TN: Five and Seven (Dec 20, 2017)

J

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
attendees: Jay + Arnold, Jayson, Lisa, Jeff

Just another impromptu jeebus because we can.

Edmunds St. John 1995 "Les Cotes Sauvages" - library release; GSM from CA, dry cork crumbles into a zillion pieces; color of, well, old wine; great acidity, slightly high-toned, beautiful bright red fruit; even the grenache-haters grudgingly admit that it's good

Lilbert NV Champagne Brut GC BdB "Perle" - marked "L13 02" but I don't know how to decipher it, I have read that all wines are held back for 5 years; this is a low-pressure champagne (approx. 4 bars instead of 6) which makes it a cramant, technically, but the INAO does not allow you to put that on the label; indeed, it has a very fine mousse; ye olde champagne palate: I'm neither wowed nor underwhelmed

Jouan 2014 Morey-Saint-Denis VV - perfumey, talc-y, warm red fruit, pretty; I think this opened up later but I did not take notes if I went back to it

Eminence Road 2013 Cabernet Franc, Morehouse Road Vineyard - gorgeous, pure, green peppery, yum!

Jamet 1998 Cote-Rotie - gorgeous "bacon-berry" wine, rich and full, thank you Jay

Donnhoff 2002 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Spatlese - 77530101003, vibrant, crisp, lime leaf and chalk, so good in 2002

Ch. de Malle 2001 Sauternes - pretty, full, fleshy, refined rather than oaky or botytized
 
Up early on a rainy Saturday, listening to the pitter-patter of drizzle on the window a-c unit. My takes on a fine and mellow Wednesday evening:

Lilbert NV Champagne Brut GC BdB "Perle" - marked "L13 02". Bought in 2014. Jeff and I agree here. A very fine mousse. No fireworks. None of the elegance one might expect. The next day is better. It maintains the mousse but gains deeper vanilla cream / custard aromas and a bit more cut, and strengthens its muddled sense of citrus in the midpalate. I’m not feeling the love. Day 4 will come tonight but in the meantime this does nothing to diminish the haunting memory of NV Robert Moncuit GC BdB Le Mesnil (current release) from a couple weeks ago. (Run; don’t walk.)

Donnhoff 2002 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Spatlese. Air did this bottle right. Cherry lime. Long, elegant, juicy, playful. I continue to be enchanted by Donnhoff’s 2002s.

Edmunds St. John 1995 "Les Cotes Sauvages". The Mourvèdre makes it interesting but these CndP-type blends still don’t do much for me even when they are well made like this one and age (as) gracefully (as possible) like this one.

Jouan 2014 Morey-Saint-Denis VV. Air was necessary here. Cherry fruit and elegant. Overnight patience brings distinct spiced Christmas cake / baking cinnamon/clove/beet sugar/butter slathered on the fruit. But also weight without loss of elegance. Behind this front is what has been called a hint of mustard seed, woodsmoke, and game cock. Then medium-rare venison. It’s hard to speculate but I think red Burgundy folks would have called this Morey St. Denis blind. Especially on Day 2. Day 3 is not an improvement.

Eminence Road 2013 Cabernet Franc, Morehouse Road Vineyard. Bravo to you (plural) know who. Honest and delicious. A ringer for Bourgeuil in a ripe (but not too ripe) year.

Jamet 1998 Cote-Rotie. As good a bottle of this as I can recall, veering redder and more high toned than some. Very delicious. I keep going back for another half pour. Opens wonderfully throughout dinner to a soaring classic berry nose hinting of violets. Others insist there’s bacon in them there smellies; I nod politely but am not sure what they are talking about.

Ch. de Malle 2001 Sauternes. A good night cap. Highly varnish- and botrytis-dominated aromatically with good acidic bite.
 
Day 4 of Lilbert Perle brings no improvement. If anything, it’s more ponderous. Time to give up. Not sure if it was this bottle, this bottling, or just the style, but I’m left scratching my head considering I expected to like this.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
Day 4 of Lilbert Perle brings no improvement. If anything, it’s more ponderous. Time to give up. Not sure if it was this bottle, this bottling, or just the style, but I’m left scratching my head considering I expected to like this.
Click to expand...

Perfectly nice but without anything particularly interesting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top