A Dinner with Les Amoureuses from Chambolle!



The 10 bottles of Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses

16 Feb 2013: Regardless of the real origin of the name of this climat, we couldn't all help falling for the romantic ring to the name of Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses.  Our Les Amoureuses dinner took place 2 days after Valentine's Day!  We chose to do this at a private kitchen called Gong Guan, so that we could be left in peace to taste the wines in any order we felt like.  The food at Gong Guan was usually quite decent, in particular the appetisers of Chinese yellow marrow, cucumbers, eggplants and bean curd, the Chinese mushroom infused chicken broth, the steamed fish wrapped with rice flour and string mushrooms, the very tasty signature salt-baked chicken and the stir-fried organic red rice dish (we were all less keen on the over-powering braised pork belly dish which tasted too sweet, sour and spirity from the hua diao used in the cooking).  The only disadvantage was the lack of proper glassware. Robin very kindly sourced some from his friend's wine shop around the corner.  Next time, I should remember to qualify the term 'BYO' as bringing your own wine and glass(es)!  My tasting notes on the wines:

All Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses:

2010 Maison Roche de Bellene: Pale ruby.  A lovely perfume of raspberry, redcurrant, with some spice. Palate showed a much more delicate frame and structure, slightly lacking in complexity, concentration and depth.  A pretty wine, with nice fruit purity, freshness and balance.  Not sure if further bottle age will add some weight and complexity to this wine. Not at all a crime to drink now!  Drink till 2020+.  16.5/20

2009 Groffier: A rather reduced nose that took a few minutes to blow off.  Already showing a nicely evolved complex bouquet of raspberry and spicy cinnamon notes, layered with earthy, savoury, mocha and mushroom nuances. Lively acidity and fine-grained tannin giving this a medium-sized frame.   An elegant Amoureuses that delivers finesse and complexity, if a little short on depth and finish, that seems to have avoided the over-ripeness of the vintage.  Quite classy. Again, given the degree of evolution this bottle is showing, can definitely be enjoyed now, but will probably benefit from a couple more years in bottle.  17/20

2009 François Bertheau: Much deeper in colour than the Groffier.  A more intense and riper nose of blackberry, blueberry, plum, mocha and cinnamon spice. The mid-palate took a bit of aeration to come into shape. More opulent in body and velvety in texture, with broader, riper and better integrated tannin than the Groffier. Perhaps less 'classic' in style than the other wines of the evening, but certainly a very well-made wine with the material to age for a decade plus.  17.5/20

2007 Roumier: A more subtle and classic nose here, almost aristocratic.  Floral, red fruit, earthy and spicy.  A cool and firm structure that needs time to develop. Restrained, but stylish, with a minerality that coats the palate. There is finesse and detail, but without the weight or concentration at this point. Finishes long.  17.5+/20       
2004 Moine-Hudelot: Compared to the others, much looser in the structure, but well-balanced, if rather lacking in complexity and concentration. Finishes short. A fully mature wine that perhaps should have been drunk earlier? 15/20

2002 Mugnier: A very expressive nose of plum, red fruit, mocha, chocolate and Asian spices. Harmoniously integrated, giving a lush and velvety texture to the mouthfeel, with palate-coating intense spicy flavours and firm acidity. Finishes extremely long. Really gorgeous wine, that is just perfect to enjoy now and over next 8 - 10 years!  18/20

2000 Groffier: Slight reduction at the beginning that took a litle while to blow off.  A nicely matured bottle of Amoureuses, with a mature bouquet of plum, leather, violet and spice. Very supple on the palate, that delivers complexity and a nice long finish.  Drinking at peak now and over next 5 -6  years!  17.5/20

1999 Mugnier: This is a very classy Amoureuses for me.  A very floral and elegant bouquet, with violet, pot pourri, plum, spicy and toasty vanilla notes.  The palate shows more spice and earthy notes.  I really like the mid-weight frame with backbone of firm but nicely integrated tannin and vibrant acidity.  A very long minerally finish!  This is drinking at peak now, and over next 10+ years.  18.5/20

