Burgundy On Boxing Day 2011

So the chosen wine for Xmas just gone was the much viewed through the glass of my wine fridge and now finally cracked:

Robert Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges Les St Georges 1er Cru 2004

A momentus occasion like this requires time lapse.

2004 was greatly criticised and overlooked by a lot of people. I had the priviledge of drinking quite a few of them when they were released and I found very few failures (albeit I only tried good producers). So I have quite a soft spot for the vintage.

Chevillon is one of the top handful of Nuits producers with plots in most of the great vineyards of the appellation. I've always enjoyed the Chevillon wines I've tasted.

This bottle itself offered a lot of savoury/earthy/undergrowth/truffle characters with hints of ironstone, and spice on opening. With further time in the glass some lovely red cherry and rose petal notes developed, but the best part was the incredible mouthfeel; velvety with a lush and silky finish. There were the very fine but persistent Nuits tannins, but the silk just swallowed them up. I feel that the bottle may have been slightly oxidised but it was still a great experience and certainly if there is another bottle on offer I will jump at tasting it.

Overall it was a great experience. Until it ran out...



It's important to not waste a drop.

Wines of Xmas Past

So I want to hear about what you do for Xmas drinking.
I for one am big on sharing wine with the people I am with. But also pitching the wine to the people I am with. My lovely mother-in-law likes wine but generally hates anything I bring that is too structured or 'serious'. So on the big day it is a range of interesting wines that are approachable for those who don't take it as seriously as I do.
However, the next day is all about me. It is an annual tradition that came about because boxing day I was usually on my own watching the cricket. It is 'Burgundy on Boxing Day' and it is the best way to spend boxing day in my humble opinion.
For reasons unknown to me I had kept everyone one of those bottles until recently (pictured below).

A bottle of Burgundy (my choosing) to the first person to name all the wines in the line up!

What I want to know, is what you do with your Xmas drinking? Do you go all out or do you not really care? I want to hear it all. 

Matteo's Dinner 05/12/11

One of my most favourite traditions (second only to Burgundy on Boxing Day) is Patrick's Monday dinners held on second month at Matteo's in Brunswick.

This month we looked at four German Rieslings from the excellent vintage of 2007 and three Bordeaux from the much overlooked 2001. Plus the usual Champagne on arrival and mystery wine to finish.

My highlights were the Von Buhl & Kunster Rieslings and the Ferriere. Of course it is quite hard. At these dinners the quality of wine we drink means some great wines are overlooked.

*A NOTE OF WINE NAMES*
So when you get to the German wine names don't freak out. All those words mean something (mainly where they are from and the quality/ripeness level) and sort of mean nothing. German wines with short names are generally not as interesting! Email me if you want an explaination
On Arrival
The Champage was De Sousa Grand Cru NV Blanc de Blancs - No great thing. Have made better wines at cheaper prices.  But the Champagne always suffers once the food and the main show arrives.

Entrees
Muller Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Spatlese Trocken 07 - Dirty, dough, zest, mineral, peach, hint of lime. Balanced and clean, long. Lovely wine, but the most simple of the three sound wines. Will definitely improve with time though.
Von Buhl Jesuitengarten Forst Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Lime, floral fresh, dough, hint of soda water, slate/stone. Great harmony, length, delicate, perfumed, dense back palate, v. long. V. impressive. Unfortunately v hard to get hold of any.
Franz Kunstler Holle Grosses Gewachs 07 - Kerosene, dirt, floral notes and minerals. The palate was spicy, long and mineral. Very clean, and a bit chalky. Great wine, all compact and ready to spring into action in 15 or more years.
Von Buhl Paradiesgarten Deidesheim Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Corked. Curse those vile pieces of bark.

Mains
Figeac St Emilion 1er Grand Cru 01 - Hint alcoholic, cherry choco, cheesy, caramel/oaky, dry spice. Quite silky, bitter choco, dark spice, rich mouthfeel, dry tannins. Good wine, a good olde worlde take on a new world style.
Pontet Canet Pauillac 5th Growth 01 -  I think this was slightly oxidised. But still quite drinkable. Dark fruits, hint backwards (oxy), herbal, plums, meaty, hung meats, floral notes, smoke. Pepper and dry - clay like notes.
Montrose St Estephe 2nd Growth 01 - Classy, violets, sweet red & black fruits, currants, spiced ham. Rich in the mouth with lovely silk, a floral lift. Was long and clean. Impressive.
Mystery Wine
Ferriere Margaux 3rd Growth 98 En Magnum - Beautifully perfumed and floral. V pure, hint varnish, dried meats, brown earth, pepper and oak. Very silky with fine dry tannins. The wine did fade a bit, but the initial taste was brilliant. Comfirms that magnums are the perfect storage vessel.

No port to finish. Disappointing, but given I had a cold and could barely hear, probably the wiser option.

Wine Tastings

In readiness for Decembers TWD Magazine I have a few goodies open so I may write on their merits.

Marc Bredif Vouvray 2009 Chenin Blanc may well be the John Paul Jones of wine. Not the most popular or the most famous, but seriously good! Lovely, fleshy/flowery apples and pears, a nice mineral - flinty streak, lemon zest and a touch of dough. I have always described good chenin as pillowy and I stand by that. Round and fluffy mouthfeel but the zesty acid kicks it into shape. Great balance and harmony. Entirely too drinkable. Will age surprisingly well; like all good Chenin and John Paul Jones.

Gilles Bages Clos des Martinets St-Joseph 2009 Vibrant crimson, really appealing visually. Crunchy red and purple fruits, spices - cloves, white pepper and an edge of schist.
The palate is fresh but with increadible denity and plush fruit. Really lovely, but could do with a bit more time.

Pierre Gaillard St-Joseph 2009 Very tight, closed and compact. Shows lovely dark and red fruits, spice and the palate is clean with a hint of mineral. Shows a lot of potential to improve.

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