Opinionated About Dining: Six Months of Wine

Burgundy

2003 Domaine d'Ardhuy Aloxe Corton "Les Chaillots" 1er Cru - Diluted. I tried the Gevry Combettes from this producer in this vintage and it was very good. This was only half the wine. D

2003 Coche-Dury Bourgogne - Great stuff. Amazingly fruity and cut really well for simple village wine. I want cases of this so it can be my house wine. Fresh and lovely and classy well beyond its status in life. B

2003 Coche Dury Bourgogne Aligote – Though lacking the weight of the Bourgogne, this was a good bottle to sip over lunch at Tom Aikens. I just prefer Bourgogne to Aligote. Maybe this is the right white Burgundy with oysters, as it is reminiscent of a Sancerre. C+

2003 Rene & Vincent Dauvissat Chablis La Forest - I had a bottle of this in Washington, DC in November which was super. This wasn’t anywhere as open as that bottle, nor did it seem to have as much attack on the palate. I wonder if the wine that makes its way to the U.S. market is vinified differently than the European bottling. C+

2003 Raveneau Chablis Valmur - Le Calandre was selling this by the glass for 20 euros which made it an irresistible add-on to our lunch. Really gorgeous stuff. Raveneau's Valmur is motor oil when it’s young, and I can't think of a bad vintage except maybe the under-fruited 1997. A

2002 Coche Dury Bourgogne - I had this twice. The first bottle in Europe was very nice but maybe shutting down a bit. I've had the 2003 a number of times recently and I find that more enjoyable. But I pulled a bottle of the 2002 from my cellar this past weekend, and it was unbelievably good with strong minerality and a focus to it that was enormously appealing. A ringer for Coche's village Meursaults. About as good as I imagine a village wine can get. B+

2002 Matrot Perrieres - Where my palate differs from the Burghound's. He rated this wine highly because it shows its terroir, and I found it completely boring and lifeless and no better than a second-tier wine. Maybe he knows something I don't know, but it wasn't apparant from the way this wine showed. C

2002 Raveneau Chablis Butteaux – Also shutting down a bit and not viscose as some of the other Raveneaus I had on the trip. Needs loads of time. Let it rest if you own any. No Rating

2002 Raveneau Chablis Montee de Tonerre - Stunning. The sommelier at Grand Hotel Lion d’Or tried to talk me out of ordering this as he said it was too young. Wrong advice--it was as near perfect as a young 1er Cru Chablis can be. It had the entire Raveneau flavor profile going on and the wine was weighty stuff for its class. Lay some of this away if you want to be happy 10-15 years from now. It reminded me of the wonderful ’95 MdT from Raveneau. A

2002 Roumier Bonnes Mares - Classy, but not the equal of the great '99 in my opinion. A bit on the young side, which made it difficult to assess properly. In general, the 2002's I've had have been tasty but not anywhere as pleasurable as the '96's or ‘99's were on release B+

2002 Truchot Chambolle-Musigny Sentiers - Difficult to assess. This wine needs loads of time. No Rating

2001 Rene & Vincent Dauvissat La Forest 375 ml - Very nice, but not stellar. Not the equal of the 2001 La Forest from either Raveneau or Dauvissat. Might work for mid-term drinking. I’d rather have a Raveneau. C+

2000 Coche Dury Meursault Perrieres - Huge wine that was very open. Lots of oohs and ahs from the lunchtime crowd at Pied-a-Terre about this one. I don't think it's a long-term keeper but it offers great pleasure today, and if you like Coche’s wines, you will love this. Great mouthfeel and maybe even a bit too viscous. A-

2000 Drouhin Musigny - Really good. I only had a few small pours of this as it was served at one of those mass tastings but it was so good that I went out and bought some a few days later. Hard to assess its window of ageability and whether this will shut down. But my sense is that it will be perfect in about five to seven years. A-

2000 Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres - This wine surprised me. I am usually not a fan of Drouhin white wines but this bottle made a good argument. Not something I am running out to buy, but good to find it on a wine list at a restaurant for a reasonable price. C+

2000 Drouhin Romanee St. Vivant - This was very good but not of the same class as the 2000 Musigny from Drouhin. Is it negociant wine? B

2000 Potel Romanee St. Vivant - I didn't quite get this wine. People were going wild for it, but I didn't warm up to it. Maybe it's too young and the way the terroir shows isn't appealing. Or maybe it's just negociant wine and I will never love it. C+

1999 Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin "Cherbaudes" - My relationship with 1er Cru red Burgundy is a fickle one. I like a number of them, but given my penchant for the wines from the region, I can't quite seem to warm up to what I will describe as the lesser 1er Cru bottlings. But this bottle had charm and I would actually lay some away for drinking in 3-4 years time. C+

1999 Raveneau Chablis La Forest - Another great Raveneau with much more heft than the Dauvissat Forests from 2001 and 2003 that we drank on the trip. You name it and the wine had it. Lemons, honey, viscosity. As a friend of mine says about Raveneau, the wines are radioactive. A-

