My friend invited me to help him celebrate his 50th, with a couple of birth year wines. Luckily he has held up considerably better than the wines have.
A fifty year old bottle of champagne was alas, OTH. 1959 Contant and Co Brut, Epernay was a light amber color, oxidized and without bubbles. Quite dead, but not mute. Some interesting flavors of walnut, caramel, oolong tea, dates, and mushrooms made this actually not too bad with a bowel of steamed clams and garlic. It paired more like a glass of good sherry than champagne.
Jenise brought a bottle of 1990 Roederer Cristal Brut that was wonderful.
Full bodied, honey and vanillin nose, with balanced flavors of citrus, green apple and biscuit. What made it interesting for me was a fennel pollen flavor towards the finish. Big enough flavor and acidity to stand up to a sablefish and spot prawn dish. I've heard this criticized for being a tad too sweet, but this wasn't for me.
The 1985 Daniel Jarry Vouvray sec was overwhelmed by the sablefish dish.
It was a nice subtle wine that had a little lanolin and musty Chenin funk, with a whisper of honeycomb. It started with a big lemon rind burst of acid, but finished soft and full. Contemplative wine, and enjoyable.
There was an asparagus and chanterelle risotto dish that had a little truffle oil in it. I'm not a great fan of truffle oil, but it matched well with the mature Bordeaux flavors of a 1959 Chateau Palmer. Lots of cedar closet and spicy soy sauce. There was a little blackish fruit left and a skeleton of acidity. The tannins are gone and the wine faded in the glass. Drink up.
2001 Allemand Cornas sans soufre was opened to go with a lamb loin chop. The dish was a little challenging as the lamb was topped with chopped olives and white anchovies. The strong flavors of lamb and anchovy were just too much together.
OK, the Allemand was incredible. Initially it had lots of tropical floral smells. Someone mentioned gardenias, another person said jasmine. There is no Viognier allowed in Cornas, right? This changed into something more Cornas like with air, typical black olive and pepper with time in the glass. In the mouth the wine had a depth of black fruit and a little oily feel. While the nose seemed complex and evolved, the mouth was very young. Everything seems in place to age nicely, though. Fabulous, maybe the best young Cornas wine I've tried so far (not a lot).
I had read that Allemand had used a little higher proportions of new barrels in 2001 when he was replacing some older barrels, but I didn't notice any oak in this bottle.
There was also a 2000 Clos des Papes with the lamb chop. It was much tighter than the Cornas. A little iron minerals and dried fruit nose. Very elegant tannins, but it was hard to get much out of this bottle. With time there was some candied cherry fruit. I think its just closed.
A 1989 Ducru Beaucaillou was in a great drinking place. A little cedar and forest floor mixed with savory dried red fruit and pencil led. It started gently and then the flavors expanded in the mouth. Some drying tannins, but pretty fine overall. At 12.5% alcohol, a Platonic Bordeaux for me. Terrific with a braised bison and mushroom dish.
Some blue cheeses and apple slices were served with a 1988 Climens which was good, maybe a notch below exceptional. Honeyed apricot botrytis flavors and a little diesel, not too sweet, but a little soft in the mouth. Nice with the cheese platter.
Cheers,
Marc
A fifty year old bottle of champagne was alas, OTH. 1959 Contant and Co Brut, Epernay was a light amber color, oxidized and without bubbles. Quite dead, but not mute. Some interesting flavors of walnut, caramel, oolong tea, dates, and mushrooms made this actually not too bad with a bowel of steamed clams and garlic. It paired more like a glass of good sherry than champagne.
Jenise brought a bottle of 1990 Roederer Cristal Brut that was wonderful.
Full bodied, honey and vanillin nose, with balanced flavors of citrus, green apple and biscuit. What made it interesting for me was a fennel pollen flavor towards the finish. Big enough flavor and acidity to stand up to a sablefish and spot prawn dish. I've heard this criticized for being a tad too sweet, but this wasn't for me.
The 1985 Daniel Jarry Vouvray sec was overwhelmed by the sablefish dish.
It was a nice subtle wine that had a little lanolin and musty Chenin funk, with a whisper of honeycomb. It started with a big lemon rind burst of acid, but finished soft and full. Contemplative wine, and enjoyable.
There was an asparagus and chanterelle risotto dish that had a little truffle oil in it. I'm not a great fan of truffle oil, but it matched well with the mature Bordeaux flavors of a 1959 Chateau Palmer. Lots of cedar closet and spicy soy sauce. There was a little blackish fruit left and a skeleton of acidity. The tannins are gone and the wine faded in the glass. Drink up.
2001 Allemand Cornas sans soufre was opened to go with a lamb loin chop. The dish was a little challenging as the lamb was topped with chopped olives and white anchovies. The strong flavors of lamb and anchovy were just too much together.
OK, the Allemand was incredible. Initially it had lots of tropical floral smells. Someone mentioned gardenias, another person said jasmine. There is no Viognier allowed in Cornas, right? This changed into something more Cornas like with air, typical black olive and pepper with time in the glass. In the mouth the wine had a depth of black fruit and a little oily feel. While the nose seemed complex and evolved, the mouth was very young. Everything seems in place to age nicely, though. Fabulous, maybe the best young Cornas wine I've tried so far (not a lot).
I had read that Allemand had used a little higher proportions of new barrels in 2001 when he was replacing some older barrels, but I didn't notice any oak in this bottle.
There was also a 2000 Clos des Papes with the lamb chop. It was much tighter than the Cornas. A little iron minerals and dried fruit nose. Very elegant tannins, but it was hard to get much out of this bottle. With time there was some candied cherry fruit. I think its just closed.
A 1989 Ducru Beaucaillou was in a great drinking place. A little cedar and forest floor mixed with savory dried red fruit and pencil led. It started gently and then the flavors expanded in the mouth. Some drying tannins, but pretty fine overall. At 12.5% alcohol, a Platonic Bordeaux for me. Terrific with a braised bison and mushroom dish.
Some blue cheeses and apple slices were served with a 1988 Climens which was good, maybe a notch below exceptional. Honeyed apricot botrytis flavors and a little diesel, not too sweet, but a little soft in the mouth. Nice with the cheese platter.
Cheers,
Marc