I forgot about that phone holster. He can easily whip the phone out for photos.
Collectors Lunch – SF Paulee 2014
I had dinner at Benu a couple of years ago and unfortunately had not been back since! Big mistake. Beun put together a fabulous lunch with flights of wines from Clos des Lambrays with Thierry Brouin personally overlooking the supply and preparation of the wines. FABULOUS! We had the rowdy table clanking the stems together in the back if you were wondering. It was great meeting you also Justin!!! Chime in if you want add your notes. ** The picture in the first post of this thread is of me at the lunch with a very new looking bottle of the ’47 Clos des Lambrays. I know for sure that none of these bottles were fake – hehehehe.
The courses were:
- lightly poached scallop, new harvest caviar, coastal succulents, green apple, and brioche
- crispy abalone, dungeness crab, lettuce, ravigote
- duck, turnip, black olive-cherry, and mustard
- beef rib steak, lily bulb, chestnut, smoked onion, and black truffle
- consommé de volaille, chicken velvet, fresh and dried grains, carrot, wood ear mushroom
- Satsuma with perilla
Wines:
1995 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs: I just love this version of the Salon BdB. This bottle had plenty of chalky minerality to burn with lovely touches of balanced brioche and flashed of bright acid drenched pear custard. That’s what I have written down anyway. Not as good as the ’96 Salon which wasn’t served unfortunately. Man, would have loved to have sampled the ’02 during this lunch – oh well.
1997 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs: Another solid showing for this wine – the 3rd or 4th time I’ve had it. Very pleasing nose with brighter bubbles but slightly more toward the apple cream profile for me. Lovely balanced wine but the ’95 just seemed more complete and ready for the long haul.
2011 Domaine des Lambrays Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Cailleret: Well, before this dinner I’ve come to the conclusion that the Lambrays and deMontille version of the PM Cailleret is the best kept secret of white burgundy lovers. These wines confirmed this – several of my tablemates agreed. This seemed to be the 3rd favorite of the trio but still very good. Lightest color of the bunch with flashes of savory pear fruit, honeysuckle, and faint touches of custard cream. A lighter and classy version IMHO – a good buy I think.
2007 Domaine des Lambrays Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Cailleret: Liked this a lot – very close in score to the ’00 for me. A touch darker in color but not oxidized at all – flinty stone fruits, floral aromatics of soft citrus and honeysuckle cream. The texture was all there with sneaky balance. Turned out great!
2000 Domaine des Lambrays Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Cailleret from Magnum: The winner for me in this flight. Touches of honey cream, spiced pear, flinty minerality throughout. A flat out great performance for this wine – full bodied and savory. Loved it!
2009 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: I was OK with this wine but several at the table called it their least favorite. I don’t own any but may get some if the opportunity presents itself – to see what happens. Very cherry and rich flavors/scents here which isn’t all that bad. No, not new world’ish – still has plenty of great earthy components going on. More black earthy notes and present tannins. Young.
2005 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: This was exactly what I was expecting – a stacked wine that is slightly open but shows OHHH Soooo much promise. Loved it and I’m glad to own some for the future – will not touch one for about 10+ years.
1996 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: I thought this showed very well but not as well as the ’93 for me. There is more of that acid spine in this wine – when I think of the ‘96s overall. Soft cherry and smoke, touches of spiced blackberry, mushrooms. Overall very well balanced and drank great with the duck dish.
1993 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: I loved this one and would like to taste it again in maybe 10 years as I think it has the stuffing to age much longer while getting better. Earthy showing with smoke and spiced aromatics – lovely open nose with touches of ripe black stone fruits while maintaining a great overall power profile. I think this wine may be lacking a bit on the acid side but who knows. I would love to find out!
1999 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: This wine was AOK as far as I’m concerned but just seemed a bit closed compared to the ‘96/’93 duo. Lots of good stuff here so my judgment is reserved until I can taste it again. Until then – I’ll try and buy some!
1998 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: This one showed like many ‘98s are showing for me – lovely and true. This had more spiced and high toned cherry aromas – softer tannins which would make this a great food wine IMHO. Enjoyable but not a rockstar.
1990 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: This showed as a really well but together ’90 burgundy and several of my table mates agreed. Lovely soft black raspberry and other soft riper profiles of red berries. Grainy tannins lead into to a balanced yet maybe a wee bit tight profile. Seemed balanced enough and is drinking great now!
1947 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: WOW! This was the wine of the lunch for me. Color was crimson to the core with a lovely gradation to a soft mahogany color at the edges. Secondary to slightly tertiary flavors here with lovely mushroom, super duper flashes of smoked spiced cherries, and powerful savory structure. The real deal – only needed 67 or so years to get there!
