BURG NIGHT IN TOKYO - Cote d'Or (7/12/2005)

A few of us gathered last night at Cote d'Or in Tokyo for a small
burgfest. Can't remember everything others ate, but I had an anago
mousse/pate (really light and silky with a texture between a very
fine-grained terrine and a bavarois) followed by a queue de boeuf with
a rich demi-glace driven sauce and a final course of Epoisses,
Rocquefort, Pont l'Eveque, and Beaufort. First two wines were
consumed with the anago pate, third with the beef, and last two with
both the beef and the cheese. Cote d'Or did a great job with both the
food and the wine service and the company couldn't have been better.
Special thanks to Steve for organizing and making a disproportionately
large contribution of some lovely wines.

We served the 71 Pez first among the reds, as we were really worried
about it getting lost behind the Rousseau and Faiveley, which each had
the potential to be rough in their own ways.

*1999 Domaine Georges Roumier Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy,
C=F4te de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton

Bright deep yellow of young white burg. Initial nose is somewhat
high-toned with immediate lanolin, honeysuckle, hazelnuts, oak, and
apple. First palate impression is very tight and restrained, with
richness and roundness coming largely from oak, with fruit under
extremely tight wraps. Acid is evident, on the edge of scratching, but
keeping just within bounds. With time, the nose shows a very slight
tropical character with more white fruit and, for fleeting moments that
come and go, the richness of some dark berry liqueur. Palate gradually,
oh so gradually, begins to show lemony apple fruit and strong minerals
come out. All of this darts in and out through a very lean and long
finish that adds a bit of the tropical (coconut, pineapple) from the
nose. This is way, way young and extremely angular, but the angular
bones are very fine. I'd stay away for at least ten years. Thinking
of Corton Charley generally, this doesn't seem very typical, but it
is amazingly transparent and true to form once you consider the
placement of Roumier's small plot. If you think the apotheosis of
Corton Charley is Coche, this won't do much for you (and probably
never will). However, if you like a leaner, sharper style, this will be
a damn fine pleasure.

*1971 Hubert de Montille Pommard Les P=E9zerolles 1er Cru - France,
Burgundy, C=F4te de Beaune, Pommard

Light old burg red well along the path toward brown, but without any
cracking at the edges. Nothing in appearance to suggest anything but
very full maturity. Nose has a huge dose of VA, not quite varnishy but
enough to obscure almost any other notes. The VA never entirely blows
off, but after ten or fifteen minutes subsides enough to let other
notes come out. Then, for about thirty minutes, the wine is very, very
pretty but has lost the complexity and brightness on the nose that it
must once have had. Nowhere to be found are the sweet tea and mushroom
one often finds on the nose of such wines. The dominant notes of the
nose are a little sweet cherry, some plum tart, and just a little sous
bois. On the palate, during the wine's short window of grace, is a
hint of tannin turned to faded tea, a tiny bit of brandy in which
cherries have been macerated, and occasional surprising stabs of
brighter cherry. And then the wine topples gently but suddenly over the
hill, leaving camphor and the melancholy sweet smell of Miss
Havisham's house. Despite all that, I really enjoy drinking faded
beauties like this. I also think this may not have been the best bottle
and others may have held together better. In any case, drink up.

*1985 Faiveley Clos des Cortons - France, Burgundy, C=F4te de Beaune,
Ladoix

Still vigorous in appearance, deep red but softening. Amazingly
ready-to-go on pouring with very clean, sweet nose dominated by dark
fruit and sun-warmed earth. Immediate palate impression is of mature
sweet fruit, a surprising absence of tannin, and a tremendous size made
up of fruit and body held in check by (just) enough acidity. Suprising
combination of size and deftness for both the producer and the vintage.
As it sits in the glass, it develops aromas of sweet summer flowers,
blackcurrants, and the slightest bit of mocha. On the palate, it takes
up the earthy nose note and combines it with mineral in a way that is
almost textural. A little (even slightly rough) tannin peeks out and
seems to linger under the tongue and at the back of the roof of the
mouth, but never gets in the way of the fruit. The palate moves to dark
cherry skins with a little chocolate. Finish is, perhaps, a little
short. This is ready to go and should hold for a good long while. For
the vintage and the producer, this is a stellar effort. In the grand
scheme of things, good and very enjoyable but not great.

*1983 Domaine Armand Rousseau P=E8re et Fils Chambertin-Clos de B=E8ze -
France, Burgundy, C=F4te de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

Looking more mature than the Corton, this has the first hints of the
rust color that will come. Nose is a little reticent at first, showing
some earth and a very slight funkiness, but blossoms nicely with only a
little time in the glass to show a broad array of notes - mature dark
cherry fruit, earth, a little game, some smoke, and a bit of leather
- that waft in and out over time. The palate shows surprising
integration, maturity, and balance. Tannins are clearly present but
very well integrated and the wine is very, very clean. Either these
vines escaped the hail or there was a huge triage effort. The acid
never really peeks out very far, but does show up in a tart berry note
that accents the same dark cherry fruit from the nose. Smoke and
mineral complete the palate, all with a richness and volume that makes
the oak just a sweet hint that one has to look for to find. Long
expanding finish. Damn good for the vintage. Damn good on any scale, in
fact.

