Irish makes his half century..."The Lads" celebrate...

So a meeting of "The Lads" was called to celebrate Irish turning 50. The line up being Irish, Halifax, Ronaldinho, Woo, Monty (new name on account of hints dropped) and myself. We were sad to unavoidably lose the presence of Chewy but we drank to him and I am sure he'll be back with a bang next time. 

This group is a joy. A few of the previous outings can be seen below, were I more IT savvy then maybe there would be a section of this site dedicated to the group...the same could be said of the May trips group.

Boats, bottles, tides and pirates

Irish goes into his 50th year

Double birthday bonanza

Lunch at Ronaldinhos

The venue and co-ordination was chosen and orchestrated by Irish. Kitchen W8 is a great spot and one I have always enjoyed - if you've not been you must go. The brief was a simple one "bring a great bottle or two and NO meaningless volume". I tell you what, it worked as you'll see. But first the menu which was faultless - pics at bottom of this post.

Warm Baked Celeriac, Autumn Truffle,

Roast Chicken Skin and Hazelnuts

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Risotto of Cepes with Aged Parmesan

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Fillet of Turbot, Autumn Roots, Iberico Lardo,

Smoked Potato and Red Wine

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Haunch of Venison, Bulgur Wheat, Swiss Chard,

Creamed Chanterelles, Liver and Onions
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Cheese

So let's start at the beginning, Halifax (aka Nobby) is almost always in charge of the Champagne which is fine given he has good stocks and loves it BUT has the one downside of being served first, Nobby is almost always late! Only 15 minutes this time so having discussed the state of the world over a glass of water and got the first of Ron's dodgy jokes out the way we were on. 

North-South divide...

There was an element of "blindness" to almost all the wines. Louis Roederer 1988 from magnum was just splendid. We were on the money vintage wise having been in the 1988 to 1990 range but we were almost all leaning towards a Blanc de Blancs - Taittinger and Salon both being put forward. It was lemony with a little biscuitiness in the mix, no nuts, brioche and toast, great energy, delicious now, will age well but I can't imagine liking it more than right now! The magnum size had a positive effect without doubt. We were off and running in style

With one notable exception we went wine by wine rather than pairs which meant we could concentrate on getting things properly wrong. Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru 2002 from Lafon was up next and bang on the money. A little reduction, some petrol, good generosity, very good, focused but proper and perfect from now on, a taut density and easily of Grand Cru quality.

I decided to go early and get it wrong next, I said Grand Cru Chablis and from the mid-late 90s. I was, kind of, wrong for the right reasons but mainly because the wine was quite cool. It was a cracking bottle of Montrachet Grand Cru 2001 from Sauzet. Once up to temperature it was marmalade, tangerines, rich, with good minerality underneath and opulence (essential in Montrachet I'd say). Lanolin, iodine and full, those that kept a little in their glass just kept getting more and more...lovely.

What came next was the - ludicrously generous - focal point, even in this company. First we had Hermitage La Chapelle 1990 then Hermitage La Chapelle 1978, both these bottles and the next one having come from the estate in original individual wooden cases last year. The 1990 was stinkingly rich on the nose, full, I noted that you could smell the viscosity, whether that is possible or not, I know what I mean, rich bacon fat, so sweet big and bold but balanced and digestible, almost raisined, some soy and aniseed. A brute but a dam good one, mightily good. The 1978 was by contrast all together gentler with a more tender sweet maturity, leaves, forest floor, strawberry leaf and then tea and wood smoke, a delight. A really balanced wine, Burgundian if anything...so poised.

The Hermitage La Chapelle 1961 that followed managed to combine all the best bits of both these wines. It was perfect to have then in this order. Having a bottle of this in perfect shape is a dream come true. I was laughed down for suggesting that there was a time or mood when I would pick the 1978 over the 1961. I maintain there is, the 1961 has everything you could want. I just loved the tenderness of the 1978 as well. Looking back to the 1990 I see this as having the structure and DNA of the 1961 rather than the 1978, it has that incredibly rich sweetness. My note for the 1961 was easy to write; "Pine, resinous, oils, savage, a brut, wild, uber-concentrated degraded berry fruit, bovril and sweetness...super...wild, hickory smoke, grip...stunning...complete, Indian spices now, ferrous...magnificent!"

