Fantastic evening of food and Burgundy. Some stellar bottles were consumed and an intersting horizontal of how the '96 vintage is holding up in Chambolle Musigny. Thanks, Frued and don't be a stranger to VC.
'96 Sauzet Puligny Montrachet Les Combettes - Moderate gold color. Pronounced oxidation on the nose and palate, but still showing some yeast, smoke and vanilla bean. Moderate finish. No Rating.
'96 Dom. Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres - Moderate gold color holding well to rim. Huge nose of roasted macadamia nuts, bosc pear and a hint of petrol. Creme brulee shines through on the medium-to-full bodied palate. Balance, grace and a very long finish. This is what White Burgundy is all about. jb Rating 94
'96 Cathiard Chambolle Musigny Clos de L'Orme - Moderate ruby color. Good sweet fruit in the mouth, but a tad abrupt in the finish. Cherries, pencil lead and oak notes. jb Rating 84
'96 Clavelier Chambolle Musigny Les Combe D'Oveaux - Moderate ruby w/ some water to the rim. Macerated cherries, raspberries and pine. Sweet, long tannin filled finish. This one could use some more bottle time. jb Rating 88.
'96 Perrot Minot Chambolle Musigny Les Combe D'Oveaux - Lighter in color, but not short of flavor. Raspberries, earth, mint with slightly elevated acidity. jb Rating 89.
'96 Frederic Mugnien Chambolle Musigny Les Fuees - I was in the serious minority, as most people went "Ga-ga" over this wine. I didn't see it. There was a hole in the mid-palate that wouldn't allow this wine to expand. Not just tight, but out of whack. Add that to the slightly unripe cranberry fruit and you get a disappointment, IMO. jb Rating 78.
'96 Roumier Chambolle Musigny - Aromatically reserved, but with ample fruit in the mouth. Dried cherries, some vanilla. Simple but sturdy village wine. jb Rating 83.
'96 Bigot & Gambal Chambolle Musigny Les Lavrottes - Lighter in color and style. Fairly straightforward red fruits, supple tannins and good balance. Just nothing special about this one. jb Rating 81.
'96 Daniel Rion Chambolle Musigny Les Beaux Bruns - Now this is a fantastic Burgundy. Pronounced nose of roses, blueberry and scorced earth. The most tannic wine yet, but well balanced. Loads of blackberry, raspberry, apple and oak. This wine needs another 3 years and I wish I had a bottle to try then. jb Rating 92
'96 Potel Chambolle Musigny Les Chatelots - Big nose of red fruits, vanilla and basil. Expansive and extroverted on the palate with dried cherries, jam, toast and earth. Good length, complexity and ready to drink. jb Rating 91.
'96 Groffier Les Hauts Doix - Solid ruby color. Scorched earth, dried cranberry and Ludens cough drops. Bracing acidiy. Very weird wine, but I liked it. jb Rating 87.
'96 Serafin Chambolle Musigny Les Baudes - This is the wine that I brought and I was very disappointed. Nose was acetic, with a hint of cherry fruit. Elevated acidity, very earthy and lacking in fruit. Don't know if time will help this but it is drinking poorly now. jb Rating 76.
'96 Bruno Clair Chambolle Musigny Les Veroilles - Another odd wine, stranger than the Groffier. Nose was reticent, but I got a distinct peach and citrus note to go with the backgroud red and white fruits. The balance was fine, but I've never had a Red Burgundy that showed this much citrus and peach. Odd. jb Rating 85.
'96 Comte Georges de Vogue Chambolle Musigny 1er cru (declassified Musigny)- Not sure if I got this name right, but I loved this wine. Blackberry, raspberries, vanilla bean, dirt, stones and minerals all dancing in unison. Complex and perfectly balanced. The only thing I can say bad about this wine is that it didn't finish as long as I hoped, but it was super complex. Hold for a few years still as it is built for the distance. jb Rating 93.
We also had a '88 Jean Gros Vosne Romanne Clos des Reas and a '95 Clos des Lambrays. Both were nice wines, neither outstanding and I had stopped taking notes by then. Had a train to catch. Great night.
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