Seeking brilliance in the class of 1973

30 April 2017:
Richard and I were invited to a birthday feast in Taipei. It was a veritable feast in every sense, food and wine, at Ephernité, one of the latest culinary sensations in Taipei, run by a Taiwanese couple with French background.  The name of the restaurant "Ephernité" is coined from two words: "éphémère" and "éternité", combining two contrasting temporal concepts in this cosy yet minimalist-decor space where we get to appreciate high quality cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Chef Vanessa spent her formative years at L'Astrance in Paris where she honed her skills, in particular her pastry skills, before she and Claude returned to Taiwan to incorporate local ingredients (as much as possible) into her fusion style of cooking. With his Taiwanese roots, Claude, born and raised in France, looked after the wine service with extreme professionalism and dexterity. Thanks to our generous host, aka birthday boy, the wine selection was curated exclusively to celebrate the class of 1973 (with a couple of outsiders!)

The class of 1973

The Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs was the most expressive of the 3 champagnes from the vintage. It showed biscuity and smokey mature character but retained a great balance, precision and persistence. I would score this 19/20.  The Taittinger Comtes de Champagne showed clarity and elegance but seemed a little subdued. The Krug flaunted nuances of hazelnuts, toast, coffee and caramel, perhaps a touch overly oxidative.

Of the 3 white Bourgogne wines, the DRC Montrachet was the most complete (white) wine of the evening, with layers of complexity, harmony, richness and weight but balanced by a gracefully mature level of energy. The finished lasted incredibly long.  I gave this wine 20/20.  The Meursault Perrières, Leroy was structurally very sound, and showed exceptional crystalline purity.  It still showed incredible citrus character overlaying an age-defying minerality and linearity. There was much less expression of the Meursault character which we were somehow expecting. I scored this 17.5/20. The Musigny Blanc unfortunately suffered from cork taint character.

The Petrus, though served from a magnum, failed to show greatness, class or structure. It was marred by a little too much volatile acidity and caramelised note for my preference. The Vega Sicilia Unico also showed mild level of volatile acidity, but that rather lent to its vibrancy.  It was a well-balanced wine with elegance but it lacked expression and character.

The La Romanée was unfortunately served in a pair together with the beautifully matured Chambertin Clos de Bèze which showed remarkable energy and character, with silky texture. We loved the sous-bois, soya sauce, cardamom and mushroom notes that layered the flavours.  This was one of my top two red wines of the evening.  Very happy to score this 18/20.

Of the three red bottles from DRC, the Romanée-Conti was the hands-down winner.  It had an elegant richness, complexity profile and persistence that the other representatives of the vintage failed to deliver.  On the palate, it was harmonious, wonderfully complex and lingered on the palate. I scored this 19/20.  La Tâche suffered from the same fate as the Musigny Blanc, ie cork taint.  The Romanée St Vivant smelt and tasted quite maderised, with copious level of volatile acidity and a dry finish which suggested it should have been drunk a long while ago. 

The olive brown-hued 1875 Sercial was a great pair with the cheese selection.  The oxidative character of liquorice, roasted nuts, coffee and balsamic worked very well with the aged Comté.

Finally, we finished with a 1949 Suduiraut, which showed an amber hue, with honey, apricot, rye toast notes, a lively acidity that balanced the richness but without the heavy cloying character.  Long finish. I scored this 19/20.

1973 is often a forgotten vintage in vinous speak.  Luckily for us, we have a generous friend who enjoys celebrating his birth year with his friends, giving us the opportunity to taste and re-taste this forgotten but not forsaken vintage.  The top performers from this vintage have remained some of our most memorable wine experiences.  

To our generous host, a big thank you for sharing such memories with us!!

We look forward to returning to this high quality neighbourhood restaurant, with relaxed atmosphere, on our next visit.  In the meantime, we wish Claude and Vanessa an enchanting wedding in France this summer!

