Karaoke Night
During the year-end festivities, I selected, opened, and served these bottles at a private dinner, where guests sang karaoke while enjoying a luxurious buffet. And fortunately, I wasn't invited to sing, as it is the last thing you want to hear. 😂😂😂
Served from left to right:
Champagne Agrapart & Fils "Terroirs" Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra-Brut NV
Located in the commune of AVIZE (Marne department) in the Champagne region of the Côte des Blancs (between Epernay and le-Mesnil-sur-Oger), Pascal Agrapart is a vigneron (grape grower) and winemaker who does not purchase grapes and crafts his Champagnes with a natural and terroir-oriented approach.
Agrapart spans 12 hectares of vineyards, primarily in Grand Cru villages, planted with Chardonnay. The vineyard soils have always been maintained through ploughing, and each year, compost made from local ingredients is added to enrich the soil and support the vineyard's health and productivity.
The cuvée "Terroirs" is an Extra Brut champagne, 100% chardonnay, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, which represents the encounter of several Grand Crus, hence its name. It is usually a blend of 2 vintages from specifically chosen vineyard blocks in AVIZE, CRAMANT, OIRY, and OGER.
Both primary vintage base wines often spend one year in large oak barrels (demi-muids) before blending. The wines are neither fined nor filtered. After blending and bottling, the wine is aged on its lees (sur latte) for a minimum of around 4 years, sometimes longer, to develop depth and texture (the duration varies slightly by release). The riddling is done by hand (remuage -rotation). Once ready, it is disgorged 2 months before the release date, and the sugar dosage is limited to 5 grams per liter. This cuvee is available in bottles, magnums, and jeroboams.
The resulting Champagne cuvée "Terroirs" is medium-bodied yet rich, fresh, and unctuous, with complex aromas and flavors of citrus, nuts, apple, and pear, complemented by chalky, mineral notes. The palate offers bright lemon zest mingling with toasted pastry and minerality, with a light yet refined, elegant texture and structure leading to a gentle finish. Lovely Champagne!
Champagne Krug Vintage Brut 2000
Krug is surely one of my favorite Champagne houses. The quality and consistency of its champagnes are undoubtedly among the best in the Champagne region. And this Krug Vintage 2000 is a perfect example. Despite its age, it tastes astonishingly young, fresh, zesty, and very much alive. Offering great richness and complexity on the nose and palate, where flavors of yellow stone fruits, hazelnut, and freshly baked pastries mingle with lime, citrus, and mineral notes. It has excellent balance, solid structure, refined texture, and focus, and a lingering savory finish with saline and mineral notes.
A blend of 43% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir (42%), and 15% Meunier, this Krug 2000 vintage Champagne is a true masterpiece, aged for more than 10 years in the underground cellar of the house. It is characterized by its generosity, precision, elegance, and depth. The extreme and chaotic weather conditions of vintage 2000, characterized by heat, rain, and storms, produced a champagne of great intensity. A testament to this exciting yet challenging year, Krug 2000 was nicknamed "Stormy Delight" by the House's tasting committee.
The year 2000 is among the warmest years in which Krug has produced vintages, and all those vintages—such as 1947, 1959, 1976, 1982, and 1989—have delivered exceptional Champagne. A must try!
Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2020
Fontaine-Gagnard is a classic Burgundy Domaine in my book. I have opened several bottles of this wine on several occasions over the past few months, and I am consistently impressed by its quality. The nose is fresh and delicate, almost fragile, with zesty, floral aromas and prominent mineral notes. The palate is gorgeously generous, ample, and coating, with a silky, suave texture and focused structure, beautifully balanced by refreshing acidity, revealing creamy butter, honey, and dried-fruit flavors, enhanced by a good dose of zesty citrus notes and intense minerality. Delightful wine!
Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2019
The recipient of many posts on my blog, Domaine Ponsot, is a staple of Burgundy wine in my book.
Opened, tasted, and served many times over the past 3 years, Ponsot Clos de La Roche VV 2019 remains a very young wine (too young, maybe? perhaps) that has gone through “open and closed” phases during that period. Yet again, it has started to open up and is now more approachable and more harmonious. That is surely the reason I opened 3 bottles that night.