1999 Guy Roulot Meursault "Les Tillets" - Very enjoyable. Much more opulent than other wines I have had from Roulot, which are usually a bit lean and minerally for my palate. I wouldn't mind having some of this in my cellar. B

1998 Dujac Clos St. Denis - A lovely wine that continued to get better in the glass. Some wines really show their breeding and this was a perfect example. Another wine that I would be happy to have in my cellar. This was surprisingly open for the vintage, and my sense is that it will be perfect in another five years. B+

1998 Groffier Chambertin Clos de Beze - I thought this was going to be great but it turned out to be dull. I never liked Groffier's wines and this didn't change my mind about them. C

1998 Mugnier Bonnes Mares - I thought this was diluted which is a strange characteristic for a wine from the '98 vintage to show. I have many friends who enjoy drinking Mugnier's wines but I have yet to have any seminal bottle. C-

1997 Roumier Chambolle-Musigny Amoureuses - The first time I had this wine it was shortly after release, and it had so much power that it blew me away. Now the wine seemed a bit ponderous, especially on the finish where it seemed overly fruit. Don't get me wrong--it wasn't bad to drink, but not in the same league as the transcendent '99 Amoreuses from Roumier B

1996 Comtes Lafon Meursault Perrieres - I guess this is a great example of Lafon. Unfortunately, I don't love the house style. Too much of a focus on minerality for my taste. It always reminds me of drinking Marcassin which is not a good thing in my book. B-

1996 Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche - One has to wonder about a Montrachet with a short finish. Laguiche has never been the style of Montrachet I liked the best. But we were curious why this wine seemed to drop off a cliff in the middle of the finish. Is it a matter of age? Not something you will be finding in my cellar. B-

1996 Leflaive Batard Montrachet - This was served too cold, but was a beauty of a wine when it warmed up. Served alongside the '96 Chevalier from Leflaive, it was a cut below, though those who like a more minerally wine might prefer this. Still, that is a hell of a nit to pick. Huge wine and great stuff. In 7-10 years it will be really grand A

1996 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet - Talk about massive. Just a huge mouthful of wine. I think this is one of the great white Burgs of the decade. Really powerful and still a baby. Selling for $500 a bottle at this point and worth the money in my estimation. If you were going to buy one special bottle of white Burg to drink at an occasion ten years from now, this is a great choice. A+

1995 Drouhin Griottes-Chambertin - Some reductiveness in the wine made it a bit unpleasant to drink. Not sure about this one. I had the great '93 a month earlier, and I just don't see this wine ever coming around to that level of excellence. Given the '93, '96, and '99 vintages, this looks ripe for the auction houses in my estimation. C

1995 Coche Dury Meursault Perrieres - Simply super stuff, although I think I've had better bottles than this one. If you like opulent Meursault while the wine still exhibits minerality, this is up there with the best examples. A

1995 Meo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanee Brulees - This wine caused some controversy. Some people thought the bottle was off, but I thought there might be a bit of reduction going on. I enjoyed it, but the table was split 50/50. A shadow of the stupendous '96 Brulees from Meo. B-

1995 Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Vergers - What a beauty. Slinky with a bit of viscosity and a lovely finish full of minerals. The only complaint was that it was a hair short. Still a bit young, we drank three bottles. About 90% of the '96 Vergers which is one of the greatest young CMs I ever had. A-

1993 Comtes de Vogue Musigny Vielle Vignes - Gorgeous stuff. Slinky and sexy with power and length. A bowlful of aromatic cherry kirsch. Being patient for 5-10 years will have its rewards. If a wine could only be your girlfriend. A

1993 Drouhin Clos de la Roche - I love Drouhin's wines, but they lack consistancy from vineyard to vineyard. The '93 Griottes is gorgeous stuff, and the Clos de la Roche seems like it comes from a different house. This one I can leave on the table as it didn't show very much. C

1993 Drouhin Griottes-Chambertin - Beautiful wine. When you hear people rave about the 1993 vintage in Burgundy, this is what they are talking about. Very pure and transparent. But with loads of very precisely cut cherry fruit. You can't go wrong by laying this away. A-

1993 Henri Gouges Nuits-St.-Georges Pruliers - I quite liked this one with its burgeoning minerality and stoniness, but it needs a good five years or more to be drinking really well. I wouldn't mind having a few bottles of this in my cellar as it’s a keeper. It’s owner was a bit disappointed, but it exceeded my expectations. B

1993 Niellon Chevalier Montrachet - Better than the '92 but still not a great vintage from my perspective. The wine is missing that opulence that I associate with the best Niellon Chevys. Of course the crowd that likes their white Burgs lean and mean love this. It isn't bad. But it isn't the '96. C+

1993 Ponsot Gritottes-Chambertin - Lovely wine with good extraction and intensity but perfectly balanced in the way that '93 red Burgs can be. Unfortunately, it shut down after about 20 minutes, and I couldn't enjoy it from that point on. But this is a wine with good potential, although I am not sure it will ever measure up to the ethereal '85 Griottes from Ponsot. B+

