LeDomduVin: Casual night with four excellent wines!

Casual night with four excellent wines! 

Maison Piper-Heidsieck "Rare" Champagne Brut Millesime 2008

The history of the "Rare" bottle dates back to 1885 when Piper-Heidsieck made a very exclusive cuvée to mark its 100th anniversary. This special bottle was presented to Queen Marie Antoinette of France. It was crafted by Fabergé, the famous jeweler of Tsar Nicholas II, known for his elaborate jeweled eggs. The design was majestic, decorated with white gold, diamonds, and lapis lazuli gemstones. 

A century later, the first "Rare" cuvée was produced in 1976. The bottle featured ornamentation by Parisian jewelers Van Cleef & Arpels, clearly inspired by the original Fabergé design. Later editions were created by Arthus Bertrand, offering a more subdued but still elegant and stylish appearance.

In the past 49 years since its creation, the "Rare" cuvée has only been produced in the best vintages, reflecting its name: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2013, as well as in rosé in 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2014.  

The 2008 vintage, released in 2021, does not feature the name Piper Heidsieck on the bottle or front label, as since 2018, "Rare" has been sold as a separate brand from the rest of Piper-Heidsieck champagnes, similar to how Moët & Chandon markets "Dom Pérignon" independently from its main wines.

 

Originating from an exceptional vintage in Champagne, Piper-Heidsieck's prestige cuvée "Rare" 2008 has been crafted from grapes sourced from some of the finest parcels available to the house. The 2008 vintage's backbone comes from the Montagne de Reims, offering intensity, complexity, and minerality, balanced by Chardonnay from grand cru villages in the Côte des Blancs and Pinot Noir from Ambonnay. These villages also supply grapes for some of the world's most highly sought-after champagnes, including Krug and Salon.   

The resulting champagne is stunning, showcasing the exceptional qualities of the vintage. Besides its pale golden color and fine, small, lively bubbles, it immediately bursts with energy, freshness, and crispness in the nose, with expressive aromas of yellow and orange fruits, citrus, nuts, spices, and mineral nuances. The palate is fresh, clean, complex, and layered, with a lovely toastiness and richness of aroma and flavor from extended aging on the lees (about 13 years). No wood is involved in the process, but you still detect some vanilla and nutty notes mingling with pear, exotic fruits, and coconut, enhanced by citrus nuances that expand nicely from the attack through the lingering finish. Superb!   

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Chaumées" "Clos de la Truffière", Burgundy 2021

Domaine Michel Niellon is a well-respected producer of white wines in Chassagne-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy. The estate is known for its classic, mineral-driven, and age-worthy Chardonnays, especially its Premier and Grand Cru bottles. The wines are made with an emphasis on showcasing the terroir of each vineyard, balancing sharp minerality with rich, ripe fruit. 

Founded in the 19th century by Léon Niellon, the estate was expanded by Michel Niellon, who started working with his father Marcel in 1957. They have produced more than 50 exceptional vintages. The domaine began bottling in the 1960s, building a reputation for quality. From the original 4-hectare estate in Chassagne-Montrachet, Michel established a notable reputation by making rich, ripe Premier and Grand Cru white Burgundies, as well as a small amount of excellent Premier Cru red. Today, three generations of the Niellon family work at the domaine.

With the help of his son-in-law, Michel Coutoux, who joined him in 1991, Niellon has increased the estate’s production by acquiring new vineyards and expanding the winery. His grandson, Matthieu Bresson, also joined the winery after graduating from La Lycée Viticole in Beaune. Each generation brings its own knowledge and expertise to produce the finest wines. The winery is now managed by Michel’s son-in-law, Michel Coutoux, and his grandchildren, Mathieu and Lucie, with 8 hectares of vineyards, all in Chassagne-Montrachet, including small holdings in prestigious Grand Crus like Bâtard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet.

The Niellons spend significant time in the vineyard, where they use sustainable methods such as plowing for weed control, avoiding herbicides, and employing lutte raisonnée for pest management. The family prioritizes early harvests to maintain acidity, often choosing to pick first in the village, where grapes ripen quickly due to their proximity to houses and benefit from slightly warmer temperatures than in the vineyards, causing them to ripen faster. 

