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Tonight, a Friday dinner for six to cheer ourselves up a bit following
the sad outcome of the general elections...
Chef Dorit Shaya provided the nourishments, while your humble sommelier
was responsible for the wines.
Riesling, Frederic Emile (SGN) 1989 Trimbach
Bought in auction Dec-95 for $50 (for half bottle), (imported for $61
net).
This rare wine accompanied the foie d'oie. 1989 was probably the best
vintage of the 80s in Alsace. SGN (Selection des Grains Nobles), the
rarely produces 'Sauternes' of Alsace, are always extraordinary wines.
COLOR: Medium deep straw color. Unlike Chateau d'Yquem, does not 'look'
particularly concentrated.
NOSE: Immense! Unbelievable grandiose bouquet. Complex, multi-layered nose
that combines concentration with freshness. The grape is unmistakable,
though the nose is three times as profound as the best 'ordinary'
Riesling. Honey, apples, citrus, petrol - all larger than life...
TASTE: Sweet and concentrated, yet focused and refreshing. Superb acidity
and 'wininess' makes this nectar instantly recognizable from a syrupy
artificially sweetened wine. Still a bit closed, but so rich and tasty
that one can hardly imagine a better wine. The contrast with the Foie
d'Oie made the pairing a perfect match.
LENGTH: Long aftertaste that lingers for ages. The smaller sip one took -
the more the aftertaste was felt!
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied wine. Quite 'fat' but not as viscous as one
might expect. Perfect balance between fresh fruit, great sweetness and
concentration, and excellent acidity that gives this wine the appearance
of a very focused wine.
OVERALL: An extraordinary wine and a great and rare treat! In 3-5 years
this wine will surely become a divine example of the wonderful Alsace SGN.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
Meursault - Genevrieres 1988 Comtes Lafon
Acquired from London Feb-96 for $91 (imported for $116 net).
This famous 1er Cru from the best possible source for Meursault and a very
good year should provide the ultimate example of the terroir.
COLOR: Pale yellow, quite viscous looking.
NOSE: Superb aroma of butter, toasted almonds and apples, with more than a
hint of vanilla and wood. Very 'clean' yet complex nose.
TASTE: Excellent. Rich, creamy yet completely dry on the palate. Still a
bit tight, in spite of the eight years since the vintage. Very luscious,
multilayered flavors. As serious and as complex as a white wine can get.
LENGTH: Extremely long aftertaste that stood up to the flavorful shrimps
soup it accompanied.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A very well structured full bodied Meursault. A 'fat'
wine with plenty of zest. A bit too much oak and a bit lacking in acidity.
OVERALL: Superb wine though, amazingly enough, still far from open. I had
another Lafon 1988 Meursault about a month ago - "Les Perrieres". That
wine was much more forward than the present Genevrieres, which certainly
needs at least another 3-5 years in the bottle.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.
Gevrey - Les Cazetiers 1989 B. Clair
Bought from Bruno Clair at the winery in the Cote d'Or, Apr-96 for $39.
Cazetiers, my favorite Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, is usually on a Grand Cru level.
COLOR: Medium brick red. Some clearing towards the rim.
NOSE: Fine though a bit rustic 'Bourgogne Nose' masking almost any other
element. Some discernable red-fruit bouquet, but admittedly less than I
expected. The nose (as the rest of this wine's aspects) developed and
changed significantly in the glass.
TASTE: Very tasty wine. Perhaps not as concentrated as Jadot's Cazetiers,
but an excellent 'food wine'. Still a bit tannic and coarse, with some
fruit and plenty of acidity on the palate. A perfect match for the Duck in
Shiraz.
LENGTH: Nothing to write home about.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: My experience with 1989 1er Cru red (B)s lately
suggests that these wines generally entered their don't-touch-me-now
period. They have lost much of their initial fruitiness, but have not yet
gained the complexity and silky smoothness of a mature (B). Hence the
hollow and lack of 'wininess' feeling. Good acidity and healthy amount of
tannins hold promise for the future.
OVERALL: An excellent wine that was caught in its dormant phase. I wish I
had another bottle to try in a few years.
MARK: 17+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.
Grands Echezeaux 1983 Mongeard-Mugneret
Bought in auction Aug-95 for $70 (imported for $82 net).
My last bottle of this fantastic Grand Cru. Always counted with the best
wines I ever experienced.
COLOR: Light red with beautiful brownish hues. Not a pale wine by any
means and neither suffers from serious loss of pigments towards the rim.
NOSE: The most beautiful and complex 'Bourgogne Nose' imaginable. Mature
red-fruit, sweetish plums, mushrooms, and dump forest-floor. All mingle
into a powerful, harmonious, extremely enticing nose that one is hard
pressed to let go.
TASTE: Mouthfilling. A big wine on the palate, fully mature with plenty of
grip. A myriad of layers and flavors attack the taste buds with harmonious
and delicate concoction before, during, and after every sip. Fantastic!...
The wine is too good and subtle to be dominated by real food. It was perfect with
the cheese plate.
LENGTH: Extremely long and complex aftertaste. Keeps developing in the
mouth long after the last drop of every sip is gulped down.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied though not heavy in any sense. Fully mature
and well integrated, though superb 'flesh', good acidity and some tannins
are still discernible separately. Harmonious, silky, 'big', authoritative
- are some of the adjectives that come to mind.
OVERALL: Extraordinary! A truly great wine in every respect. A rare
example of what a mature Grand Cru from the right source can be like. I am
pretty sure this wine still has a few years of top life ahead, though why
wait?
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
Yak's Home Page |
Introducing Yak |
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Yak's Burgundy Primer |
Tasting Notes Archive |
Wine & Food Adventures |