1937 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: Some tables thought they didn’t get a proper bottle of this for their pour – not corked, just not as good as some tables. Well, I have to say my table got a semi-good bottle of this – hehehehe. More leaf material here to start off – tertiary flavors and aromas abound with notes of medium roast coffee, soft blackberry, and other nice forest floor flavors. This got better in the glass believe it or not. A treasure I’m happy to have sampled in my lifetime!
1919 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays: This wine was amazing to me! Sure – it’s old and faded in the glass but my first nose and sip of this one ooooozzzzed class. There’s an aged burgundy sweetness here with great balance – cigar smoke, soft leafy material, touches of sour cherry. Loved it! Again, a wine that I’ll never get to sample again but will retain a mental picture of forever.
CHEERS! Now off to a friend’s office for a few nice wines before being slightly late for the dinner with 22 or so people that I organized with a friend at Acquerello. Lots more kick-ass wine notes to come!
I much prefer grand cru beer after little league games 
. Thx to MK for some 2013 Cantillon Brewery Saint Lamvinus coming my way ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
![[dance-clap.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/835ce082e2fa9c96c4b7f96406bf6e9a0db882ff.gif "[dance-clap.gif]"){kind=small}
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Notes coming Andy! It was great meeting you and I hope we can share some wine/food at some point in the future. CHEERS my friend.
NYC sometime soon I hope! You’re always welcome here also as long as you can avoid those nasty snow storms you’ve had to deal with over there ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
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Tell me about it Kimberly 
. I’ll probably have much more gray hair when I turn 50yo though 
. Hope to see you again soon!
You and the Joe/Joe’s should have been there!!! This year was even better than two years ago - seriously.
Super cool running into you Alan at the Gala dinner! You’re going to have to help me with notes from that night if you can - the stuff was flying!
Sorry Paul ! I working on the rest now and will get more up soon.
Well ClayFu - you should have been there! Don’t get mad at me if I say “told you so” soon ![[truce.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/d/d33e712b50d5efc2425bf219c404fbdb7ed0ba50.gif "truce"){kind=small}
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Oops, wrong Alan, wish it had been me! Sometimes I get mistaken for Brad Pitt, was he there? ![[cry.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/853b6e76c6e8406be77a6727c2a27ad1672678b3.gif "cry"){kind=small}
Kricky - well you should have been there so it’s your bad 
. Alan Factor was there and in good spirits!!!
Funny, I met him! Heard someone address him as “Alan” and wondered if it was Alan Weinberg from here, so introduced myself. Wish I had been there!
Great notes and Burgundy from the greatest wineathon of the year! Keep em flowing!
I had the good fortune to taste the 37 and 47 Lambrays together a few years ago and they showed similarly to your experience.
Before this dinner I headed to a friends place where we sipped on a few bottles and talked life. We had enough fun that we were a wee bit late for dinner – haaaaa. Thx Justin !
2009 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant: Popped and poured – savory spiced cherry fruit, present tannins, light roast coffee, touches of smoke is what I wrote down after the fact. A wine that is light on its feet and still stacked – plenty of vosne goodness in here!
2002 Maison Roche de Bellene Clos de la Roche: A fun wine for sure with deft touches of bright berry fruit and a wonderful saline laced acid structure. Piercing fruit profile that maybe lacked a bit in the middle – otherwise, I marked this down as a pretty good showing.
2003 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux from magnum: Popped right then and there so we could get a taste before the rest was consumed later with the dinner wines. You know – I’ve had the ’03 DRC GE, RSV, and now this Echezeaux. I really can’t complain about what’s in the bottle. The 2003 vintage gets a bad rap and the better made wines suffer from this reputation. Pop a bottle and see for yourself – balanced wines were made by DRC. These are not 1996 wines – a bit plumper for sure but everything is in place. Many people liked this wine even after knowing which vintage is was from! Liked it.
Dinner at Acquerello with a few dozen+ lucky souls………! I really did try and take notes most of the night – with supplementation the next day :p.
2004 Marc Colin et Fils Montrachet: Just like I remember it the last time – this bottle was a 750 though. Really savory stuff with a personality that isn’t all that upfront and in your face. Instead, it grabs the tongue and moves from back to front – opening up more along the way. Hard to explain but I wish I had this at the end of the night to see the transformation. Pierre-Yves made this for his Dad!
1975 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque: What can I say? The ’85 Krugs were really nice but this ’75 DP Oeno was off the charts good. Lots of minerality and fresh bread aromas – citrus/pineapple cream – more acid laced minerals. Liked it!
