We assembled at 7.00pm knowing that we had potentially 12 wines to get through and with Stav and Raffety having to return to the sticks that night we needed to be done by 11.00. All the wines were served blind. Lindsay opened up with a stunning Puligny Perrieres Louis Carillon 1992 which was still youthful. Most of the gang thought it was much younger and it made a mockery of many more recently produced white Burgundies which have already oxidised. That was followed by my Bienvenue Batard Montrachet Louis Carillon 2002 (there was no Carillon collusion – pure coincidence). Everyone pretty much guessed the vintage and that it was Grand Cru and it WAS Grand Cru. Very impressive, with good concentration and Grand Cru complexity, but already approachable.
This was followed by a disappointing 2001 Meursault Charmes Lafon and then Marcus fooled us all with a 2005 Puligny Montrachet Enseigneres Coche Dury which we all thought was older because we just didn’t think anyone would bring a 2005. Early score to Marcus, and the wine was terrific. Great purity and minerality. The first red was another from Lindsay’s cellar, a 1970 Charmes Chambertin Rousseau which was just lovely, still drinking really well. Marcus followed that up with a 1989 Charmes Chambertin TVV Roty which turned out to be the wine of the night. It was still unbelievably youthful with 15 years ahead of it. Great purity. My Richebourg Grivot 1996 was corked (grrrrrrrrrr) but Raffety’s 1994 Richebourg DRC certainly was not. We all struggled to guess the vintage but Marcus swooped and scored and nailed it. Roller’s Vosne Malconsorts Cathiard 2000 was corked and that was followed but Stav’s easy, attractive, soft, round and ready Clos de la Roche VV Ponsot 2000. (We had an even better bottle the following week at our Domaine Ponsot dinner – blog on that to follow). The corky theme continued with a tainted Bonnes Mares de Vogue 1988 and the evening was rounded off with a very approachable Chambertin Clos de Beze Rousseau 1996 from Martin Lam’s cellar. Only 9 bottles downed as 3 were corked so only 13.5 units each leaving me with a bit up my sleeve for the final on Saturday.