1993 Raveneau Chablis Clos - Surprisingly good for a '93. This is drinking perfectly, and people who gambled on Raveneau being a good enough winemaker to overcome the characteristics of this vintage will be well rewarded. B+

1992 Niellon Chevalier Montrachet - I used to love the '92 vintage but the way the vintage has progressed, I can count the bottles that I like on one hand: Coche-Dury, Carrillon's Perrieres, Raveneau across the board. But in my experience the wines from the big boys, Niellon and Ramonet, have taken a turn for the worse. Acids seem angry on the finish and the wines lack complexity. I think I need to send my '92s off to the auction houses. B-

1991 D'Angerville Volnay Champans - Though I love the D'Angerville wines, I never warmed up to this one. Very rustic with off flavors on the nose and palate. I think I will stick with the '93 instead. C

1990 Amiot-Bonfils Montrachet - Over the hill. We knew from the color as soon as they poured it. Acid almost gone as well. D

1990 Marquis D'Angerville Volnay Champans - Very good, but it seemed a bit coarse and unresolved. I wonder if it’s the vintage, but I'm not quite sure how this will turn out. It didn't seem to have the breeding that I found in a bottle of 1990 Clos des Ducs about a year or so ago. Awfully ripe fruit. B

1990 Raveneau Chablis Montee de Tonnere - A beauty, but it still needs some time. It opened in the glass somewhat and the minerality started to show, but there was still too much primary fruit left in the wine. It must have been a well-stored bottle because I've had this wine a number of times and it has always been further along than this. Great viscosity for a 1er Cru Chablis. One to revisit in five years. A-

1989 Dujac Charmes-Chambertin - I bought a case of this at auction a number of years ago and I think this is either the last or next to last bottle. For a lesser bottling from Dujac, I always enjoyed this wine. Some bottles offered less than others, with some the wine being a bit thin. But last night's was maybe the best one I've had, with terrific structure and loads of fruit. I think it is finally nearing maturity, and if anybody has some lying around it will be perfect in about five years. B-

1989 Dujac Clos de la Roche - Excellent and smooth. Deeper flavors than the '89 Charmes-Chambertin. I've had this bottle in the past but I wasn't impressed, and I've written the wine off when it comes onto the market. But that bottle must have seen imperfect storage. This wine made me a believer. B+

1989 Leroy Vosne Romanee 'Beaux Monts' - Call me a blasphemist, but I love the
Leroy Beaux Monts bottling. I know it isn't the most traditional of red Burgs, but the wine has so much power that I find it seductive. In fact wines like these are so controversial with Burgundy drinkers that one could write a Ph.D. thesis about them. But I will limit my comments to a single thought, which is that some wines have the stuff to be great wines even though they are atypical compared to what is usually considered great Burgundy. A-

1989 Ramonet Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet - I run hot and cold with this wine. Some bottles are great but some bottles seem to be lacking the right amount of stuffing for a Grand Cru. This bottle was more mature than past bottles, and that made it easy to drink. But it isn't a shadow of the great '89 Batard from Ramonet. B

1989 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot" - Over the hill. This hadn't oxidized, but the acid seemed to have seeped out of the wine. Drinkable, but well below expectations. D+

1989 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Ruchottes" - Two bottles of this. On stunning and one gorgeous. I've actually had erratic results with many '89's, as they are often all over the lot. But this beauty was a touch golden in color from maturity, and it offered a thinnish, honeylike viscosity on the palate without any signs of oxidation and a touch of '89 style exoticism. Classic 1er Cru in the true sense of the word. A-

1989 Raveneau Chablis Montee de Tonerre - Monstrously good. I don't know how Raveneau does it year after year, but the guy makes wines that are close to perfection. This is so "a point" right now that it's a shame not to drink them up. I feel like connecting my arm to a bottle of it intravenously. A

1988 Domaine Romanee Conti Echezeaux - I'm not in the habit of buying DRC wines off wine lists, but La Villaret had this for 206 euros and how could we resist? Beautiful wine with exceptional purity. Regal for Echezeaux. Easily 10-20 years too young. A wine that could restore one’s faith in the 1988 red Burgundy vintage. B+

1986 Leflaive Batard- Montrachet - I've had better bottles of this wine, although this as nothing to sneeze at. It didn't seem as viscous as I remembered past bottles being, and it had greater acidity than the bottle I had at a Steve Tanzer tasting a few years back. A treat to find this on a restaurant wine list at a reasonable price. B+

1985 Drouhin Bonnes Mares - Either this wine is going through a closed phase or it is losing fruit and intensity (I guess it could be both), and it was not as powerful a drink as the last bottle I had. But it has entered what I will call an amazingly pretty stage, where its elegance shows. Surprisingly, it had a tremendous amount of length on the finish considered the state it's in. Hard to say if one should drink up or lay away, as it doesn't give off the same type of clues as wines like '85 Rousseau Chambertin and Roty Charmes. Whatever you decide, you can't go wrong by drinking this beautiful wine. B+