Where on earth do you go from that? Well one thing is for sure, you get the hell out of the Rhone...Burgundy it was and more specifically Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2000, Dujac from magnum. I really enjoyed this and was pleased it was a magnum as it just begged to be drunk. Degraded sweet and feminine. Waxy with palma violets, and some tangerines rind. We were pretty rubbish trying to get this blind as we were in the 1980s mainly, it had an open knit maturity, attractively so.

Another Burgundy mag next, any Rousseau wine is a treat and in magnum even more so -  Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques 1988 was everything you would want and expect. So good in fact that it blew a fuse in the restaurant. This was tightly coiled with red fruit power, poised and persistent and with stunning depth. None of the tougher, acidic nature you can get with 1988. Just a super super wine - a treat. A little bit more about Clos Saint.Jacques. 

As cheese was ordered we went back to white and a crackingly interesting pair of whites. Firstly, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 1991 from Neillon, then the very same wine from the following year - Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 1992, Neillon. The 1991 has absolutely no right to be this good, none at all. Oyster-shell and a tinge of green serious focus, spicy with a little nuttiness, some stemginger and a little lanolin, the definition of an over-performer. The 1992 was altogether richer and more decadent, a little reduced, unctuous and superb, spot on with the cheese, toffee apples and hedonistic maturity.

Just the perfect time now for a sugar lift. So where better than Yquem and the 1953 specifically. I've had very few 1953s but those I have had have usually been in verticals courtesy of Jordi. This had an expressive and fully mature nose, creme brulee with a slightly burnt topping. There is a rancio sweetness to this, lifted like PX sherry but then with a drier more intense middle, slightly burning caramel.

The next wine - Mehringer Blattenberg 1989er Trockenbeerenauslese from the wonderfully named Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gynasium - was an amazingly good contrast. So incredibly zippy and energetic, intense yet light as a feather, an amazing liquid. Lemon and even line freshness...superb. 

Then the final bottle, fittingly a birth year wine for Irish - Taylor 1966 - which had been double decanted that morning. Marzipan and full raisined sweetness but a nice medium weight, it just got better and better with air...we had the predictable "why don't we drink more Port" conversation. With that and the sound of a hoover doing its business we managed to depart before anyone arrived for diner!

Another splendid few hours spent with great bottles and great people...long may it continue! It is exactly what wine shouldbe about. Here's to the next 50 Irish!

A wave to Chewy and Newcastle!!

Food pics as promised!

Warm Baked Celeriac, Autumn Truffle, 

Roast Chicken Skin and Hazelnuts

Risotto of Cepes with Aged Parmesan

Fillet of Turbot, Autumn Roots, Iberico Lardo, 

Smoked Potato and Red Wine

Haunch of Venison, Bulgur Wheat, Swiss Chard,

Creamed Chanterelles, Liver and Onions

The winning team...magnum mayhem...

A few weeks back I hosted a dinner at 67 Pall Mall that was a reunion of the "Winning team" from a dinner we threw at work for Clos de Tart Day. I say winning team because this was the table that had correctly tasted and deduced their way to spotting that a mystery vintage of Clos de Tart was indeed the 1988. As the hosts we committed to get a dinner together to drink said wine again. Six out of the eight, 75% being quorum in my view, managed to make it. The brief was a simple if dangerous one - bring a magnum. With a few emails back and forth we ended up with a splendidly balanced spread. At one stage a magnum of Port looked likely but that was sensibly, this was a Thursday night, "turned into" a bottle of Port and a bottle of Sauternes.

Stories flowed as they do at these things and we were eventually turfed out through a rather empty club. So to the wines.

