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Corton Charlemagne..... Chateau Canon..... Clos de la Roche.....

7-Feb-97

Friday night dinner for six wine-loving friends at our house. As usual, I had the difficult task of choosing the wines while Dorit merely did the cooking...

Shrimps Soup
1989 Corton Charlemagne, L. Jadot
****
Truffled Linguini in Porcini and Portebello sauce
1982 Chateau Canon - St. Emilion
****
Peppered Lamb shoulder in red wine & rosemary
1983 Clos de la Roche - Dom. Ponsot
****
Cheese Assortment
****
Caramel Cream
****
Coffee and Liqueur


Corton Charlemagne 1989 L. Jadot

2/97. Acquired in auction Aug-96 for $100 (Imported $126 net).
This great white wine from Jadot's own Domaine accompanied tonight's Bisque des Crevettes.
Almost two years since I first tasted this Jadot rendition of the great Grand Cru from the superb 1989 vintage for white (B).
COLOR: Medium golden yellow, quite viscous in appearance.
NOSE: Excellent nose of minerals and steel with a tough of honey tones. The wood that dominated the aroma at first, subsided in time to reveal pure, elegant yet powerful Chardonnay nose.
TASTE: Typical Corton Charlemagne. Very dry 'Wet stones' taste, some apricot, buttery fat and fullness. Wholesome taste with multilayers of flavors. A tiny bit reserved at the finish.
LENGTH: Quite long, though a bit dull aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Viscous, full bodied Grand Cru. Good balance of all elements.
OVERALL: An excellent wine, though not a prime example of Corton Charlemagne or even of Jadot's Corton Charlemagne.
MARK: 17+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.


Chateau Canon 1982 St. Emilion

2/97. Acquired in auction May-96 for $85 (imported for $101 net).
My first taste of this famous St. Emilion chateau that comprises almost entirely of Merlot And Cabernet Franc. The wine beautifully accompanied the "Linguini Trufe" (as it would almost any other imaginable dish).
COLOR: Very deep dark red with beautiful brownish hues to give the wine extra rich texture and look.
NOSE: Fantastic! Complex, multi-layered nose where young fruity aromas are intermixed with sweetish mature-wine nose. 'Bordeaux Nose' elements of cigar-box, pencil-tip etc., give a beautiful backdrop to the myriad of smelling pleasures.
TASTE: Silky, elegant, pretty mature and open. Many-flavored wine that fills the mouth with concentrated 'winyness'. Extremely smooth and tasty.
LENGTH: Very long and reverberating aftertaste. The good acidity of the finish gives the aftertaste an extra punch that stays.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium weight, richly textured wine. Richness is apparent in the looks, the nose and the taste of this wine. Excellent balance with good fruit, good acidity and unobstructive tannins.
OVERALL: Superb+! A great Bordeaux in every respect. At its peak now IMHO.
MARK: 18+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


Clos de la Roche 1983 Dom. Ponsot

2/97. Acquired in auction Feb-95 for $150 (imported for $165 net).
This (my second and last bottle) great Grand Cru from the superstar Domaine Ponsot and the great-or-bad 1983 vintage accompanies the main course of "Peppered Lamb in Red Wine".
COLOR: Good (for a 14-years Burgundy) ruby-red color. Heavy sediment is visible as Ponsot never filter their wine.
NOSE: Magic! Powerful yet super elegant captivating nose. The kind that makes you postpone your first sip lest the taste will not be as delicious as the nose. Vibrant fruit, mature sweetish plums, wet forest floor, gamey tones - all enveloped by the most beautiful 'Bourgogne Nose'. Extraordinary!
TASTE: More magic! Harmonious nectar that defies analysis. A rare hedonistic pleasure on the palate. Profound, rich, deep and concentrated - yet super elegant and smooth as silk.
LENGTH: Never-ending.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full-bodied but feels like a feather. Abundant young and mature fruit, soft tannins, vibrant acidity - all combine to present a perfect balance. I have tasted this wine two years ago. Then it was merely superb...
OVERALL: Extraordinary! A truly Grand Vin de Bourgogne in its utmost majesty.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.