June 2025 Dinner at David's residence

With Mark, Andrew M and Rauno. Thanks to David for hosting.

• 2010 Vincent Couche Champagne Brut Millésimé 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  The Champagne served double blind by Rauno. The deeper gold of the two. A rich bouquet of butterscotch, lemon and grapefruit, croissant, almonds, pears and vanilla pod. In the mouth, opulent, tactile and full. Similar flavours to the notes on the bouquet. Oxidative and creamy. Andrew thought it might be a Selosse, but it did not seem sufficiently rich. Refreshing acidity. I guessed it as a 2004 grower Champagne with some pinot noir (50/50 with chardonnay, I understand). Showing advanced signs. For drinking soon.

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• 2012 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Avizoise Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 94 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  The Champagne served double blind by Andrew. Paler colour than the Vincent Couche with a fine, lively mousse. A complex bouquet – fresher than the Vincent Couche - of lemon and lime citrus, pear, white blossoms, blanched almonds and chalky minerality. No cloying fruit sweetness, as the focused acids offset. Broad, structured, and full-bodied, the Champagne had a generous core of ripe pear and other orchard fruits, with lemony tones. Also, a creamy texture with nutmeg, roasted nuts and chalk. Finishing long, on those chalky notes. I thought about Agrapart but dismissed the idea, thinking this Champagne too rich and full. I suggested it as an Egly-Ouriet. Along similar lines, Rauno guessed a Bouchard La Bolorée. I liked the 2012 Avizoise very much even though it is not the traditional acid-driven Agrapart style (although it is an Extra Brut, 3-5 grams per litre residual sugar, so it is not exactly decadent!). Drink or hold. 94+.

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• 2018 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Served double blind as a pair with the Butteaux. A lovely bouquet of white floral perfumes, baking spices and chalky minerals. A touch of almond croissant. On palate, showing ripe, generous fruit yet with obvious Chablis mineral typicity. I picked it as a 2014 Dauvissat (it showed an obvious Dauvissat signature). I was surprised that this wine was a 2018, a vintage I do not usually rate in Chablis. Drink or hold for, I think, a few years only.

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• 2018 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Served double blind as a pair with the La Forest. A more lemony, melony nose than the La Forest. A top note of VA. On palate mineral, citric, a little tactile and glycerol. To me, there was a 2018 bruised apple quality to the fruit, making the Pattes Loup earlier drinking than the Dauvissat. Less characteristic Chablis, closer to typical New World chardonnay than the Dauvissat. I would consume soon.

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• 2010 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Cailleret 90 Points

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

  Served double blind. Suspiciously deep golden colour. A lovely bouquet though of cinnamon and other spices, toasted, buttered, brioche, grilled cashews and a touch of toffee. Seeming too advanced on palate. Not too oxidised for Rauno but he said it was “a little tea-like, it’s lost something on palate”. Mellow with brioche, clotted cream and blanched almonds. As David noted the palate “drops away on the finish”. Bright acidity and some attractive citric and white and yellow orchard fruit flavours but overall, at age 15 years, it should be showing better than this. Drink soon.

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• 2016 Blain-Gagnard Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Served double blind by Rauno. He said he quadruple decanted the Criots to “remove the almond character … there are no high solids now.” Pale green tinged gold colour. An attractive fresh bouquet of citrus zest, pears, yellow apples, nuts and granite minerality, with nascent white meadow flowers. Also, a little reduction, which subsided with time in the glass, and threshold VA (to me, anyway). On palate, clearly Grand Cru fruit weight, structure and quality, I was thinking 2012 or 2014 (hence the quadruple decanting). Rich and full yet tensile and tight. Silky texture, with a core of ripe stone fruit and citrus interwoven with chalky minerality. Creamy with notes of hazelnut. Vibrant acidity and long. Ideally drink from 2030. In the 2016 vintage, Blain-Gagnard lost 80% of the Criots harvest due to frost, so we are lucky to drink this edition. 94+.

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• 1998 Palliser Estate Pinot Noir Pencarrow 89 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  Served double blind. under cork. Obviously a Martinborough pinot noir with dark berries and cherries and typical Martinborough bramble and earth. The fruit very much alive but obviously evolved - I guessed in the 2013 - 2015 range - and drinking well. Mark served this wine as an interest wine and it did surprise that such a modest Martinborough pinot noir (the second label at Palliser Estate) could be drinking so well under cork 27 years after vintage!

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• 2013 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  Tasted from bottle shortly after release with Thierry Brouin at Domaine des Lambrays. The first of three bottles bought at the Morey-Saint-Denis wine shop in 2016.
  