Salon Le Mesnil 1997, En magnum, many of you will be aware that I know Salon rather well. Probably my favourite "recent" vintage for drinking right now is the 1997. It just has a lovely blend of freshness with the whiff of maturity, energy but not overly so, all in all a cracking start. Thank you Emlyn. Should all Champagne just come in magnums?

Chateau Laville Haut Brion 1996, Pessac-Leognan, En magnum was sadly the only victim of the night in terms of condition, ironic given that it came directly, in original individual wooden box, from the cellar of none other than blog stalwart Halifax. It was not corked and it was not undrinkable but a bright example of that it should be it wasn't either. Halifax being the man he is was straight into the list and got us onto a bottle of  Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Baudines 2011 from rising/risen star Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey. A nice tie-in as Fiscali and I (anonymously in my case) had visited a few year earlier during A very special trip - Burgundy May 2014 and the wines this modest man produces are getting every bit of acclaim they should. The wine was a classic example of a 2011 white Burgundy when the winemaking is refined, drinking now, very little oak influence and a lot to like.

The sommelier made a call next having tried the wines and suggested we go to Bordeaux with Fiscali's kind contribution, Chateau Leoville Poyferre 1996, Deuxieme Cru Saint Julien, En magnum. I think he was proved correct this is just delicious, certainly developed but not in anyway more than a twenty year old magnum should be. It was gentle and perfectly balanced, the classicism of 1996 with none of the over bearing tannins you can find. It seemed to rather fly down. It's a left bank Chateau that you can pretty much buy blind, never lets you down. If ever you see the 1990 you MUST drink it.

We returned to Burgundy next and had the bottle that brought us together - Clos de Tart 1988, Grand Cru Monopole, En magnum - Now it has to be said that the 70s and 80s weren't the sweet spot for Clos de Tart (that's being diplomatic) and the improvements made by Sylvain Pitiot who was in charge from 1996 until 2015 have been well documented especially if you look at 2001 onwards. BUT this was a delicious and "a point" example. There is a bit of everything here, sweet fruit, a little early development with secondary and tertiary elements but a good if melded structure, just spot on for now and as with everything we had this evening very moreish!

And back to Bordeaux but a property that slightly stands apart from the "Shirt and tie brigade". Those that have met Francois Mitjavile will know exactly what I mean. Tertre Roteboeuf 2001, Grand Cru Saint Emilion, courtesy of JT is one of those wines you just can't own/drink/buy enough of. It is vibrantly young but also delightfully ready right now. Degraded fruit and a tiny bit of sweet tobacco...a joy.  

Then we were onto two classic examples of wine styles that don't seem to get a fair bite of the cake these days. Both courtesy of MGC. Suduiraut 2001, 1er Cru Sauternes is both young and ready in much the way as TRB 2001 was before it. Energetic but complex, a delight now and will be with increasing richness for the next three to four decades (and beyond). Despite all the glorious wines before I had been almost the most excited about Graham’s 1970. For several reasons really, I love Port, I recently visited (staying at Graham's) as documented in Back to beginning Port and Douro magic and also you just don't get to have it as much as one could ("should" in my view). The 1970 is just perfect now, rich but mellow and developed, a little marzipan and some nuts but mainly mulled red and black fruit, balanced and persistent.

A splendid evening...thanks to all for their bottles...we need to find another excuse to do this again. Hopefully "Dusty" and "Cross-Channel" can join next time so we can be an Epic Eight...

Newcastle with "Newcastle" & "Halifax"

If you look back through this blog there are many people I have been very privileged to drink a lot of great wine with…right up there (easily in "Europe" and probably fighting for the title are two gentlemen who go by the monikers on here of "Newcastle" and "Halifax". Last week I made the remarkably easy - this could become a dangerous habit - trip to Newcastle for a cracking dinner. Both gents were joined by their splendid other halves and much fun was had, as much with the wine as the chat - rugby, racing, golf etc...

We were very well looked after by the team at 21 Newcastle with a lovely menu of; Lobster, Turbot, Beef and Cheeses. The scene need some setting so a few G&T's were used to hydrate before we made our way to the table.