Right after opening, the bottle released attractive, exuberant scents. A dense, bright ruby color filled the glass. Beautiful aromas of wild red and dark cherries, floral and spicy notes, and lightly oaky nuances filled the room, complemented by mineral and earthy undertones.
Light to medium-bodied, the palate is bright, juicy, complex, layered, rich yet delicate, elegant, sophisticated, and superbly balanced among the fruit, acidity, and integrated tannins. The structured, textured mid-palate leads to a seamless, lingering finish that immediately calls for another glass. I personally love this wine.
Some of you may find it a bit tight, lean with high acidity, and yet, it is the opposite of a Burgundian powerhouse. I find it elegant and refined, finely chiseled, precise, and focused, and charmingly versatile.
I usually suggest opening it 30 to 45 minutes before serving, but for those who can wait, it will benefit from a few more years in the cellar to reach its full potential.
Chateau Margaux Margaux 2003
I was in Bordeaux in late March and early April 2004 to taste the 2003 En primeur vintage, one of the worst and least homogeneous vintages I have tasted en primeur in my 34-year career. Why? This is a recurring topic I have discussed many times on my blog, as it concerns me greatly.
The 2003 vintage in Bordeaux was characterized by the first extreme, record-breaking heatwave and drought of the 21st century, resulting in inconsistent, atypical wines that often lacked the classic freshness and elegance of great Bordeaux.
I remember my boss at the time (I was working at one of New York's most prominent Wine & Spirit retail shops back then), with whom I was traveling to Bordeaux to taste these wines, was very enthusiastic about this vintage, as wine critics such as Robert Parker Jr., James Suckling, and many others gave them high scores calling it one of the "hottest' vintages of Bordeaux literally and figuratively (until Jancis Robinson, MW, cried foul).
As we tasted the wine at the barrel in the Chateaux, with the negociants, and during various large tastings organized by the Union des Grands Crus and other wine organizations across multiple regions of Bordeaux, I could not understand why wine critics and my Boss were so excited about this vintage.
The problem with this extreme heat wave that occurred in the summer months before the harvest is that it was unprecedented. I mean, Bordeaux had already experienced and dealt with "hot" vintages such as 1982, 1989, 1990, and 2000, but never to the extent of the scorching heat and drought of 2003.
Lacking guidance on how to proceed in such conditions, some producers harvested too early to preserve freshness, some harvested too late to take advantage of ripeness, and some did both and then blended them.
The resulting wines were inconsistent and atypical, with some showing poor fruit, sourness, and herbaceous notes, high acidity, unripe, green tannins, and excessive bitterness. While some were overripe, even cooked, showing a lot of alcohol, others showed both sides of these flaws, overripe with weird acidity, high alcohol, and bitterness.
My boss wanted to order many of these wines in large quantities, but I was more cautious and advised against it, as we would have difficulty selling them. Of course, he did not listen.
And a very peculiar thing (yet anticipated on my part) happened. In 2005, as the 2003 Bordeaux were about to be released, wine critics, likely after realizing the vintage quality was not as good as they had thought during the En Primeur Tasting, revised their scores downward for most wines.
It turned out to be one of the worst En Primeur campaigns I've run in my career. Many customers in the US quickly became aware of the lower scores and the vintage's questionable quality and called us to request reductions or even cancellations of their orders. It was a disaster. My boss ordered far too many cases of these wines, and due to canceled orders, it took us more than 2 years to deplete the stock.
NB: Aside from the topic, I also had several major phone arguments with the director of Chateau Mouton Rothschild at the time, as we faced a quality issue with the 2003 labels. I remember well, my boss ordered 150 or even 200 cases of 12 bottles, and when we received them, we opened one of the cases to check the conditions of the bottles and the labels were all wrinkled or "wavy" if you prefer (irregularly deformed, curved or bulging) partly due to humidity or heat, but more specifically due to the awkward shape and design of the label itself (it is longer than usual, and slightly conic and therefore did not stick properly to the bottle, forming wrinkles) and the glue they used for that particular vintage. A label quality unworthy of a first growth, and the price asked per bottle, released at 120 Euros a bottle back then (in 2004). We opened a few more cases, and all the labels were wrinkled and in poor condition, clearly unsellable to our customers. Mouton Rothschild did not care and offered only to send us new labels to affix to the bottles after we removed the ones we received. Unbelievable. Hence, my negative attitude toward the 2003 Bordeaux vintage.
