A triptych of DRCs recently enjoyed over dinner with a very special client:
Grands-Echézeaux, DRC 1969
Burnt orange at the rim. Tomato on the nose, a hint of spice. In the mouth a beautiful sweet, ripe wine. Fully resolved and at full maturity. A beautiful balance, plump but with an acidity to counter-balance. An elegance that belies the hot vintage. The greatest 69 Burgundy in a long time. Perfect storage.
Romanée-Conti 1934
At first rather reticent. 30 mins later a dry spice nose with a savory and smoky nose like Kansas BBQ. The palate: what a treat, phenomenal bergamot tea and rose petal infusion layered with cherry jam. Stunning peacock's tail of a finish, length incredible.
Romanée-Conti 1937
A completely different animal - and animal is the world. Wild, gamey and meaty on the nose. Palate sweeter and marked by an incredible fragrance of crushed rose petals like little girl's home-made perfume...The finish goes on and on for over 30 seconds , an exceptional bottle. The second best Burgundy I have ever had after a 1906 La Romanée from Bouchard Père et Fils.
Life does not get better than this...
Friday, 3 July 2009
Leroy Trois fois
Had the pleasure recently of three Leroy wines in the one sitting. It taught me that the conccentration, high color and passionate wine making pay dividends after 20-30 years and that we need incredible patience with these wines!
Chambertin, Leroy 1985
A lovely burnt-orange rim. Slightly dusty nose at the early stage, a nose reflecting the warmth of the vintage, ripeness but with background of 'undergrowth' so typical of Chambertin. In the mouth, first impression was weight, viscosity and richness. The fruit profile was still so youthful, the structure came across as liquorice, the mid palate deep dark fruit. The finish was long and complex, a breath of freshness and brightness of fruit that signals a long future for this wine.
Mazis-Chambertin, Cuvée Madeleine Collignon, Hospices de Beaune, Leroy 1985
Less visibly mature at the rim than the previous. A nose of bilberry, tart fruit and earthy tones. The first thing that struck me was an exceptional balance between acidity and structure. The whole thing held together by a concentration of fruit, even sweeter and riper than the previous wine. A huge rich wine, with legs longer than a swedish model. A tour de force of terroir and wine making!
Mazis-Chambertin, Leroy 1978
A nose altogether more mature than the previous two. Rose petals, gamey and meaty, wet dog and spice. On the palate: another warm vintage Burgundy. Incredibly feral, wild, heat of the vintage, blueberry jam. Anincredible demonstration of what Mazis can produce - for me a great by any standard - but I would not leave it any longer.
All in all a fabulous evening of wines from Leroy. I truly hope that her 1991s and 1993s will be this exciting in 15-20 years!
Chambertin, Leroy 1985
A lovely burnt-orange rim. Slightly dusty nose at the early stage, a nose reflecting the warmth of the vintage, ripeness but with background of 'undergrowth' so typical of Chambertin. In the mouth, first impression was weight, viscosity and richness. The fruit profile was still so youthful, the structure came across as liquorice, the mid palate deep dark fruit. The finish was long and complex, a breath of freshness and brightness of fruit that signals a long future for this wine.
Mazis-Chambertin, Cuvée Madeleine Collignon, Hospices de Beaune, Leroy 1985
Less visibly mature at the rim than the previous. A nose of bilberry, tart fruit and earthy tones. The first thing that struck me was an exceptional balance between acidity and structure. The whole thing held together by a concentration of fruit, even sweeter and riper than the previous wine. A huge rich wine, with legs longer than a swedish model. A tour de force of terroir and wine making!
Mazis-Chambertin, Leroy 1978
A nose altogether more mature than the previous two. Rose petals, gamey and meaty, wet dog and spice. On the palate: another warm vintage Burgundy. Incredibly feral, wild, heat of the vintage, blueberry jam. Anincredible demonstration of what Mazis can produce - for me a great by any standard - but I would not leave it any longer.
All in all a fabulous evening of wines from Leroy. I truly hope that her 1991s and 1993s will be this exciting in 15-20 years!
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