We started with a refreshing glass of 2004
Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé. I loved
the pale salmon colour, the creamy mousse enveloping a texture of fine bubbles,
a complexity of savoury and toasty notes with the purity of red fruit,
overlaying a mineral core. A very gorgeous glass of rosé with a promising
future ahead! 18/20
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| Spanish Carabinero red prawn, so full of umami flavours, perfect with mature champagne! |
Our first course was a duo of tapas of
Spanish Iberico ham and Spanish “Carabinero” red prawn with almonds. Both tapas were bursting with umami flavours
which were exaggerated by the umami flavours in the next flight of 3 champagnes
from the 1973 vintage. The 1973 Dom
Perignon was simply sensational, still in the prime of its youth it seemed. Golden robe, with a panoply of aromas and
flavours: honey, toast, toasted hazelnuts, marzipan and roasted pineapple. The palate was creamy with a well-delineated
structure, with precise acidity, intensity of flavours, and a lingering finish.
Finesse in extremis! 18.5/20 (This paired extremely well with the
bold ‘sea’ flavours of the giant red prawn, enhanced with a distinct sense of
sweetness.)
The 1973 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
revealed more of its age. It was
decidedly more savoury and nutty on the nose, with flavours of caramel
shortbread and preserved fruit on the palate.
A wonderfully aged champagne, still keeping all its elements in perfect
harmony. This worked very well with the
Iberico ham, served on thin toast with concentrated crushed tomato. I scored this 17.5/20.
The 1973 Krug was very evolved, and tasted
like a bottle that did not see the best of storage conditions. Sherry-like notes laced the bouquet and
palate, with toffee and nutty aromas.
The colour was amber, rather than the golden colour of the other 2. 14/20
The next flight was a pair of 1973
Meursault Premiers Crus by Leroy….a Meursault-Charmes and a
Meursault-Perrières. They had both come
from the same cellar. The Charmes showed
a deep gold colour, and intense oxidative notes dominated the nose – smoked
bacon, marzipan, caramel, honeycomb, shortbread, toasted hazelnuts……however,
the palate showed fatigue and lacked acidity. 14/20
The Perrières was totally different. The robe was bright gold. Grapefruit, cardamom, pear, honeysuckle,
almond filled the bouquet. It tasted
almost 20 years younger than the Charmes!
A very serious wine with a finely-chiselled structure, a stoney
minerality on the palate led the way to a long finish, leaving the impression
of youthful freshness, vigour and elegance. Incredibly well-portioned in every
aspect. 18.5/20
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| Asparagus and tofu.....quite a presentation! |
The asparagus and tofu course was tasty on
its own but did not quite have the depth of flavours to pair with the
Perrières.
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| The 1973's........the Meursault Perrieres still tasted so youthful! |
Next up was a flight of 2 red Bourgognes,
both from the 1973 vintage. 1973 La
Tâche and 1973 Musigny, Faiveley. The
1973 La Tâche tasted past its peak……with the acidity starting to poke through
the light weight palate and holding firm at the finish. Only tertiary notes of earth, sous-bois,
mushroom and truffle…..not very exciting, but still revealing a shade of its
earlier elegance. 14/20
The 1973 Musigny, Faiveley seemed to be
retaining still a smidgeon of freshness and energy….and tasted rather suave and
harmonious! Leather, spice, blue and red
fruit notes. The tannin had completely
integrated into the structure to give a very silky presence. Finishes long. 16/20
The mushroom and truffle explosion (olive
oil bread roll with a filling of mushroom and truffle pâté that almost exploded
with flavours in the mouth) was definitely a thoughtful dish ….though neither
wine really had the concentration nor density expected of its climat.
After the distraction of the 1973’s, we
started in earnest with the La Romanée vertical. The vertical had been arranged from young to
old: 1993, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1978, 1973, 1962, 1953 and 1949. Before the tasting, Louis-Michel gave us a
brief background to La Romanée and his family’s ownership. This grand cru climat of just 0.85 hectare is
the smallest AOC in France and has been a monopole of the family since 1826. Well not quite, as it (together with La Tâche, Reignots, and others) had been
put up for sale in 1933 by the family because of deepening financial
difficulties post First World War and global depression. La Tâche was sold to the current owner but La
Romanée was bought back by Comte Michel, grandfather of Louis-Michel, and his
brother Canon Juste. The vineyard
produces about 2,500 bottles a year on average. Traditionally, the parcel had been tended by a
share-cropper (the Forey family who looked after the vines from 1946 until
2001). Once the malolactic fermentation had finished, the wine would be sold to
a top négociant for an agreed price (with the new barrels being provided by the
négociant). Different négociants had
purchased the wine including Thomas-Bassot and one established within the
family called Maison C. Marey et Cte. Liger-Belair (established 1852 between
Guillaume-Félix Marey and the Comte). In
the 50’s and until 1962, it was sold to Leroy, followed by a brief period with Bichot between 1963 and 1975.