1985 Robert Chevillon Nuit-St.-George Les Cailles - Gorgeous stuff. Some '85's have started losing it but this was in full bloom. More weight on the palate than I am used to NSG showing. I wish I had a cellar full of wines like this one. B+

1985 Faiveley Nuits-St.-George Les St. George - This one was bottled at Churchill Downs. And if that isn't accurate, horses must have stomped on it (not to mention taking dumps) in the vineyard. Others at the dinner loved it, but I could hardly lift it to my mouth. Blech. As John Gilman replied when I said that it was horrible, "What do you mean? It's a great wine for a Faively." D-

1985 Ponsot Griottes-Chambertin - I've had some glorious bottles of this wine, but the last couple of bottles have been a step down from the wine at its best. At the time. I had the feeling that the wine was losing fruit but this bottle changed my mind, and now I think the wine is just shutting down. It had an enormous amount of fruit, yet the wine wasn't anywhere as attractive as it should have been given the raw components of fruit and structure. I wouldn't come back to this until, get this, around 2025. But it will be like drinking '62 red Burg today if you have enough patience to wait for it. B-

1985 Raveneau Chablis Clos - This wine surprised me as it didn't have the type of viscosity I associate with a Grand Cru from Raveneau. Maybe it needed air to open up, but this bottle seemed to be at the end of its useful life. Oh, don't get me wrong--it wasn't bad, it just wasn't the ethereal experience that Raveneau Clos usually gives. B

1985 Raveneau Chablis Montee de Tonnere - At first it seemed like this was a bit over the hill as it tasted like caramel. But after about 20 minutes that blew off and what evolved was one of the prettiest botlles of chardonnay I had ever seen. Talk about elegance! The wine danced on your tongue like it was performing a ballet. Beautiful minerality and that slight hint of lemon that Raveneaus get with age. Glorious stuff, and this wine will last a while longer. A+

1978 Robert Arnoux Vosne-Romanee Suchots - I had this twice, and this wine continues to amaze me. It has the most incredible acid with this gorgeous layer of fruit sitting on it. Will some of the good Burgundy vintages in the 1990's turn out to be as good as wines from '78? We talked about it at dinner and we didn't see it. Every '78 I've had has been outstanding and this is yet another example. As someone at the table said, it's almost like drinking La Tache. A+

1978 Camus Charmes-Chambertin - Great, not because it was a wine of great quality, but a great drinking experience due to a combination of a sufficient level of quality while being perfectly mature. Oh, how I wish I had a cellar full of old, middling bottlings that drink perfectly. A pleasure to have in your glass. Something about a high acid old Burgundy that can't be beat. B+

1978 Comte de Vogue - Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoreuses - Closed. It almost opened up at the end of the night but it never quite got there. But the wine was intensely extracted, heavy on the tongue, and was the deepest color of scarlet I have seen in a Burgundy. B-

1978 Domaine Romanee Conti Romnanee-St.-Vivant - A stunning bottle, although I did find a hint of bitterness on the finish. As my friend Fred Corbalis says, he always tries to talk himself into not buying DRC as he doesn't find the price worth paying. But then you have a bottle like this and realize it is such a huge step up from other wines that you run out and buy some DRC. What continues to amaze me about DRCs from good vintages is how huge the wines are while still being elegant. It's a trait you don't really find in other producers. Combine it with the house signature of mossiness and you have a super bottle of wine. A+

1959 Ampeau Volnay Santenots - A heavy dose of coffee on the nose. This was a bit static at first, but then it opened up into something pretty and fun to drink. It didn't have the same level of intensity that old Burgundy can have. But it was a fun drink. Not bad to have some of this in your cellar. B

Rhone

2003 Jean-Michel Stephen Cote Rotie Tupin – Easily the best wine I tasted at the Marche au Vin and at 50 euros, was the most expensive bottle I found there. Exceptionally long and complex with great power. It reminded me of a pure version of Jamet at its best. B+

2003 Voge Cornas Vielle Fontaine – The number two wine at the Marche (and the only wine I bought besides the Stephen and my usual allotment of Ogier). Weighty for a Cornas and exceptionally smooth. It was good enough to make me drag Stephane Ogier over to try it (along with the Stephen which was right across the way), and we were marveling at how good they were. B

2000 Domaine Richaud Cote de Rhone L'Ebrescaude - This wine is usually a bruiser on release so I was surprised at how evolved it was for a 2000. Lovely deep purple plum taste with bramble. Good quality for a Cote de Rhone. B-

1999 Rochin Cote Rotie - Undistingushed. Especially for a 1999 Cote Rotie. C-

1998 Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape - Weak in the mid-palate. Surprising for a '98 as the wines always seem so complete. Old man Rayas seems to have known something that his nephew hasn’t yet figured out. How did Parker give this wine such a high score? C

1991 Guigal La Landonne - Really gorgeous with amazing fruit. I have had this a number of times, and this was the most elegant bottle yet. Highly perfumed with great length. The alter ego of the 1988 which is all power and highly structured. This isn't lacking in structure, it just has this amazing, slightly spicy fruit. A+

