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La Paulée Chevalier Fête
Saison - San Francisco CA
Tasted February 28, 2018 by Burgundy Al with 492 views
Introduction
My first time invited to this wonderful dinner.
Flight 1 - Krug MV to Start (2 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 160eme
91 points
From 3L. Very big and powerful with so much apple everywhere. At a great place now. Very long.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 165eme
90 points
I didn't even know this was released yet. A complete contrast to 164eme, this emphasizing the acidity and minerality of Krug. Lemony, bright and powerful, with much less bread or toasty notes than usual. Will drink very well on the younger side.
Flight 2 - Something to Drink While Sitting Down (1 note)
Red
2014 Véronique Drouhin & Isabelle Dutartre Pinot Noir Caballus
85 points
Sweet red cherry on nose and palate , comes across as ripe throughout, just slightly fatter than I'd prefer on finish. Ok now, probably slightly better in a year or two as it sheds some baby fat.
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Flight 3 - Coche-Dury (3 notes)
White
2001 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne
A very tough wine to assess. Mint and apple aromas with a delicately floral start, combines with some must. Similar flavors, just less intense, more muted. Unctuous textures might be the real star here. Some thought this slightly corked, which I understood given the musty/ muted elements, but I was still skeptical. To me, this was still very good, even if not up to the standard of previous bottles.
White
2004 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
94 points
Apple, pear and quince throughout with both great harmony and complexity on nose and palate. Seems so charmingly elegant from start-through-middle, then this keeps going, going and going, longer and more extended than I ever would have thought from its start. So wonderful now.
White
2010 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
96 points
Great spice aromas that seem as much like a Volnay as Meursault, with very ripe apple. Extreme power on palate with ripe apple and pear and great viscous power and textures. There is so much here to enjoy thinking about, even if it will require another 5+ years to realize its full potential. The 2004 in the next glass might be better today, but this will clearly be the better wine in its peak.
Flight 4 - Mostly Ramonet Montrachet (5 notes)
White
White
2005 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet
flawed
First bottle was drinkable, but much more advanced vs previous bottles of this wine. Revisited an hour later and even more advanced. Well stored since release.
White
2007 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet
97 points
Floral and mint along with complex orchard fruit, gingerbread and lemon peel aromas. Similar flavors are very fresh, but slightly backward behind lots of powerful structure. Slightly austere as a result today, but this has an amazingly long finish, and excellent potential.
White
2002 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet
96 points
Rich apple and baked apple aromas and flavors with sweet spice and mint. Very concentrated and weighty. Very good+ length, balance. The 2007 will likely become better some day, but this 2002 is certainly more enjoyable today.
White
1999 Domaine Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
93 points
From magnum. Rich and fat with good weight and depth, very much in classic Bâtard style. More unctuous than complex, with very good concentration.
Flight 5 - DRC Richebourg Vertical (5 notes)
Red
2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg
92 points
Interesting both ripe and underripe at the same time in different ways. Forward and nicely fun, just slightly on the simple side, so more complexity needs to emerge.
Red
2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg
93 points
Red cherry throughout with very impressive spice on nose and palate. Very good+ weight with a slightly tart finish that needs to soften. Needs time.
Red
1991 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg
92 points
Red berry and cherry aromas, flavors in an elegant, slightly lighter style while also slightly backward. Group was very mixed on this wine, some liking it a lot more, some a lot less than my reaction in the middle. I'd cellar this longer.
Red
1979 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg
98 points
From magnum. Floral and great spice with mostly mature red fruit and earth. Starts amazingly elegant with power emerging middle through medium/ long finish. Charming at all times. Stayed fresh and vibrant for the hour+ in glass. Thank you, Reed! My wine of the night.
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Red
1966 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg
95 points
There were two bottles tonight, one was dead, this bottle was glorious, even with 5 cm ullage. Mature black and red cherry with very good+ depth, concentration and length. Slightly sweet spice with earth notes on finish. Others also enjoyed, but I probably liked this more than most.
