A very long luncheon on Saturday unearthed a few special bottles.
1996 Coche-Dury Meursault: Just a little shroomy from the cork. Still has a core of intense citrus fruit and whipping acidity of the vintage. Fresh colour and good underlying depth with a chewy finish.
2016 Coche-Dury Meursault: Some petrol reduction coupled with sappy orchard fruits. It is intense with great shape in the mouth and a fruit-sweet heart. Depth and length are special for its level.
2015 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur: Really deep, dense and layered but for now super-tight. It has almost Batard-like explosive power. There’s so much citrus fruit and spearmint and it finishes with great cut. Should be legendary in a couple of decades.
2015 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru: Fresh and vibrant yet accessible. Powerful white peach fruit is tinged with aniseed. It is unctuous with good line and underlying structure.
2004 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru: This bottle was in superb condition. The nose has some nettle and spearmint along with pure white peach fruit. It is rich and unctuous, with loads of flavour and a rigid minerally spine. Feels like it is a decade away from its apogee.
2016 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons: Fresh and tight. Feels shutdown. Good underlying material and quite textural.
2007 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons: Almost smells like there’s some botrytis to the fruit, with its expressive nose of lavender and apricot. It has good depth of preserved citrus flavour. It is rich and voluminous, with excellent freshness to the back-end.
2017 Laurent Tribut Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy: Absolutely classic Chablis. All oyster shell, sea spray and citrus fruits. It is direct and linear, with intense fruits playing on a bed of chalk. It oozes saline minerality on the finish.
2017 Domaine Thomas Morey Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru: An elegant rendition of Bâtard with latent power. Fine citrus and white peach aromas and flavours. Dense yet chiselled and plenty of minerality just below the flesh. Quite tight and reserved.
2010 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux, Grand Cru: A gorgeous nose of Chinese 5 spice powder, rose petals, black cherry and earth. It is relatively compact but oh so deep and ethereal. Flavours are precise and it really builds, finishing with great cut and expansion.
2000 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg, Grand Cru: In a really good spot. Complex aromatics of Hoisin, soy, beef stock and licorice. It is round, ripe and textured, with a velvety feel against the gums and wonderful detail. The finish is a true peacock’s tail of vinous loveliness.
1999 Domaine Dujac Echezeaux, Grand Cru: Man this was good. Gorgeous floral spice to the aroma along with pristine cherry fruit. It has some sweet meaty flavours and delicious dark fruits. It is lacy and layered, possess excellent depth and really fans out on the finish. Still very youthful and a wine of beautiful poise and balance.
2006 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru: So bright and punchy on the nose with a wisp of smoke, some dried flowers and blue fruits. It is silky and sensual in the mouth, with a hint of muskiness and excellent depth and complexity. The long finish is carried by perfectly ripe tannins and there’s a fine uptick of minerally acidity.