Grapes are hand-harvested, fermented naturally in stainless steel tanks, and aged in French oak barrels (25% new) to blend terroir expression with richness. Recent tests include using concrete egg-shaped vats. The estate can produce up to 50,000 bottles annually, including Bourgogne Chardonnay, village-level Chassagne-Montrachet, and Premier Cru wines like Clos Saint-Jean, La Maltroie, and Les Vergers. Today, Domaine Michel Niellon’s wines, made in small batches from carefully farmed parcels, are regarded as benchmarks of classic white Burgundy, known for their minerality, elegance, precision, and longevity, qualities enhanced by their rarity.

Made from century-old vines planted in the "Clos de la Truffière," a walled enclosure at the top of the slope of the Premier Cru "Les Chaumées" vineyard, neighboring St-Aubin, the 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Chaumées" "Clos de la Truffière" is a beautiful wine. The nose offers complex aromas with lime peel, green apple, mineral notes, and flint nuances. The palate is fresh, textured, and ample, with extra richness from the old vines enhancing the wine with both density and length, reminiscent of grand cru quality. The finish is long and fresh, displaying high acidity and a racy, tensile style, characteristic of the vintage. Once again, despite the challenging conditions of the vintage, Domaine Michel Niellon has succeeded in producing a wine with finesse, complexity, and excellent aging potential. Well done!

Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Burgundy 2018

Domaine Jean Grivot is a winery in the Côte d'Or, Burgundy, known for its rich, aromatic Pinot Noir wines with bright red fruit flavors.

The Grivot family originally came from the Jura region and had been growing vines since the mid-17th century. Just before the French Revolution, they moved to Vosne-Romanée. The estate was expanded in the early 1900s by Gaston Grivot, who sold some of his lesser plots to buy a parcel in the renowned Clos de Vougeot in 1919. Established in the 1930s, Domaine Grivot became one of the first Burgundy domaines to bottle and sell its own wines. Jean Grivot took over from his father, Gaston, in 1955. 

Today, the estate is owned by Jean's son Étienne, who took over from his father in 1987, along with his wife Marielle Grivot (Patrick Bize's sister, of Domaine Simon Bize). Their daughter, Mathilde Grivot, the fifth generation, has been the winemaker since 2017, succeeding her parents. Mathilde offers a new perspective while upholding the longstanding traditions of the Grivot family.

Located in Vosne-Romanée, the domaine exclusively makes wines from its own vineyards. Grivot owns about 15 hectares (37 acres) of land across Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges, including plots in Echézeaux, Richebourg, and a notable 1.9-hectare (4.6-acre) parcel in the famous Clos de Vougeot vineyard. The vineyards are farmed organically (though not certified) and planted mostly with Pinot Noir, with a few rows of Chardonnay used for Bourgogne Blanc. 

All of Grivot's vineyards are planted at high densities to promote competition among the vines, which helps reduce yields. This reduction is further supported by green harvests, which lower crop size to improve quality. The vines are all 40 years or older.

At the winery, the bunches are 95 percent destemmed and then undergo four to six days of cold maceration before fermentation in stainless steel, with no more pigeage after fermentation begins. Grivot's wines are generally aged in oak barrels for 15 to 18 months with varying amounts of new oak: around 25 percent for village wines, up to 60 percent for premier cru, and as much as 70 percent for grand cru. Wines are bottled without fining or filtration following lunar cycles and atmospheric pressure.

Having tasted it over the past few years, the 2018 Clos Vougeot was initially quite tight and closed, but it is now starting to open up and seems much more approachable. Although the vintage was marked by a warm, dry growing season that led to early flowering and a relatively early harvest, resulting in wines with concentrated fruit and notable ripeness, and some concern about a lack of freshness, some producers like Domaine Grivot managed to maintain balance, creating juicy red wines with both richness and vibrancy. The nose is still a bit closed, but opened up after about 15 minutes of aeration. The medium-bodied palate displays dense flavors of red and dark fruits, along with earthy and slightly savory nuances, supported by enough acidity to balance the fruit and tannins. The finish is a little dry but still quite good, offering plenty to enjoy.

