranberries, bayberries, sandalwood and sage dominate the bouquet with palate showing off layers of unriped cherries, plums, sandalwood, saddle and smoke. Perfect fruit concentration and heft yet also showing such immaculate transparency. Tannins were firm but with all that going on the bouquet and palate, this was drinking really nicely today. This is why we chase Soldera.

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2010 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or 95 Points

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

    My contribution. First popped at home to test and it was showing slightly reticent and very lean - got slightly worried so I brought a back up bottle. However, all fears were expounded when it was poured at the restaurant. Mineral bouquet dominated by lemon curd, cream, orange rind, pomelo and chalk. Good fruit concentration on the palate with high salinity, great acidity and balance. Viscous with heft and elegance - this was drinking superbly by the end of the night!

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  • 2018 Lamy-Caillat Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 96 Points

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

    Always a pleasure to have Lamy Caillat. Had this bottle 8 months back and remember it was showing really well! Bouquet dominated by lemon rind, white flowers, peaches, plums and cream. Palate showing off white peaches, white strawberries, tinge of lime curd and grapefruits with some salinity and chalkiness. At the start of the evening, I thought this was not as expressive and balanced as my last bottle even though this had precision and tension. However, towards the end of the night, this blossomed and was showing incredibly well, close to and surpassing my last impression of the bottle - give this some time and you will be rewarded! 🥰

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 2004 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Happy to have tried this again, 1.5 years on! Flamboyant bouquet here in an elbows-out fashion showcasing sweet cherries, dark plums, bay berries and saddle. Palate showing similar to bouquet with addition of macerated cherries and marsala spice. Velvety with regal opulence and power, none of the 04 greenness showing up on the palate with fantastic complexity - this presented very youthful and very much aligned with my impressions of the last bottle that I had.

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  • 2011 Domaine Leroy Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Narbantons 92 Points

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

    Paired with the Cathiard and got bullied. Granted that this was the negoce bottling so didn’t quite have that signature and recognizable Leroy bouquet. Lavender, violets, marsala spice, sage and wild berries dominate both bouquet and palate with a touch of greenness in the mid-palate. This was slightly lean and reflective of the vintage with nice complexity and fruit amidst the high-ish acid.

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Flight 5 (2 Notes)

  • 2007 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares 93 Points

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

    Bottle breathed for 12 hours and it definitely helped. Silky bouquet of violets, bayberries, dark plums and dark cherries. Palate showing a ton of structure with plenty of fruit concentration, power and acidity before running into a wall of tannins. This was nice but felt a little too young - vogue needs time to flesh out and even more so for the bonnes mares! I recall that when Jean Luc Pepin visited Singapore, he likened the Vogue Bonnes Mares to be that grumpy uncle of the family and this showed much grumpiness tonight! 🤣

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  • 2019 Henri Boillot Bonnes Mares 92 Points

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

    Popped at restaurant and felt that this was too early and young. Bouquet showing loads of oak, cherry liquor and kirsch while palate dominated by sweet cherries, macerated plums and a bitter note that never seemed to go away - however, there is structure and potential here but keep it away for 10 years.

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

  • 2007 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    First time trying the Celestins after hearing loads about it. Animalistic bouquet dominated by tea leaves, wild cherries, meat spice, hay and plums. This felt like I was taking a walk in the zoo 🤣 Palate showing darker fruits, savoury spice, ripe plums, dark herbal hawthorn and angelica root. This has muscle and power with a very long finish and lifting acidity. Excited and thankful to have tried this!

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