That bitch, Sandy

ruined my trip to NY and Joe Dressner memorial dinner for Partners in Health (a worthy cause if you are looking for one) as well as the Louis/Dressner sort-of portfolio tasting.

Instead, you'll get some notes on wine that are not LDM.

My brother has had a hell of a year, so he wanted a quiet birthday. A few friends got together for some simple food and some kick ass wines. We had one of those nights, which we have been due mind you, where all the wines showed really, really, well. This is my first really excellent experience with 1996 red Burgundy and gives me high expectations for what remains in my cellar.

2006 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese trocken

This was soil inflected, classic and pretty. It didn’t have a lot of diesel or lactic qualities that personally put me off. It was very svelte and stylish and easy to drink. The minerals were of the clear brook variety and there was a smattering of riverside herbs and flowers. The fruit was the faintest white peach pit. A very good wine that we found in the right spot. Personally, I don’t see much more interest in short to medium term development. Those into the truffle thing would probably put this away for 15 years and maybe get there.

2008 Gilbert Picq Chablis Dessus La Carriere

From magnum. Evidently, a hefty proportion of this was bottled in magnum due to the quality of the vintage for this wine. Our experience here doesn’t disagree. This is quintessential Chablis. Although Picq doesn’t have the best terroir, he does have old vines and a very clean approach to presenting the wines. This was saline and mineral with seashells and rocks galore. There were hints of green apple and maybe a kind of theoretical tart melon that doesn’t exist, but that I can imagine. While I suspect we should have treated this more seriously, it was just so good that we didn’t stop to have any big discussion about it other than, ”Fuck!! This is good!”. This is ready enough for me right now, but should age gracefully and interestingly for 10-12 years, if not more. I suspect that it will develop that savory, chicken broth umami thing with a decade in the cellar.

2009 Pavelot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Dominode

I’ve heard some folks saying that 2009s are showing well so I decided to check in on this one. While young, it is certainly enjoyable. A bit of wood spice frames some distinctly cherry-ish fruit. The structure is full, but not imposing, most likely due to the baby fat hanging on it. This comes across as a very sauve and classy Savigny, which should come as no surprise. This went relatively quickly as the first red of the night, so I didn’t have a chance to see if it closed down with air. If you have a good bit, I think it’s educational and fun to check in with a wine like this at this point.

1996 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Charmes

Wow, this is remarkable and much, much improved over my last bottle from 2007. This has a beautiful ruby color with only the slightest hint of turning ruddy. The nose is explosive and beautiful with layers of fruit, sous bois, and an umami type mushroom quality. The fruit is deeply pitched red pitted fruit, bordering on blue. It is long, deep and seamless. The palate is caressing and inviting, with the fruit rolling over it and leaving an aftertaste while the other nose hover like ghosts above it. The structure is such that it is a whole. The acids prop it up, the tannins hold it together such that it stands up to food and each taste clears your palate with your mouth watering for another. Maybe the best wine I’ve yet had from Ghislaine and in a beautiful place for me right now. It’ll be hard to keep my hands off at this point, but those that want more tertiary should probably give it another 5-7 years after watching how this has evolved.

1996 Edmond Cornu Corton-Bressandes

Leaner and more restrained than the Barthod, but still gorgeous. Again, my last bottle of this a few years back really wasn’t that enjoyable, but this bottle is a different story. There is a slightly smoky mineral quality along with spice and a woodsy, though not quite sous bois, note over top of the light red fruit. The tannins are noticeable, but very refined and fine grained. Like other 1996s, the acidity clears the wine from your palate and immediately demands another sip. I think this is on the early side, even for someone like me who wants some fruit remaining in his wine.