1991 Jamet Cote Rotie - Consumed right after the Les Cailloux. This wine had a sufficient amount of extra oomph in it to be a worthy follow-up. It's a cliche, but this was really hitting on all cylinders. Maybe it was the comparison to the Les Cailloux, but this wine had everything from more fruit to a more complex set of flavors in the wine. Just superb and a wine that is really hitting its peak A-

1990 Andre Brunell "Les Cailloux" Chateauneuf-du-Pape - We drank this at Fairway with some rib eyes, and this wine is finally entering a state where you can drink it. For years it has been shut down to the point of it being undrinkable. But this was pleasant, though a bit rustic around the edges, and was full of cherries, raspberries, violets and black olives (hey sounds like a Chateauneuf). Delicious stuff and should drink well over the next 4-5 years. A

1990 Andre Brunell "Les Cailloux" Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Centenaire - After a long period of slumber this wine has finally woken up to show what it's made of. Like it

s sibling from the vintage, this wine has about 300% more intensity. A bit chalky with tones of violets and black olives, Should continue to improve over the next five years and drink for another ten. A-

1990 Clos des Papes - Chateauneuf-du-Pape - Beautiful nose of violets and raspberries which is maintained on the palate. Another wine that I had found undrinkable about 3-4 years ago which is now starting to show well. The nose is so pretty why bother drinking the wine? Just pour it into a pot and let it sit while making the room smell like flowers B+

1989 Chave Hermitage - I drank this after two '85 NSGs and it seemed like a weak sister. I really didn't get much out of the wine. Come to think of it, I have never had a bottle of this that moved me. B

1989 Voge Cornas - Stinky. Not sure if it was brett or heat damage, but very horsey. Otherwise lovely wine with loads of fruit that is really drinking well at this point. C

1988 Clusel-Roch Cote Rotie - Minty, minty, minty but with air it sort of resolved itself. A delicious wine, although '88's are a bit horsey compared to the cleaner vintages of '89-'91. But another beauty of a wine. It seems to have mellowed since the last time I had it which was about three years ago. It used to be an in your face wine, but now it has gotten a bit softer. Nice wine and something to buy if you see it around. B+

1988 Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline - Classy juice. Served right after a bottle of '88 Jamet, you could see the difference in the two wines immediately. Very little rusticity and significantly more complexity than the Jamet. People at the dinner disagreed with me, but I thought it needed more time. Easily a good three years. A contender for the best bottle of Cote Rotie made over the last 30 years. A+

1988 Jamet Cote Rotie - Now we're talking very horsey, but in a good way. Possibly the most rustic bottle of Cote Rotie I can think of. It's powerful stuff but somewhat volatile, and it never seems to have completely settled down. I'm not sure if that is because it never will, or that it's still too young and will soften with more age. Jamet's do not usually last longer than 20 years so I'm not hopeful that it will soften. But a very good, powerful wine which was a bit shown up by the '88 La Mouline which came right after it at dinner. B+

1985 Chave Hermitage - Served right after the Guigal and Jamet so it didn't stand much of a chance. I know people like this wine, but I could never see what the big deal is. It is a very, very soft wine without being particularly elegant. It surely isn't like powerful Chaves like '89 or '90. More like the '88, which is another vintage that doesn't really move me. Maybe you have to be a Chave fanatic which doesn't describe me. C-

Alsace

2000 Trimbach Riesling Clos St. Hune - Two bottles of this. Super stuff. Weighty for a Clos St. Hune, and I'm wondering if that is baby fat that will melt away with age. Hard to compare it to a past vintage because of the fruitiness, but maybe '94 is a good bet. The second bottle was not quite as open but still showed amazing class. A-

1995 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Vielle Vignes - Why buy vendage tardive wines when you can drink this? Sort of like a semisweet V.T. Somewhat mellowed for a Z-H. We drank it with a big platter of choucroute, but it would have been better with foie gras. Not bad. Pretty open and with an hour decant this would probably be pretty wine. B-

1990 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand Vendage Tardive - Too sweet. I much prefer the Goldert bottling from the same vintage. This was sweet to the point of being cloying. C

1985 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile - The fruit has finally come to the fore in the wine so it is much softer and sweeter than it's been in the past. But the wine is so highly acidic that overall it makes it unattractive to me. I owned a case of this wine and sold it because of the acidity, but hung onto this one bottle just to see what was going to happen. My instincts weren't wrong. C

Loire

2005 Pascal Cotat Chavignol (from barrel) - My favorite rose. Sexy stuff, and I am going to buy a few cases of this stuff as it will last 15 years. They were selling it for 11 euros at the winery. B

2005 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Mont Damnes (from barrel) - Fantastic. Like drinking velvet. Great potential. I haven’t tasted a young Cotat this good since the '96. Normally they are thin with searing acidity, but this had a layer of beautiful fruit. A-
2005 Cotat Sancerre Grand Cote (from barrel) - Not as pretty as the Mont Damnes and needs more time. I asked what makes the Grand Cote different than the Mont Damnes, and Pascal told me that it’s the same wine but they vinify it differently. I thought they said the temperature was lower, but they were speaking French and you know how that goes. More cat pee than the Mont Damnes. B+

