LeDomduVin: Some exceptional wines! Krug, Marc Colin and Mongeard-Mugneret

Some exceptional wines! 

Krug, Marc Colin and Mongeard-Mugneret

I opened these bottles for a private dinner in a private club. I was excited as I hadn’t tried these bottles for a while.  It is not every day that I open bottles at more than 10K HKD (more than 1200 Euros) per bottle (at least for 2 of them). It would be a Sommelier's dream if I could.  Yet, I’m lucky enough to be able to do it occasionally.

Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 2006

Right after popping the cork, fresh, delicate aromas of apple, pear, and stone fruits mingling with lightly toasted brioche, mineral, and floral notes emanated from the bottle. The palate was rich, ample, generous, and layered, yet silky and sophisticated, with barely perceptible refined bubbles. It had a gorgeous “vinous” quality (as we say in French), resembling more of a wine than a Champagne. Balanced and focused, it expanded bountifully from the attack to the aristocratic lengthy finish. Although beautiful on its own, I recommend having it with rich and creamy dishes. What a magnificent, debonaire, and noble champagne!

Marc Colin Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2018

Beyond its pale golden color, it offered powerful aromas of yellow and stone fruits, combined with floral, mineral, toasted, buttery notes and herbal hints I could not describe (like Tea, maybe?). This Batard Montrachet was rich, ample, generous, and layered like the champagne above, yet it was more concentrated and potent. Fortunately, it has enough acidity to keep it fresh and balanced. I loved its structure and texture, enhanced with that glycerine sensation that coats the palate. Lots of minerality and butteriness with a hint of green tea in the lingering finish. It could benefit from a few more years in the cellar. One of the best Batard Montrachet I have had in a while!

Mongeard-Mugneret Richebourg Grand Cru 2019

Beautiful, fresh, attractive nose. The first aroma that came to my mind was “griottes” (a French word for “wild cherries”), then red and dark berries, combined with earthy, herbal, and mineral notes and peppery, spicy hints. The palate is juicy and tangy, offering plenty of freshly squeezed grapes and zesty acidity, with earthy notes mingling with present yet integrated tannins that will mellow with time. Gently concentrated and textured elegantly and refreshingly, it displays a sophisticated structure gaining complexity from the juicy attack and the expanding palate to the smooth, seamless finish. Opening such a young wine with so much potential was a sacrilege. Yet, what a memorable experience!

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Last night's wines! Nice lineup again...

Last night's wines! Nice lineup again.

It may seem that these wines are the same as the ones from Monday night. However, apart from Marc Colin, the other two are different.

On Monday, I opened Jacques Selosse's "V.O." and "Initial" last night.

To compare them, I would say that "Initial" may not seem as sophisticated and refined as "V.O.", yet it is richer and friendlier. It has more mass appeal.

Where "V.O." is light, dry, crisp and tense, "Initial" is fuller, rounder, layered and more laid back.

They are both stunning Champagnes, and if they were women, "V.O." would be elegant, tall and lean, dry and haughty like a pompous yet sophisticated and attractive bourgeoise. While the "Initial" would be more like a smiling, pleasant, curvier, more cheerful, relaxed, chic and cosmopolitan.

Marc Colin Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2018 was as stunning as it was on Monday. It is an incredible young wine with great potential, offering a lot of butter, toasted oak and vanilla flavours that should ease and integrate with time. See my previous post for more details.

Georges Noellat Grands-Echezeaux 2018 was quite dry and tight at the opening, austere, subdued and introverted. The nose and palate presented some savouriness with many earthy, spicy/peppery notes.

Maybe a down phase. I was sceptical if it would open up. But, it did, about 1 hour after opening. Displaying ripe dark fruits, earth, spice, and coffee roast, balanced by a good acidity and tannic structure. It is a serious wine. More cerebral than I thought it would be. It is complex, multidimensional, layered and long in a refined yet discreet way.

I loved it for many reasons, but I would have loved to see a bit more depth, character and attitude for a Grands-Echezeaux. Yet, Georges Noellat's wines have never been friendly huge fruit bombs. As mentioned above, they are more cerebral and intellectual. Or, maybe that's just a phase, as the potential is there but a little dormant (IMO).

Time will tell.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: What a treat!

What a treat! 

Opened tonight for a private dinner. These 3 bottles were magnificent! 

Jacques Selosse V.O. Version Originale Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut NV (dégorgé November 2019) 

Very subtle, pale golden colour. Fine mousse. The nose is young, delicate, refined, discreet, and elegant, offering light and fresh aromas of golden apple and pear, with mineral and floral nuances, a touch of ginger and lightly toasted, buttery notes. The palate seems slightly older than the nose would suggest, with light tertiary flavours. And yet, so polished and sophisticated, with great balance and texture, structure and style, with great acidity,  richness, complexity, and length. The expression "well-mannered" and "well-behaved" come to mind, as well as racy and courteous. Looooooooooove it. 

Marc Colin Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2018

Attractive pale yellow colour. The nose at first was a bit shy, and the wine was too cold. I left it out of the ice for it to warm up, and it opened up like a blooming flower. I did not decant it, but I should have. After 3 hours of being opened, it was amazing.  And I told my colleagues, if you don't like this Bâtard-Montrachet, then you may never really know what a great white Burgundy is, and you may never appreciate real Chardonnay. This wine has everything you hope to find in Bâtard-Montrachet. Great nose, refreshing and inviting, displaying white and yellow fruit, lemon zest, stony minerality, and light buttery notes. The palate is complex, generous, ample, rich, nicely expanding, textured, layered, well-balanced, harmonious, focused, and so long. Stunning! 

Dugat-Py Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018

This was the cherry on the cake. Already at the opening, great aromas of ripe red and dark cherries mingling with floral and mineral notes perfumed the room's atmosphere. At first, it tasted great, light, fresh, and acidic, almost too young to be opened. It gradually opened up and only started to reveal itself about 4 hours later. It was captivating and intriguing, with ripe, almost jammy red and dark fruits with light oaky, earthy, peppery, spicy notes. The palate was gorgeous. 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom 

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