Experimental Dinner

At home in leafy West London
Tasted Sunday, December 7, 2025 by lozatron with 56 views

Flight 1 - Fizz (2 Notes)

  • 2013 Louis Roederer Champagne Blanc de Blancs

    France, Champagne

    Lovely sherberty / acid energy in the middle. Lemon and lemon curd. The finish though, it starts to get a little tired, a little fatiguing perhaps. Everyone else loved it but I rather get the sense it's time to drink these up. Will be broaching my remaining bottle soon.

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  • NV Louis Roederer Champagne Collection 243

    France, Champagne

    Fascinating - I tend to be a bit nervous when opening these because I've had SO MANY of them it almost feels...normal. This was fab - 90% of the acid line and zip of the previous bottle, but much more balanced, more complete. This isn't shouting it's just getting on with the job. Super.

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Flight 2 - Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Parfait (1 Note)

Flight 3 - Boeuf Bourgignon (4 Notes)

  • 2001 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    This was double decanted at fridge temp about 90 minutes before serving, and left outside. A little too cold perhaps, but no VA or anger here, this is just fab. Transcendent? No - and clearly this would have been better a few years ago, but truly engaging and red of the night.

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  • 2001 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Now - after the Rostaing showed so well, this has perhaps gone to grass a little bit. There's a lovely core to it, and indeed still some fine tannins, but it's a bit rough around the edges, not really trying. These probably need drinking up.

    With that said - our guests loved it, and they are by no means old wine fetishists or even really serious wine nerds. So there's that.

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  • 2014 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Marie Beurrier

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

    I rarely drink CNDP these days, and thought this might be fun to taste alongside the older pair, and indeed, be a useful backup if they turned out to just be dead. Clearly lots going on, a kind of quince jelly richness in the middle here - if I were able to pay more attention would have perhaps got more out of this but it (1) was more than decent (2) did not inspire me to open my remaining bottles any time soon.

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  • 2010 Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton-Bressandes

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    This is right in the zone just now. Broad shouldered but too fine to be called "foursquare". Lovely tannic structure, some sour cherries with just a hint of a hint of sweetness on the finish. Had we voted I believe the table would have selected this red of the dinner.

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Flight 4 - Crêpes Suzette (1 Note)

  • 1989 Château d'Yquem

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Deep gold colour - I was a little nervous about this, especially from half. No need. On the nose, honeysuckle. On the palate, there's freshness, ripe stone fruits, but my gosh the length. Really pleased with this.

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Flight 5 - Cheese (1 Note)

  • 2006 Château Doisy-Daëne L'Extravagant

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Wowza - this is like twice as sweet as the Yquem, glad we tasted them in this order. There is, oddly, a kind of freshness to it to, but my gosh. I did thoroughly enjoy it, but it was clearly the junior of the two Sauternes.

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