Fortunately, not all the châteaux produced bad wines, and some of the best Bordeaux appellations of this vintage are Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, and Pessac-Léognan. With a few exceptions, such as Château Margaux in Margaux, and Château Figeac, Château Ausone, and Château Angelus, which produced an exceptional vintage despite the difficulties encountered, the left bank did better overall than the right bank in terms of quality. Montrose 2003 was one of my favorites during the En primeur tasting.
In fact, unsurprisingly (as it was one of the best of the vintage), after 20 years, the 2003 Chateau Margaux has evolved quite nicely and showed very well that night. It was fragrant at the opening, offering ripe, dark-red and blue-fruit aromas mingling with toasted, earthy, and mineral notes. An intriguing yet attractive bouquet. Medium-bodied, the palate was quite elegant, fine, harmonious, and balanced, with more bright red and fresh blue fruit, complemented by mocha and earthy notes. No over-ripeness or burnt sensation, and well-integrated tannins, with enough acidity to keep it balanced and fresh, gently leading to a quite long finish. I found subtle bottle variation between the two bottles I opened that night, with one being more expressive despite their same provenance and storage conditions. A very nice surprise, especially given my skepticism about the 2003 Bordeaux vintage.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003
Brought by a guest, this bottle was a highlight of the night. It is not every day I get to open, taste, and serve such a cult wine as "Screaming Eagle", a bottle that easily fetches between US$3,200 and US$4,000.
Located in Oakville within Napa Valley, Screaming Eagle produces wines that express their terroir, lovingly nurtured through skilled vineyard management and meticulous, attentive work in the cellar.
The 2003 vintage is a Bordeaux-style red blend, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The winemaker at the time was Heidi Peterson Barrett, the first winemaker for Screaming Eagle. Michel Rolland was a consulting winemaker. The vinification process involved meticulous selection, small fermentation lots, and prolonged aging to ensure high quality. The resulting wine had one of the highest alcohol levels for the winery during that period, at 14.6% (primarily due to hot weather during the growing season).
The 2003 Napa Valley vintage was defined by extremes, featuring a warm, sometimes hot, growing season with significant temperature swings, due to cooler nights, leading to ripe fruit but challenging conditions for winemakers, resulting in complex wines with rich fruit, dark notes (blackberry, plum), and structured tannins, with top producers achieving elegance and depth despite the inconsistent weather, ultimately producing wines known for their power, concentration, and complexity.
And this Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is a great example. In the glass, the color is dark and intense. The nose offers captivating aromas of black currants and dark forest fruit, complemented by cedarwood, vanilla, chocolate, and espresso, with mineral notes that elegantly introduce the wine and highlight its quality. The palate is intensely concentrated and full-bodied, yet suave, showing remarkable depth, richness, and sophistication, a characteristic of the producer's renowned style. The finish is long and chewy, with supple tannins. A wine with an alluring elegance!
The 2003 vintage of Screaming Eagle had a production of approximately 500 cases, which equates to around 6,000 standard 750ml bottles. The production is intentionally limited, contributing to its cult status and high market value.
Backup wines:
Domaine Blain-Gagnard Volnay 1er Cru "Les Pitures" 2019
Domaine Blain-Gagnard is a family-run estate in Chassagne-Montrachet that owns about 9 hectares of vineyards and produces both red and white Chassagne-Montrachet wines. They also make a white in Puligny-Montrachet and some reds in Volnay and Pommard. The vineyards are planted with 60% white / 40% red, and their production represents about 70% white / 30% red.