  Wine decanted five hours (which seemed about right) before serving double blind. Vibrant ruby, watery at the rim. Reflecting the 100% whole bunch, a beautiful, lifted, sweet-seeming nose of red cherries, wild raspberries, spices, peonies, rose petals and fresh herbs. Complex on palate. Bright and crunchy red and black cherries and berries. Brambly and liqueur flavours with savoury, earthy, underbrush elements. “Punchy acidity”, as Andrew described it. Precise and vibrant. Fine, elegant and medium bodied. Dry and a little astringent on its long mineral finish. Now approachable but I would expect it to drink in this style out to 2040. 95+.

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• 2005 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds 93 Points

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

  Served double blind by David. Vivid young-looking crimson. I picked it as a 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin. This was an excellent, powerful, structured red Burgundy, rather than a pretty or silky Volnay exemplar. It seemed dominated by 2005 vintage character, still being quite tight and ungiving, rather than by Taillepieds terroir. The impression of just beginning to open but I’d hold any bottles until 2030. A herbal, earthy bouquet, with sous bois and nascent spice notes, reflecting the use of whole cluster. In the mouth, black liquorice, more earth, dark cherries and berries and dried herbal notes around an iron core. Fine tannins and still some grip to relent. Presently, 93, partly on potential.

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• 2001 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  My wine decanted five hours before serving (which worked well) double blind. Dark impenetrable colour. A rusty ferrous, black fruited bouquet - blackberries and dark cherries – and musky dark spices with saline and dark floral inflexions. On palate, serious depth, structure and fruit volume. Strict and austere at its core. Ultra-precise, bright acidity. Black cherries, blackberries and other dark fruit with plenty of earth, iron filings and granite minerality. As Andrew said, “the fruit is still singing. Not though the attractive aromas or the punchy acidity of the Lambrays”. More of an integrated whole. Preferred by everyone over the Lambrays and the de Montille. Powerful with ultra-fine-grained tannins. Still some tannic grip on the mid palate and long, mineral and saline finish. Louis Jadot Clos de Bèzes seem to need 20+ years to be in the zone. This 2001 was in that spot but – given the structure and elements - will probably continue to be until 2040+. 96+.

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• 2011 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Cannubi 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Two nebbiolos served double blind by Mark. Fragrant with ripe-seeming red and black cherries and plums, spices, cacao and rose florals. Only a touch of tar. On palate, rich and full red and black fruit. Also, some soil, liquorice and creosote. Sufficient acids. Fine tannins. Powerful with good body and length. I did not pick it, but the wine showed both 2011 and Cannubi markers, particularly the rich, ripe fruit – although now beginning to integrate into the whole – and the silky mouthfeel. A wine Mark and I first tasted with winemaker Fabio Alessandria at the winery shortly after release in 2015. It is evolving well. Ideally hold until at least 2028. 93+.

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• 2011 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Acclivi 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Two nebbiolos served double blind by Mark. A similar bouquet to the 2011 Cannubi of black and red cherries, marginally more floral and lifted, with some menthol. More dense on palate than the Cannubi, showing less, but still apparent, acidity. But quite elegant and approachable. Spherical, relaxed tannins. Seeming to have a touch more fruit volume than the Cannubi. Cherry compote, star anise, red liquorice and dry earth with a dash of blood orange. Fully open.
  
  On the reveal, again, this all made sense. I view the Acclivi as occupying a similar position in the Burlotto range to the Albe for GD Vajra of the Castiglione for Vietti. It was another wine we tasted with Fabio at the winery on release in 2015. He described the 2011 Acclivi as a “forward” Barolo and did not recommend cellaring it beyond 10 years. This Aclivi is definitely now on its optimal drinking plateau but there is no hurry needed to drink it.

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• 1998 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  After Mark’s Burlottos, David was inspired to raid his cellar and popped and poured another Piemontese wine served double blind. An expressive, powerful bouquet of blackberry jam, earthy elements and tar with leather and touches of tobacco and menthol. Similar flavours, of generous and relatively primary and fresh dark berry fruit and damson plums, black cherry liqueur, liquorice, espresso and minerals. “Lovely fruit, with vanillin oak”, said Rauno. Everyone saw the oak imprint in the wine but no one said it was obtrusive or out of proportion with the vibrant fruit. I picked this Paolo Scavino as an elegant Barbaresco with size from around 2010. I was surprised it was from such a Modernist producer. I have tasted at Paolo Scavino in Piemonte and have had many of their Barolos, usually with similar, not positive, conclusions. I see I wrote a very negative review of this Barolo in 2015. I could not find any data on the exact oak regime for this 1998 Cru but assume it was 60-80% new, small format barrels. However, the 27 years cellaring seems to have consumed a lot of the new barrique (and perhaps the pop and pour helped?). My highest score ever for a Paolo Scavino. 92+.

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