1998 de Vogüé: A very impressive effort for the vintage.  Very stylish bouquet of toast, smoke, spice, kirsch and plum.  Plenty of concentration and density on the mouth-coating palate. A very precisely made wine, with an understated elegance.  Drinking perfectly  now, and over next 8 - 10 years.  18/20

1997 de Vogüé: A funky farmyardy mature nose.  Structure is rather loose compared to the 1998, but supple on the palate and there is a nice mid-length finish.  Nice, but not too memorable.  Drink now!  17/20
 
There was also a 2002 Drouhin which was sadly corked.  Not bad on the statistics, one cork-tainted bottle out of 10!  Better than another recent dinner, when we had 2 corked bottles and 1 oxidised bottle, out of 9 bottles! 

In our ebullient state towards the end of the evening, we took a poll on the best wines of the evening and the best 3 turned out to be: 2002 Mugnier, 1999 Mugnier and 1998 de Vogüé.

As I am such a slow taster, I think for me an optimum number of people for these tastings should be around 8. I did want to go back to re-taste the Mugniers and they were all gone!  In any case, a very memorable evening and a very educational experience, thanks to everyone's generosity!

Wonderful Verdejo

12 Feb 2013: Manchego, bellota ham, boquerones and salted cod fishcakes.....plus a glass of Verdejo.....perfection!




Having introduced Bert to Ossian, he very kindly sent round a bottle of 2008 Naiades by Bodega Naia for us to try.  Naiades is one of 3 wines produced by Bodega Naia from Rueda and is made from ungrafted old vines of Verdejo, an indigenous grape, planted in the 19th Century.  Oak fermented and matured (approximately 8 months).  Very stylishly packaged (in a hefty bottle) and labelled, and delivered at the moderate alcohol level of 13.5% abv!  Lovely!

Pale lemon. Grapefruit, lime, pineapple, peach, melon, with nuances of spice, herbal, almond and the faintest notes of smoke and toast. Medium bodied.  Bright acidity. Mineral-laden palate.  A brilliantly crafted wine, beautifully balanced, with the lightest touch of oak and showing lovely detail, comparable to a fine Rully from Bourgogne.  Lovely crisp finish.  We loved it!  Drink now and over next 3 - 4 years. 16.5/20

La Rioja Alta Dinner

1 Feb 2013: La Rioja Alta, based in Logroño, was the result of post-phylloxera Spain, formed in 1890 when five families of growers got together. From its original holdings in Rioja Alta, they have expanded to own vines in Rias Baixas and Ribera del Duero.  This tasting at Fofo Restaurant (HK) shows that the wines have not only upheld the traditional values, but have also finetuned to modern palates.  Chef Alex did a fine job with the food-wine pairing and came up with some very interesting dishes.

Snapper Ceviche with green peas and beetroot ice-cream

Snapper ceviche, green peas, confit piquillos, roast nuts and beetroot ice-cream
2011 Albariño, Lagar de Cervera



Salt Cod with wild mushrooms and red pepper puree

 Cod fish with wild mushrooms, piquillo pepper purée
2004 Viña Arana Reserva, La Rioja Alta
2004 Viña Ardanza Reserva, La Rioja Alta

Iberico pork cheek, 'mojo picon' potato and chili cream with vegetable garden
2000 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta
1998 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Ala

Pigeon, foie and morel rice
1995 Gran Reserva 890, La Rioja Alta

My brief tasting notes as follows:
2011 Albariño, Lagar de Cervera
Lemon-straw colour.  Fresh tropical and citrus notes of grapefruit, lime, pineapple and peach, with some herbal nuances on the palate.  Medium body, with a refreshingly zingy finish.  Pairs very well with the refreshing snapper ceviche and beetroot ice cream! 16.5/20

2004 Viña Arana Reserva, La Rioja Alta
95% Tempranillo; 5% Mazuelo.  Aged for 36 months in 3-year-old American oak casks.  Deep ruby.  An intense and overt bouquet of black cherry, forest berries, violet, coconut, vanilla and some notes of cinnamon.  Velvety texture of integrated ripe tannin, fleshy with juicy fruit and the freshness of the vintage.  Finishes long.  Very approachable now and perfect for pairing with food.  This was interesting paired with salted cod with red pepper purée - the salt brought out the fruit and made the integrated tannin and acidity even more mellow.  16/20