 

Chateau Haut-Bailly Grand Cru Classe Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2009

Since I already dedicated a detailed post to Chateau Haut-Bailly last month (read it here), I will simply describe the wine. As I've mentioned many times before, I love Haut-Bailly. It is one of my favorite Pessac-Léognan wines. Beyond its opaque color, it offers enticing aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries combined with earthy, graphite, tobacco, and spice notes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is dark, ripe, rich, layered, elegant, generous, and complex, with excellent structure and texture, a long finish, and some tannins that will need more time to fully integrate. I had to double decant it to enhance its aroma and remove sediments. It mellowed out after 20 minutes. I loved it. 

Like my grandfather used to say (for food): "Ça ne peut pas être mauvais, il n'y a que de bonnes choses dedans!"

Same for these wines; they can not be bad since there are only good things in them! 😋👍🍷

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Classics in my book!

Classics in my book!

Mise en place for dinner, these have been staples in my recent selections. Love them all! 

The other day, I served the following wines for a private dinner, and they showed beautifully.   

I titled this post "Classics in my book!" because, over the past 2-3 years, I've had the pleasure of serving these wines numerous times. Moreover, they are classics of their appellations, too.  

Dom Perignon "Plenitude 2" is always a good reference in Champagne, and although the vintage 2003 is not my favorite, it still remains a very good champagne.  

For Fontaine-Gagnard, I was talking with a fellow sommelier who told me that, for him, it’s a producer he likes to include on his wine list but wouldn’t buy for his own consumption. He said that he found the style too classic, Burgundy. Well, it's fine, why not? 

Yet, I replied that this is precisely why I love Fontaine-Gagnard. Their wines are always very approachable and well-balanced. Not too extracted, with a good amount of oak but not overly oaked, fruit-forward but not overripe, and usually enhanced by excellent acidity and minerality. This makes them very accessible and enjoyable to drink, and easy to pair with food.  

As for Perrot-Minot NSG 1er Cru "La Richemone", it is a beautiful wine, more modern in style than the classic Nuits-Saint-Georges, complex, rich and ample, yet soft and silky, with a gentle texture expanding nicely in the palate toward the long velvety finish.    

Out of the 4 prepared wines, I only opened 3. I always come ready with an extra bottle, as you never know. Yet, that night, we didn't need it. Shame, as I would have loved to open this bottle of Chateau Haut-Brion 2008.  

Dom Perignon "Plénitude 2" Champagne Brut Vintage 2003

DP P2 2003 is a rich champagne that lacks some acidity and minerality, resulting in a less bright and somewhat flabby profile. It is not bad, but it unfortunately reflects the poor quality of the 2003 vintage, which was affected by a significant heat wave during the summer months. It was deemed the hottest summer recorded in Europe since at least 1540. Consequently, the resulting champagne shows taste, texture, and structure unworthy of the price and usual quality of "Plenitude 2" (IMO). And I usually love P2, it is consistently one of my go-to Champagnes when I make a selection for a dinner, but this vintage was pretty disappointing.  Too bad.   

Fontaine-Gagnard Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru Burgundy 2020

A classic in my book, because the few bottles I recently opened were stunning, despite being a bit light, but still delightful, and this one was too. 

Beyond its pale yellow color, the nose was light, fresh, elegant, mineral, zesty, and citrusy. At first, slightly restrained, the palate slowly opened, revealing a fresh, dry, mineral texture, good density, lots of lemony flavors, sharp acidity, and lightly toasted, oaky nuances. Delightful, even if a bit light to my palate for a Batard-Montrachet. I would have loved to see a bit more substance and depth. Yet, it might benefit from a few more years in the cellar. 

As my colleague Sommelier said that night, Fontaine-Gagnard is usually a more classic style of Burgundy. And, in fact, that's what I like about Fontaine-Gagnard: it is never over-the-top, but consistently well-crafted and balanced. It is neither too light nor too heavy, neither overripe nor overextracted, with enjoyable oak ageing nuances, but not overly oaky, toasted, or buttery either.     