1973 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut from magnum: Just got a small touch of this and moved on. Seemed a bit darker in color but still remained full of creamy brioche and apple cream. Bubbles were sparse so a bit of vinous brightness was lacking IMHO.
1985 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut from magnum: Quite a bit better than the ’73 with more lovely notes of citrus rind and sparkly bubbles. Better from magnum of course when compared to a really nice 750ml of this a couple of weeks ago.
1985 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut Collection from magnum: For me – this collection magnum was better than the Brut magnum. There just seemed to be an extra layer or two of complexity and freshness. Magnums always make a difference!
1989 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet: What an absolute pleasure to taste this along side the ’93. This ’89 is the oldest Carillon BBM I’ve tasted – rare and hard to find for sure. There were some really nice freshness here with plenty of layered orchard fruits and really nicely placed touches of honey cream. Nice levels of natural oxidation here which does this BBM well. Well done!
1993 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet: This was my favorite of the two however! This had some really nice notes of fresh herbs and anise bulb. Just enough to really compliment the structured and layered fruit/acid profile. Very well put together and drinking great!
1973 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet: My last bottle of this – slightly corked! The last one of these was absolutely beautiful so it’s a shame I’m potentially not going to sample this ever again. Darn.
1986 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet from magnum: It was a pleasure to give part of this bottle to Veronique to sample and share toward the end of this night. This montrachet happens to retain the elegance that the Bouchard whites seem to always have. Full of stone fruits, touches of honey cream, bright spiced apples – touches of smoke. Anywho, a montrachet that wouldn’t be kicked off anyone’s table.
1985 Gagnard-Delagrange Montrachet from magnum: This didn’t seem to have the freshness when compared to a sampling of this last time. More on the fuzzy orchard fruit profile – maybe cold peaches, touches of minerality, nice wafts of floral aromatics.
1978 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir: I just love the way Roulot can age and this is a great example of this. Nothing overtly intoxicating about the nose on this – the texture in the mouth with it’s long extending acidity makes it. Straight forward and lovely. I liked this last time also but liked the ’79 version better looking back at my notes.
1999 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet: Lovely precise Batard here – with the touches of the Ramonet soft bitter mint leaf on the nose. Really savory from start to finish leaving me wanting more when there are several other nice white burgs behind this and a few more to come. Nothing advanced about this one at all!
1999 Joseph Drouhin Bâtard-Montrachet: This wine is on my list but I didn’t taste it?
2000 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières: Do I dare say that I liked this more than the 2000 CC? I just did! Maybe it was the serving temp – I don’t know. This wine was rocking with really nice levels of minerality and freshness. This wine really grabs under your tongue with lots of savory goodness. I’d love to sample this again soon!
2000 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne: There were a few of these floating around the tables – one bottle was slightly better than the other IMHO. Lovely powerful showing with flashes of orange blossom, bright honeysuckle, and a powerful savory structure. Still super good in the glass but just couldn’t pop past the ’00 MP for me this night.
2004 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières: I remember touches of esters that started this wine off. My god, you’d think that a 10yo white burgundy would be at least out of its adolescence – not this one. Still very young and fresh! I think this will turn out better than the awesome ’00 MP with time.
2004 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne: I’m really glad someone opened one of these because I’ve been VERY curious about what’s under the cork. Haven’t sample this yet and will be happy to wait another 5-10yrs to open any! So very young and tasting still very primary. There is still touches of vanilla cream and other big flavors happening – I want some development here which time will fix I think.
1978 Henri Jayer Nuits St. Georges Les Meurgers from magnum: This was a revelation to taste – savory earth toned cherry fruit, smoke, cigar box, touches of classy ash – really long. The real deal that was a revelation – enough so that I got a touch more later in the evening to confirm my thoughts. The only wine I did this with all night!
1983 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux from magnum: I really am learning to love the ‘83s from DRC. This GE magnum was really nice and classy – just the right amounts of secondary flavors like fresh fallen leaves and ash. Savory and balanced showing that left most everyone saying they really liked this one!
1991 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux: This was the first time tasting the ’91 Rouget CP and I likey. Earthy underbrush – still silky smooth with powerful structured tannins underneath. I really like this one for it’s overall package – the mouthfeel was really something to behold. This is what I wrote down at least!
1998 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux: This was not a waste at all opening this – just still very young compared to the ’91. A worthy vintage for this wine and drinking great if all on its own. Save for 10 years from now!
1993 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs: I really liked this one – a serious Volnay IMHO. I really like the purplish color of this one which I think bodes well for future development. The palate was also really classy and build to age. Hold on for another 5 years or so if you have any.
