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Mature Burgundy: Barolet, DRC, Giroud, Roumier, and more
A group of us recently gathered to taste mature bottles of Burgundy. Due to everyone’s generosity, several different flights were formed. We began with a blind flight of three different Champagne from the 1996 vintage. This was followed by the main focus on both the 1965 and 1966 vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche and Romanée-Conti. A very old bottle of Burgundy was then served. A pair of Champagne Brut Rose was served while dinner was prepared. After a slew of dinner wines, both young and old, dessert wines were deployed. Several of the wines were off but due to everyone’s generosity, there was plenty to drink at a generally high level of pleasure.
1996 Champagne
We kicked off the evening with a trio of Champagne from 1996. The guest who generously brought these bottles poured them so we could taste them blind. Of course I had no chance of guessing correctly, I have far too little experience with Champagne. But I suspect with that experience these wines could have been identified blind. The Gosset is mature and vinous, a wine to drink now. The Billecart-Salmon is elegant and lively, delivering its tart and chalky flavors with verve. The Philipponnat is intense, rich and ripe, yet balanced by green apples and lemons. I particularly enjoyed the last two.
Blind #1 – 1996 Gosset, Grand Millésime, Champagne Brut
Imported by Vieux Vins. Alcohol 12%. A touch of stink eventually blows off. In the mouth are mature flavors followed by ripe fruit in the middle. Age has given it a vinous quality. Additional air reveals this is a wine to drink now. *** Now.
Blind #2 – 1996 Billecart-Salmon, Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart, Champagne Brut
Imported by Vieux Vins. Alcohol 12.5%. Elegant on the nose with a fine mousse and lively precise nature in the mouth. The flavors cut through the palate, supported by acidity. Quite enjoyable with attractive verve. It wraps up with tart citrus and a chalky finish. **** Now – 2029.
Blind #3 – 1996 Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses, Champagne Brut
Alcohol 13%. A touch more aged yellow in the glass. The most intense nose with an intense offering in the mouth. The bubbles explode upon drinking, leaving a short-lived mousse which is replaced by a green apple note. It moves on to rich and ripe flavors with a lovely lemon finish. **** Now – 2029.
1965 and 1966 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
I was fortunate to purchase a small parcel of old wines including the following quartet of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The wines were originally purchased by a couple in the Washington, DC area who bought their wines from MacArthur Beverages. For decades these bottles were stored in the basement. I am not sure what happened during those years, perhaps a basement flood, for the labels and fills varied.
These were not the best looking bottles but given the scarcity and generally insane pricing of these wines I had to organize a tasting around them. For I doubt I could ever again taste the 1965 and 1966 vintages of Romanée-Conti and La Tâche in one sitting. And what a pairing of vintages, the disastrous 1965 with the very good 1966. But I had another reason for pairing the two vintages.
Neal Martin wrote in Fermented Grape Juice: Romanée-Conti 1953-2005 how Aubert de Villaine recently served the 1965 Romanée-Conti to a large group. Michael Broadbent rates this soggy vintage zero stars yet the very late October picking resulted in a wine that Neal Martin found “mocks its vintage reputation and defies all expectations.” One guest with deep Burgundy experience believes he had never before tasted any Burgundy from the 1965 vintage.
The wines were single-decanted then immediately poured. With all four glasses in front of us it was obvious our bottle of 1965 Romanée-Conti was flawed as was the 1966 La Tâche. The 1966 Romanée-Conti was suffering a bit but the 1965 La Tâche was in fine form. Despite being less than ideal, the 1966 Romanée-Conti initially offered a complex nose I had trouble describing. The 1965 La Tâche was the star of this flight for me. A lovely wine all around and complete shock given the vintage. Compared to some of the other wines with similar age, this has quite a bit of substance. I held on to my glass for a long time.
1965 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, S/N 01281
Imported by Frederick Wildman. Very clean on the nose, revealing incense and perfume. Elegant yet with depth. This is a mid-weight wine which still sports some supporting tannins. With air it reveals a silky nature, infused with fat, and a baking spiced finish. **** Now but will last.