Perrot-Minot Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "La Richemone" Vignes Centenaires Burgundy 2018

With only 2,551 bottles produced, it is a rare wine, and I was fortunate to find nine bottles of it a few years ago.  I bought them right away, as this is a delicious, forward, ample, rich, complex, and enticing wine.  For a wine made from century-old vines, it exhibits a remarkably modern, youthful, and fruit-forward palate, with a reasonably long finish. Dark cherry and raspberry aromas mingling with warm, earthy, and oaky nuances. I love it. A must-try for those who have never done it before.           

The only problem is that I opened it about 1 hour before serving it and realized it did not need that long, as it tamed down and was much less expressive than right after the opening. Opening it 15 minutes before serving it should have sufficed, as it would have opened up in the glass anyway. Lesson learnt the hard way. Fortunately, I have the principle of never decanting Burgundy wines; otherwise, too much air might have damaged it even more. 

Chateau Haut-Brion Premier Grand Cru Classé Péssac-Léognan Bordeaux 2008

Although I did not open that bottle for dinner that night, Haut-Brion 2008 is a beautiful wine that has aged gracefully and is even better now than it was 10 years ago. I will describe it the next time I have an opportunity to taste and serve it.    

Cheers! Santé!

Dom 

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LeDomduVin: Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac-Leognan Bordeaux 2010

 

Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac-Léognan 

Bordeaux 2010 

I remember when Château Haut-Bailly was purchased by Robert (Bob) G. Wilmers in 1998. 

I was a young sommelier newly arrived in London. I read in the specialized press that Jean Sanders, the grandfather of Véronique Sanders, had sold Haut-Bailly to the Wilmers, a Francophile American banker and his French wife, who entrusted Jean and Véronique with managing the property. 

Daniel Sanders, from Lille and of Belgian descent, purchased the Chateau in 1955. His son, Jean Sanders, took over in 1979, and his granddaughter, Veronique Sanders, joined Haut-Bailly in 1997. In 2000, Veronique became the CEO of Haut-Bailly after her grandfather Jean Sanders retired.   

Although Haut-Bailly was well regarded in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was not fully leveraging its potential and needed a renaissance. This purchase, along with improvements in winemaking practices and a renewed focus on quality at the estate, combined with Bob's 'spare no expenses' mentality and Veronique's vision, dedication, and ambitions, are often cited as the main reasons for its revival, increased recognition, and popularity. 

In the early 2000s, Château Haut-Bailly underwent a complete renovation and modernization of its cellars. This project was part of a broader effort to improve the quality of their wines after the estate was purchased by Robert G. Wilmers (known as Bob). The cellar upgrades were made to help produce the best wines possible. 

The cellar restoration was accompanied by significant changes to the vineyard. These involved green harvesting to remove underripe grapes and multiple harvesting passes to achieve optimal ripeness. Oenologist Gabriel Vialard joined the team in 2002 to further enhance the winemaking process. 

At that time, I had never visited Haut-Bailly, but I was familiar with the wine, having purchased and sold numerous bottles in various restaurants where I worked in France (1992-1997) and London (1997-2002). Since I loved their wine, I had always promised myself I would pay them a visit someday. 

In 2002, after five incredible years in London, I moved to New York and began working at www.PJWine.com, owned by Peter Yi, one of the largest and most successful wine and spirits retail stores in Manhattan at the time. 

Peter enjoyed traveling to Bordeaux and Spain every year for about 10-12 days (about 7-8 days in Bordeaux + 3-4 days in Spain) during the "En Primeur" period (around mid-April), with part of his team, to taste wines and plan future purchases. 

For five years, from 2002 to 2007, I planned and scheduled these trips in advance by booking visits to the châteaux, making appointments with various négociants, as well as participating to most of the "En Primeur" tastings, such as the "Cru Bourgeois" and the prestigious "Union des Grands Crus" (including booking all the hotels and restaurants in the various appelations and regions we visited). 

Besides working as a wine consultant (then wine director) and one of the wine buyers at his retail store and for the website, I also served as a PA and chauffeur during our travels. Every day, I drove the team from 8am until late at night, visiting 2-3 châteaux in the morning, then having lunch at a restaurant, a château, or with a négociant. The afternoons included more château visits or tastings, and we ended the day with dinner at a restaurant, a château, or with a négociant. Afterwards, we returned to our hotel or the château hosting us, such as Pichon Baron, where we had the opportunity to stay several years in a row. These were full days with busy schedules, as Peter aimed to maximize each day.  