The arrangement with Bouchard started with the 1976 vintage and lasted
till the 2001 vintage. Louis-Michel took
back the making of La Romanée from the 2002 vintage, while continuing to share
the finished wine (post malo) with Bouchard until 2005. From the 2006 vintage
onwards, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair would be the only domaine selling La
Romanée.
Here are my tasting notes of the vertical:
1993 La Romanée, Bouchard: This wine was
still in its youth, tasting almost too young for this occasion. The nose showed spice, black cherry, with
some farmyard notes. The palate tasted
very fresh, with a very taut and vigorous structure of fine materials that have
yet to take their time to evolve and harmonise.
A first-class wine but very much closed today. I would probably wait another 10 years to try
it again. 18+/20
1990 La Romanée, Bouchard: Very ripe fruit
of raspberry and red cherry, overlaid with animal, sous-bois, savoury, and
earthy notes. Rich and intense
palate. I felt that this could do with a
little more acidity…..it tasted a little flabby. 17.5/20
1989 La Romanée, Bouchard: Similar on the
nose to the 1990, but this showed much more freshness and a firmer structure. Refined and classy. 18/20 (Great pairing with the summer truffle
risotto with parmesan shavings.)
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| Summer truffle risotto with parmesan shavings with other yummy truffle dishes. |
1985 La Romanée, Bouchard: Initially, there
was an astringency on the palate that continued through to the finish. Some rich spicy but sappy flavours came
through after a while. Could this
improve with more bottle age to resolve the remnant tannin? 17+/20
1978 La Romanée, Bouchard: Notes of plum,
mature fruit, earth and spice, with a hint of brettanomyces. For me, this tasted a bit soupy, it did not
have the freshness of the 1973. 15.5/20
1973 La Romanée, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair:
This came directly from Louis-Michel’s cellar, albeit a Bichot wine (hence the label). A light weight for its climat, but it was
lithe and delicate, with a freshness to support the lively palate. Tertiary and spicy notes. Excellent for the
vintage and tasted incredibly fresh with a good degree of complexity and
depth! 17/20
1962 La Romanée, Leroy: A gorgeous colour,
still ruby at the core. Sauvage, spicy, leather, mushroom and earthy notes,
with hints of pot pourri. Great
freshness, balance and minerality on the palate, albeit within a delicate frame. It was as if you were listening to a Brahms
symphony…..hidden amidst the serenity and harmony, was that incredible
heightened pleasure. A wine of class and
understated charm. Drinking perfectly now and will hold for another 8 - 10
years! 19/20
1953 La Romanée, Leroy: Notes of coffee, chocolate and nutmeg spice.
Lush and opulently rich, with a velvety texture that needed all of its acidity
to avoid the slight soupy impression. Time in the glass helped resolve some
initial awkwardness. Finishes very long!
18/20
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| Yang Ming Shan chicken leg roll, succulent and so yummy! |
The free range Yang Ming Shan chicken leg
roll with summer truffle was definitely one of my highlights and it worked very
well with the 1962.
We finished with a disappointing pair from
the 1949 vintage: a Richebourg and a La Romanée, both bottled by C. Marey. I thought the Richebourg had suffered from a
mild cork taint and the La Romanée had too much volatile acidity to be enjoyable.
The succulent and flavoursome grilled Wagyu
beef short rib was very popular though and the 1953 would make a good marriage!
One of the guests was overwhelmingly
generous and brought along 4 bottles from the 1973 vintage (which happened to
be the vintage for at least 2 very important people at this dinner!). I had thought we wouldn’t have the capacity
nor time to get through them but I turned out to be wrong. We started with a light 1973 Cheval Blanc,
then a beefy, concentrated and opulent 1973 Mayacamas, followed by a pair of
Riojas which I would have liked to have given more time to be appreciated
properly. I preferred the 1973 CVNE:
suave, silky texture, with notes of ripe red fruit, sous-bois, earthy and tea
leaves. Still showing good acidity.
Lovely finish. The 1973 Muga
showed a tighter structure, and less charm, but more concentration, without the
complexity of the CVNE.
We finished with a 1945 Croft Port. This could easily be the wine of the evening
for us! Medicinal, intensely flavoured
dried red cherry, spicy notes….velvety texture, lush full body beautifully
balanced by a vibrant acidity, the intense flavours gliding through all the way
to a very long finish! Still tasting very fresh, with phenomenal energy and
verve! A brilliant port, completely
harmonious in every way! 19.5/20
The time passed rather quickly with such
great wine, food and company! For the
completeness of historical testimony and educational interest, it would have
been a good idea to include a couple of vintages made by Louis-Michel
himself….perhaps the 2002 and 2004 vintages if not too young to try at this
point in time?