Salon 1988 was a lovely starting place, fully mature now (like some of us) with a orange-rind and yeasty richness, interestingly this got fresher in glass with a bit of air. Salon is always a very vinous Champagne and so it was here, this reminded me a little of a recent bottle of 1983 mentioned at the end of this post. The slightly oxidative and powder elements gave way to freshness. Its an interesting Salon as it is the only one where malolactic fermentation started what makes it more widely interesting is that it never completed.

Next up with the lovely Lobster dish and then a cracking bit of turbot was, that rarest of beasts, a "double monty" with Ramonet and DRC on display. Montrachet 2002 from Ramonet is one of those wines you know you will not get to drink more than once unless your very lucky. I have a little experience of the wines from Ramonet now and love the style. I like to think it is a touch individual, stem ginger seeming to be a bit of a signature. This was a big wine, though I don't know for sure, but I would say both this and the 1986 that followed had a good bit of that Montrachet botrytis richness. We choose, wisely I think, to have this 2002 decanted. It has a slight toffee aroma to start, this coming from the richness and the oak but with only a tiny bit of air the ginger started to come out as did layer upon layer of rich fruit. Absolutely cracking and greater and greater with air, some wine. From there we were onto Montrachet 1986 from DRC. I am lucky to try Montrachet from DRC on release each year and through others generosity to have had it a few times with some age but I have never had the 1986 or even a vintage within 4 or 5 years of that. It was instantly a good bottle. We decided there was no need to decant this. The full textural richness was perfect again the totally mature, decadent fruit, really lovely balanced, a wine you couldn't help but wallow in really. We tried to keen a little bit of each going for a while to try alongside the reds. They were both more just great wines rather than great white wines if that makes any sense.


Time for red now as a vast amount of beef appeared. Soldera 2008 kicked us off, I am biased but this is one hell of an estate. Visits to Soldera are always magical, controversial, inspiring and never dull. I find the wine so easy to enjoy but at the same time as wonderfully complex, as much as the man who makes it. Like so many of the great mono-varietal red wines (Burgundy and Barolo spring to mind but others too) it strikes me as such an error to not enjoy these wines young as well as with age. There is always a note of wet meat (just think of how great raw cool beef smells) as well as a floral red fruit edge before a darker core. Yum!

The next red was Volnay Santenots du Milieu 1993 from Lafon, a great wine to get to try but (and sorry there is a "but") it was just a little overshadowed in this league. Now, I can hear a few readers here saying "it's not a wine Will sells" and they are correct, but I like to think bias and all, I say what I think. This was a good medium weight wine with good balance, well made, nice nose, the "but" and it was the same when I did a tasting - Burgundy pairs 2009 and 2010 - with trade mates a while back is all round whether it is Volnay. I think Lafon makes seriously great whites in many different years and with a great richness. The estate doesn't seem to make great reds, good yes, but true to the Volnay elegance? This is nothing new, D'Angerville and Lafarge are producers I love and they make great Volnay but never hit the heights with the whites they make, nice though they often are. Anne-Claude Leflaive gave up making red…it is just not an easy thing - to do both. Comments welcome on my thoughts here…I can't make red of white so I am a fine one to talk!

So to the last red - Latour 1964 - now this is Pauillac and so mighty fine. Rich but not remotely heavy, blacker fruit but with iron and power, absolutely perfect now. May be tasting a little younger than 52 years but so graceful, so Latour. The only vintage, as we discussed, that you might have confused it with is Latour's very good 1970. It was everything to should have been and frankly so was the whole evening, lots of wine, great chat, a chance to catch up and to laugh.

No evening would ever be complete with a few Negronis would it…chaps, and ladies, I thank you…until next time!

Soldera 1981-2006 courtesy of Vinous

This was a brilliant Vinous dinner tasting on April 27, 2016 led by Antonio Galloni, it was surely one of the most historically significant vertical tastings of Gianfranco Soldera’s Brunellos ever staged. It followed a similar format to the incredible Monfortino Magnums 1970-2006 event also hosted by Vinous at Maze. The menu, below, was expertly put together by Executive Chef Matt Pickop with the service orchestrated by Head Sommelier Arnaud Bardary.

