A decade of decadence hosted by Grand Millesime
2 February 2016
A big night so early in the week.
Champagne on arrival.
Drappier Rose NV Brut
Bright pink.
Strawberries and citrus on the nose.
Good structure with plenty of crisp acid despite some confectionary.
Flight One.
2012 Domaine J.M Guillon Gevrey-Chambertin Les Perrieres Premier cru
Dark cherries, forrest floor and subtle oak on the nose.
A very good wine which will age nicely.
2011 Domaine Georges Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin Les Combottes Premier cru
Pick of this flight, and rated second overall, despite being from a difficult vintage.
Dark cherries, strawberries and cream. Hints of game and cured meats.
Soft and mouth filling. Great length. Extremely dense in flavour.
A brooding wine that will develop well with age.
Flight Two.
Here the much weaker vintage of 2006 held its own against the highly rated 2005. I would suggest the 2006 wines were simply aging faster, making them far more approachable. Regardless, Shell selected the 2006 Domaine Arlaud as one of her top wines of the evening.
2006 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St-Jaques Premier cru
Subtle black fruit. Restrained and elegant with so much going on albeit very subtle.
Same on the palate. Restrained yet masculine. Everything in its place.
Great drinking now but I am not sure how much longer it will maintain its composure.
2006 Domaine Arlaud Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes Premier cru
Earth and blueberries. Hints of flowers. Very complex.
Its a feminine wine that manages to deliver some weight and great texture.
A wine with a future.
2005 Domaine Trotochot Gevrey-Chambertin Champeaux Premier cru
Extremely complex. There is so much going on it is hard to pin down. Dark concentrated fruit. Earth, forest floor, mushrooms and sweet flowers all wrapped in subtle yet obvious oak.
Big, textured mouthfeel. Gripping well balanced tannins.
I am inexperienced with the aging potential of Burgundy but had I tasted this blind I would have guessed it to be 2012.
Everything is in balance so I can only assume this has the potential to be exceptional in the years to come.
2005 Domaine Phillipe Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin Combes aux Moines Premier cru
The wine displayed a great deal of reduction when it was poured.
Having come back to it after fifteen minutes it still showed some signs.
Had this be decanted for a few hours we may have seen something different.
Shell called it early. Whiteboard markers….
Flight Three.
2003 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin Cazetiers Premier cru
Savoury yet still dominated by red and black fruits. Flowers and subtle earthiness.
Medium mouthfeel, well balanced and still quite youthful.
The wine danced all over the place. At one point I was considering it for the wine of the night. A few moments later I considered whether to finish the glass.
2002 Domaine Bruno Claire Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques Premier Cru
Elegant and restrained. Herbs, spices and dark fruits.
This wine was all about texture. Incredible mouthfeel. Balanced and restrained. Great length.
Possibly close to its drinking best.
2001 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St-Jacques Premier cru
Wine of the night.
Remains fruit driven. Dark cherries and chocolate. Countless aromas I can’t pin down regardless of how many times I go back to it.
Seamless and elegant on the palate. Distinctly Pinot. Balanced and lovely.
This is the wine I wanted to drink with Shell all night.
2001 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corbeaux Vielles Vin Premier cru
Black berries and all sorts of herbs and spices.
Long and persistent with great balance.
It was unfair to measure this wine against the Denis Mortet.
To finish.
2011 Barros Vintage Port
Young vintage port is lost on me.
Apparently this is from a great year.