Rouget Cros Parantoux Dinner & Lunch with Montrachet to Start

Chicago, IL
Tasted Friday, December 5, 2025 - Saturday, December 6, 2025 by Burgundy Al with 162 views

Introduction

Some thirsty friends came to Chicago in the winter from out of town.

Flight 1 - Dinner at Valhalla with Lots of White Truffle (25 Notes)

  • 2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (12/5/2025)

    2002 flight. Bright apple throughout with some plumper berry notes in the middle. Well balanced, harmonious, and very charming. For some, this was tonight's top 2002 Champagne, but I preferred Salon even if not quite at its peak yet.

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  • 2002 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

    France, Champagne

    (12/5/2025)

    2002 flight. A true powerhouse, so much orchard fruit, so much energy. Still somewhat backward, but the finish goes on and on. Great now for me, but give this another 5 years to really shine.

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  • 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 92 Points

    France, Champagne

    (12/5/2025)

    2002 flight. Rich and lush orchard fruit aromas and flavors, just more advanced than this wine should be. Very drinkable, easily enjoyable, but a shadow of previous sensational bottles.

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  • 2002 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    02/04 Montrachet flight. Opened 30 minutes before serving. Great spiced apple aromas to start, slightly less powerful than I hoped. Precipitous decline followed, and barely interesting after 30 minutes in glass.

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  • 2004 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    02/04 Montrachet flight. Opened 30 minutes before serving. Slightly green, slightly sweet, all working together in an interesting combination/ contrast. Still easily drinking well, but this doesn't quite have the density of the best vintages.

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  • 2004 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Montrachet 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    02/04 Montrachet flight. Opened 30 minutes before serving, which I immediately realized was a mistake. Faintly reductive start, required more air, then this ever-so-slowly opened up into a moderately ripe, high energy wine with lots of energy. Nuance slowly emerged, with the final taste being the best, making me think this still has upside from here.

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  • 2009 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical, open an hour in advance. Delicately floral start, more came out with air. More powerful, robust flavors were ripe with a complex array of orchard, stone, and tropical fruits. Good+ weight and depth, just slightly lacking from what I hope to get from Montrachet. I haven't tasted this since out of barrel at the domaine in 2010, and it met my expectations from the time. The only bad thing to say about this wine is that the 2018 and 2019 vintages in the next two glasses were even greater.

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  • 2018 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet 96 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical, open an hour in advance. Big, rich, and dense in almost every way. So much like the 2019 in the next glass, just slightly less seamless.

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  • 2019 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet 98 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical flight, all open one hour in advance. Also big, rich, and dense, while nearly perfectly harmonious, with a finish that goes until tomorrow. An absolute joy to smell and taste. A great wine now, and maybe even better in the future. Many tasters thought this the best wine tonight, but some of us slightly preferred the Lafon 2017 in the next flight.

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  • 2014 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical flight, all open an hour+. Reductive nose made it difficult for me to enjoy, but so much richness and concentration behind that. Sad because I expected this to be the best wine of the night. Others managed to enjoy this more than I did.

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  • 2017 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet 98 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical, all open over one hour. Bright floral aromas with some spice and rich apple and lemon curd. Lean and powerful flavors are so precise, plus they go on and on, then on some more, slowly riding into the beautiful sunset. This is one of the best white wines I have ever tasted.

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  • 2020 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical, all open an hour+. Bright aromas, delicately floral, dense on both nose and palate with along finish. Some more time required for everything to settle down and resolve. My first time tasting this vintage, others said previous bottles were more harmonious.

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  • 2017 Jean-Claude Ramonet Montrachet Flawed

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical, all open 2 hours in advance. Corked.

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  • 2016 Jean-Claude Ramonet Montrachet 96 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical, all open 2 hours in advance. A wine that charms you with its stunning beauty, not its finesse. Great concentration and weight with ripe fruits, sweet and savory spice, but all well supported with enough structure and energy.

