By: L.A. Perkel
By 5:30pm, I already had a line-up of four wines. Yes, it was going to be a good end to my day. First opened was the NV Lanson Brut ‘Black Label’. Fresh and zippy acidity. Citrus and floral notes; very subtle lees characteristic. Fine effervescence. A bottle of 1998 D’Auvenay Meursault ‘Pre de Manche’ was shared around the table next. This wine is full-on drama: opulent, rich, and concentrated. From the bold nose of buttered popcorn, almonds, floral, roasted pear, and minerality to the hefty structure, this wine gave its all. Fortunately, the wine had vibrant acidity and flavor concentration to handle that heft. The next round was tasted blind. “This wine reminds me of a 1994 Cornas I’ve had,” one of the taster initially observed. Really rich on the palate, youthful and vibrant. The sweet fruitiness and the richness, subtle hibiscus note…I’m thinking Richebourg, perhaps early 80s. Matt is with me on the Richebourg path. One said that the spiciness and iron notes remind him of Rhone Valley. AJ is guessing Chambertin. Time for the big reveal – A 1969 Remoissenet Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Les Combottes’. That explains it. Remoissenet’s have been hard to peg. The vibrant and youthful characteristics always point us to a wine 20 years younger. But, I have to say, this wine was drinking amazingly well, questions about reconditioning notwithstanding. A 2003 Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape ‘Cuvee Reserve’ was passed around next. Compact and brooding. Needs plenty of time to show its value. Some tobacco, smoke, black pepper, and plums emerging from the glass after half an hour, but on the palate the flavors were hidden amidst the wine’s tannic structure. I like it for its potential.