DAMN GOOD BURGS AND A TOAST TO HANKY J - Keyaki Grill at Capital Tokyu
Hotel (10/2/2006)

Cathryn and I got together with a few similarly Burg-obsessed friends
for dinner last night. Other than one oxidysed '95, everything showed
well.

1. With an amuse of rice, tomato, cucumber, parsley

*1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé - France,
Champagne*

Bright copper orange, deeply colored, with a vigorous mousse that
settles into spurts of bubbles after ten or fifteen minutes. Nose shows
sweet apple, smoke, bass-register raspberry, a slight honeyed
character. Palate is initially closed up tight, like perfectly
structured water - great body and acid to balance. Eventually opens
to show coppery mineral, some bright light stone fruit and a long, long
finish of peach and herb. This has tremendous balance, great cutting
strength combined with freshness. In fact, it has everything but
powerful flavor on the palate. But that will come with time. Hands off!



2. With a mousse of yuba with caviar and uni

*1991 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte
de Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses*

Rich yellow-gold. Touch of vanilla oak on the nose, along with citrus
over crisp apple, brie rind, and warm stone. A tiny hint of volatility
or heat, but that passes quickly and doesn't reappear. On the palate,
great mineral to open, turning smokey on a mid-palate that features
rich ripe white fruit, cream and granite, and a whiff of anise,
especially on the finish. Full, sweet but clean, great showing for an
underrated vintage. After a long time in the glass, settles into a
lovely lemony sweet slightly candied mode but never gets cloying or
loses freshness. Beautiful now but with time in hand.

*1995 Domaine Guy Amiot et Fils Puligny-Montrachet Les Demoiselles 1er
Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet*

Oxidysed.


3. With veal tenderloin slices on a purée of mushroom, garnished with
truffle slices

*1972 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy,
Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny*

Surprisingly bright, aging red with orange tinge. Expressive and
beautifully expansive nose screams mature burg with pine, earth,
mushroom, a bit of washed rind cheese. Behind these tertiary elements
is a nice remaining dose of deep but bright strawberry fruit. On the
palate, the fruit is much stronger and not fading at all. Great fruit
and acid balance. As it sits and develops, clay and iron and even a
raisiny edge come out, but the raisin never tastes roasted or flat.
Over the course of an hour, it begins to fade a little in the
mid-palate, but the finish is still building. Nice long finish
highlighted by iron, earth and textural muscley strength. After even
more time, the tiny last bit in the glass gives a haunting aroma of
dark-roasted coffee beans. Another underrated vintage that I love.


4. Continuing with the mains

*1990 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits,
Vosne-Romanée*

Very young looking with beautifully deep red color. Redolent of clove
and cinnamon spice, immediately recognizable as Vosne Romanée (but not
as a simple village wine!). Vibrant red fruit - cherry, deep
raspberry - and sweeter black fruit - blackberry. A sweetness
underlying the nose that just screams of perfect ripeness, not a hint
of the roasting that some '90s can show - incredibly fresh. On the
palate, moves into lovely sour cherry, a note of framboise but without
any heat, stunning depth and complexity with earth and more spice
coming out on the finish. If I had tasted this blind, I never would
have pegged it as a village wine. Matt Kramer describes Romanée Conti
as a perfect sphere. That's the image that sticks with me for this
wine - all elements in perfect balance with not a pimple or bump.
Fresh, long, complex, fruity, spicy, sauve - all in balance. Perhaps
the most fitting tribute to a great man was to drink one of his more
humble wines and have it steal the evening. Thanks Steve.

*1990 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 1er Cru - France,
Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée*

Less redolent of spice than the Jayer, but it is still there. Beautiful
but simpler, with darker fruit on the nose and palate. A little more of
the vintage character, with just a hint of roasting to the fruit. Great
depth in the middle and bottom of the mouth - filling and expanding.
Rich, ripe, beautiful dark cherry and plum sweetness, especially on the
finish. With time in glass, this tires a bit faster than the Jayer.
Enlightening, but a bit unfair to Rouget to flight these together. This
is a damn good wine that was put in the shadows my its more humbley
titled uncle.


5. With assorted cheeses

*1988 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Corton-Bressandes - France,
Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton*

Very young looking deep reddish purple. Olive and Christmas plum and
pepper lead off on the nose, which settles down into a little earth and
some cherry. Foursquare and solid on the palate with rich cherry, some
more earth, and good solid fruit sweetness - still very young. Good
body and intensity, solid depth throughout the palate, just enough acid
brightness to keep it fresh. Tannin is noticeable but tame. A very pure
and pleasing representation of Corton.

*1983 Domaine Joseph Voillot Pommard Les Rugiens 1er Cru - France,
Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard*

Good depth of color in the maturing red range. Earthy but clean nose
with dark berry and cherry fruit, some damp leaves and hardwood sap. On
the palate, sweet ripe bulky cherry-berry fruit and a pleasing
meatiness that is reminiscent of shiitake mushrooms. Lingering sweet
finish that packs a little hidden muscle along with nice ripe grape
savour. May be ready, but needs significant airtime to open up. Was
just starting to show a little more earthy depth when we had to head
home.

Great night, great and very generous friends. Thanks.

Posted from CellarTracker

thanks for these notes, too.
I confess when I saw "Hanky J", I wondered if that was a South Park
character. NOW I get it.
Bonneau du Martray is consistently stunning (or at least overachieving,
like the 1997 you brought to our Tokyo offline). I didn't use to be a
big Chandon d. Briailles fan, but they do overachieve in Corton.

On Oct 4, 8:46 am, "DaleW" > wrote:
> thanks for these notes, too.
> I confess when I saw "Hanky J", I wondered if that was a South Park
> character. NOW I get it.
> Bonneau du Martray is consistently stunning (or at least overachieving,
> like the 1997 you brought to our Tokyo offline). I didn't use to be a
> big Chandon d. Briailles fan, but they do overachieve in Corton.

Nope, not Mr. Hanky. You'll note we had no Beaucastel, which would
have been the appropriate toast for him.

This 1991 BdM was significantly better than the 1997, though I was
thinking of the '97 when I ordered the uni dish. I remembered how well
the two went together. The magic was there again. It's a confirmed
good pairing.

Jim