A group of us that meets every month for dinner decided to kick it up a notch for our last dinner of the year. Depending your reference point, I think we succeeded:
2008 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (12/9/2019)
A group of us had this, alongside 2008 Roederer Cristal, a fascinating comparison. Both needed some air to really open up. I’ve had the Vilmart a few times, and it is one of my favorites of the vintage, with lovely medium intensity, mouthwatering light tartness, some nice touches of minerality, finishing with excellent length. Sampling this as the evening wore on, there is even more coiled intensity and layered complexity, great acidity, and beautiful minerality, with a light saline tartness that reminds me of a great Chablis. A simply gorgeous Champagne, elegant, complex, doesn’t try to knock you over with its power, so much going on in this wine. (96 pts.)
2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne (12/9/2019)
Tasted alongside 2008 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee. This Cristal shows amazing depth and intensity, an opulence that almost goes over the top, but remains controlled. Nose of a good white Burg with a touch of brioche, bit of lemony tartness. I can see how this impresses, it is a fantastic Champagne of richness, power and depth. Still, the Vilmart shows me an elegance and complexity that is just more compelling to my palate. (94 pts.)
2012 Joseph Drouhin Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (12/9/2019)
A bit of wood noticeable on the nose, medium rich entry, then shows the warmth of the vintage with a bit of sweetness and some background wood notes. Has what I’ve come to recognize as the typicity of many 2012 whites, which is a controlled ripeness, more round and fleshy than a more precise cooler vintage. (92 pts.)
2012 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (12/9/2019)
Definitely needs time to open, couple hours in a decanter will be rewarded. Light sea spray on the nose, this takes a while to uncoil and begin to show its potential, as it’s still every youthful; so elegant, yet so much depth, mouthwatering acidity with hints of salinity, just a bit of tartness, a controlled richness, and a lovely rich mineral finish that goes on and on. Complex, nuanced, classic Chablis of the highest order. (95 pts.)
2001 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (12/9/2019)
Nice, higher toned dark raspberry, quite tasty, though acidity is fairly dominant. Seems pretty well resolved and ready to drink, with the strong acidity I’m not sure this will develop a lot more. (92 pts.)
1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (12/9/2019)
There’s a bit of the signature Chave savory truffle on the nose, though with air it shows more distinctly as low level bandaid brett; lovely deep, medium rich dark red fruit, excellent well balanced acidity, some of the same savory character, showing some nice signs of development, though still very youthful with many good (or better!) years ahead. Wonderful wine. (94 pts.)
1996 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (12/9/2019)
Some nice dark fruit on the nose, hints of shaved pencil; then beautiful deep fruit, there is richness but it’s controlled, even elegant for it’s depth and intensity, tannins are there but in the background, the wine is driven more by its acidity. Delicious now, but still very young with many years ahead of it. (94 pts.)
1995 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (12/9/2019)
Wow, tremendous intensity and depth, deep dark purple fruit, strong acidity, more so than tannic structure, long, long finish. Intricate complexity is showing, but I’m sure will develop even more as it ages for many, many years. Fabulous. (96 pts.)