This night I was invited to one of those tasting where you don’t say no. Bonnes Mares was on the schedule. I’ve had the pleasure of drinking and tasting top notch wines here at Frederiksberg since that night where the host served me 1996 Coche Dury vs. 1996 Lafon. Over the years, the company has changed and many peoples have sat at the table. I have been grateful for each and every drop served to me here. The atmosphere is the best; focus on what you think about the wine. Don’t focus on a number and opinion from a guy who is not present.
Picture by Kwine. Thank you.
Steve have learned me many things and I’m always interested in hearing his opinion, as he is about mine. This night we gathered a very interesting group around the table and I was humble sitting in my corner of the sky. Please let me thank everyone for bringing these pristine bottles. These are my short notes on some amazing wines. Not tasted blind, points on the 100 point scale.
2006 Pol Roger, rosé, Champagne – still young and tight. Develops into a more clumsy young lady with some sweetness on the palate. This is not very elegant, but drinks in a nice way. 89 point
2002 Pierre Peters, Les Chetillons, Cuvée Speciale, Blanc des Blancs, Grand Cru, Le Mesnil, Champagne – precise and intense in just the way I like it. Good combination of lemon zest and white chalk. Very clean yellow fruit on the palate and nice small bubbles. The freshness and the complexity make this a very good Champagne. Still young, but already showing off in a good manner. “Keep them axes away from the table boys.” 94 points.
2005 Dom Francois & Antoine Jobard, Genevrieres, 1’er Cru, Meursault – big and voluminous nose. Giving a lot, but sending you in al different kind of directions. Mature tropical fruit, fresh butter, some oak and then the fresh mineral touch. On the palate, it’s the same song again. Powerful but with precise acidity to keep it in place. A bit hot on the finish but well balanced. A wine that you like to drink now. 92 points.
2011 Vincent Dauvissat, Les Clos, Grand Cru, Chablis – did someone just cut the lawn? This is fresh green grass and lemon on the nose. You expect this to be as fresh as the nose indicates, but then you taste it. On the palate some of the freshness is lacking and the wine is almost full bodied. This is a very good bottle of white wine, but it does not claim to be a fresh and precise Chablis. 91+ points. I wonder if this will get together with some time in bottle and become less flabby and more precise.
2005 Louis Carillon, Grand Cru, Bienvenue Batard Montrachet – all the way from Holland, thank you for bringing this to Denmark Kwine. A huge and compact wine with plenty of layers of fruit. The complexity and concentration take time to open up and this developed a lot over the night. Started out a bit heavy on the oak, but balanced by huge fruit intensity. Still fresh acidity lurking underneath the fruit power. This kept giving you more everytime you went back to have a sip. Started as a shy jazz singer, but turned into a bass player! 96 points.
2005 Jean Noel Gagnard, Les Cailleret, 1’er Cru, Chassagne Montrachet – dark yellow and a very expressive nose. Here is sweet clumsy fruit and the wine just seems heavy without finesse or balance. It’s all about the bass. High fruit intensity, sweet sherry notes and finish of with bitter notes and high acidity. This is really not a pleasure to drink. 86 points for showing off like that.
2011 Domaine Leflaive, Puligny Montrachet – tight and a little shy on the nose to begin with. Turns out very precise and fresh in all ways. This was not a wine with the same complexity as some of the other whites this evening. But it showed what focus, precision and freshness is in a top wine. This wine is straight down the middle of the road with absolutely no mistakes! 92 points. Disclaimer: I brought this wine and works for the importer in Denmark.
2002 Alain Burguet, Les Chardannes, Chambolle Musigny – cloudy and unprecise, a bit mould on nose and palate. Dark fruit flawors. A farmers wine that showed personality and a hint of charm. Not perfect, but the light comes in through the cracks. 91 points.
2002 Alain Hudelot-Noellat, Chambolle Musigny – this wine just showed of hard and tight. There is no sign of Chambolle charm and lightness. Very polished mature fruit and sweet tannins to wrap it up. This wine never really came into the ballpark ready to have fun. 88 points.
1962 Louis Jadot, Bonnes Mares – yes the wines from Jadot takes time to come around, and this one did tonight. Sweet fruit on the nose with some chocolate and minty flavors. Balanced palate with nice fruit and still a fresh acidity. Showing its age, but not dead. This opens up, even more, showing a very good story out of the bottle. A charming wine that is well made. 92 points.