2004 Viña Ardanza Reserva, La Rioja Alta
80% Tempranillo; 20% Garnacha (from old vines in Rioja Baja). Tempranillo aged for 36 months and Garnacha around 30 months in seasoned American oak.There is more of the old world character and elegance here, combined with a fine structure of firm but well integrated tannin and a good level of acidity.  A graceful bouquet of black cherry, blackcurrant, cloves, chocolate, with nuances of incense, gaining in intensity and weight with some aeration.   The ripeness and richness of the fruit is well carried by the firm structure and elegant freshness.  Would go well with roasted or grilled meat, or even game (would have gone well with the pigeon and morel rice too!). 16.5-17/20

2000 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta
90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano. Aged for 4 years in seasoned oak.  Lightly filtered before bottling.Compared to the 1998, this was much more accessible and a very good match with food.  A very Rioja bouquet of raspberry, strawberry, plum, white pepper, cedar, leather, with spicy and earthy notes.    A beautifully balanced wine, with a supple mouthfeel and refreshing acidity.  The middle palate took a bit of aeration to round out.  Drinking perfectly now and can continue to age for a long time.  17.5/20

1998 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta
90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano. Aged for 4 years in seasoned oak.  Gently filtered before bottling.A more evolved nose of violet, cloves, nutmeg, milk chocolate, mocha, leather, with nuances of coconut and vanilla. Harmoniously balanced, but less generous mouthfeel than the 2000 vintage.   More subtle in complexity and length.  Drinking well now and will continue to age well.  17/20

1995 Gran Reserva 890, La Rioja Alta
96% Tempranillo; 3% Graciano; 1 % Mazuelo. Aged for 6 years in casks.  No filtration before bottling.Flagship wine of the estate.  This is embodiment of the class and essence of traditional style Rioja.   An unmistakable bouquet , intense and complex, plenty happening: black cherry, forest berries, cloves, nutmeg, leather, mocha, incense, sage, chocolate, game, with a savoury note on the palate.  A very supple entry followed by a luscious mouthfeel and explosively intense flavours, with just perfectly balancing acidity.  Finishes long and complex.  Still rather youthful given the time it has spent in oak.  A great Rioja for long term cellaring - 15+ years.  The savoury, gamey flavours paired rather well with the umami-loaded pigeon, foie and morel rice. 18+/20    

A Pommard Dinner

I guess this is a somewhat unusual theme for a Bourgogne wine dinner - Pommard. I have always admired the wines of Pommard (even though it's not everyone's favourite these days and there is an image problem associated with it) and I was so happy to be joined by 7 other Pommard fans. One of us brought a Corton Blanc by Parent, also another Pommard producer.  We were very looked after by owner of La Fleur restaurant, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
2009 Corton Blanc, Parent
Lemon core, with some golden reflections. An intense nose of pineapple, acacia, liquorice, hazelnuts and vanilla, with the oak element still not quite integrated. Full-bodied, luscious mouthfeel, lots of rich extract, balanced by firm acidity. Finishes long. Slightly austere at this stage, will benefit from 3 - 4 years of bottle age for the oak to fully integrate. 17/20

First Flight
2005 Pommard, Louis Jadot
A medium ruby core. Bright red fruit of cherry, raspberry, laced with some spicy notes. Light bodied, fine tannin, and refreshing. 15/20

Second Flight
This flight is a vertical of 3 vintages of Comte Armand's Clos des Epeneaux. The monopole of Clos des Epeneaux is 0.61 ha in Les Grands Epenots (1/9) and 4.62 ha in Les Petits Epenots (8/9), with the monopole accounting for half the vineyard area owned by the domaine. The wall around the vineyard was established in 1805 and the enclosed vineyard was a gift from Nicolas Marey to his daughter when she married Comte Armand. The Epenots are situated at the northern end of Pommard (the Beaune end), with some areas of more shallow topsoil, say 20 cm, and other areas with deeper topsoil, as much as 80 cm. The 1990 vintage was made by French-Canadian Pascal Marchand, who left the domaine in 1999, hence the next 2 vintages were made by his young successor Benjamin Leroux. Pascal started to adopt organic farming principles in 1992 and when Benjamin Leroux took over, one of the first things he did was to move the vineyard management to biodynamic principles.