1965 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti, S/N 00578
Imported by Frederick Wildman. The stink on the nose is hard to get around. Shame as it is round and dense in the mouth with a mineral cut. The flavors have power but the nose reveals it is a flawed bottle that eventually falls apart. Not Rated.
1966 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, S/N 03090
Imported by Frederick Wildman. Shame, the worst nose and gross in the mouth. Not Rated.
1966 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti, S/N 01221
Imported by Frederick Wildman. An exotic nose with perfumed aromas that I have difficulty describing. In the mouth it is supple and elegant with some spice. *** Now.
A Blind, Rather Old Bottle of Burgundy
After the DRC flight we were treated to a bottle of Burgundy served blind. Two lines of inquiry developed as to the vintage and appellation. Though one guest eventually narrowed in on Pommard, I do not possess that sort of experience so I focused in on vintage. It was certainly older than 1964. Based on a handful of bottles I have tasted from the 1940s and 1930s I decided it had to be older, perhaps 1920s or even 1910s.
The bottle was revealed to be 1928 Collection du Docteur Barolet (Henri de Villamont) Pommard-Epenots. I was excited to guess the general age but more so to finally have tasted a Dr. Barolet wine. The excitement level rose even more when we next learned that it was acquired at the 2006 Acker auction of Rudy Kurniawan’s “THE Cellar”. I will write more about this particular bottle in a subsequent post but whether it be a real or fake bottle, it was very good. Michael Broadbent writes that the 1928 Epenots and Rugiens were among the best of original bottles at the 1969 Christie’s auction. At our tasting, it was one of the best bottles as well.
1928 Collection du Docteur Barolet (Henri de Villamont) Pommard-Epenots
Purchased at “THE Cellar”, Acker-Merrall & Condit, January 2006. The lightest and most mature brick color of all wines tasted this night. Clear in the glass. A fine, scented nose with ripe hints. It develops with air showing apple orchard and hints of red fruit. In the mouth it is red fruited, tart with some vein of very old wine flavor. There is a meaty note. Precision comes from the spine of acidity. It focuses with air. **** Now but will last.
Champagne Refreshment
A pair of Champagnes acted as a palate refresher while the preparation of the Coq au Vin was finished. The Paul Bara, Special Club is on the sweet side for my preferences. I can imagine serving it outside at a BBQ. I prefer the Tattinger, Comtes de Champagne.
2012 Paul Bara, Special Club, Champagne Brut Rose
Imported by Envoyer Imports. Alcohol 12%. A burst of sweet fruits comes with the initially firm bubbles. A creamy mousse persists along with the sweet fruit. *** Now – 2024.
2006 Tattinger, Comtes de Champagne, Champagne Brut Rose
Imported by Kirkcrest Imports. Alcohol 12.5%. Aromatic. Focused flavors and firm bubbles lead to dry, baking spices. There is a vein of sharp acidity around which rounded, berry notes form until picking up a racy hint in the finish. ***(*) Now – 2029.
Dinner Wines
With dinner we moved on to several old and a few young Burgundies. Some of the oldest Burgundies I have drunk comes from Maison Camille Giroud. Founded in the 19th century, this negociant firm still believes in long barrel aging. They hold back stock, releasing some wines decades after the vintage. The 1949 Camille Giroud, Volnay Santenay Premier Cru and 1966 Camille Giroud, Volney 1er Cru Clos des Chenes reflect perfect provenance. Both wines sport some old-wine concentration but the 1949 is more tangy and elegant from age whereas the 1966 is completely different with its attractive baked cookie notes. It was my second experience with the 1978 Mongeard-Mugneret, Grands-Echezeaux and I still like it very much. It is a hedonistic wine for drinking now. In moving forward nearly two decades, the 1994 Domaine G. Roumier, Chambolle-Musigny is certainly younger but still full of character. I particularly liked the scented nose and understated complexity. In contrast, the 2002 Domaine Annick Parent, Volnay Les Fremiets is very young and tonight, in need of more age.