2004 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Mont Damnes - Not in the same league as the 2005. We bought some because we wanted to buy a load of 2005, but save your money for next year if you can. B-

2002 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Grand Cote - If I understood Pascal Cotat correctly, Grand Cote is vinified at a colder temperature than Mont Damnes and that accounts for it being a more austere wine. In a vintage like 2004 where the fruit is less opulent, the wine seems a bit lean. For those who like to drink rocks in their wine without much fruit added. A bottle of the wine at a restaurant in NYC seemed flabby. C

2002 Domaine Peppiere Muscadet Clos des Briods - The world's best QPR wine hardly ever disappoints, besides being so cheap that a bottle only costs $34 in a restaurant. I would make this my house wine if I wasn't such a Cotat fan. B

1996 Pascal Cotat Sancerre La Grand Cote - It opened with a bit of cat pee on the nose but that blew off in about ten minutes. It developed beautifully in the glass with amazing acidity that was sharp as a razor but not offputting. Beautiful minerality and length. Great wine and in keeping with other '96 Cotats from both brothers and all bottlings. I had a second bottle over the weekend and it was every bit as good. A-

1996 Francois Cotat Sancerre Reserve Especial - Much to our surprise, Papa Cotat (an NBA fan and we had a long chat about watching basketball on satellite TV) walked in with a bottle of this beauty and it completely blew us away. Mildly sweet (like a medium VT from Alsace) but with the same stunning minerality and finish as the ’96 Mont Damnes dry wine. It was so good that between the three of us we bought four cases of the wine at 30 euros a bottle. A

1993 Francois Cotat Sancerre Grand Cote - We asked Papa if he had any other older vintages for sale, and he went and got a bottle of this '93. Thin and without much fruit, we passed on buying any. C-

1988 Huet Clos de Bourg Demi Sec - I had this at the Fat Duck and I was a bit disappointed. Sweeter than I would have liked and not quite resolved. Maybe it just needs time to mellow. C

1988 Joguet Chinon Clos de Dioterie from Magnum - Hotel de Lion d’Or has an exceptional list of Chinon in magnum, and this was one of the older wines on the list. I'm no expert on Chinon but this wine was wonderfully pure and it had great clarity of flavor. It was surprisingly light in body and not Grand Vin in the way Burgundy can sometimes be. But we all enjoyed it immensely and I wouldn't mind having some in my cellar. It had years of life left to it, but I’m not sure how much better it is going to get. A-

Champagne

2000 Jean Milan Blanc de Blanc Terres de Noel - In advance of this being poured, John Gilman was saying that he typically doesn't like small grower champagnes because they are more like wine and aren't elegant like the champagnes from the big houses. Then sure enough they poured it and it was very much elegant, if a bit young. Nice wine and worth laying away for 3-4 years, and it should hold for 3-4 more. At $55 a bottle, well worth it. C+

1998 Dom Perignon - Quite enjoyable. Not a spectacular bottling but four to four and one-half stars for sure. Lovely to drink now, and it will lay away similar to wines like the '88. Definitely worth buying some, and I think it will only need middle-range storage to be a drinker. B+

1996 Gosset Grande Millesine from Magnum - A winey champagne with a small mousse. Not my style. I will add that I have found that many '96's fall into this category. It makes me wonder about their future, even though the experts say this was the best vintage in deacdes. B-
1990 Billcart Salmon "Grand Cuvee" - I attended John Gilman's champagne tasting, and this was the wine of the evening. Classy. More weight than the '90 DP, sort of similar to the Bollinger. I like drinking the non-vintage BS's, but the vintage wines never seem to move me. This one was different, and it was the WOTN at the tasting. A-
1990 Bollinger RD - Very nice. Not as aristocratic as the '90 DP but a reasonable cut below. Just starting to show secondary characteristics and the slight oxidation that

older Champagne shows. Will be that much better in 3-5 years. Well worth drinking. B+

1988 Dom Perignon - This was a nice wine but definitely second tier for DP. In 88's, I prefer the Krug, Salon, and Bollinger RD. Not that this was bad, but why buy a wine when there are better choices out there? Although the Salon is at a higher price point. B

1988 Krug from magnum was excellent although a hair young. For some reason this wine drinks better from magnum than 750. But it still needs 4-5 years to resolve itself. B+

1985 Bollinger Champagne RD - Delicious bottle. I was never a fan of the Bollinger RD bottlings but various examples from 1979-1996 vintage changed my mind. This was in keeping with how '85’s from Krug and Dom Perignon have developed. Very nice, and it probably will keep improving for the next 4-5 years. If I say this is among the top second-tier champagnes, will that make sense? A-