1990 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux, Comte Armand
Deep ruby. A very intense bouquet of black fruit, almost stewed, compounded with some floral, earthy, animal and liquorice notes, almost like a Barolo, as some of us commented on. A big and brooding wine, broad-structured, rather hefty, lacking in charm, with firm and still astringent tannin. High acidity. It is not clear whether the fruit will last as long as it takes for the tannin to soften. Jury is still out, I guess. I would probably drink this now, accompanied by a meaty dish, grilled steak and venison, for example. 16/20

2002 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux, Comte Armand
A classy show of Pommard 1er Cru that has just reached its apogee and will hold well for many years too come. A gorgeous nose of floral, ripe black cherry, with some sappy notes. Beautifully integrated, with a very fine backbone of silky tannin and vibrant acidity, giving an elegantly mouthcoating texture. Totally harmonious now, with plenty of finesse and floral character, richly complex, but without the meatiness nor heftiness of the 1990 vintage, and finishes extremely long. The most complete wine in this flight of 3 Comte Armand's Clos des Epeneaux. Drink now and over next 10 - 15 years. 18/20

2007 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux, Comte Armand
Already showing some tertiary evolution, showing raspberry, earth, game, herbal and even medicinal notes. An elegant and lithe Pommard, displaying Pommard characteristics, but well framed with fine tannin and refreshing acidity, giving a very supple texture with a good level of concentration and depth. Drinking very well now, and over next 8 - 10 years. 17/20

Third Flight
The third flight consists rather of 3 wines that are a bit more diverse, from 2001 to 2008, by different winemakers.
2002 Pommard 1er Cru, Maison Leroy
A medium ruby core. Lovely aromatics of redcurrant, raspberry and floral. Fine tannin, but acidity seems rather poignant at this tasting. Drying finish. 15.5/20
2001 Pommard Les Rugiens-Bas, Michel Gaunoux
The best representation of what a modern day classic of Pommard would be like. This captures the essence of what I love about Pommard: aromatics of animal, game, ripe red fruit, earth and spice; with a robust but finely toned structure of firm but refined tannin, vibrant acidity, and distinct minerality, complete with balance, precision, and harmony. Totally irresistibly silky in texture, marvellously elegant and delineated with very fine detail, perfectly balanced, and finishes exceptionally long. This is drinking perfectly now, and will continue to do so for another 15+ years. 18.5/20

Les Rugiens-Bas, the better part of the Rugiens vineyard, which lies at the southern end of Pommard (the Volnay end). Here the iron in the soil has been oxidised, giving a red colour, hence the name Rugiens.

2008 Pommard Grand Clos des Epenots, de Courcel
A very aromatic nose, followed by a supple attack on the palate, slowly revealing a robust texture of firm chewy tannin and concentrated and ripe phenolic extract. A hefty wine and a promising one in the making, needs probably another 5 - 6 years before it comes together. Finishes long, with a sappy note at the moment. Suspect this will fall away with more bottle age. 18/20

The Grand Clos des Epenots is situated inside Les Petits Epenots. Gilles de Courcel is head of the domaine, but his full-time job stays with the management of Maison Chanson. Yves Confuron from Vosne Romanée has been the winemaker here since 1996. Today, the vines are farmed biodynamically. Here the domaine practices low yields, late harvest, whole cluster vinification and long élevage (16 - 18 months roughly). I should also mention that Domaine de Courcel are relatives of Domaine Lejeune, which is another favourite of mine......well-structured and ageworthy Pommards, without losing their elegance and finesse.  Check out their Rugiens and Argillières here! 

Fourth Flight
This is the 'oldies' flight.....