1949 Camille Giroud, Volnay Santenay Premier Cru
Burgundy Wine Company Selection. Round with sweet and sweaty flavors with a beautiful, old-wine concentration. The finish is initially a little short and there is some heat but there is plenty to engage with. The wine does flesh out with air, taking on tangy citrus, spices, and stones in the long, lifted, ethereal finish. **** Now.
1966 Camille Giroud, Volney 1er Cru Clos des Chenes
Imported by USa Wine Imports. Burgundy Wine Company Selection. A deep mahogany color. The array of spices on nose reminds me of Nurnberger Lebkuchen. A round and sweet start brings on some old-school flavors carried by a structural vein. Sandalwood. **** Now – 2024.
1978 Mongeard-Mugneret, Grands-Echezeaux
Shipped by Robert Haas Selections. Imported by Vineyard Brands. Exotic perfume on the nose. The cherry fruit flavors persist with good acidity. This is a weighty, expansive wine with fat in the finish. Hedonistic and drinking well right now. **** Now.
1994 Domaine G. Roumier, Chambolle-Musigny
Alcohol 12.7%. Nice with a strawberry scented nose. An elegant wine with some gravelly density. It balances youth with complexity leaving the impression of a lovely, characterful wine. ***(*) Now – 2029.
2002 Domaine Annick Parent, Volnay Les Fremiets
Very youthful, pure, almost candied with flavors of red grapefruit. In the end, I think this wine needs more time. *** 2022-2032.
Dessert Wine
With a chocolate tart we had a small grouping of dessert wines. In order of age, the 1946 Bodegas Albala, Don P.X. Convento, Montilla-Moriles is perhaps the most concentrated wine I have drunk. With notes of dried figs and baking spices, this unctuous wine has enough acidity to keep it balanced. There is so much flavor packed in that you only need the tiniest of pours. The 1964 Hermannshof, Niersteiner Kehr und Flaschenhahl Riesling Auslese, Rheinhessen continues to deliver unctuous flavors with tea notes but this bottle showed a touch less acidity than before. It is always a treat to taste these old bottles of Riesling. Finally, the 1968 Lodovico e Piero Antinori, Vino Santo Rosso Riserva offered a good surprise. The nose was pungent, evocative of Madeira, with dried fruit and spices, along with a touch of red fruit. I had no idea what to expect so I was pleased.
1946 Bodegas Albala, Don P.X. Convento, Montilla-Moriles
Imported by Classical Wines. Alcohol 17%. Bottled in 2011. Surely, the most concentrated wine I have tasted. Incredibly dark and viscous enough to stain the glass brown. Lifted aromas of dried figs and baking spices. An acidity driven start followed by a knife-edge of acidity pierces through the unctuous and sweet flavors. Fresh, wet baking spiced flavors coat and persist in the mouth for a long time. One of the most concentrated wines I have ever dried, you only need a tiny pour. **** Now until whenever!
1964 Hermannshof, Niersteiner Kehr und Flaschenhahl Riesling Auslese, Rheinhessen
Shipped by Allyn & Scott Wines. Imported by Wine Cellars. From the Don Stott Cellar. A youthful yet aged golden yellow color. Baking spices on the nose. A sweet core with weighty flavors of apricot and tea. A bit soft, plumped up with fat and perfume. There is less obvious acidity but the tea and tannins keep the wine fresh. *** Now.
1968 Lodovico e Piero Antinori, Vino Santo Rosso Riserva
Imported by T. Elenteny Imports. Alcohol 16%. Wow, of course I like this wine for the pungent aromatics remind me a bit of Madeira. There are flavors of sweet, spiced, dried fruit and plenty of texture around the fuller bodied wine. There is enough acidity to be supportive. The wine tastes of mature flavors with old leather and old-school notes in the finish. Towards the end this viscous wine becomes more red-fruited. ***(*) Now – 2039.
Wines That Were DOA
The following three bottles were bad!