In a point made by Antonio at both events the food was deliberately non Italian. This being the case as the wines should be seen in the overall context of superb wines rather than "just" Italian wines.

I know these wines well and was so very excited about this great dinner. A few other posts on the wines and the people (person!) behind them can be found here:Visits to Case Basse and experiences with the wines.

We started the evening with a glass of the Salon 2004 - my write-up of the Launch - which always sets the scene well, a little saline, nicely poised and almost in Grand Cru Chablis in taste profile.

Menu

Amuse Bouche

Cumbrian Beef Tataki, Smoked Ponzu

Roast Turbot, Orzo, Mussels, Saffron Sauce

Duck Breats, Truffle, Endives, Chanterelle Mushrooms

Saddle of Herdwick Lamb, Spiced Aubergine, Raw Vegetables

Selection of Cheeses

Flight 1 - The Early Years: Most of the wines were opened in the afternoon, Antonio did wait though, until just about an hour before dinner for the 1981 and 1987. He thought the wines might be a little delicate but he needn't have worried. All these four wines came from the very same vineyard - Intistieti. There are two vineyards - Intistieti and Case Basse but you can drive yourself mad trying to get 100% on top of what goes where and when. Essentially, nowadays, there is one wine. The best place for more info is this bit of the Vinous site.

1981 - Lovely colour, lighter on the rim and browner at the core. A little grainy volatility. Bright fresh, ferrous and opulent all that the same time. Vibrancy always there, elegant, gentle palate, a little ginger note too, great start. Has no right to be this good really.

1982 - More even colour from rim to core here but overall a shade lighter. More degraded nose, more bricky, more mature Nebbiolo-like to my mind. Lovely lively acidity, moreish finish and repays time in the glass. Very proper and complete.

1987 - Good, firmer colour. A little woodier, though not from wood itself, there is elegance, a lighter more fragile palate. Given the year this is superb. I think I may have had a slightly less clean glass that my neighbour whose glass showed a little more. On an evening of 100's of glasses this is bound to happen.

1988 - Transparent, slight bovril colour but bright. Exuberantly brilliant nose, high toned with a hint of "fishermans friends" (which I love). Extravagant, eucalyptus, resinous, has a medicinal concentration, herbal, an element here reminds me of Chinato. Just wonderful.

Flight 2 - Sleeper Vintages: I always love to see some younger vintages in these sorts of tastings as it really adds perspective. The 2006 comes later. The 2007 is minute and the 2008 and 2009 have not been bottled for very long.

2000 Riserva - A little whiff of volatility but it passes. Redder core in colour terms. Only a dash of colour change on the outer rim. This is airy, breezy, saline and juicy all at the same time. There is richness on the palate that contrasts, but doesn't clash with, the nose. Terrific.

2003 Riserva - Colour like the 2000 but may be a shade redder still. Berry fruit and a leathery animal undertone. There are some herbs and good richness. You don't feel the heat of the growing season but there is a sense of smaller more intense berries. This is elegant as well as quite bold, delicious and nicely decadent.

2005 Riserva - This is from Intistieti only. The fruit from Case Basse went into Pegasos. There is a pale yet vibrant colour here. There is a distinct note that I have often found on the 2006 as well and it is of washed beef and/or carpaccio - it is a very distinct thing, I like it, it's like a meaty salinity. Then there is a strawberry fruit character which makes you think of fresh and lovely pinot noir. The weightless elegance is quite something as is the sweetness. I feel this will gain weight and intensity and is incredibly promising.

Flight 3 - The Mid 1990s: This flight was a tasting in itself...

1993 Riserva - This is a vintage that Gianfranco Soldera likes very much for drinking now. A superb colour then a stony minerality on the nose and then vibrancy. The palate has some grip but also a linear focus. The texture is then more rich with an almost toffeed edge. Just lovely.