1978 Pommard Les Rugiens, François Gaunoux
The garnet colour belies the amazing energy still possessed by this gorgeous wine. A very fine and mature bouquet of dried rose petals, leather, game, mocha, leather and sous-bois. There is beautiful minerality still on the palate, framed by very silky tannin, and lovely acidity. This is a sensational wine displaying vibrant energy (at this age), wonderful mature Bourgogne complexity, with all the Pommard characteristics in full flow! Finishes so long, with a hint of the familiar caramel-like sweetness for mature wines on the finish. Drink now and over next 8 - 10 years. 19/20

1959 Pommard, Marquis d'Angerville
This is probably the biggest surprise this evening. A village Pommard at 53 years old. Strictly speaking, it probably saw better days about 10 years ago and has begun its gradual decline. A lovely medium garnet. A note of volatility has crept into the complex bouquet of red fruit, floral, spicy, leather, savoury and earthy and coffee. A very elegant presentation, though lacking the weight, depth or the complexity of the premiers crus in this tasting. Nevertheless, it still had all of us marvelling at its silky texture, timeless elegance and ageability. Very admirable! 17.5/20

What a very educational tasting!  Alan organised the food so well that we had plenty of time to taste the wines and discuss with each other.  All the wines demonstrated a trueness to Pommard characteristics, together with ageworthiness as well as the finesse and elegance that often eluded the wider audience of Bourgogne lovers.  These are great quality wines, and relatively more affordable than their counterparts in Côte de Nuits!  I love them!

4 decades of Romanee Saint Vivant

18 Jan 2013: To celebrate Richard's birthday, Richard and I hosted a wine dinner with the theme: 4 decades of Romanée Saint Vivant.  The organisation took quite a bit of effort as we wanted to limit ourselves to no more than 16 different wines, and we wanted to ensure there would be some connection within each flight so that we could make some interesting comparisons.In the end we came up with the following 4 flights:

Flight 1:
2002 Romanée Saint Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard
Medium ruby core. A very expressive bouquet of red and black fruit, layered with Vosne spice and violet notes.  The palate was initially a little closed and took a bit a little aeration to reveal the explosively aromatic and pure notes.   There is tremendous depth and intensity here - there is richness but without the weight. Finishes long.  A very elegant wine that has just come into its drinking window.  18.5/20

2002 Romanée Saint Vivant, Jean-Jacques Confuron
The nose is more floral here - lovely violet notes.  Compared to the Sylvain Cathiard, the underlying material seems less ripe.  More marked acidity.  The structure of the wine seems a little loose when compared to the Cathiard. 17/20

2001 Romanée Saint Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard
Quite a reductive nose initially.  Lower acidity than the 2002 vintage and the more astringent tannin has yet to resolve itself.  There is not the same class, richness nor structure as the 2002. 17.5/20 

2000 Romanée Saint Vivant, de l'Arlot
Already very open.  There is lovely red fruit purity, complemented by dried rose petals, leather and tea leaves, with some savoury character.  Silky tannin. Lovely sweet finish. This wine needs drinking now. 17/20

Flight 2:
1993 Romanée Saint Vivant, Joseph Drouhin
This exudes the class of Drouhin wines: elegance and precision, delivered with its hallmark understatement.  A mature but more subtle bouquet of coffee, earthy, tea and leather notes, layered with spicy black fruit.  Mid weight palate, with a rather linear structure of fine acidity and precise balance.  A very stylish wine.   Just a little drying on the finish.   17.5/20

1993 Romanée Saint Vivant, Hudelot-Noellat
Medium garnet core. A very evolved and funky nose, with coffee, leather, earthy, smokey and manure notes, with caramel and toffee nuances.  Some sweetness on the rather short astringent finish.  This bottle is past its best. 15.5/20   

1993 Romanée Saint Vivant, Robert Arnoux
Quite a seductive and complex bouquet still flaunting some of the sweet oaky aromas of vanilla and sweet spice, with leather, game, coffee, tea, cloves and nutmeg notes framing the spicy black fruit.  Silky tannin sets off the nicely balanced weight and richness on the palate, with a lingering finish.  Absolutely gorgeous now.  18/20

1993 Romanée Saint Vivant, Leroy
The embodiment of elegance and finesse, delivered with power and depth.  Very dark fruit, almost compote like, mocha, pot pourri, herbal, slightly stemmy and pot pourri.  A rich and insanely delicious wine that is drinking so well now, with a very long finish, which is just showing a hint of dryness. A wine of sheer class. 18.5/20