- NV (1970s) Simi, Burgundy, Sonoma
- 1978 E. Guigal, Hermitage
- 1985 Comte Armand, Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux
Bastardo & Mostcatel: the dinner wines 2011 – 1959
After working through 20 different Madeira at Bastardo & Moscatel: The Tasting 1927 – 1830 it was time for the transition to dinner service. As always there is an array of Champagne to work through. A pair old label and very tasty NV Krug, Champagne Brut Grand Cuvée, an oxidized 1985 Salon, Champagne Brut Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs, a substantive 1996 Bollinger, Champagne La Grande Année, 1998 Pierre Peters, Champagne Brut Le Mesnil Blanc des Blancs, and 1982 Tattinger, Champagne Brut Millesime. There is an interesting trio of Dom: 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon, a magnum of good 1988 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rose, and an old survivor the 1959 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon.
To transition from Champagne to red wine is a very good bottle of 1989 Clos St Hune, Riesling Vendanges Tardives Hors Choix of which I took note. Then came a grab bag of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, and Portuguese wines. I missed out on tasting a number of bottles but then I did manage to receive some healthy pours of some great wine! Please find my general impressions below.
1989 Clos St Hune, Riesling Vendanges Tardives Hors Choix
Moderately sweet with Riesling fruit this is well balanced and dense. There is a lovely floral note.
1967 Chateau Latour, Pauillac
In fine shape, one gentleman described as the “perfect luncheon claret”. I agree, dark fruit, cedar, fresh acidity, and easy to drink.
1971 Chateau Latour, Pauillac en magnum
Shipped by Nathaniel Johnston & Fils. Wow, in fine shape and drinking very well right now. Dark fruits, wood box, and yes, graphite.
1990 Chateau Latour, Pauillac
Shipped by SEMAV. Imported by Ginday Imports. Alcohol 12.5%. A beautiful color, lighter than the 1989 Haut-Brion. Aromatic on the nose and flavorful in the mouth. The wine is thick in a sense, textured, and still developing yet the minerals and graphite are engaging right now.
1989 Chateau Haut-Brion, Graves
Shipped by Armand Roux. Attractive animale nose. Wow in the mouth, mineral, dense, and sexy with fat coated flavors. The animale quality persists in the flavor making it complete. This is only just starting to open up.
1959 Berry Bros & Rudd, Chateau Montrose, St. Estephe
Imported by Marine Trading Consultants. This is great and even better than my two chateau bottled experiences. The fruit is more concentrated and sweet. Clearly well-stored.
2011 Remoissenet, Montrachet Le Montrachet
Starting to mature.
1985 Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne
Yeasty and rich in the mouth with apple orchard flavors. The acidity makes it crisp and tense with a citric note.
1991 La Pousse D’Or, Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse D’Or Monopole en magnum
Imported by The Rare Wine Co. Alcohol 14%. This is entering maturity with vibrant red fruit over underlying blue fruit flavors. I am happy to discover the fine evidence of maturity.
1970 Avery’s, Domaine Gros-Renaudot, Richebourg Grand Cru
This is a gentle wine with an introduction of sweet, concentrated fruit infused with fat. The fruit is still supported by structure which leaves a sweet, wood note.
1990 Pierre Bouree Fils, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Selected and shipped by The Wine Society. Sweeter and softer with good depth of flavor. The wood notes are infused with a sweet finish.
1996 Jose Alfonso e Filhos, Rogenda, Veiras
Alcohol 13%. Fine ripe blue and black fruit, ripe wood texture, and spice. Nicely structured.
1990 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage
A good nose which is earth and animale. It is barely entering maturity. Right now it is perfectly balanced with the structure well-integrated. Plenty of grip.
Dinner and Wine at RN-74 in Seattle
When I was tasting wine at Amavi/Pepper Bridge, Jennifer told me that I should really check out the new restaurant RN-74. She was quite excited by the outstanding selection of Burgundies that the owner had brought over and were not available anywhere else in the state. She said the prices were reasonable as well. I did a double-take as there is an RN-74 in San Francisco designed by one of my friends. This one was train themed too, it had to be an AvroKO designed restaurant.
