Salil Benegal
Salil Benegal
Dinner with Ramon Cabrera, Zachary Ross and Michael Lewis at Riverpark last night, with a stellar lineup of traditional Northern Rhone Syrah. We tried to obey the rule of fifteen where possible, but the younger wines also showed outstandingly for the most part. Incredibly fun evening, thanks guys.
2001 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre
An immediate wow with a beautiful scent of fresh minty greenness, stony minerality and developing creaminess around pure lemon fruit. There's amazing depth and balance here, lots of complexity that keeps unravelling with air and amazing length. One of the best white Burgs I've had.
2005 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
Suffers in comparison with the Raveneau, coming across as much more primary with fresh tart citrus and pear fruit over a base of oyster shells and stones. There's excellent balance here with bright acidity keeping it very precise and light, but it's still quite undeveloped and gives the impression of holding a lot in reserve. This could be fantastic with time if it doesn't premox.
1999 Noël Verset Cornas
From magnum, and a treat to be able to follow this over a few hours. Initially it's very clean and primary, showing fresh black olives lightly accented by savoury smoky and earthy notes. With air it unravels more and more nuances as meaty and floral elements emerge, along with that wild Verset funk. There's incredible depth, balance and it's a really outstanding wine delivering pretty much everything I'd expect in a young Cornas.
1996 Noël Verset Cornas
Incredible aromatics; this is just wonderful to smell with bloody, gamey and funky leathery scents, fresh green olives and a noticeable iodine/VA element that only adds to the complexity and sense of wildness. It doesn't have quite the same depth or development on the palate just yet, tasting quite youthful with a lot of acidity though it never feels out of balance. I'm looking forward to seeing how my other bottles develop.
1995 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard
Heat damaged. A shame.
1998 Domaine de Gachon St. Joseph
Pretty much everything I look for in traditional Northern Rhone Syrah; a seamless combination of youthful red fruits and olives with sauvage meaty, smoky and forestal elements and a bright floral note that emerges with more air. This manages to convey a sense of rusticity and polish at the same time, superbly balanced and compelling to drink with more nuances and layers unravelling with each sip. Fantastic.
1991 Domaine de Gachon St. Joseph
Corked.
1989 Domaine de Gachon St. Joseph
Shows its age with mature forestal and leathery notes dominating and a dusty, dried character to the red fruited flavours. It's very savoury and light on its feet, though there's still a surprising amount of tannin lurking on the back end.
2005 Benetiere Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux
Incredibly fresh and youthful, a mouthful of just-picked raspberries seasoned with fragrant floral notes and a vivid pepperiness. It's all about primary flavour right now, but already so easy to drink with a sense of incredible lightness and polish to the flavours.
1996 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
Drinking beautifully now (remembering BJ's rule of 15) with the fruit still bright and fresh, and augmented by maturing savoury earthy, saline and bacon notes; really finessed and polished in the mouth with the tannins rather gentle but a bright acid spine keeping it very fresh and lively.
2004 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese #12
Youthful ripe Mosel fruit, florality, slate and gentle honeyed accents conveyed with a sense of real clarity and a lightness of touch; an Auslese that's more about purity and freshness than being a big dessert wine. Schaefer never disappoints.
Starting Chablis
The Benetiere
Versets
2001 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre
An immediate wow with a beautiful scent of fresh minty greenness, stony minerality and developing creaminess around pure lemon fruit. There's amazing depth and balance here, lots of complexity that keeps unravelling with air and amazing length. One of the best white Burgs I've had.
2005 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
Suffers in comparison with the Raveneau, coming across as much more primary with fresh tart citrus and pear fruit over a base of oyster shells and stones. There's excellent balance here with bright acidity keeping it very precise and light, but it's still quite undeveloped and gives the impression of holding a lot in reserve. This could be fantastic with time if it doesn't premox.
1999 Noël Verset Cornas
From magnum, and a treat to be able to follow this over a few hours. Initially it's very clean and primary, showing fresh black olives lightly accented by savoury smoky and earthy notes. With air it unravels more and more nuances as meaty and floral elements emerge, along with that wild Verset funk. There's incredible depth, balance and it's a really outstanding wine delivering pretty much everything I'd expect in a young Cornas.
1996 Noël Verset Cornas
Incredible aromatics; this is just wonderful to smell with bloody, gamey and funky leathery scents, fresh green olives and a noticeable iodine/VA element that only adds to the complexity and sense of wildness. It doesn't have quite the same depth or development on the palate just yet, tasting quite youthful with a lot of acidity though it never feels out of balance. I'm looking forward to seeing how my other bottles develop.
1995 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard
Heat damaged. A shame.
1998 Domaine de Gachon St. Joseph
Pretty much everything I look for in traditional Northern Rhone Syrah; a seamless combination of youthful red fruits and olives with sauvage meaty, smoky and forestal elements and a bright floral note that emerges with more air. This manages to convey a sense of rusticity and polish at the same time, superbly balanced and compelling to drink with more nuances and layers unravelling with each sip. Fantastic.
1991 Domaine de Gachon St. Joseph
Corked.
1989 Domaine de Gachon St. Joseph
Shows its age with mature forestal and leathery notes dominating and a dusty, dried character to the red fruited flavours. It's very savoury and light on its feet, though there's still a surprising amount of tannin lurking on the back end.
2005 Benetiere Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux
Incredibly fresh and youthful, a mouthful of just-picked raspberries seasoned with fragrant floral notes and a vivid pepperiness. It's all about primary flavour right now, but already so easy to drink with a sense of incredible lightness and polish to the flavours.
1996 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
Drinking beautifully now (remembering BJ's rule of 15) with the fruit still bright and fresh, and augmented by maturing savoury earthy, saline and bacon notes; really finessed and polished in the mouth with the tannins rather gentle but a bright acid spine keeping it very fresh and lively.
2004 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese #12
Youthful ripe Mosel fruit, florality, slate and gentle honeyed accents conveyed with a sense of real clarity and a lightness of touch; an Auslese that's more about purity and freshness than being a big dessert wine. Schaefer never disappoints.
Starting Chablis