By: AJ McClellan
Friday was a great day! We had some killer Burgs with a few bottles of great Bordeaux thrown in for spice. I must say that the biggest surprise for me was the half bottle of Pichon Lalande. The wine was drinking great and showing well for a half bottle.
2008 Domaine Bertagna Vougeot 1er Les Cras Blanc- This is a very interesting wine, the only white out of this 1er. The wine was full in body with a slightly waxy texture. The nose showed ripe melon, lemon zest, and huge limestone and blue rock minerality. The palate was heavy and broad with a long finish.
1996 Branaire Ducru – Not a bad bottle for a Quatrièmes Crus. The fruit was bright and fresh with an excellent backing of earth and spice. The palate was also very pleasant with smooth tannins and a long finish. Not overly complex but in balance and drinking very well.
1999 Domaine des Lambrays Morey st Denis 1er Les Loups – A very nice bottle of Burgundy. The nose showed bright red fruits with earthy aromas and a subtle minerality. The palate was soft and drinking very easily.
1986 Pichon Lalande Half Bottle – This might have been the wine of the night for me. Pichon is always great but I have been viewing the 86 vintage dubiously for a while now. I think most of the wines from 86 are in need of a few more years in the bottle to come out of this funky phase they are in. That being said, this half bottle was drinking great! Perfect Pichon with wonderful earthy aromas and a palate of pure silk with surprisingly fresh fruit and a long finish.
1993 Clos de Vougeot GC – A great bottle from a great producer. We pulled this bottle to finish our night on Friday and it was drinking like a champ. The nose was full of dark earth and black fruits. The palate was soft and smooth with a long finish.