1994 Riserva - Monica Soldera (Gianfranco's daughter) is a massive fan of this vintage for now. This has good colour from core to rim. It is slightly herbal, very fine with a gentle persistence, it gained weight and structure with time and is something of a hidden gem.

AG decided at the last minute to add the "Case Basse" Riserva next to the "Intistieti" Riserva for the purposes of comparison. The bottles can be seen above. This is not done today despite the fact that the wine is still bottled botti by botti and essentially what the above labels show is what happens now just without the identification.

1995 Riserva Intistieti - Translucent yet rich, darker colour. A fuller palate than many so far, a richer more masculine wine. There is a balancing savoury side of leather and a little mellow tobacco.

1995 Riserva Case Basse - This is also a richer wine than many but not with the fruit intensity of the Intistieti bottling. There is a lightly more pronounced secondary side. Good.

1996 Riserva - Very clear if developed colour. The nose has a soy element to it but with sweetness, a wine of degraded brown sweetness rather than red fruit. This is strict and very 1996 in character, masculine but a man in a suit not casual clothes. Sweetly savoury and very moreish...super.

Flight 4 - Reference Points: I got myself in a right old mess trying to score the wines in this whole dinner. I gave up in the end. In this flight everything was 18.5 out of 20 and above. Staggering quality

1997 Riserva - Good mid colour, degraded sweetness and richness. Lovely decay but without any premature ageing. Extravagant rich palate with good grip and a red fruited character coming through. White pepper shows too. Wonderful.

1999 Riserva - So classically brilliant. Meaty, good colour, like the cold washed meat of the 2005. Savoury and masculine with a bold yet totally resolved structure. A big chap! There is a dash of saline to the finish, intense, serious and nicely uncompromising. 

2001 Riserva - Slightly lighter colour, good clarity, so complete, very special. Not that extrovert but so balanced so moreish. This is grippy and serious, a wine demanding more time but with so much to give, almost muted but showing enough. Serious.

2004 Riserva - Richer fuller colour. Outlandishly vibrant red fruits, washed meat, berries and intense freshness, so gorgeous that it is hard to write a note for this. What's not to like. So full yet so focused, so fruited yet so intense. Immensely good.

Flight 5 - The Icons: The title here implies we might not have had any icons yet which frankly is ludicrous and we'd had at least 5!

Why the two 1983's? Well, to quote AG directly, baring the bits in brackets "In 1983, Soldera bottled two Brunellos - one a straight Brunello (Stainless steel and with temperature controlled), the other a Riserva (traditional production) - that were essentially essays on different approaches to vinification. We tasted them both, from magnum."

1983 magnum - Fullish colour and delicious nose, decent richness but also a toastiness. Some good grip, a savoury side too. I put that it has a slightly less complete feel but scored it highly (18+?) as it is clearly a very good wine. 

1983 Riserva magnum - Fuller, richer colour, a little fuller of fruit too, more depth to it but may be not the precision of the non Reserva.

1990 Riserva - This is thought to be the first vintage with the Case Basse in it as well as Intistieti. It is a wine I have had once before and and whilst labeling a wine as one of the all time greats is dangerous I think it is almost impossible not to with this wine. There is a savoury sweetness and a weightless intensity that makes this special even in this stunning company. I firmly feel the 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006 and possibly several others are as brilliant and potential peers but will they do what this wine has done? This has fruit, darker than many, saline from seaweed, degraded tobacco and soy, intensity and elegance. Wonderful.

2006 Riserva - AG commented that "The 2006 is a rock star" and I totally see where he is coming from. It is the Soldera wine I know, comfortably, the best. For me it is the best single example of how wonderful, and different from what many people think, Sangiovese can be. It does have the wet meat note as well as both red (always been there) and darker (just appearing) fruits. There is richness but also lift, the savoury side will come later. Persistence, drive and elegance are the watch words here as ever.