AvroKO is an international firm run by the four long-time friends William, Kristina, Adam, and Greg. I met William in the late 1990s when we lived in Seattle. William was an interior designer and a local artist who was starting to gain a following. Seattle could not contain his creativity so he left for New York City and helped start AvroKO in 2000. Starting with Public NYC they now have designed a series of restaurants throughout the country and also Hong Kong. Now that we have a young daughter the days of zipping up to New York to eat at William’s last opening are temporarily suspended.
I was feeling lazy after battling rush-hour traffic to get to my room at the Arctic Club Hotel. I knew I had to eat but there were two wines I needed to taste in my room, making room service sound tempting. The 2008 Rulo Winery, Syrah, Walla Wall was open and I liked it so I definitely wanted to take a note. The 2009 Tried and True Tablewine would put me over my weight limit so it had to be tasted. But Jenn reminded me that we rarely get the chance to visit one of William’s (AvroKO’s) restaurants so I should go and not worry about dumping leftover wine.
The Arctic Club Hotel is decent but the immediate area is a bit barren and anchored by several parking garages. I bucked up and headed over. The garages are actually interesting affairs and have a style that is quintessentially Seattle.
A few of the buildings along 4th Ave. subtly remind you of their property boundaries and distracted my attention.
But then I caught sight of RN-74 and immediately recalled that just over a month ago I had passed by and wondered about the then, almost complete, restaurant. While there is a lot of foot traffic in the area, it is not a corner that I would expect this restaurant to open at. The front door was open and there was quite a buzz from all of the people, I forgot about the location.
RN-74 is named about the Route Nationale that runs through Burgundy. The wine list primarily focuses on the wines of Burgundy but Bordeaux is close by with many wines from the 1950s and 1960s. The Rhone and other regions are well represented but not at the expense of Washington and Oregon states which are deep in vintages.
I sat at the bar to eat the Painted Hills Burger and taste some Pinot Noir.
The higher-end wines-by-the-glass are poured from a Enomatic machine and served in Spiegelau glasses. In case you have multiple glasses in front of you they label a ticket which is slipped around the stem.
Being an AVROKO restaurant you find the thorough attention to detail, including graphics, the communal table, filament bulbs, dress of the staff (check out the shirts), and attention to both food and drink. A small selection of the wines are listed upon the wall, evoking train tickers, but others are listed on a moving ticker. I was tempted by the 2009 Gremenon, Les Laurentides, but Jenn and I have drunk it before and it is currently available at MacArthur’s. And I could not forget the bottles in my hotel room. The prices on the ticker do move and not randomly.
2000 Domaine Drouhin, Laurene, Dundee Hills, Oregon
There were 1900 cases of this wine produced. This wine has a garnet color and a subdued nose. There are still concentrated flavors of red fruits, tart berries, cherries, and vigorous grip. There are some citrus qualities to the mature flavors. The minerals or crushed stones in the finish integrate with fine+ tannins then blue fruits. This bottle was well stored and in no rush to be consumed, what a nice treat and surprise to find by the glass. Definitely new world and probably won’t develop a complex nose but it is good fun to drink. There are ample, affordable wines that should be drunk mature but do not find their way to restaurants, let alone, served by the glass. ** Now-2015.
2007 Chandon de Brailles, Volney 1er Cru, “Caillerets”, Burgundy
There were 148 cases of this wine produced. It is a lighter color than the Drouhin with purplish tinge. It has an interesting, perfumed nose of ripe, blacker-stone fruits.. The flavors in the mouth are darker, with initial red fruit then underlying black fruit developing, with a structured stone-like personality. **(*) Now-2019.
2008 Domaine de Montille, Beaune 1er Cru, “Les Sizes”, Burgundy
This wine had the lightest color of them all and it was a rose/ruby. There is a nice nose of minerals, red fruit, and some earth. In the mouth the tart, red fruit was complemented by some spiciness. As it was a new bottle it eventually revealed delicate scents on the nose. ** 2015-2019.