Rousseau at the Riverside...

This was a cracking luncheon well orchestrated by Irish Pete. The drill was to eat at The White Oak in Cookham and then have a gaunt on the river post lunch. Five of us gathered on a muggy day with each bringing a bottle and Irish proving the focal point - never a bad thing when that focus is Rousseau. The food we were served was delicious, simple, elegant and just the foil to the wines, well worth a trip.

We kicked off with two vintages of Dom Perignon the 1996 and 1990. The 1996 served first was absolutely delicious, I have often said that prefer the bottle ageing of Champagne to the yeastier and, in my view, clumsier ageing you get on the lees. These were both original release bottlings. The 1996 was just at a lovely stage, youth giving way to the first signs of maturity, there was still plenty of drive and focus. The initial elements are strawberry fresh but then citrus before a little biscuit takes over, in short this is spot on now. I would imagine magnums are worth holding for 2-3 years but bottles, on this showing, are bang on. The 1990 is mature in my opinion, not over mature mind you. More open, more flesh, apples but good apples then a little butterscotch. There is more roundness and consequently less drive to the wine. Both were delicious and cracking start, serving them in big burgundy glasses also helped. As I write this I'd love to have a bottle of the 1996 chilling in the fridge!

From there we were Burgundy-bound, whites first. Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2007 from Domaine  Leflaive and Meursault 2005 from Coche-Duty were the two whites in question. Sadly, there is always a little suspense before opening Leflaive these days and also a thought for Anne-Claude. This was a bright and delicious bottle, a lovely youthful colour (or lack of colour). Great balance, elegant for a Batard, a little whiff of reassuring reduction, it really opened up well in glass to reveal white and yellow fruits, more the classic zip of 2007 that the "broad shoulders" of Batard, lovely, the lunch deserved a good bottle and so it was. Coche-Dury is probably the only producer who make a village wine that would fit at such a lunch. The "supplier" of this has been busily hoovering up the 2005's from Coche. This village wine showed so well and reminded me of another occasion when Irish and I had enjoyed the wine, from 1993 that time, courtesy of Mr G. This 2005 had aniseed and fennel as well as an exuberance, cracking stuff.

Now it was time for the "main course" in all senses of the phrase. Mr H sensibly suggested the next two wines were served in a staggered format to avoid too quick a comparison, very shrewd as there can always be a tendency for instant comparison. In itself this is ok but it is so often to the detriment of one of the wines. This was not the aim here. First out the blocks was Chambertin Grand Cru 1993 from Rousseau. I have been very lucky to have 1990, 1991 and a few other vintages of this genuinely iconic wine. This was gorgeous, poised, it encapsulated the Rousseau signature, for me, of depth and intensity without weight, it was fresh and defined, redder of fruit than I expected. Youthful but not immature. In short stunning. It was then joined by it's sibling Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru 1993 from Rousseau. The wisdom of the staggered start was clear to see. In some ways there was more density, more intensity, more fruit, less savoury. This struck me as a little brighter and redder, a little younger tasting. Reflecting back on it later there was a suggestion that the Beze was a 100% bottle and may be the Chambertin a mere 99% or at least that the Beze was a more youthful example. When I did ulimately decided which I "preferred" for me it was the extra savoury dimension added to the Chambertin but both of these wines are extreme examples of what Burgundy can be...

Clearly that pair were going to be a near impossible act to follow. So we had two wines of different style, one still in Burgundy - Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 1990 from Mongeard-Mugneret and my offering, surprise surprise, Monfortino 2002 from Giacomo Conterno. The Clos Vougeot was re-assuringly different from the Rousseau's. Quite chunky, not over the top, not 1990 soupy which can happen it has a good sweetness to go with that Clos Vougeot grunt, it stood up for itself very well. The Monfortino, watch out for the usual bias, was lovely, very young, we actually put it back in the bottle to cool it as it had got a little warm on the muggy day. It is a wine just getting into second gear, there is a good green freshness as well as dark lifted fruit and that savoury saline signature.

It had been an absolutely splendid meal, lots of good conversation and a keenness to make sure that those who did not attend knew what they had missed. It sounds like we might set this as an annual event - I do hope so!

As we fragmented three of us, Irish, Mr H and myself headed back to the riverside for a ride up the river. As we were in Henley, not sure how I missed mentioning that before, and the rowing was starting the following week we got a good view of the course and a few crews out on the river practising. Of course you can't do that with an empty glass so we took Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru 2002 from that splendid Rousseau chap. It was so wonderfully primary for an "02", several of which I have found (admittedly at other "lesser" addresses) to be a little prematurely gamey. This was not a waste to drink now, so bright and dark red fruited. It was a brilliant end to a really cracking day…just what summer fridays are for! Thank you all from your bottles and for organising.

Stay Left!

Balanced perfection...