Conclusions:
I came to this dinner with high expectations (always dangerous) but a possible feeling that the older wines may be a little hit and miss and that the younger wines would be where the excitement lies. I think the overall consistency and balance was staggering. The mature wines were a delight. The wines produced since 1999 are so incredibly brilliant though that I can't help but think that this estate is still evolving and is still so clearly on the up. This is born out by the fact that the two vineyards, which run up against each other, are amongst the most monitored and studied of any anywhere.

Brilliant - well done Vinous and more than well done Gianfranco...

Amuse bouche

Cumbrian beef tataki, smoked ponzu.

Roast turbot, orzo, mussels, saffron sauce.

Duck breast, truffle, endives, chanterelle mushrooms.

Saddle of Herdwick lamb, spiced aubergine, raw vegetables.

Bonnes Mares de Vogue 1949 - 1999

Very few Domaines need as little introduction as Domaine de Vogüé. Dating back to the 15th century it has been under the same ownership for 20 generations. The general manager, Jean-Luc Pepin, was in attendance to host the evening with Jordi (to whom so many thanks as ever) in a unique retrospective of the Domaine's Bonnes Mares. Even Jean-Luc has never done so extensive a tasting of Bonnes Mares as this. I must declare my bias here as I work for the UK agent of this great Domaine. The bottles for this tasting were all bought by Jordi over the course of 6 or 7 years with as little research as is possible. 

Ready for battle...

By way of a little background I found this: de Vogue Bonnes Mares - Terroir insight by Wine Hog which I think is a good overview and includes a good map (love a map me!). The one analogy Adam used that Jean-Luc liked and re-uses is that you "would want Bonnes Mares on your side in a fight"...

To kick off as people gathered we had Philipponnat Clos de Goisses 2004 en magnum - A shade reduced, a little cocoa bean and reduction on the nose like a late release Champagne. A food Champagne was how I view this, vinous and rich with good texture and enough life.

A very good appetiser for what lay ahead... 

The team at the square did a good job with the food, all of which was a high standard but importantly played a good second fiddle to the wine. Nothing over powering and the service worked well as there was no over emphasis on trying to match things. A flight of wines was poured, into not overly big glasses (a good thing), then the food followed. The menu is below:

Amuse Bouche

Crisp Milk Fed Veal Sweetbreads with New Season’s Wet Garlic,

Violet Artichokes and Preserved Lemon

Slow Cooked Fillet of Cod with Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Smoked Anchovy and Red Wine

Roast Organic Guinea Hen with Smoked Sausage of the Leg, Creamed Morels, Provencal White Asparagus and Roasting Juices

Cheese

So now it was time to get going:

"Modern" vintages

Modern vintages: These tastings always focus on vintages that are mature or at the very least maturing. Whilst this started with the 1999 I have heard good things about the 2000 and had the 2001 recently at a cracking dinner in St.Emilion and it's delicious...this was a stunning flight.

1999 - Pure colour, actually the colours in the first two flights were very consistent, with a tiny bit of development. Lovely fresh mulled red fruits on the nose. This is the only wine on the evening that was most certainly primary. Really good balance and density, a shade reduced and a little hint of cheesecloth, sweet berry fruit on finish. Very promising.

1996 - Good colour and clarity. A little pine-like spice, richness on the nose, palate good but a shade drier, quite taut and serious. Some sweetness. There is a very "1996 like" sternness. I like this and would like to drink a bottle, it isn't showey enough to standout in a tasting like this but is good.

1993 - A slightly deeper colour, deliciously sweet and succulent, not just red fruit on the palate, good depth, a shade of clementine and tangerine. This is a little bigger than some of the 1993's I've had. Delicious and certainly still loosening up and improving! Very fine.

1990 - Good colour, pure, delicious, opulent, decadent, this is a little degraded. It doesn't quite have the poise and focus of the 1993 or 1999 but has an easy appeal of obviously being good....very 1990-ish 

1989 - A shade lighter in colour but so bright and so clean. A shade of animal character just showing a little more a maturity. Pure and lovely sweet fruit, really delicious, this is a feminine and sweet, poised wine. A little herbaceousness certainly, this is, on this showing, a classier and more refined wine than the good, but more brutish 1990. Special.