Flight 3:
1992 Romanée Saint Vivant, Leroy
(This bottle was recently purchased directly ex domaine).  We were all amazed by how well this tasted given the not so favourable vintage.  Black fruit and liquorice notes on the nose.  Very concentrated flavours for the vintage, if a little straightforward and lacking in precision.  Delicious now!  17.5/20

1991 Romanée Saint Vivant, Leroy
This is much more linear and precise than the 1992 vintage. Very attractive aromatically, with notes of black fruit, spice, coffee, earthy and a hint of vegetal notes.  Beautifully balanced, with the hallmark concentration and power, and lots of fine complex detail.  Very lovely juice that is drinking perfectly now.  18.5/20 

1990 Romanée Saint Vivant, Leroy
This is big and brooding today.  A beautifully complex and intense nose of black fruit, liquorice and nutmeg, showing no signs of tertiary development yet.  Plenty of vigour, richness, power and concentration on the still relatively closed palate.  Patience is required for this wine - I think it will be stunning.   19/20

1990 Romanée Saint Vivant, Domaine de la Romanée Conti
This too is showing a robust muscular structure but more open than the Leroy.  Black fruit, black tea leaves, violet and nutmeg.  The balance and harmony are superb here, presented in a most refined and elegant frame.  There is richness but without the weight of the Leroy wine.  Sensational effort. 19/20   

Flight 4:
1985 Romanée Saint Vivant, Robert Arnoux
A mature nose of game, truffle and earth, still layered with red and black fruit notes. Wonderful harmony here but somehow lacking in freshness and vigour.  The acidity is lower and there is a drying finish.   A very pleasant drink now with food, but does require drinking up!  17.5/20

1978 Romanée Saint Vivant, Domaine de la Romanée Conti
Another funky and very mature nose marked by mushroom, game, prune and caramel notes.  Quite supple on the palate, delivering much richness and depth, but just lacking a little in energy and freshness. Finishes long.  A wine that probably saw much better days - for me this bottle seems to be past its peak.  17/20

1964 Romanée Saint Vivant, Marey-Monge
Sadly heavily madeirised.
1962 Romanée Saint Vivant, Marey-Monge
Not in best condition - could be volatility, hint of mustiness (slight cork taint)?  A little bland on palate.

We did take a vote in the end to see which were the two best wines and the majority of us picked the 1993 Leroy as the best wine, with a few going for 1978 DRC and me 1990 Leroy.  As for the second best wine, there were equal votes for 1978 DRC, 1993 Leroy and 1990 DRC, with a lone vote for the 1993 Arnoux!

Despite two dud bottles, we did manage to have a most educational tasting, with lots of interesting comparisons.  Now I cannot wait to organise the Part 2 of this tasting with the other bottles that didn't make the cut this time!!!  (Richard and I tasted the 1990 Confuron recently and it was sensational....beautifully integrated, harmonious, with a finish that goes on forever....19/20)

1962 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques, Rousseau

6 Jan 2013:
1962 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques, Rousseau: Garnet core. A mature and elegant nose of dried rose petals, dried raspberry, coriander, earthy, leather, liquorice, coffee and smokey notes with just a hint of soya sauce and some caramel nuance.  Lithe, silky, harmoniously and elegantly structured and perfectly at its prime.  Finishes long and sweet. Drink now!! 18/20

1993 Bonnes Mares, d'Auvenay

5 Jan 2013:
1993 Bonnes Mares, d'Auvenay: Deep ruby core. A very lush and opulent nose of blackberry, blueberry, black cherry liqueur, exotic spice, long zheng tea and bouquets of violet, with a sappy undertone. Aromatically heady. Medium bodied with a measured weight. Vibrant acidity and very fine tannin giving the wine a most refined and elegant structure with an understated power and beautiful detail. Lovely long velvety finish. This is a wine still flaunting an almost ageless youthfulness, that can certainly be enjoyed now but will reach its apogee in probably 10 years time. 19/20