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Chevalier Montrachet..... Hermitage 'La Chapelle'..... Ch. Canon.....


22-Oct-99

A special dinner at our home for Bobby Bea and their daughter Sarah, our visiting friends from Switzerland, and their friend Miriam from Jerusalem.
The food was fantastic as it was spectacular (see below the Chef in action!), the wines were great as their labels promised, and the atmosphere and good time we all had matched them both.


Bobby

Sarah

Bea


Chef de la cuisine

Miriam

Chef de la cave

Seafood Risotto
1992 Chevalier Montrachet, Verget
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Red & Yellow Pepper Soup
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Veal Tongue in capers
1989 Hermitage 'La Chapelle', Jaboulet
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Cheese Assortment
1982 Chateau Canon
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Creme Caramel


Seafood Risotto

Bi-Color Pepper Soup

Veal Tongue


Chevalier Montrachet 1992 Verget

10/99. Acquired in auction Jan-97 for $130.
Chevalier Montrachet, in theory the second best white wine in the world, is often the best wine, as there are so many under-performing Montrachet...
Verget - the foreigner superstar who came down to Burgundy to prove he can make better white (B) than those who simply inherited plots there - has bought himself in recent years a reputation that few native Burgundians can boast of.
COLOR: Medium-deep yellow, looking clear and fresh.
NOSE: Profound aromas of pears and apples, perfumed flowers, oily minerals and measured wood notes. Yielding and forward yet very elegant. Extremely enticing nose.
TASTE: Filling the mouth with concentrated nectar. Mouth-watering white fruit with a touch of lemon. Seductively dry, stylish and elegant. Never heavy in the least, every sip is a balanced act between opulent richness and restraint elegance.
LENGTH: Really long and mouthfilling aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-full bodied full-textured wine. Not a blockbuster though highly concentrated, laden with fruit and winyness. Yet crisp and stylish enough to create a perfectly balanced wine.
OVERALL: Extraordinary!! Among the very best white wines I ever had. A point now though will hold on for years.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


Hermitage 'La Chapelle' 1989 P. Jaboulet

10/99. Acquired in auction Aug-97 for $85.
I have last tasted this 'La Chapelle' about two years ago. At that time it was still a bit backward though already superb.
COLOR: Very dark red, as can be expected. Hardly any clearing towards the rim. Plenty of sediment on the side of the bottle.
NOSE: Black pepper, exotic spices, cassis, mint and chocolate - all bursting out of the glass. Intense and powerful nose with complex, semi-ripe fruit, vanilla, licorice and whatnot.
TASTE: Massive and intense vinous pleasure on the palate. Warmth, plenty of winyness, multi-dimensional flavors. Really fine grip and backbone. Tannins are still felt though much less so than two years ago.
LENGTH: Very long and powerful aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A full-bodied mammoth wine. Not for nothing Hermitage (especially the 'La Chapelle') is considered to be the manliest wine of France. Plenty of ripe fruit, very nice acidity, ample but soft tannins - all combine to bring about one of the best balanced super Rhone wine.
OVERALL: Extraordinary!! This wine gives immense pleasure now though is still some years from compete maturity.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


Chateau Canon 1982 St. Emilion

10/99. Acquired in auction Jul-97 for $100.
I have tasted this specific wine a couple of times in the past, the last time about a year ago. Each time this great example of a St. Emilion Grand Cru was so good that it made me wonder what will it take to be a better Bordeaux than that.
Any wine in the world would have a hard act to follow if you serve it after a top 'La Chapelle'.
COLOR: Not as dark as the 'La Chapelle' but beautiful multiple-hues tones of violet-red.
NOSE: More fruity than the peppery Hermitage, though we are talking sweetish dry plums rather than fresh berries. Distinct aroma of flowers (violets?). Very rich complex and perfumed nose, though in a more delicate way than the Hermitage.
TASTE: Thick, chewy and delicious wine. Full of mature flavors that complimented both the tender veal tongue and the pungent Gruyere and Mimolette cheese. Rich in winyness, sweet fruit, measured acidity and soft, receding tannins.
LENGTH: Extremely long and lingering aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-full bodied. Velvety smooth with immense concentration. Beautiful ripe fruit, ample winyness, exquisitely harmonious and perfectly balanced.
OVERALL: Extraordinary!! Among the best Bordeaux I have ever had. At its absolute peak now.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.