Bristol Lido Offline #3 - Ken's Burgundy Dinner

Great to get the team back together for another visit to the Lido. We started with a mature magnum of Pol Roger followed by a blind GC Chablis and a pair of whites from the heralded 2014 vintage. A number of reds from 2009 were explored alongside a selection of mature auction purchases back to 1971. Brilliant job by our organiser.

• NV Pol Roger Champagne Brut Réserve 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Magnum. Likely at least 8 years post disgorgement aging. Lovely fresh nose with lemon pith, sesame cracker cotton wool and a hint of raspberry leaf. Palate is crisp with lovely lime oil and fresh acids. Some Grape Nut cereal bass notes really add to the package. Cracking start to the evening.

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• 2013 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Blind. Interesting, rich nose. Pineapple stalk greenness / tropicality, lime cordial, a hint of tarragon. Classy. Palate has lime pith / zest on entry with a more intense lime oil character building through the mid palate. Only on the finish are there hints of oyster shell minerality. Very nice wine but doesn't scream Chablis.

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• 2014 Xavier Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  First of three recently sourced from the domain. Dusty sour limes, rose water, pumice minerality, lime cordial and couple of ppm of rhubarb on the nose. Palate has taut acids on entry with some peach flesh building through the mid palate. The finish has lime oil with a couple of ppm of Schweppes bitter lemon mixer in the margins.

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• 2014 Domaine Jean Chartron Chassagne-Montrachet Les Benoites 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  A little rounder than the Xavier Monnot C-M this is served with. Some nice minerality offsets a clementine fool creaminess / tartness. There is a touch of orange leaf greenness too and a touch of chicken roastin juice savouriness. Palate has a hint of slice Cox apple on entry with a grapefruit pith character too. Some lime Starburst on the mid palate before lean and slatey finish. Just twist of white pepper adds interest as well. Both lovely wines this just edges it for me over the Monnot

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• 1971 Thomas Bassot Gevrey-Chambertin 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Bright red not bricking at all. Nose has soil tones, some baked beetroot, a touch of cranberry and some sliced mushroom. Palate is fully mature with some marron glacé/ fudge supporting the rosehip core. It fades a little with time in the glass but was a real treat to try a Burgundy older than me.

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• 1983 Chauvot - Labaume Gevrey-Chambertin Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Sadly not in great shape with oxidation and some bacteriological bits and bobs. Drat and double drat.

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• 1994 Jean-Claude Boisset Aloxe-Corton 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton

  Dark fruited nose. With some chestnut brazier smoky sweetness. Rooibos tea and autumnal forest floor as well. A couple of ppm of blackberry and apple crumble in the margins. Palate as rich plum fruit at the core with some cranberry around the edges. I really enjoy this.

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• 2009 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Wow. What a wine. Nose has real intensity and grand cru gravitas with layer after layer of interest on both the nose and palate. There is a crystalline plum fruit, Morello cherry and incense core to the nose. Around this hints of Earl Grey tea, orange oil and rich chestnut. Palate (which is still very youthful) has bright cherry fruit on entry which darkens a little through the mid palate. Some more hints of orange and a couple of ppm of Aperol in the margins. The finish sees cranberries and incense dance across your palate 15 seconds after you have swallowed. A profound wine and such a treat to have sampled. Gorgeous acids from start to finish.

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• 2009 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Beef pho on the nose here complete with ginger and lemongrass. Rooibos tea and incense too with some earthy richness. Palate is dry with cassis and Assam tea intertwining with the acids through the entry and mid palate. There is a lovely and ever so slightly high toned cranberry character on the finish. Cracking

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• 2009 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  Served blind. Nose has red fruited core (redcurrant and cherry) with hints of Macadamia, mushroom and truffle in the margins. Palate is meaty with some spiced plum fruit on entry. Grenache cordial and Rooibos tea notes develop on the mid palate. There is some pepper and hint on incense on the finish. Lovely wine. After a few stabs in the dark I did eventually get to Chevillon as I have have a few in the cellar but not this vintage.

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• 2009 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  Served blind. A bit meatier on the nose, almost beef pho exoticism. Some raspberry fruit and a touch of marzipan sweetness too. With air almost a cassis note. Palate has peppery plum on entry which fans out on the mid palate. The finish has a lovely duet of pomegranate and lovely acids. Classy stuff. Did guess Vaucrins as the vineyard on this.

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• 2009 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Clos des Réas 93 Points

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

  Dark fruited but creamy and rich. Rosehip, joss stick ash and some Bakewell notes. Pain aux raisin sweetness in the margins. Palate is by contrast savoury and dry and not quite at the same level. There are some earthy notes on entry with Rooibos tea through the mid palate. The finish sees some cassis emerge. The twiggy structure around this slightly detracts from the other charms and perhaps stands out in a field of exceptional red Burgs of this vintage tried on the evening

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• 2009 Domaine de Montille Clos Vougeot 92 Points

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

  A game of two halves here; the nose has a lovely cranberry tartness with some ginger, fig and pastel de nata creamy char in the margins. The palate can't quite keep up although the dark fruits and acidity are correct they don't really excite on the night.

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• 1983 Domaine Maume Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques 90 Points

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

  Label detective work points to this note belonging to a 1983 but no neck label and nothing on the cork either to confirm. The nose has some wild strawberry and mushroom stock with some high toned redcurrants providing backing vocals. Palate also led by some lovely tart red fruits. Plenty of acids. Very savoury and more-ish. Just a lovely mature tertiary Burgundy with elegant decay.

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• 2009 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St. Jean Rouge 92 Points

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

  Rich nose here with cassis, and Bakewell cherry / almond sweetness. Powerful stuff. Palate opens out with with some tart plum fruit with the accompanying acidity building through the mid palate. The long finish sees tart redcurrants caress the tongue a good 10 seconds after swallowing. Lovely final wine of the evening.

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Bar a flawed 1983 Chauvot-Labaume, I really enjoyed all of the wines with the mature auction purchases giving great pleasure even if they didn't hit the heights of some of the stellar 2009s. Fabulous evening. Thanks to my generous table mates for their great company and lovely wines. What an excellent evening. Here's to the next one.