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  • 2015 Jean-Claude Ramonet Montrachet 97 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In vertical, all open 2 hours. Dense, rich and powerful wine that starts off with spring flowers and a charming mint note, then overwhelms you in the best possible sense with so many flavors that remain brightly textured. Great now. A classically styled Montrachet in a very warm year in which that was challenging.

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  • 1999 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened 5 hours in advance, hard as nails at the time. So decanted for 5 hours. Even at that point, this was large, burly, and ripe, slightly lacking harmony; some thought this might be heat damaged (I didn't), but I have just never found this is be as great wine as Rouget should have made in this vintage.

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  • 1999 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 94 Points

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

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened 5 hours in advance, very backward at the time, so decanted for the next 5 hours. Still firm when served, but large-scaled and well balanced, with lots of black fruits, a hint of liqueur, and a healthy spice box. Same dense ripeness as the Echezeaux but with the right structural elements for this to be more harmonious.

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  • 2002 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened 5 hours in advance, quickly double decanted. Dense red and black cherry throughout, this is a powerhouse while also a textural beauty. Both 2002s were so much better than their 1999 counterparts, and the only bad thing I can say here is that is was not as exciting as the Cros P 2002.

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  • 2002 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 96 Points

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

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened 5 hours in advance, quickly double decanted. Alluring spicebox from the moment it was poured into the glass. Slightly more black fruited than red, but a complex combination of fruit and spice kept unfolding here. Not as texturally composed as the Echezeaux, but this is more of a head-turning beauty. Probable upside from here.

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  • 2008 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened almost 6 hours in advance, very backward at the time, so decanted until served. Lots of red fruit aromas, nicely spiced, just very firm structure wouldn't move out of the spotlight tonight. Great length, very good potential, but probably needs until 2033 or later, 90 points tonight, hopefully/ likely 92-93 points then

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  • 2008 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux

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

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened almost 6 hours in advance, very backward at the time, so decanted until served. Great aromas with lots of black fruits and Asian five spice, followed by hints of similar flavors, but this never really sang. More forthcoming than the 2008 Echezeaux, but it seemed to relax in glass. 92 points tonight, I think this will be so much better in another decade. Old school Burgundy here.

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  • 2010 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened 6 hours in advance, quickly double decanted. Charming mostly red fruit with spice that is particularly aromatically enticing. Great balance and textures. Of the many ways I would praise Rouget wines, I wouldn't often call them elegant, but this 2010 was all of what makes Rouget great plus elegant, too.

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  • 2010 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 97 Points

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

    (12/5/2025)

    In Echezeaux/ Cros P vertical/ horizontal of sorts. Opened 6 hours in advance, quickly double decanted. Powerful red cherry aromas in the forefront with baking spice, more cherry and berry there to be found. Dense and slightly backward on palate but in no way awkward, this is graceful now with certainly more to come. A powerhouse without showing that off. Most of the group's fav red wine of the night.

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  • 1948 Massandra Red Port

    Ukraine, Crimea

    (12/5/2025)

    Very late night, so difficult to fully appreciate. Chocolate pudding, toasted almonds, and dried figs with a touch of caramel. Very good balance, good weight and length. This didn't thrill me as much as the last time tasted (in 2017), but that might have been either me or this bottle.

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  • 1947 Bodegas Toro Albalá Don P.X. Reserva Especial 95 Points

    Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles

    (12/5/2025)

    Rich, unctuous, and so decadent without a hair out of place. Fantastic and so vibrant.

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Flight 2 - Lunch at Mistral/ S.K.Y. (18 Notes)

  • 1988 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Flawed

    France, Champagne

    (12/6/2025)

    Magnum. Corked.

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  • 1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    (12/6/2025)

    Dark color. Baked apple apple and honeycomb with good power and complexity, still bright enough with good length. On the oxidative side, but that is Krug after all, with its style that I prefer slightly younger and fresher. But still a great wine with so much going on.