1982 Dom Perignon Rose from Magnum - Gorgeous stuff. I love a good rose champagne, and this was top class. It was served at the end of a tasting of 15 champagnes, so my ability to pick up the specifics were a bit altered by that point in time. But at a point in time at a tasting when I often suffer from palate fatigue, this wine managed to being my taste buds to attention. The one bad thing about the wine is that Dom rose is a bit pricy. B+

1982 Krug - Two bottles of this beautiful wine that is perfect right now with a slight bit of sherry and honey on the palate while maintaining a beautifully tight mousse. I had a case of 750's and I had a 6 pack of magnums and the 750's are almost gone. Worthwhile buying this again if you can get your hands on a case of bottles that they disgorged in the 90's. A+

1964 Drappier Blanc de Blanc from Magnum - If you can imagine the combination of a second-tier champagne being a beauty, you have the '64 Drappier. Clear that the breed wasn't at top class, but the wine was so perfectly mature that it made it a joy to drink. A sweet and pretty champagne that was well worth buying when the domaine re-released ot six or seven years ago. B+

Krug Grand Cuvee from Magnum - Nice, but not extraordinary. Give me vintage Krug anyday. C+

Krug Rose NV - Very good. It seemed to have some age on it because it was a hair sherried. Surprisingly good for a NV Krug, which usually doesn't move me. Maybe it was the rose bit. B

Selosse Cuvee Substance - I love this wine. It's not really champagne, but who wants to be picky about it. Some peope dislike it because it has been aged in old sherry casks, which gives the wine a bit of oxidation on the palate. But for me it is the next best thing to drinking old champagne. I wonder what will happen to this wine when it has some serious age on it and whether the oxidized flavors will become too pronouced. B+

Italy

2004 al Zimo Refrosco - I made a mistake ordering this wine. It tasted as if it was vinified by Michaelangelo Rollandi. Too modern for words. D

2004 Ca del Bosco Chard/ Pinot Blanc - Okay, but not really my thing. I prefer Vintage Tunnina for a chard/pinot blanc blend as this seemed to be weighted heavily to the chardonnay side of things. D

2001 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba - Among the contenders for the best young wine I have ever seen, certainly in the less than $30 category. A spicy fruit bomb with amazing structure might be a good way to describe it. If you know how good Giacomo Conterno's regular Barolo can get, well, this is every bit as good for the lighter Barbera. If I had a category called new wine of the year, this would win it. B+

1999 Dal forno Valpolicello – A wow wine. Really plump and fruity, and it just popped out of your glass. A bit of cinnamon and liquored raspberries. For hardcore dal Forno fans who don’t want to spring for the price of the Amarone. I’m still a Quinterelli guy, as the wines aren’t quite as in your face A-

1997 Luciano Sandrone - Barbera d'Alba - Two bottles. Okay, I know Sandrone's wines are too clean, but I'm a sucker for them. Nobody said that Luciano's wines don't have pretty fruit. This bottle is just coming into its prime and has great structure and what tastes like a touch of cinnamon-tinged blueberries on the finish. Now that the regular Chateauneuf bottlings are approaching and surpassing $40 a bottle, Barbera remains one of the great remaining bargains in wine. The second bottle was not quite as good. B

1985 Aldo Conterno Barolo Grand Bussia - . The first bottle was decanted earlier in the day but it turned out to be oxidized so the second bottle was opened when we sat down to dinner. Delicious stuff but much softer than I thought it would be, especially compared to the '82 which is a huge wine. The primary fruit was gone, but the secondary flavors were still right on the edge of the wine. Not as hot as other '85's I've had either. I'm not sure if more time with air would have given the wine more backbone. I would let this wine lie for a few years before trying it again. B+

1985 Bruni Giacosa Barbaresco Santa Stefano Riserva - Great wine that could use some more time but it is eminently drinkable today. A hair hot and a hair alcoholic, but that's the '85 vintage in the Piemonte for you. A wine to revisit in five year, then ten, then twenty as it will still be going strong and will continue to get better. A-

1982 Aldo Conterno Barolo Gran Bussia - The sommelier who was taking care of our room made a mistake and decanted the Conseillante instead of this. When we caught the mistake and told him to open this wine, it only had about 30 minutes to breathe before it was served. So it started out all funky with the aromas and flavors of reductiveness all over the wine. But after another 30 minutes it blew off and the wine was grand. I guess I'm just a sucker for older nebbiolo with its complexity, perfume, slight oxidation, and amazing structure. A

1982 Giacomo Conterno Barolo - Mami mia! This was killer and it was only the normal bottling. The longer it sat in glass the better it got. How is it that G. Conterno's wines are so good? '71, 74, 78, '82, the wines are consistently the best of the vintage (although I did have a friend who claimed that a '78 Giacosa Collina beat the Monfortino in a tasting.) Exceptional length, with deep cherry and choclate flavors. Great stuff, and I'm looking for more as I think this was my only bottle. A

1967 Borgogno Barolo - The best bottle of wine on my recent trip to Europe. It started out slow but 3/4 of the way through our lunch it was exploding out of the glass. I have had other vintages that were recently released by Borgongo, and the wines are good but on the light side. This was a barn burner with Conterno-power. I'm in the market to buy some now that I’m home. A+

