1947 Clos du Lambrays from Magnum
This came from Bruce’s cellar where he had been saving it for 30+ years for a special occasion. Well his wife’s birthday seemed just special enough for the dozen or so of us that were priveleged enough to share this E.F.Hutton wine (total silence). If you think Burgundy does not age I have news for you, this wine was as ellegant as Audrey Hepburn with silky cherry, soft leather & spry acidity that kept people speechless for a good 15 min. All you could hear were sighs of joy.MMMMMMMMMMMM……..
The following wines were tasted by Bruce and Divit at a recent gathering:
2006 Domaine Weibach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée St. Catherine
Rich and full with an oily texture and notes of peaches. Bone dry and despite its richness, an elegantly styled wine.
2005 Wegeler Wehlener Sonnenhur Kabinett
Like a field of wildflowers on the nose. Full, rich, almost botrytis-like flavors, with mango and tangerine on the finish.
2000 Dönnhoff Oberhauser Brücke Auction Auslese
Stone, slate, flower-infused honey. Very rich & pure. Once again, Helmut demonstrates his ability to completely transcend a crappy vintage. This is a beauty.
1998 Basserman-Jordan Forster Kirchenstück Spätlese
Fresh, young, just enough sweetness for spicy food. Earthy, flower and honey notes. Hard to believe this is a ‘98.
1989 Bert Simon Serrig Wurtzberg Goldkapsel (AP#9) Auslese
A little petrol funk on the nose that blows off revealing hints of wintergreen and floral honeysuckle. Fresh on the palate, soft and round with light acid. Ripe but with no apparent botrytus.
1981 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Sang Riesling Spätlese
Bright, delicate, ephemeral with a steely core and just a hint of petrol. Fresh as a daisy—amazing.
1959 Pfarrkirche St. Michael Bernkasteler Badstube Trockenbeerenauslese
Blacker in than mud—looks like motor oil/coffee, the burntest of burnt sugar. Crème brulée of orange marmalade, huge acidity, fruitcake steeped in brandy and molasses, brightness of Christmas candy, raisins, currants. Incredibly complex and almost indescribably rich. The acidity pulls it altogether. This amazing wine was purchased in 1970 or ‘71 for just under $50, when that would have bought two bottles of La Tache with about $10 left over.
2001 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru les VeroillesBeautiful almost brilliant, translucent color. High-toned chalk & blue flowers. Mouth-coating fine tannins that last through a long finish. Incredible structure, clarity and pure expression. Needs six to eight years. Traditional Burgundy—terrific.
2000 Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanée aux Malconsorts
Deeper color. Exotic floral, spice nose. Open—not as dense on the palate but very open—knit.
2000 Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny les Amoureuses
Floral, meat, spice, berry—everything Burgundy on the nose. Bright and focused in the mouth, still showing length and growth potential. Chunky in style and more forward than expected but not a lot of structure.
2000 Clos de Tart
Lovely, vlevety, succulent, delicious Burgundy. Silky, sexy, spicy new wood still in the background. Very Grand Cru, very 2000Very silky, lovely spice. Velvety tannins. Impressive finish. Some new wood apparent, but it’s in the background enough that it doesn’t distract. Has enough structure & balance to continue to improve for at least several years.
1998 Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur du Roi
Darkest color. Huge brooding nose. Black raspberry. Huge tannins/acid. A beast (a cyclopian wine) Still very primary, chunky and chewy. Needs 5-10 years. A Bulgarian weightlifter of a Burgundy.