A friend came round for Sunday supper. We were totally bowled over by these 2 bottles for our evening:
We had started with a NV Vallée de La Marne Rive Gauche, Extra Brut, Bereche et Fils. 100% Pinot Meunier on a north-facing slope of clay-limestone soil - the parcel of 'Les Misy' planted in 1969. The base wine for this bottle was 2009 vintage and this bottle was disgorged in January 2013. Dosage was 3g/litre. Slow and spontaneous fermentation using ambient yeast, with no malolactic fermentation. First impression of this champagne was very yeasty and toasty on the nose, with notes of lemon, almond, apricot and pear to accompany. Mousse was creamy and bubbles were persistent. Though made in an Extra Brut style, you could still taste the very plump fruit. We felt that it could do with perhaps a bit more precision/minerality on the palate? Long finish. An impressive effort with this very ripe vintage! 16/20
1999 Bâtard Montrachet, Jean Noël Gagnard
Lemon robe, with just some glints of gold. A very expressive bouquet: smokey, toast, ripe pear, peach, apricot, apple tart, shortcrust pastry, over lemony and spicy notes, ginger and cardamom. Full-bodied, voluptuous and velvety mouthfeel, caressing the palate, delivering the complex and concentrated flavours in layers and layers, balanced by a good level of acidity. This wine is in a state of fine equilibrium and harmony. Finishes extremely long, well over a minute! Utterly sensational and a very fine example of Bâtard. Drink now and over 8 - 10+ years. (I think it will last even longer!) 19/20 (I think this would be very good with a rich poultry dish, such as chicken in a creamy sauce.)
1985 Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots, Bouchard
Garnet colour. A totally seductive bouquet: coffee, plum, mocha, spice, tobacco, earthy and leather. Silky texture, medium bodied, with perfect acidity holding up the fine structure. A wine that displays finesse, elegance and harmony. Long finish. Sublime! This is drinking at peak now. I would drink this over the next 4 - 5 years. 18/20
Not bad for a casual Sunday supper!
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