March 1, 2024 - Some Wine Tasted at the Acker La Paulée Auction (Maybourne Hotel - Beverly Hills CA): Tasted at auction. Brilliant, bright, and powerful. Superb energy and length. I've had this wine well over a dozen times through the year, and think today's bottle is likely the best ever.
March 26, 2023 - Burgundy Bachelor Party: Blew away the 14 served beside it, which was no slouch, so clear why this wine deserves age. Sure there’s risk in aging wines of this era, but when it’s on it is ON. Very dense and long, one taster was sure this was Montrachet.
January 27, 2022 - M&PD tasting dinner at Vendemmia. Thanks to the generosity of Captain JVNK, we had four 2004 Ramonets blind. Well, we knew there was a 2004 Monty and a 2004 Benny because we bought them as a group; but JVNK feathered in two of his own bottles and what a wild ride it was . . .
The line-up (in order):
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes
Montrachet
Bâtard-Montrachet
The notes (and surprises):
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Winner on the night. This wine was perfect with the classic Ramonet spearmint and perfect balance and concentration. This wine just lit up the mouth. I don't know how you improve upon this. (100 pts)
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes
IMHO, this was the second-best bottle of the night. It surprised me greatly bc I thought this was either the Batard or maybe even the Montrachet. It had the Ramonet spearmint and all the complexity. In retrospect, it tasted like the Benny, but with the volume turned down to, say, 7. Or maybe the last glass of the Benny after having it all to yourself. ;-) (97 pts)
Montrachet
I thought both the Montrachet and the Batard were Chablis (keep in mind we didn't know they were all Ramonets). I guessed Raveneau because it had strong mineral and saline notes while still being full-bodied. No spearmint, no explosion in the mouth. I never would have guessed a Ramonty. Still better than 90% of wines out there. It had a nice long finish, but not necessarily complex. I think it was the weakest wine of the night, which is why blind tasting is so interesting and important. (92 pts)
Bâtard-Montrachet
More complex than the Montrachet throughout vertical. Probably lighter in the mouth than the Montrachet, but a stronger nose and more aggressive citrus, salt and mineral throughout vertical - really lingers in mouth. Thought it was Dauvissat due to citrus and salt. (94 pts)
If you've made it this far, maybe you'll let me ponder a bit: The first two wines were JVNK's and in his cellar since release. The last two were K&L auction bottles that we cellared for roughly three years. Could it be that the auction bottles that get traded around the world end up losing some of their integrity? Probably. It would be really fun to reenact this with Domaine bottles. Jean-Claude, lmk if you're interested. ;-)
January 27, 2022 - M&PD Tasting: France (Seattle, WA, USA): A stunning iron note at first on the nose, integrates. More on the lemon, salt and citrus, so I can understand why Mark though perhaps Dauvissat. Needless to say, we were surprised when this was revealed.
June 30, 2021 - A Multi Birthday Celebration (Tocco - Winnetka IL): 04/08/13 vertical. Leaner than the others in the vertical, but still plenty powerful, even if less ripe or concentrated. Perfectly balanced and linear with good length.
June 17, 2020 - Ramonet Tasting - Partly Live, Partly Virtual (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): I have had this wine so many times, and it almost never disappoints. Today's was another great bottle. So bright, fresh and powerful with clear Grand Cru density and layers of flavors and textures unfolding and developing over several hours. Really great.
February 7, 2020 - white flowers, mineral notes, and oyster mushrooms
December 7, 2019 - White Truffle Dinner: A wow nose that is full and intense with rich white fruit and mint. The palate is so rich, dense and creamy. Electric acidity. Wow. At peak and no signs of fading.
December 7, 2019 - Fifteenth Annual White Truffle Dinner (Lake Bluff, IL): In mid-aged Ramonet flight. Popped and poured as a replacement for the oxidized Ramonet 2000 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. As almost always, a great bottle. Lots of apple and pear throughout with supplementary floral and mint character. Rich, powerful and long with complex, unfolding layers. In its peak drinking window.
April 21, 2019 - Easter Dinner with Great Wine (New York, NY): Opened 30 minutes before serving. Rich and minty aromas with a broad array of orchard fruit aromas and flavors. Excellent balance, starting out lithe and energetic, ending with a more powerful, dense, long finish. Wonderful when served in the middle of dinner, but even better when finished several hours later.