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  • 1996 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In glorious old Leflaive Chevalier vertical. Popped-and-poured, then enjoyed and revisited multiple times over the next few hours. Baked apple and butterscotch to start, with more spice and floral aromatics emerging with more air. This kept getting better in glass. This was the least interesting of the flight when poured, the most interesting several hours later.

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  • 1999 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In glorious old Leflaive Chevalier vertical. Popped-and-poured, then enjoyed and revisited multiple times over the next few hours. Spiced start with some floral elements and still slightly firm in the middle. Great length, finish so finessed. My fav or the flight, the group's #2.

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  • 2000 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In glorious old Leflaive Chevalier vertical. Popped-and-poured, then enjoyed and revisited multiple times over the next few hours. Leaner than the other vintages with plenty of green apple, well spiced, great finish. Was getting the most tired of the flight at the 2-hour mark when finished.

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  • 2001 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In glorious old Leflaive Chevalier vertical. Popped-and-poured, then enjoyed and revisited multiple times over the next few hours. Floral aromatics from the get-go, this wasn't a powerhouse, but seamlessly harmonious and charming from the moment poured through the last taste several hours later. Generally the group's fav of the flight, although possibly eclipsed by the '96 in the homestretch.

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  • 2010 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In vertical. Open an hour before serving, clearly slightly tired when served, then noticeably going downhill from there. Probably an imperfect bottle.

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  • 2012 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Flawed

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In vertical. Opened an hour before serving. Very oxidized.

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  • 2017 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In vertical. Opened an hour before serving. Faint reduction almost completely blown off. So much power and energy with gobs of bright fruit. So much coiled tension waiting to unfurl itself and reveal much more in the near future. Good now, much better in another 5 years, hopefully even better yet in ten.

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  • 2020 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In vertical. Popped-and-poured as a replacement for the oxidized 2012. Reticent aromatics both to start and still an hour later, but still clearly with very good richness. Equally reserved flavors gradually emerged but never equaled the complexity of the 2017. I wouldn't touch this for many years, but was told previous bottles were more exciting.

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  • 1996 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 97 Points

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

    (12/6/2025)

    In vertical. Opened, decanted three hours before serving. Dense mostly red fruit, a powerhouse to start, unfolding over the course of many hours. Really great.

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  • 1997 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 97 Points

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

    (12/6/2025)

    In vertical. Open three hours before serving. Spiced red fruit with great balance but near perfect balance, too. Also kept unfolding and kept putting on weight. I have had this wine many times through the years, and today's might have been the best ever.

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  • 2000 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 96 Points

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

    (12/6/2025)

    In vertical. Wonderfully spiced with fresh and mature red cherry and berry aromas and flavors that are texturally so bright, just slightly less complex or powerful that the 1996 or 1997 vintages in the flight. My final bottle, and a great time to drink it.

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  • 1997 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 91 Points

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

    (12/6/2025)

    In Cros P flight that included Rouget 1997. Ripe red and black cherry aromas and flavors to start, very large scaled and rich, but certainly never flabby, this was reasonably fresh to start, then brightened further with more air, plus put on weight. I would certainly consider this a success for the vintage, if not for the magic of the Rouget.

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  • 2009 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux 96 Points

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

    (12/6/2025)

    In Cros P flight, ex-Domaine bottle. I haven't tasted this since from barrel in 2010. Rich and explosive array of explosive red fruits, so well spiced and alluring. Elegant despite the near opulence, this will reward another decade in the cellar, but is a head-turner already now.

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  • 2012 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    In horizontal. 5 hour decant. More red than black fruit with a firm meaty character. Well balanced, but at the early stages of its peak drinking window. Very good length.

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  • 2012 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Echezeaux Les Rouges du Bas 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    Opened 5 hours before serving. Rich red fruits, nearly flamboyant, very good spice notes and nuance, just not the same depth as the other two glasses. Needs more time.

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  • 2012 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Echezeaux 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (12/6/2025)

    Open 5 hours before serving. In horizontal, this was the star. Charming array of red fruits with such ethereal textures, showing an equal array of sweet and savory spices in the near background. Great now, in the early stages of what I expect will be a long drinking window.

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