1979 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs: This is on my master list but didn’t get to taste?
1979 Pierre Damoy Chambertin-Clos de Bèze: Another one I didn’t taste/track down apparently?
2000 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg: A nice showing for this wine for sure but the ’00 DRC line-up just doesn’t grab me for whatever reason. This one was the same – serviceable but nothing spectacular.
1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant: Seemed tight and a wee bit astringent from memory when compared to the other wines around it. Still, very nice nose that really did want to jump out of the glass – cigar spice, clove, and soft cherry. Nice enough showing for me!
1998 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze: This really showed that nice Beze spicy savoryness on the nose – which really translated to the palate. Another ’98 red burg that is drinking great now but this can go a long while longer!
1992 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux: Off vintage – what? There was some fading fruit in there but more on the savory secondary side in nature. Earthy stuff going on all over the place with touches of spiced oak still present. A nice showing!
1993 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Corton-Clos Rognet: On my list but did not taste?
1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze from magnum: This was super classy. I generally think the Chambertin is always better than the Beze for whatever reason but I really do think it can be swapped if you pay close attention. It’s harder to find the Beze now-a-days when compared to the Chambertin – this is a sign? Anywho, a really well put together wine with lots of stuffing. Wait on this one if you have any!
2003 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux from magnum: The later in the evening taste after opening this up earlier in the day! Still very well balanced and singing – still a believer. Sorry if you hate me for this :p.
1959 Maison Leroy Richebourg: Light in color which doesn’t mean anything as far as I’m concerned. Lovely iron laced cold cherry fruit, spiced cherry compote, smoke, mushrooms. Complex wine to sip and enjoy for sure – remember really liking this!
1978 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanee: An original bottle as one could be – know where who shared this! Leaf spice, cinnamon, smoke, black cherry, spiced tea. Alive and kicking in all directions – super.
1990 Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers: This has to have been the best Gruenchers I’ve had from Dujac. There were still structural elements there but really nice flashy dark Chambolle fruit to support it. This was another wine I didn’t want to give up and kept a touch for later.
1962 Henri Jayer Richebourg from magnum: Darn near close to the top of the wines of the weekend for me. An original bottle for sure – again know where it came from (not me :p). Medium dark at the core with a slow gradation to super light crimson at the edges – almost clear at the very edges. I wrote down - classy Richebourg spicy flavors within a silky iron fist. Make sense? Anywho, I can’t say much more but I hope I get to experience this type of magnificence again.
1995 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze: Probably the best showing 1995 red burgundy I’ve had – another Rousseau Beze also :p. Nothing tight or out of balance here – lovely silky spices. Loved it and would love to cellar this bad boy!
1962 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti: This was more on the late secondary to early tertiary burgundy profile. Notes of black tea, ginger spices, more mushrooms, and touches of sous bois. Just OK for whatever reason – it pains me to say that!
1962 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg: This seemed much more appealing to me at least. Light on its feet with a saline laced spice profile that really jumps out at you. Same on the palate which oh so slightly faded in the glass. A.O.K. in my book!
1986 Domaine Truchot-Martin Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes: Thx to my friend who share this – I’ve never had a Truchot CdlR before young or this old. Loved the overall package here even from ’86. The more and more I get small tastes of Truchot wine – the more and more I can see why many are becoming true believers!
1947 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche: It was on my list but didn’t have time to taste it. Bad boy!
1966 Maison Leroy Grands-Echezeaux: Medium colored wine with a very similar profile when compared to the ’64 Leroy GE – lovely and complex is what I wrote down.
1972 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche: It was on my list but didn’t have time to taste it like the ’47 above. Really bad boy!
1971 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti from magnum: Still a super showing but not up to the 100pt show this wine put up a couple of years ago. Not a wine I supplied – a very generous friend did! Still very complex with flashes of ginger root, black tea, light touches of soy, and other savory goodness. A wine for the ages!
I needed some sleep after this dinner – to prep for the Friday morning Paulee verticals tasting, a really nice tapas lunch, and then a dinner I organized for 33 friends at Jardiniere which was spectacular! More notes to come.
Good work Jon. Bet I know where the 85 Gagnard-Delagrange Monty came from. Loved it last year, but always prefer the 89. 
there ya go! That’s what we’re talking about. Great wines and notes Jon.
Awesome
+1, and kudos for taking such fantastic notes, Jon. I almost feel like I’m there with you. Bravo.
kwa heri,
Mike
Wow amazing Jon. So much to comment here I almost can’t. Glad to see notes on wine I have in the cellar so I can use yours to judge when to pop mine ! I have a lonely 2000 MP waiting for some love.