Chassagne - Morgeot..... Clos de la Roche..... Montrachet..... Beaune - Cent Vignes.....
Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet..... Chambolle - Les Amoureuses..... Meursault Blagny..... Grandes Echezeaux.....
Chablis - Les Clos..... Romanee St. Vivant..... Corton Charlemagne..... Mazis Chambertin.....

Decided to share tasting notes of some Bourgogne bottles from the not-so-distant past.
Each time a white and a red bottle were consumed with the same friends, over excellent dinner.

Chassagne - Morgeot			1986	L. Latour

11/92. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $32.
A full, rich Chardonnay from a great vintage.
Full yellow color. Intense toasty fat bouquet. Great depth and complex flavor. Alcohol well balanced by acidity. Accompanied by sushi, calamari, mushroom salad and Salmon (4 people in our favorite restaurant). A very good expression of a Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru.
MARK: 16/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

Clos de la Roche			1985	J. Drouhin

11/92. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $54.
One of the most powerful yet elegant red Bourgogne from a great vintage.
Medium ruby color. Intense fruit (vegetable?) on the nose. Full bodied but smooth on the palate. Deep, mature and forward.
Went deliciously with roast duck, rabbit stew, Caucasian kebab and steak (same format as above). An excellent example of this Grand Cru.
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Le Montrachet				1986	Bouchard P&F

5/93. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $105.
The most famous white wine of Bourgogne, supposed to be the best dry whites in the world!
Medium yellow color. More floral than fruity aroma. Almonds and some honey flavor. Good overall balance. Accompanied by plainly-grilled delicate fish. A very good wine, but expected MUCH more...
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

Beaune - Les Cent Vignes	1985	L. Jadot

5/93. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $28.
One of the best Beaune 1er Cru from a good source and a great vintage.
A vibrant red-violet color. Fantastic fruity aroma and bouquet. Relatively concentrated and rich on the palate. Beautiful and tasty. Was excellent with the Boeuf Bourguignon and the cheese that followed. A nice surprise after the former disappointment!
MARK: 16+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Bienvenues Batard Montrachet	1986	L. Jadot

11/93. Acquired from Beaune Sep-93 for $97 (imported for $105 net).
A great Grand Cru from Puligny Montrachet. A good source and a great vintage.
Fine golden color. Toasted almonds and fruits on the nose. Multi-layers fruity flavors. Delicate and harmonious body and balance. A long, lingering lasting finish. Accompanied by sea-food pasta and pumpkin soup. A rare and extraordinary experience.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Chambolle - Les Amoureuses	1985	L. Jadot

11/93. Acquired from Beaune Sep-93 for $70 (imported for $80 net).
The best 1er Cru from Chambolle Musigny. Again 85 and again Jadot. This time an owner.
Concentrated silky-red color. Compellingly elegant aroma of red fruits.
Delicately fruity yet full of flesh on the palate. A myriad of tastes continue to develop in the mouth. An excellent companion to a good fillet-steak with dauphinee potatoes. So good we left most of it for the cheese.
MARK: 18+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Meursault - Chateau Blagny	1989	L. Latour

1/94. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $24.
Relatively little known 1er Cru vineyard from Meursault.
Medium straw color. More butter than fruit on the nose. Fresh 'Meursault' taste. Balanced acidity and strength. Very good with salmon mousse and crab-leg soup. Excellent surprise, relatively good value.
MARK: 16/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Grands Echezeaux			1986	J. Drouhin

1/94. Acquired from Beaune Sep-93 for $42 (imported for $56 net).
One of the truly grandest Grand Crus of Bourgogne. Good source, but dull and difficult year.
Almost light red color. Deep and rich fruity aroma. Somewhat less so on the palate. A velvety rich texture, but a bit off after-taste. Went fine with the young lamb baked in pastry and the cheese assortment. A bit disappointing (especially when I remember the divine Mongeard-Mugneret 83). Still a rare treat.
MARK: 16/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

Chablis - Les Clos			1989	J. Drouhin

2/94. Acquired from Beaune Sep-93 for $27 (imported for $36 net).
One of the best Grand Crus of Chablis. A very good source and an excellent year.
Light yellow color. Clean and dry bouquet of apples. Steely strong taste. Excellent balance, though barely mature. Superb with cold shrimps lightly boiled with lemon.
A prime example of this wonderful wine. Will improve in a couple of years.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Romanee St. Vivant			1986	Dom. Leroy

2/94. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $87.
A famous Grand Cru from Vosne Romanee. Terrific source but a poor vintage.
Dark red color. Spicy and exotic bouquet. Strong concentrated wine full of flavors. A little unbalanced with hollow gaps at the finish. Accompanied fillet mignon with asparagus followed by cheese. I wish I had this wine from 85, 88 ,89 or 90 (but then it wouldn't cost "only" $87...).
MARK: 16/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

Corton Charlemagne		1988	L. Jadot

5/94. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $54.
One of the (rightly!) most famous white Grands Crus.
Maybe the best in the world. Super source, very good year. Pale yellow color. Fantastic complex and intriguing, not exactly fruity bouquet. Wonderfully multidimensional taste. Grandiose structure, strength well-balanced by acidity. Unbelievable length, every swallow lingered with hidden after-tastes for ages. 2-3 more years would have smoothed it to perfection.
Hedonized with smoked salmon & avocado mousse, calamari in capers sauce. That is what the gods must be drinking when they are having something special!
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Mazis Chambertin		1985	L. Latour

5/94. Acquired from Beaune Sep-93 for $78 (imported for $84 net).
A good Grand Cru from Gevrey Chambertin. Mediocre source, excellent year.
Medium red color. Rich, strong and beautifully Bourgogne bouquet. Smooth taste but not velvety so, spices rather than fruit, oak quite apparent. Fully mature. Expected more alcohol. Decent length but a bit acidic after-taste.
Happily married the Tournedot Rossini and the cheese plate that followed. An excellent Grand Cru with minor imperfections. (Probably much better from the hands of a good grower...).
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.