Flight 6 - Amoureuses (3 notes)
Red
2009 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses
First time tasting this since barrel tasting in Sept 2010. So very ripe and still almost primary. Very powerful, very long but not really showing much else right now, except some spice at the finish. So much here, but nowhere near accessible. Clearly 95+ points, but I won't open my single bottle until 2029 or later.
Red
2005 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses
Slightly reductive start, which never fully dissipated. Very rich and dense from the start, with lots of ripe red and black cherry with savory spice. Kept getting bigger and more powerful with more time in glass. Overall still backward, much better 2025-, with 95+ point potential.
Red
2002 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses
93 points
Lots of red cherry aromas with woodsy spice and earth. Similar flavors. Shows the beautiful weightless textures that comes from the greatest wines form Chambolle, most notably Amoureueses. Superbly elegant. Very good length. Seemed slightly older than 2002 or vs other recent bottles.
Flight 7 - Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin (4 notes)
Red
2009 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne
In 09/10/11/12 vertical from the domaine. Very ripe, very rich and very powerful black fruit with meaty character. Slightly opulent today, I like this wine's potential a lot, even if it isn't a favorite for near-term pleasure. I like this much more than most others at my table tonight. Better 2024-2044.
Red
2010 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne
97 points
In 09/10/11/12 vertical from the domaine. Brilliant wine for now or for the cellar. Rich and meaty in a fashion that is unmistakably Gevrey Grand Cru, while texturally so elegant. Long, long, regal finish.
Red
2011 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne
In 09/10/11/12 vertical from the domaine. Wonderful combination of black and red fruit with charming spice and wonderful balance. good+ weight and length. Drinking very well young.
Red
2012 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin Vieille Vigne
In 09/10/11/12 vertical from the domaine. This struck me as much like the 2009 vintage - very ripe and concentrated, seeming more "fun" that classically powerful right now, but with so much in reserve, giving it backward character. Give this cellar time for that baby fat to soften.
Flight 8 - Leroy Latricieres-Chambertin (4 notes)
Red
2001 Domaine Leroy Latricières-Chambertin
95 points
Two identical bottles from my cellar. Great spice, all black fruit with lots of roasted meat. Very long finish, very powerful throughout.
Red
2000 Domaine Leroy Latricières-Chambertin
91 points
Certainly good, but disappointing vs last time tasted a few years back. Rich black fruit, still showing youthful exuberance. Very good balance, good weight and length. Moderate complexity, especially when compared to prior bottles.
Red
1996 Domaine Leroy Latricières-Chambertin
96 points
Wow, what a stunning nose with rich spice and ripe black fruit, wonderfully combining fresh and faintly maturing character. Layers of flavor throughout with so much Leroy perfume and spice.
Red
1990 Domaine Leroy Latricières-Chambertin
92 points
Very rich and powerful, fully mature black cherry and plum. Lots of sweet spice and licorice. Richer start, earthier middle through finish. Best to enjoy sooner rather than later.
Flight 9 - Some More Krug (5 notes)
White - Sparkling
1998 Krug Champagne Clos d'Ambonnay
93 points
Fleshy and so wonderfully rich, seemingly opulent with ripe apple and berry throughout. Just a baby.
White - Sparkling
2002 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil
96 points
Incredibly long, linear and powerful. So much great orchard fruit with brioche and lemon curd hints. Structure just behind the fruit. While backward, still so enjoyable with great upside.
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White - Sparkling
1996 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil
96 points
Richer and even more powerful vs 2002, or at least seeming richer because the structure has so charmingly softened. So pretty right now.
White - Sparkling
1989 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil
Great weight and power, just more advanced than it should have been.
White - Sparkling
1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
94 points
So powerful throughout with a stunning combination of freshness, energy and richly mature apple. So good now, no urgency to drink up.
Flight 10 - More Wine (2 notes)
White
2015 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
90 points
Starts out very rich, showing the vintage. Leaner middle to finish with mineral and saline character and good+ length. Upside from here, better after 2020.
Red
1990 Domaine Leroy Richebourg
Late night, brief note. A real beauty with both great finesse and great weight.