Two weeks ago "Newcastle" hosted another (some of the others are here) epic Luncheon. This time at Alyn Williams at The Westbury. This blog will deal primarily with the wines but the food was exceptional as the menu below and picture at the end of the blog suggest:

Lobster, new season broad beans, ricotta gnocchi,  jack by the hedge

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Foie gras, rhubarb, walnut foam and crumbs

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Wood pigeon, three cornered leek, charred & blanched, morel discs, blood orange

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Beef barbeque cheeks, truffled pommes daupin, vichy carrots, croutons

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Cheeses

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Candied carrot cake & liquorice ice cream 

So onto the wines, as is often the case Salon opened proceedings and in this case Salon 1988 in magnum. I have tasted and drunk the 1988 a fair few times down the years and it tends to be a bigger bolder style that some years and a richer more biscuity wine. This magnum was very pure and whether it was an especially good magnum or just that this wine is great in magnum I can't be sure. It has some white fruits, a mellow completeness but also focus, very easy to enjoy, very refined, a cracking start.

The Lobster that came first was perfect for white Burgundy and so it proved. The pair of wines; Le Montrachet 1990, Ramonet and Musigny Blanc 1991, de Vogue where both good in different ways. The Ramonet stole the show with it's taut opening and then layer upon layer of depth and flavour, from mild reduction to stem ginger, but never losing it's linear nature, a wine that there is no rush to drink, stunning. The Musigny was a little more muted, a little heavier of texture. The 1993 was the last vintage before they started a widespread re-planting exercise. A lovely pair and that Ramonet will be with me for a while.

Next with the Foie Gras was a trio of Germans. Firstly, Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 1970, JJ Prum (Loeb bottling), almost a nutty nose, mellow, a wine of texture, not over sweet, almost a smokey mint element to the end. Really fascinating. Next was a more textbook Wehlener Sonnenuhr, the Auslese 1995 (JJ Prum of course). It had a classical nose of sweet unhoneyed fruit and citrus freshness but with a fair weight of texture as well. If the 1970 was in stage three of it's life this was starting stage two, vibrant and expressive. The final "musketeer" was Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Auslese 1996 (Barrel 55) which got everyone talking especially when compared with the 1995, more heady, more weight, a little Lap sang tea, more bold, more viscous. I am biased but the 1995 did it for me on purity, the 1996 was a wine to wallow in.

So two wonderful courses in and five whites done it was time for the Pigeon to see some red Burgundy and boy did it see some. A quadruple of Chambertin Clos de Beze from Rousseau is right up there! This was a fascinating run of vintages:
1981 - a vintage of no real repute, arguably one you would say should have been drunk. This has a lovely nose of cheesecloth and deep fruit with some spice, a little iodine, light red fruit to follow, not a wine with much density. The wine in glass became a little more savoury but was a delight, so impressive for the vintage.

1989 - a vintage I have struggle with in Burgundy for some reason but a good one. Again gentle clean red fruit and some spice. More weight, a little more muscle, delicious now whilst the texture and fruit are in great balance.

1993 - the insider's vintage. A little more chunky, more primary, not forceful but potent, a masculine wine with time to come. Serious, very complete. If you own it, be very happy!  
1996 - a controversial vintage, classical yes but will the fruit out way the tannin and acidity is often the question. This was a little more muted, christmas spices but not heavily so. Good acidity and a little dryness from the tannins but there is balance.
As often happens, debate turned to which you want most and some sort of consensus was to drink now, 1989 and to own, 1993 but as always it's a near pointless decision.

As Pigeon needs Burgundy, Beef needs Claret and as Claret's go this was a blue-blooded pair. I had never had them side by side and certainly not both from magnum. Lafite 1990 & Latour 1990 - they both played to their character. The Lafite was more mellow,  little easier, balanced, quite sexy and aromatic, the fruit was "Cabernet black" but not heavily so, poised. The Latour was very big shouldered, darker with more iron and more depth, more powerful and certainly masculine (compared with the latin Lafite this was Anglo-saxon meat eater). Pencil shavings and good tannin made an appearance. I love the pair, "exactly as they should be" is my rather lazy conclusion.

Cheese means port and the Warre 1963 was lovely, got better and better, there was red fruit to the fore but some grey pepper and some marzipan there, I really liked it.

A very fine Carrot cake pudding was accompanied by the compulsory Sauternes match-up and this time the two teams were - Climens 1986 & Yquem 1986. The former had a dash of burnt caramel, a little smoke but then in glass just mellowed and settled into stride, classy. The Yquem has a more hazelnut-like richness and a heaviness, a chewier texture, it was a bigger wine for sure possibly with more botrytis but on this occasion I just about favoured the fruited freshness of the Climens.

A very refined and greatly enjoyable lunch, well refined if you take out Ronaldinho's jokes. Mr G you did us proud! AGAIN!

Lobster

Foie Gras

Pigeon

Beef!

Carrot Cake