1978 Antonin Guyon, Grand Cru, Corton Bressandes – amazing nose with so much fruit and freshness. Dry herbs and small red berries. Very fine and elegant on the palate with violin-like precision. This one is dancing like a ballerina. A bit short on the finish, but then it wakes up again. This is alive and very interesting. 93 points.
Then a very interesting set of wines. Disclaimer: I work for the importer of Chevillon in Denmark. The funny thing about Chevillon is that people always say that they will not really show until they are old and mature. Let’s all agree that this old lady from 64 is mature.
1964 Maurice Chevillon, 1’er Cru, Nuits-Saint-Georges – not just open and ready when popped. A very small tight cork that looked like it might have been recorked. Wine bought at auction, but no one suspected this to be a fake. The wine opens up a bit more but stays tight and with the main focus on black fruit aromas. The nose is a little bit reduced almost. Turns out more freshness and classic orange notes. This is not a big wine and it turns dry instead of opening more up. 89 points and then 2 more for age and pleasure.
1995 Robert Chevillon, Les Cailles, 1’er Cru, Nuits-Saint-Georges – powerhouse wine! The plate is served for you with black plums and licorice. On the palate, this is well structured with medium tannins and acidity. This stays tight and strong and does not flesh out and gives you a smile. A well build wine, dominated by the structure and intense fruit profile. As one said: “This is Burgundy for the Claretlover!” 89 points.
1997 Georges Roumier, Grand Cru, Bonnes-Mares – corked. But why a wine like this?!?!
1998 Georges Roumier, Grand Cru, Bonnes-Mares – yes baby this is playing on all strings. Did we expect much? Did it deliver? Yes! Thank you! Decanted several hours ahead and still working in the glass like it will never get tired. This is the mother of complexity; new aspects coming to live every time you stick your nose in the glass. This has red fruit and black fruit, mintiness and fresh black minerality. This is deep, without being heavy. This wine makes us all smile. Forget about taking notes, just think about the wine and the place! 98 points. Disclaimer: I work for the Danish importer of Roumier.
2002 Comte George de Vogue, Grand Cru, Bonnes-Mares – this was way more like a violin playing the clean high notes. Rolling into the scene with intense red fruit and a polished creamy palate. This is also an amazing wine, but has a hard time standing next to the 98 Roumier. This is complex and very well made, just does not charm me completely. For me not as great as the 2002 Musigny served last year. This ends up on 95 points and a smile.
1999 Domaine Bertheau, Grand Cru, Bonnes-Mares – can anything come after a set like that? I’m not sure any wine would stand strong there. This could hold up to its own idea and tough personality. This comes out of the glass like a U2 song or a storm on a Monday. Not polite, but intense. This one is ready to drink and showing a lot of complexity, based on black fruit aromas. Many layers of intense fruit, but struggling a little to stay clean on the palate. Never really comes together but trying to take the battle is also fine at this time of the night. 93 solid points.
2011 Fletcher, Alta Pete, Barolo – served blind, I guessed Barolo 2011. A good palate cleanser before the cheeses. Semi modernistic style with high acid and tannin. Light and elegant on the mid-palate and then getting intense and persistent in the finish. Sweet and sour cherry. 92 points.
Then 2 vintages of a personal favorite of mine. The Spätlese from Fritz Haag. 2001 is probably the best vintages ever of this wine, here served alongside the 1998 in the auction edition. Thank you, and a small thought to my sons, born in 98 & 01.
2001 Fritz Haag, Riesling Spätlese, Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Mosel – laser sharp precision with singing lemon fruit and chalky notes. This is so well balanced and the integration between the fruit, the minerality, and the fresh acidity is close to perfection. I love this wine and should I choose a wine for a lonely island this would be it! You will not be able to get tired of this wine. 96 points.
1998 Fritz Haag, Riesling Spätlese, Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Mosel, Versteigerung – much more creamy texture and lover acidity, or should I say not as intense acidity. Some botrytis notes and seems sweeter. A fantastic structure and persistence on the palate. 93 points.
1976 Weingut Dr. Bürklin Wolf, Riesling Auslese, Wachenheimer Gerümpel, Rhein Pfalz – mahogany color with deep sweetness and less freshness. Lacks a little definition. 82 points for still being alive.
And that’s it! Thank you for bringing these bottles to the table, and thank you for inviting me to join the party.