Here is our menu and wine selection (with photos of some of the dishes):

1973 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs

1973 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

1973 Krug

Amuse- bouche

- crystal caviar 魚子醬

- tête de cochon 豬頭皮肉凍

- gazpacho de pastèque 西瓜冷湯

- mousse de foie de volaille 雞肝醬慕絲



Entrée 1:

Hokkaido scallops salad 北海道干貝沙拉

Hokkaido scallop salad

1973 Meursault Perrières 1er Cru, Leroy

1973 Musigny Blanc Grand Cru, de Vogué

1973 Montrachet Grand Cru, DRC


Seafood:

Grilled uni risotto with white asparagus 白蘆筍海膽燉飯

Grilled uni risotto with white asparagus

Fish:

market fish/ lobster/ pineapple mousse 市場鮮魚及薔薇龍蝦



1973 Petrus (en Magnum)

1973 Vega Sicilia Unico



Meat 1: Os à moelle Bordelaise 巴西里烤牛骨髓



Summer truffle and porcini Tagliatelle 松露野菇寛扁麵



1973 La Romanée, Albert Bichot

1973 Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Rousseau


Meat 2: Tealeaves smoked Pigeon/ foie gras/ farm vegetables 茶燻乳鴿/ 茶樹蜜鴨肝/ 時蔬

1973 Romanée St. Vivant, DRC

1973 La Tâche, DRC

1973 Romanée-Conti, DRC



Meat 3: Japanese wagyu ribeye/ sauce bourguignon

鹿兒島黑毛和牛肋眼/ 勃根第牛肉醬汁


Assortiment de fromage: 起司盤

truffled Camembert /crottin de chavignol/ Comté 18months/ Blue cheese/ Brie


1875 Sercial Madeira Reserva, d’Olivera

Desserts: 甜點

grilled fresh peaches/ thym/ dacquoise

So pretty ....and tasty too!

1949 Suduiraut 

Birthday cake: 生日蛋糕

chocolate raspberry birthday cake



Mignardises: 小茶點三式

Seasalt caramel macaron/ madeleine/ pâte de fruits

Celebrating Vintage 2002

7 May 2017: We picked the vintage primarily for the red Bourgogne that has shown so much class and style.

2002 Pommery Cuvée Louise

A well-structured champagne, beautifully integrated. A hint of sweetness laced the palate which was slightly distracting. An elegant wine that defined charm and harmony.  Long finish, lively bubbles, creamy texture, with an almost sweet finish. 17/20

2002 Montrachet, Marc Colin
Unfortunately this had rather come under the unkind attack of excess oxygen.  Caramelized, aldehydic, flabby and tired palate. This was a real shame because the original material was of such high quality. 15/20


2002 Ruchottes-Chambertin, Georges Mugneret
Vibrant, spicy, precise, elegant and stylish. The silky texture belied a subtle power and richness. The palate was upliftingly elegant and the finish exceptionally long.  Perfect to be enjoyed now, in fact almost irresistibly delicious.  This clearly displayed more elegance and finesse that totally contrasted with the slightly austere, richly concentrated style of the Clos de Bèze. 19/20


2002 Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Rousseau
Herbal, sous-bois, spicy notes. Yet opulent, rich, powerful, intense concentration underneath the velvety firm tannins that gave a mouthfilling impression. A big wine, still not fully resolved.  It would be interesting to wait another 3 to 5 years to retry it. 19+/20

1996 Roumier Corton Charlemagne and 2001 Gouges Les Saint Georges

13 May 2017:

1996 Roumier Corton-Charlemagne

This bottle of 1996 Roumier Corton-Charlemagne restored our faith in nicely matured white Bourgogne wine. Its rich texture and vigor delivered a wealth of mature oxidative notes of hazelnut, honey, beeswax and apricot that gave a well-honed balance to this 20-year-old bottle of Chardonnay. There were layers of complexity but the absence of aldehydic notes endeared us to this bottle. 17.5/20

