Dinner last night was wonderfully pleasant. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough, but that's life, especially on a Tuesday night. The NYC contingent is lucky to have Rahsaan as a new member. It was also great to finally meet Everett. The problem with having two professors at the table is that we really need a series of dinners to dig into what they have to say.
As threatened, we mostly drank 2009 Beaujolais. Here's how it went, winewise:
2011 l'Anglore Tavel Vintage: I really adore these wines. Strawberry compote and minerality, but lifted and so lively. One of those life affirming wines, where you really feel the energy of the vine, vigneron, and place. Still has plenty of steam, though hard to see it improving.
2009 Foillard Morgon Corcelette: I usually think of the Corcelette as the redder fruited, lighter bodied wine as between Foillard's two Morgons. Not in 2009, at least with our bottles. This wine was far more darker fruited and reserved. My sense is not that the wine is tired, or that the fruit has dropped. My take is that the wine needs more time. It won't evolve into what I usually expect with this bottling, but I am optimistic that very nice days are ahead. For all this, still readily identifiable as Beaujolais. We didn't drink these blind, but I don't think I'd be in the Rhone or elsewhere with this wine if we had.
2009 Foillard Morgon Cote du Py: Much more open and giving than the Corcelette. More power and palate presence than most vintages (and I think of this as a pretty substantial wine generally), but does not cross the line into exaggeration. This bottle was really compelling. Again, time in hand, but whereas I think opening the Corcelette now is kind of missing the wine, opening a Py now is not. That said, I'm curious to see where this goes.
2009 Roilette Fleurie Cuvee Tardive: My second open, giving Roilette wine in a month! Not so unfurled as the 2016 a few weeks ago, but a bottle that was happy to be opened. Less palate weight than the Foillards, and much in the vein of what I expect from Roilette Tardive. Nothing dialed up to 11. The wine has an inner strength and substance, but that's not so unusual for this cuvee. I think BJ will be very happy with his two cases, and this wine should continue to drink well for at least a couple decades.
2009 Roilette Fleurie Griffe du Marquis: My understanding is that this is the same juice as the Tardive, with only the elevage different. There sure is a difference. I think this a step up from the Tardive, with more elegance and complexity. But the wine also clamped down pretty hard in the glass after just five minutes or so. Do not open now. But someday, you will be rewarded with a hell of a wine. Again, both Roilettes were clearly Beaujolais, and well within the domaine's norms.
2009 Bouland Morgon Les Delys: A late addition from Everett. I know that some on this board are not fans of this domaine (cough, Pavel, cough). I can see why. Stuck out substantially from Foillard and Roilette, and those wines themselves are quite different from each other. More rustic, more tannic, less fruit. I've been buying these wines because John Gilman is a staunch supporter and I trust in his view. But this bottle was grumpy. Blind, I don't think I'd be in Beaujolais. But that may say more about my conceptions of Beaujolais than this wine. I'm not selling my bottles, but I'm somewhat nonplussed. Everett took the rest of the bottle home, and I'm curious how it shows today.
Thanks again to Rahsaan for instigating the dinner, and to Larry and Everett for being such amiable companions. We hope to see more traveling Disorderlies in the Bay Area! We won't make you drink 2009 Beaujolais, but there are more bottles if you want to!