1964 Conterno Barolo Riserva - Very good. In great condition. It was a bit high in acid. It didn't develop the type of complexity that we found in the '67 Borgogno or the '82 Barolo from Conterno. Time to drink these up. B

Rioja

1995 Cune Rioja Vina Real - Fruity but had some reductiveness. Maybe it was heat damage but the wine had lots of funk. Hard to tell its future. No Rating

1985 Lopez De Heredia Rioja Vina Tondonia - How beautiful. Surprisingly elegant for a Tondonia, and so perfectly made that it seemed like an example out of a textbook. Very surprising, since I've found that young Tondonias are typically unyielding. Thin in terms of body, but my kishkas tell me this bottle will last another 30 years, all the time getting better. A-

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1981 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 - Delicious for a middle-term Rioja. This wine has been drinking well since the day it was released without ever shutting down. I had never thought of it as long term wine until last night when the abundancy of acid and fruit was really noticeable. Very charming and the Rioja cherries were in full view. I will give it another 10 years to reach perfection. B+

1959 Cune Rioja Vina Real - Bought in a shop in San Sebastian for 50 euros. This had lost a sufficient amount of fruit despite having a beautiful Rioja nose. As it sat in the glass, I kept thinking the wine was going to come to life but the mid-palate never quite got there. It was a bit odd since the low and high notes seemed to both be there. But it smelled like 99 point Rioja. C+

Bordeaux

1995 Angelus - Very nice for a young Bordeaux. Will this turn out as well as the '89 or '90? Probably not. I don't normally drink Bordeaux, but I can see the case for laying some of this away. B

1990 La Conseillante - Surprised at how young this was. Not enjoyable for me because it was nowhere near ready. I thought it a bit stemmy, but someone else said it was unripe tannins that needed to mellow. I happen to own a few bottles of this wine, and I won't open them for at least another 15 years. B-

1982 La Conseillante - Excellent and almost at full maturity. The best bottle of Bordeaux that I had in a long time. Wonderfully balanced and still strong for a 1982 Pomerol. A-

1955 La Mission Haut Brion - Birthyear wine for my wife. One of the great bottles of Bordeaux from the '50's and '60's. This bottle was terrific, but not as good as a bottle I had from the same auction lot that I drink about five years ago. This was somewhat softer in terms of the acid in the wine. But the flavors, with a heavy emphasis on cherries covered in chocolate with a touch of gravel thrown in, was superb. In fact, the other people at dinner (we had this at Aureole) were marvelling at the wine, and I guess only those of us who are hypercritical would focus on the slight flaws I have pointed out. But c'est la vie, that's the art of wine appreciation, no? A-

1955 Latour - From a case that I bought a few years ago in anticipation of Mrs. P's birthday. I brought 3 bottles. The first was just superb. Deep color and an amazing amount of extraction. We couldn't believe how young it was. A bit chunky in the mid-palate and not as powerful as a good Latour can be. Still, I am picking nits and it had the charm of old Bordeaux. Bottle two was corked, and three was very good but a hair musty compared to number one. Good bottles of this wine will hold for at least 20 more years and I expect it to pick up complexity. A-

German

2004 Kerpen Riesling Kabinett - Fresh apples and delicious. Maybe could have used a hair more acid. B-

2004 Selbach Oster Riesling Kabinet Zehtlinger - Fruity and easy to drink. Like drinking soda. You could almost guzzle it. B

2001 Donhoff Riesling Oberhause Brucke Spatlese - Pretty much shut down. With a few hours of air it opened up, and it was enjoyable but the wine really needs a lot more time. Exotic stuff, but not sure if it is worth the 98 points Rovani gave it B+

2001 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteller Riesling Auslese - Lovely stuff, and one of the cheapest bottles on the Arpege list. A bit spritzy and nice minerality on the finish. Like drinking soda pop. B+

1983 Maximin Gruehhausser Riesling Herrenberg Auslese - Over the hill but still quite enjoyable. A medium-deep yellow with some golden in it. The finish was a bit short due to the wine losing fruit. But still delicious on the plate. I have a second bottle that I bought and I wonder if there will be a difference. C+

Swiss

1999 Petite Arvine - According to our host at Rochat, this is the best wine made in Switzerland and hard to get a hold of. It reminded me of an Alsatian Riesling, but not exactly. Chalk tasting it up to science. C

California

1999 Arcadian Pisoni - I had this twice. The first time I had a pour at a tasting and I thought it was quite charming. So figuring that I might have found a domestic pinot noir that I liked, I went out to buy a bottle. It costs me $90 and it turned out that I didn't quite like it as much as I did at the tasting. Unfortunately, on its own it showed a bit syrupy, as domestic pinot noirs are prone to do. But at $90 the QPR is absolutely crap. Great for $20. At $90 I'd rather drink water. C+

1994 Dominus - I thought this bottle had seen some heat damage. No rating