2001 Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les St Georges
By stark contrast, the lush texture of firm tannins and concentrated richness belied a youthful vigor for a wine of over 15 years. Deep ruby core. Overwhelmingly smokey and slight barnyard notes masking the rather subtle black raspberry fruit. I would have preferred greater forest berry charm and intensity to enrich the fruity character.  It was nonetheless a vibrantly structured wine in its prime, unyielding during the first 3 hours and only started to show its more approachable self in the 4th hour. Long finish.  It would be interesting to see how this wine evolves with the softening of the tannic structure and if the fruity character would continue to remain elusive.....17/20 

1966 Leroy and 2002 Raveneau

22 Apr 2017:

2002 Chablis Valmur, Raveneau
Bright lemony robe. Mineral edge, focused, precise and linear dimensions, citrus, ripe pear. Beautifully balanced with age rounding out the raciness of youthful acidity, adding some mature spicy and honeyed nuances. A magnificent drop that testifies to superb craftsman, albeit showing some signs of age in terms of energy level.  I rather miss the crispness and vivacity that I love about Chablis.  Drinking very well now. For my enjoyment, I would not put this past next 3-4 years. 17/20

1966 Grands Echezeaux, Leroy
Animal, savoury, bacon fat, sous bois, wild mushrooms. VS creeping in but more as a source of freshness than a quality detraction at this point of its life. An elegant mature Bourgogne Grand Cru, silkily textured, still showing freshness and begging devoted appreciation, defying the oxidative effects of time. At peak now. 17/20 (Richard scored this 18/20)

A tasting of two halves

2 Feb 2017:

Two half bottles for a dinner for two:

2002 Domaine de l'Arlot, Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Forêts St Georges: An opulent bouquet of spice (clove and cinnamon), date, dried fruit, burnt cream, vanilla and cocoa notes. On the palate, full-bodied, with velvety texture, accompanied by weighty lush ripe fruit. Though not unpleasant, there was a slight bitterness at the finish.

2002 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Champans: The classic bouquet of sweet spice, vanilla, cardamom, earthy, wet leaves and cherry stone.  Light-bodied. There was evident volatile acidity but not too much to be unpleasant. We should at some point soon taste a full bottle to check the drinking window of this wine.

30 January 2017: 

Another dinner for two when we also compared two halves:

​2010 Bouchard Beaune-Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus: the nose was spicy, vanilla, chocolate, violet, cherry stone, with a hint of sous-bois. Medium acidity enough to maintain freshness. Delicious ripe fruit. Can be enjoyed now and over the next 5 - 6 years in this format. Definitely a favourite of mine!

1993 Dujac, Clos Saint Denis: Unfortunately, I found this lacking in fruit and drying out in this format. It still has the structure of an elegant wine, but much less charming than it would have been 8-10 years ago.  Worth revisiting another half and a full bottle. 

2002 Vintage: A Year to Remember

29 January 2017: The vintage to celebrate was 2002. It was the year we established a number of friendships. It was the year a lovely young lady was born. It was a great vintage in Champagne and Bourgogne!

2002 ​Bollinger RD: It was probably the most closed prestige cuvée champagne from this vintage that we had tried (and it would be given its late disgorgement). There were notes of mushroom and brioche but the structure was very tight. Very promising for a few years down the road!

2002 Comtes Lafon Meursault-Charmes: compared to the next wine, this showed a precise structure, taut with minerality and finesse, lithe and elegant. Notes of citrus and apple. A beautiful wine.

2002 Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet: this was quite advanced in terms of maturity, opulent and sumptuous, with well-integrated oak elements. The palate was rich, with pear and vanilla notes, ready to please but lacked the subtlety and finesse of the previous wine. 

2002 Armand Rousseau Chambertin: a wine with firm robust structure, nuances of sous-bois and violet but could do with more fruit notes. Acidity seemed slightly lower than the next wine. A great wine, but stylistically, a bit four-square.

2002 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Bèze: this was wine of the evening for me. A very complete wine, harmonious in every sense, with balanced acidity, rich textured fruit quality, and velvety tannins, starting to show some tertiary notes. A very fine wine, and a wine for the next 15 - 20 years! This would be a 19.5/20 wine for me!