It was a tough job, with extended hours, seven days a week, but it was worth it, and I loved every minute of it. Because, besides tasting, buying, and selling some of the most prestigious wines in the world, who wouldn't enjoy traveling to regions where they're produced to taste them at the property with the owners and/or the winemakers and having lunch and dinner at some of the best Chateaux and restaurants in Bordeaux, the Basque region, and Spain? 

I will always be grateful to Peter Yi, as he offered me the opportunity to do all that and so much more. Interestingly, we both had a certain character and often clashed. He, being Korean American, and I, being French and very opinionated, I guess he saw me as arrogant and annoying. 😅😅😅

And yet, he appreciated the job I was doing for him and saw added value in me. And although he told me every day that he would fire me, he kept me by his side and under his wing for five years. It was more like one of those love-hate relationships between employer and employee, and it always ended with sharing some food and a glass of wine and laughing with the rest of the team at the back of the store. 😉👍🍷    

In April 2003, we took our first trip together as a team to Bordeaux. Every day, we had a full schedule visiting properties in various appellations. For Pessac-Leognan, aside from Châteaux such as Haut-Brion, Pape Clément, Carbonnieux, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and Domaine de Chevalier, I had also arranged a visit to Château Haut-Bailly. 

It was a beautiful day. We were driving around Pessac-Leognan after visiting a few other Châteaux in the area when we finally arrived at Château Haut-Bailly. 

We were greeted by Véronique Sanders and Robert G. Wilmers, who were having a conversation near the Chateau entrance. Véronique showed us around the property and the cellar before guiding us into a small room by the cellar to taste the wines, the Grand Vin "Chateau Haut-Bailly" and the 2nd wine "La Parde de Haut-Bailly."    

While tasting the wines, we asked her a few questions about the differences and transition between her family and Bob Wilmers, who now owned the estate. She told us she was heartbroken at first when her grandfather decided to sell the property. Yet, she was also very excited and pleased, as the purchase had brought about changes, new perspectives, and improved practices in vineyard and cellar management, along with all the benefits that came with them. It was a change for the better.  

Appointed as CEO a few years earlier, both the estate and Véronique were in capable hands, looking toward a bright future. It's never easy to work with new owners when it was once your family property. Still, Bob was dedicated and passionate, and by keeping Véronique on his team, he preserved part of the family history and legacy.       

We were tasting "barrel samples" of the 2002 vintage, a difficult vintage often referred to as "classic" or "traditional," as they say in Bordeaux. In fact, it was definitely not one of the best. The wines we tasted so far were lean and often showed underripeness, high acidity, and green, astringent tannins. Although some good wines were made in the Médoc, most of the wines from Pessac-Léognan, and especially the Merlot-based wines of the Right Bank, showed less body, less substance, and more greenness.     

That said, I was surprised by the fleshiness and juiciness of the 2002 Haut-Bailly wines we were tasting, especially considering the high percentage of Merlot in the blend (35%) of the Grand Vin. 

Were the barrel samples selected for the "En Primeur" based on their quality rather than being truly representative of the vintage? (as it was common practice back then, but then again, there's nothing wrong with showing the best samples when presenting your wine to buyers from around the world to ensure sales during the "En Primeur" tasting...) 

Or was it because we were tasting them at the property, which usually imparts or even influences your judgment on the true quality of the wine? (difficult to criticize a wine when in the presence of the owner or the winemaker...)

I couldn't say... However, these were good compared to many of the other wines we tasted during that trip. In the end, it made that visit to Haut-Bailly even more memorable. And we ended up buying quite a few cases "En Primeur".   

In the following years, we visited Haut-Bailly several times during the En Primeur, always with the same enthusiasm. We were consistently welcomed by Veronique or Gabriel Vialard. We truly witnessed the wines and the estate improve from one year to the next.  