I think there's some of this available on the market in Tokyo now,
but I've heard much less flattering reports on other bottles over the
years. Does anyone know if Rousseau bottled by lot in '83? Or was
there one big assemblage?

*1990 Louis Jadot Roman=E9e St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, C=F4te de
Nuits, Roman=E9e St. Vivant

Youngish darker red, youthful vibrancy all the way to the rim. Nose
shows a little gaminess and sweet oak on first approach, holding
everything else back. Palate shows nicely balanced structure and full
but silky body with tannins that no longer scrape, but that are still
strongly noticeable and behind which the rest of the palate hides.
Almost immediately, though, a little spice and mushroom and cocoa start
up on the nose, followed by a little dark, sweet citrus. Similarly, the
palate quickly begins to offer earth and crushed berry fruit and a
slight spiciness that comes and goes. Finally, with a little more time,
the Vosne flowers come out on the nose. And then they're gone.
That's really what happened with the whole wine; there was a nice
complexity from a varied array of notes, but all those notes appeared
and disappeared so quickly that off and on (for much of the time) the
wine was nothing but textural richness, the same richness that was the
dominant note of a nicely persistent finish. Clearly, this is still
very young and needs at least five years (and maybe much more). It's
hard, though, to know exactly where this will go. If the nose/palate
flavor notes remain as fleeting as they are today, this will be
enjoyable and interesting but not much more. But if they step up in
volume and persistence, this could rise to a much higher level. All the
bits are there, but I don't know if it will all come together at
once. At any rate, it has escaped the roasted ripeness that plagues
some wines of the vintage and is a sexy drink that hints at seduction
to come.


Despite the performance of the Pez, I was struck again by how good the
quality of older wines purchased in Tokyo usually is. They can be a
little steep in price and one must still be careful about provenance,
but the Japanese attention to fine detail delivers a great deal of care
from merchants - in their acquisition, shipping, and storage.

Posted from CellarTracker!

Jim

Thanks for the notes. I've only had one sip of a Roumier Charley, but it was
find (I like angular!).

"Jim" > wrote in message
oups.com...
BURG NIGHT IN TOKYO - Cote d'Or (7/12/2005)

A few of us gathered last night at Cote d'Or in Tokyo for a small
burgfest. Can't remember everything others ate, but I had an anago
mousse/pate (really light and silky with a texture between a very
fine-grained terrine and a bavarois) followed by a queue de boeuf with
a rich demi-glace driven sauce and a final course of Epoisses,
Rocquefort, Pont l'Eveque, and Beaufort. First two wines were
consumed with the anago pate, third with the beef, and last two with
both the beef and the cheese. Cote d'Or did a great job with both the
food and the wine service and the company couldn't have been better.
Special thanks to Steve for organizing and making a disproportionately
large contribution of some lovely wines.

We served the 71 Pez first among the reds, as we were really worried
about it getting lost behind the Rousseau and Faiveley, which each had
the potential to be rough in their own ways.

*1999 Domaine Georges Roumier Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy,
Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton

Bright deep yellow of young white burg. Initial nose is somewhat
high-toned with immediate lanolin, honeysuckle, hazelnuts, oak, and
apple. First palate impression is very tight and restrained, with
richness and roundness coming largely from oak, with fruit under
extremely tight wraps. Acid is evident, on the edge of scratching, but
keeping just within bounds. With time, the nose shows a very slight
tropical character with more white fruit and, for fleeting moments that
come and go, the richness of some dark berry liqueur. Palate gradually,
oh so gradually, begins to show lemony apple fruit and strong minerals
come out. All of this darts in and out through a very lean and long
finish that adds a bit of the tropical (coconut, pineapple) from the
nose. This is way, way young and extremely angular, but the angular
bones are very fine. I'd stay away for at least ten years. Thinking
of Corton Charley generally, this doesn't seem very typical, but it
is amazingly transparent and true to form once you consider the
placement of Roumier's small plot. If you think the apotheosis of
Corton Charley is Coche, this won't do much for you (and probably
never will). However, if you like a leaner, sharper style, this will be
a damn fine pleasure.

