16 Sep 2011: I was rather annoyed with myself for arriving late at this much-anticipated event in Hong Kong - a special dinner (Paulée) with Erica Meadows aka Mrs. Burghound and other burgundy lovers! Not only for the reason that I completely missed Erica's speech, but also for the more important reason that I had missed the 1988 and 1990 Salon that were supposed to be served during cocktails! Luckily for me, the champagne that James and Melissa brought had not yet been opened - an Egly Ouriet (cannot remember the vintage!) which was absolutely delicious on its own, but even better with food, I could imagine!
Dinner took place at Amuse Bouche and Kent and his team did a fantastic job producing dish after dish of top quality fine cuisine and looking after the guests with first-rate professionalism. The dishes we had were:
Red tuna tartar with Katsubushi jelly, Oscietra caviar, wasabi soya dressing
Boston lobster wrapped in spinach with red wine sauce and seasonal vegetables
Roasted smoked duck foie gras with black pepper and turnip confit, fig and Port wine reduction
Sea urchin risotto with crustacean foam or Black truffles risotto with parmesan cheese flake, veal jus
Slow cooked free-range yellow chicken from Landes, morels, asparagus with Arbois yellow wine sauce or
Roasted milk-fed Sisteron lamb duet in wild mushrooms crusted with a natural jus, broad bean, tomato confit and boulgour
Truffled Brie de Meaux with quince paste, cherry jam
Crispy Granny Smith apple tart, vanilla ice cream
There was only one word to describe the culinary experience: perfection!
There were around 20 of us, I think, and everyone was supposed to bring 1 bottle of wine, true to the Paulée custom. There were however some deviations from the Paulée customs, whereby each bottle would be poured directly by the individual who brought it and there would be no changing of glasses. At this HK version, the wine was mostly poured into our glasses by the waiting staff and our glasses were frequently refreshed. I was pretty good at remembering the first few wines that were poured, but after a while, wine started appearing from different places and I was not quick enough to spot the label nor did I have enough time to ask what was being poured, that I had little idea what I was drinking most of the time!
Of the wines that I had memory of tasting, they were 1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne, 1989 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet, 1990 Dujac Charmes Chambertin, 1990 Denis Bachelet Charmes Chambertin, 1997 Dominique Laurent Ruchotte Chambertin, 1971 Robert Arnoux Clos de Vougeot, 1995 Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques, 1995 Hubert Lignier Clos de La Roche and 1972 Volnay Caillerets, de la Pousse d'Or. My brief notes as follows:
1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne seemed to have evolved very little since birth! It still tasted quite tight, giving away very little in the nose and the palate. The nose was distinctly citrus and mineral. The palate clearly needed time to develop and take on more weight and complexity. Sadly, there was no time for this development to be witnessed. Drink now and will conntinue to develop over the next 8 - 10+ years. 17.5/20
The 1989 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet was richly flamboyant, flaunting notes of grilled hazelnuts, brioche, toast, fig, acacia and nuances of creme caramel, a medium-full body, bolstered by very lively acidity, tasting so fresh and yet so enriching. A terrific wine and totally at the top of its game....Drink now and for next 10+ years. 19.5/20
The 1990 Dujac Charmes Chambertin presented a very endearing bouquet of red fruit, floral and sweet farmyard hay. Totally silky in texture, gently caressing one's palate, and with just the right amount of acidity to keep it fresh. A very fine example of Charmes Chambertin: charm, elegance and lots of finesse, with a very fine structure. A lengthy and sweet finish. This for me is drinking at peak now, and will continue to give perfect enjoyment for the next 5 - 6 years. 18/20
By comparison, the 1990 Denis Bachelet Charmes Chambertin showed a rather reductive nose and it did not quite live up to expectations.
There was plenty of good fruit in the still youthful and fresh tasting 1997 Dominique Laurent Ruchotte Chambertin, starting to show some savoury, animal character. Good acidity keeping the structure in place, with the tannin very much mellowed out. Lighter in style, but very representative of the vintage. Drink now and for the next 4 - 5 years. 16/20
The 1971 Robert Arnoux Clos de Vougeot was an absolute eye-opener. Absolutely delicious. Burgundy at its best! Velvety and lush, with beautiful tertiary character of tobacco, truffle, leather, rose petal pot pourri, with just a hint of cloves, all wrapped in a neatly structured frame, still with plenty of poise and dignity. Simply stunning. "A Point!" 19/20
The 1995 Rousseau Gevery Chamertin St Jacques was slightly more linear and austere than the 1996 version that we had about 4 weeks ago. The 1995 showed much more of the minerality, and less of the floral character that we found in the 1996. Drink now - could possibly benefit from a bit more time in bottle 16.5/20
The 1995 Hubert Lignier Clos de La Roche also showed quite a bit of austerity. I wish we had more time to understand and appreciate this wine! Must try again on another occasion.
The 1972 de la Pousse d'Or Volnay Caillerets was a difficult guess. It was served to us blind and we had to guess the vintage and the commune. Eric did very well. What I can remember now was a very elegant presentation, with soft red fruit, and still tasted very fresh, without any signs of intrusive acidity! If kept in the right cellaring conditions, this wine could easily have a life of another 10+ years! 17/20
What a fabulous evening and as if we hadn't had enough to drink, Richard ordered a magnum of 2007 Hospices de Beaune Beaune Cuvée Nicolas Rolin to refresh our palate - not a bad idea! A lovely example of this vintage, early-drinking, easy to like, beautiful red fruit and floral character, with a good background note of minerality. Not a wine for the long haul, but definitely a charmer in the first 8 years of its life!
It really was a treat to be invited to join this very exclusive dinner and I was so happy to have this opportunity to meet Erica, having corresponded with her on a couple of occasions. Unquestionably, the perfect ambassador for "Burghound Corporation"! I look forward to the next Mrs. Burghound event in HK or in France!
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