1988 - A shade more evolved, a dash more texture, almost a slightly chalky, powdered feel. At the same time it is very moreish and a little saline, the note doesn't seem "glowing" but this is good and a little like the 1996 in being very typical of the vintage.

The classics

Classic vintages: A dangerous title given that it raises expectation.

1985 - Paler and lighter in colour but so clear and clean. A little development but such profound sweetness, a lovely greenness that gives energy. This is a really super wine, focus but generous, rich but not remotely weighty. Special, graceful, perfect now.

1979 - Bright, clean and lean. This is in a similar style to the 1985, it remained remarkably consistent in the glass, not budging an inch. Great persistence and poise. Lovely.  

1978 - Slightly less clear as a colour. More texture, a little more degraded but at the same time saline, this is bigger and bolder than anything else going back to the 1990. Opulent and generous. Nicely a little vulgar.

1976 - More red to the colour here. This is very deep and quite resinous. Serious and with really decadent richness and opulence. There is a sense of the hot and dry season but not of burnt fruit. The image is one of small intense berries. Very good indeed.

1970 - A shade orange in colour, clear madeirisation, the palate initially had a dash of sweetness but ultimately this is not right.

1967 - This has a little madeirsation but whilst the 1970 does not appear to be representative I think this probably is as 1967 is just very tricky.

Illustrious indeed!

Illustrious vintages of the George de Vogüé era:

1966 - Sensational wine this. Good colour, lovely saline, some smoke and generosity but also focus. Rose petals and delicate aromas, a little like the 1985 in character but with even more to give. Staggeringly good.

1964 - Slightly frazzled, degraded even, then a little fruit and some sweetness but ultimately this is not in perfect condition.

1962 - Delicious, seriously giving the 1966 a run for its money. Herbs, cocoa bean and then some spices before a little coffee but all with good intensity. There is an element of the 1976 character here. Special.

1959 - Clean bright colour, some decaying fruit, clinging on a little. Interesting.

1953 - Sweet decay, a slightly milky texture, this actually got a little better with air which was unexpected.

1949 - Smells a little herbal, almost minty with some saline too, a shade powdery in texture. This is interesting and not dead if a shadow of what it probably once was.

The last flight!

Musigny Blanc mystery vintage - So this had to be 1994 or older as the white has been named Bourgogne Blanc since, knowing Jordi it could well have been much older. There was a grapefruit character and some citrus. To me there was an almost Chablis like quality. Clearly very little new oak. It was impressive and enjoyably pure too but I really needed to know what it was. One of our number got it bang on saying it reminded him of another white of the same vintage - Corton-Charlemagne from Bonneau du Martray - it was the 1987 vintage.

Fonseca 1963 followed on and was lovely, a little volatile, slightly raisin like. The marzipan character was there but in perfect balance with the succulent dried fruits. Another reminder, as in the last post, that we really should drink more good port.

Jordi, in a fit of generosity, then opened two more bottles both of vintages we had had earlier - 1976 and 1953. The 1976 was a fresher bottle, insanely so. The previous bottle was superb and what you would hope it would be in terms of maturity. This bottle tasted more like the 1993 than any other wine of the night, amazing really. The 1953 was a more lively bottle, showing more fruit and a little more balance...

All in all a stunning evening, a really good group, everyone's expectations were surpassed. What we learnt I think is that Bonnes Mares from de Vogue is more that capable of Red Burgundy of the highest order and is not to be underestimated. Also that whilst the de Vogue style is one that repays cellaring this has been exaggerated...I look forward to many more vintages in the future.

Thank you Jordi and thank you Jean-Luc for your insights!

Amouse Bouche

Crisp Milk Fed Veal Sweetbreads with New Season’s Wet Garlic,

Violet Artichokes and Preserved Lemon

Slow Cooked Fillet of Cod with Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Smoked Anchovy and Red Wine

Roast Organic Guinea Hen with Smoked Sausage of the Leg, Creamed Morels, Provencal White Asparagus and Roasting Juices