*1971 Hubert de Montille Pommard Les Pézerolles 1er Cru - France,
Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard

Light old burg red well along the path toward brown, but without any
cracking at the edges. Nothing in appearance to suggest anything but
very full maturity. Nose has a huge dose of VA, not quite varnishy but
enough to obscure almost any other notes. The VA never entirely blows
off, but after ten or fifteen minutes subsides enough to let other
notes come out. Then, for about thirty minutes, the wine is very, very
pretty but has lost the complexity and brightness on the nose that it
must once have had. Nowhere to be found are the sweet tea and mushroom
one often finds on the nose of such wines. The dominant notes of the
nose are a little sweet cherry, some plum tart, and just a little sous
bois. On the palate, during the wine's short window of grace, is a
hint of tannin turned to faded tea, a tiny bit of brandy in which
cherries have been macerated, and occasional surprising stabs of
brighter cherry. And then the wine topples gently but suddenly over the
hill, leaving camphor and the melancholy sweet smell of Miss
Havisham's house. Despite all that, I really enjoy drinking faded
beauties like this. I also think this may not have been the best bottle
and others may have held together better. In any case, drink up.

*1985 Faiveley Clos des Cortons - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune,
Ladoix

Still vigorous in appearance, deep red but softening. Amazingly
ready-to-go on pouring with very clean, sweet nose dominated by dark
fruit and sun-warmed earth. Immediate palate impression is of mature
sweet fruit, a surprising absence of tannin, and a tremendous size made
up of fruit and body held in check by (just) enough acidity. Suprising
combination of size and deftness for both the producer and the vintage.
As it sits in the glass, it develops aromas of sweet summer flowers,
blackcurrants, and the slightest bit of mocha. On the palate, it takes
up the earthy nose note and combines it with mineral in a way that is
almost textural. A little (even slightly rough) tannin peeks out and
seems to linger under the tongue and at the back of the roof of the
mouth, but never gets in the way of the fruit. The palate moves to dark
cherry skins with a little chocolate. Finish is, perhaps, a little
short. This is ready to go and should hold for a good long while. For
the vintage and the producer, this is a stellar effort. In the grand
scheme of things, good and very enjoyable but not great.

*1983 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

Looking more mature than the Corton, this has the first hints of the
rust color that will come. Nose is a little reticent at first, showing
some earth and a very slight funkiness, but blossoms nicely with only a
little time in the glass to show a broad array of notes - mature dark
cherry fruit, earth, a little game, some smoke, and a bit of leather
- that waft in and out over time. The palate shows surprising
integration, maturity, and balance. Tannins are clearly present but
very well integrated and the wine is very, very clean. Either these
vines escaped the hail or there was a huge triage effort. The acid
never really peeks out very far, but does show up in a tart berry note
that accents the same dark cherry fruit from the nose. Smoke and
mineral complete the palate, all with a richness and volume that makes
the oak just a sweet hint that one has to look for to find. Long
expanding finish. Damn good for the vintage. Damn good on any scale, in
fact.

I think there's some of this available on the market in Tokyo now,
but I've heard much less flattering reports on other bottles over the
years. Does anyone know if Rousseau bottled by lot in '83? Or was
there one big assemblage?

*1990 Louis Jadot Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de
Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant

Youngish darker red, youthful vibrancy all the way to the rim. Nose
shows a little gaminess and sweet oak on first approach, holding
everything else back. Palate shows nicely balanced structure and full
but silky body with tannins that no longer scrape, but that are still
strongly noticeable and behind which the rest of the palate hides.
Almost immediately, though, a little spice and mushroom and cocoa start
up on the nose, followed by a little dark, sweet citrus. Similarly, the
palate quickly begins to offer earth and crushed berry fruit and a
slight spiciness that comes and goes. Finally, with a little more time,
the Vosne flowers come out on the nose. And then they're gone.
That's really what happened with the whole wine; there was a nice
complexity from a varied array of notes, but all those notes appeared
and disappeared so quickly that off and on (for much of the time) the
wine was nothing but textural richness, the same richness that was the
dominant note of a nicely persistent finish. Clearly, this is still
very young and needs at least five years (and maybe much more). It's
hard, though, to know exactly where this will go. If the nose/palate
flavor notes remain as fleeting as they are today, this will be
enjoyable and interesting but not much more. But if they step up in
volume and persistence, this could rise to a much higher level. All the
bits are there, but I don't know if it will all come together at
once. At any rate, it has escaped the roasted ripeness that plagues
some wines of the vintage and is a sexy drink that hints at seduction
to come.


Despite the performance of the Pez, I was struck again by how good the
quality of older wines purchased in Tokyo usually is. They can be a
little steep in price and one must still be careful about provenance,
but the Japanese attention to fine detail delivers a great deal of care
from merchants - in their acquisition, shipping, and storage.

Posted from CellarTracker!

Jim

Dale:

I like angular as well. I had a good bit more than a sip, but this was
the first Roumier Charley I'd had. I'm normally more fond of the top
Puligny/Chassagne/Chablis wines, but Roumier is a Charley by which I
could easily become spoiled (if only my banker would allow it). I
would kill to taste it mature. To date, my favorite from the
appellation.

Jim