2002 Leroy Corton-Renardes: A lush full-bodied Corton, with the signature Leroy aromatic profile and silky texture. Truffle and violet. Divine on the nose, gorgeous on the palate.

2002 Robert Arnoux Echezeaux: this was an elegant rendition of Echezeaux but the body seemed light against the Corton, and the finish was a little dry, lacking in fruit.  For drinking now!

Our generous hosts added a couple more bottles to satisfy the still thirsty guests:

1978 Remoissenet Chambertin: there was a bit too much volatile acidity for me

1964 Remoissenet Grands Echezeaux: interestingly this didn't quite taste like a typical Bourgogne wine.......but it had a sweet fruit quality to the palate, and an animal/savoury note.

1983 Cockburn's Vintage Port: alas, this was marred by a mild cork taint

And we washed all this down accompanied by a banquet of festive dishes generously prepared by our hosts and other guests: Patrick's spring-onion pancake, spicy carrot soup, Patrice's trio of dumplings, scallops in black bean sauce, minced smoked chicken on lettuce leaves, long beans with minced pork, roasted pork neck, spicy spare-ribs, Shanghainese Lion's Head meatballs (my modest contribution), Patrick's spring onion noodles and Eric's family heritage mousse au chocolat!  Enough protein to keep me going for days!!

2009 Les Climats du Coeur

17 January 2017:  We finally decided to crack open this beautiful case of 2009 Les Climats du Coeur. (I said 'we' but it was really Richard's birthday present!) A unique team of 8 top Burgundian producers got together for a charitable project in 2009.  Thanks to the bountiful and ripe vintage of 2009, a number of growers generously donated Premier Cru grapes from 4 communes, that were then vinified into wine, aged and bottled by this team of 8. Altogether 1,000 cases of 4 magnums were sold at EUR 1,200 per case, with the proceeds going to various charities in Burgundy.

The 4 magnums were:

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru:
Vinification and élevage by Domaine Dujac and Maison Faiveley
Grapes donated by: Maison Faiveley, Domaine Dujac, Domaine Dupont-Tisserandot, Domaine Bruno Clair, Domaine Rebourseau, Domaine Geantet-Pansiot, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze and Domaine Rossignol-Trapet

Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru: 
Vinification and élevage by Domaine de la Romanée Conti and Maison Joseph Drouhin
Grapes provided by: Maison Joseph Drouhin, Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Domaine Méo-Camuzet, Domaine Michel Gros, Domaine Comte Liger-Belair, Domaine Robert Arnoux, Domaine Lamarche, Domaine Prieuré-Roch, Domaine Grivot, Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot and Domaine Bernard Gros

Meursault Premier Cru:
Vinification and élevage by Domaine Roulot and Maison Louis Latour
Grapes provided by: Maison Louis Latour, Domaine Roulot, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Maison Deux Montille Sœur Frère, Maison Albert Bichot, Maison Bouchard Père et Fils, Maison Olivier Leflaive, Domaine Albert Grivault and Domaine Bitouzet Prieur


Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru: 
Vinification and élevage by Domaine Leflaive and Maison Louis Jadot
Grapes provided by: Maison Louis Jadot, Domaine Leflaive, Domaine Henri Boillot, Domaine Sauzet, Domaine Duc de Magenta, Château de Puligny, Domaine Chartron and Domaine Pernot

The first magnum we tried was the Meursault Premier Cru. The quality of the vintage allowed these grapes an early harvest during the first two weeks of September, according to the website's vintage report.   I would describe it at the prime of its drinking window: golden yellow robe, rich and ripe fruit from the vintage, but balanced with a good level of acidity, well-developed for enjoyment now. It's a wine made from quality grapes but given the richness of the vintage, it didn't feel wrong to open it! 

Amongst distinguished company in the evening
- the half bottle of 1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne was a highlight!

It would seem logical to try the Puligny Premier Cru next!  

Les Climats du Coeur was such a wonderful idea!  Love to support it again!