By: Ryan Tedder
Day in and day out it is easy to realize that Graileys is one of the best wine places on Earth! On a random Tuesday we were just hanging out typing away listening to a droll of Olympic news when two of our great members walked in to make things interesting. After a quick hello the attention turned into what to drink. If left up to me I think I would spend an ever increasing amount of time in this life drinking great aged Champagne and vintage Burgundy. The evening just so happened to take that path-yippy!
We started with a bottle of 1988 Veuve Clicquot Rare Vintage. This wine was a relative steal given the perfect provenance and quality of the juice. The perfectly aged bubbler still retained a somewhat subdued effervescence that was still noticeable and quite delicious! The yellow apple, pear, fresh spun honey, hazelnuts, and buttered croissant were downright delicious. Perfectly vinous and wonderful-need more now!
Next was a kicking bottle of 1997 Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers du Dents de Chien. After having recently drank a bottle of 2011 En Remilly that was uber minerally and tight as nails in what was is supposed to be a rather forward vintage, I was motivated to give the one a spin. What a stunner. Another great bottle of white from this rock star of Saint Aubin. Rich and round, honey, apple pie, brioche, vanilla, hard spices, hawthorne and lillies-this was a profound bottle of vintage white Burgundy that was completely absent of Pre-Mox. Divine juice.
Next we went into red country with a bottle of 1998 Dominique Laurent Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru that was rocking! This is the wine that showed so well at our grand blind holiday party. The soft red fruit was perfectly ripe with a balanced richness and a fine, caressing tannin that made the wine wonderfully supple. The wild strawberries, bright bing cherries, wild berries and light earthy notes of dried leaves and wild mushrooms. I guess the theme is wild, fruity and balanced with a never ending finish. Simply beautiful.
We finished with one of the aristocratic estates of Burgundy, Meo-Camuzet. We had a bottle of 2000 Meo Camuzet Corton Clos Rognot Grand Cru that was completely different than the Grand Ech. There was a profound minerality, saturated dark berry fruit, smoke, black truffles, light leather and divine, seamless yet omnipresent tannins that tickled the palate. Worth all of the acclaim and reverence, this Meo Cam certainly did not disappoint!