Domaine Blain-Gagnard was founded in 1980 when Jean-Marc Blain (a Sancerrois) married Claudine Gagnard, the youngest daughter of Jacques and Marie-Josèphe Gagnard of Domaine Gagnard-Delagrange. The couple runs the venerable domaine with the help of their son, Marc-Antonin. Jean-Marc Blain and Claudine Gagnard met while studying oenology at Dijon.
The estate's vineyards primarily originate from Claudine's grandparents and other relatives, supplemented by a few purchases. The vines are mainly planted in Chardonnay (55%), with the remainder in Pinot Noir and a small parcel of Passetoutgrain. Currently, they manage 20.5 acres (about 8.5 hectares) of vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet, including holdings in three grands crus: Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet.
In addition to the Grand Crus, Blain-Gagnard’s holdings in Chassagne-Montrachet include the red premier crus of Clos Saint Jean and Morgeot, and the white premier crus of Morgeot, Boudriotte, and Cailleret. Additionally, the domaine holds premier cru parcels in Volnay Chanlin, Volnay Pitures, and in the Pommard lieu-dit La Croix Planet les Combes.
In addition to the Grand Crus Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, in 1999, they received a parcel of Le Montrachet from Jacques Gagnard. Since 2000, Le Montrachet from this parcel has been vinified and bottled under the Domaine Blain-Gagnard label. The vineyards are farmed using lutte raisonée (sustainable viticulture).
For the whites, after pressing, Chardonnay is inoculated with selected cultured yeast and fermentation occurs in barrel. The lees are stirred once a week until late December or, in some vintages, until February. White wines are aged in varying percentages of new oak, with 10-20% new oak for the village wines and up to 30% new oak for the premier and grands crus.
For the reds, Pinot Noir is de-stemmed and cold-soaked for three to four days, then fermented with native yeasts. Red wines are typically aged for 18 months in used barrels.
Served as a post-dinner wine while guests sang karaoke, the Domaine Blain-Gagnard Volnay 1er Cru "Les Pitures" 2019 was really enjoyable. On the nose, it offered aromas of ripe red fruits (cherry, raspberry, currant), dark berries, spice, vanilla, forest floor, and mushroom, with earthy notes and oaky nuances. Light to medium bodied, the palate showed elegance and structure, with good depth and freshness. It showcased classic Volnay finesse and complexity, reflecting the character of its limestone-rich terroir, with present yet integrated tannins and aging potential. Lovely wine!
Château Beychevelle "Aspirant de Beychevelle" Saint-Julien 2019
Although I was familiar with the name, it was my first time trying this wine. Not to be confused with "Amiral de Beychevelle," the 2nd wine of Chateau Beychevelle, "Aspirant de Beychevelle" is the chateau's 4th wine (*) and its latest on-trade exclusive release (meaning restaurant-only) (since 2016). It was created by Château Beychevelle in collaboration with Castel Grands Crus and is made primarily from Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon. The idea was to make an approachable, fruit-forward, ready-to-drink wine that can be enjoyed young, while also revealing the elegance of the great Saint Julien terroir.
And that is exactly how it showed that night, offering black fruit (currant, blackberry) and spicy notes on the nose. The lively palate displayed a silky texture, good structure, fruitiness, and elegance, reflecting the excellent concentration and freshness of the 2019 vintage. A quaffable wine and a great value for money!
NB: Do you know the origin of the name "Beychevelle"? I did not know either and stumbled upon this answer: "Beychevelle" comes from the Gascon phrase "Bêcha vela" (meaning "lower sail"), a tribute to a former owner, the Duke of Epernon (also known as Jean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette (1554–1642)), who required boats passing by his estate to lower their sails in respect. The ship on the chateau's label thus became a prominent symbol.
(*) "Brulières de Beychevelle" is the 3rd wine of Château Beychevelle, even if technically it is made from a vineyard located five kilometers from Château Beychevelle, and is vinified and matured in a dedicated cellar (not at the château), to the same high standards as the Château’s other wines (since 2015).
That's all, folks, for today, but stay tuned for more posts coming soon.
Life is too short to open, serve, and drink bad wine!
Cheers! Santé!
Dom
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