In 2007, after five great years where I learned much more than I expected, I left PJWine.com and Peter Yi to work for a smaller store in Brooklyn Heights called "Heights Chateau" to slow down the pace and have more time for my family, especially since my son was only one year old and I wanted to spend more time with him. 

Since my last visit to Haut-Bailly in the mid-2000s, I haven't had the chance to return there for various reasons. However, over the years, I was able to continue witnessing the evolution of Haut-Bailly through the "Union des Grands Crus" (UGCB) tastings.  

In 2011, I moved to Hong Kong, where I continued sourcing, buying, tasting, and serving Haut-Bailly, as it became a staple of my selections over time. I also continue to taste it every year at the UGCB tastings.  

In 2012, Robert G. Wilmers acquired the neighboring property, Chateau Le Pape, also located within the Pessac-Leognan appellation.  

In July 2017, an ambitious project for a new cellar, designed by architect Daniel Romeo, was presented to Bob Wilmers, who approved it immediately. Unfortunately, Bob passed away in December of that same year, and his son, Chris, inherited the property. The project commenced in 2018 and was completed within two years (by the end of 2020).   

In 2021, the new cellar was inaugurated. A state-of-the-art facility that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. It features a curved, streamlined design with a suspended garden and has received excellent HQE certification for its environmental sustainability. The cellar utilizes high-precision technical equipment and is designed to adapt to climate change, allowing for more precise and elegant winemaking. It marked a new era, enabling them to make even better wines than before. 

In 2022, the vineyards expanded in size following the merger of the vines from Château Le Pape into Château Haut-Bailly, making 2021 the last vintage produced under the Château Le Pape label.  

Today, Chris Wilmers and Veronique Sanders continue to focus on making the finest wine possible at Chateau Haut-Bailly, which is regarded as one of the best in its appellation and in Bordeaux overall.  

Chateau Haut-Bailly Pessac-Leognan Bordeaux 2010

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, Haut-Bailly 2010 remains vibrant and lively even after 15 years, and is likely to continue doing so for many more years to come. The 2010 vintage in Bordeaux was a promise of quality and concentration, thanks to July, which was hot and sunny, resulting in water stress that halted plant growth and led to better concentration and ripeness in smaller grapes. The contrasting cool night brought balance and freshness. Attentive winemaking, including precise harvesting and gentle extraction with controlled fermentation temperatures (around 26°C to prevent high alcohol content), was key to producing an exceptional wine.  

The resulting wine is quite dense, rich, and even powerful, with good ageing potential still remaining. Beyond its dark, opaque color, it offers enticing notes of dark fruit and blackberry, mingling with secondary and tertiary aromas. The palate is condensed and textured, with a complex structure, enhanced by enough acidity to keep it fresh and balanced. The finish is long, generous, and earthy. What a wine!  

I was hesitant to decant it that night for that dinner, but I should have as it would have undoubtedly benefited from it. Fortunately, I opened it more than an hour before serving it. 

My advice: buy a few bottles, drink one now to taste it, and keep the others in your cellar for a while, if you have the patience to do so. 😄👍🍷 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2009

Château La Mission Haut-Brion 

Pessac-Léognan 2009

Château La Mission Haut-Brion is one of Bordeaux's most prestigious wine estates in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. It is one of my favorite Bordeaux wines, along with Château Haut-Brion.

Founded in the sixteenth century, the estate has a long wine-growing history. It was named after the Lazarist missionaries who lived there in the seventeenth century.

Since 1983, the estate has belonged to the Dillon family, which also owns the neighboring Château Haut-Brion.

While both properties share similarities in terroir and wine style, Haut-Brion is often described as masculine (rich, powerful, layered, and structured), while La Mission is regarded as feminine (elegant, refined, complex, and textured).

The vineyard covers about 29.2 hectares and is located on the road to Pessac in the southwestern suburb of Bordeaux.

Although surrounded by busy roads and residential areas, it still benefits from an exceptional terroir marked by gravelly soils and a favorable microclimate that enhances the unique quality of its wines.

La Mission Haut-Brion produces both red and white wines. The vineyard spans 25.44 hectares planted with red grapes (48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot Noir, 11% Cabernet Franc) and 3.74 hectares of white grapes (63% Sémillon, 37% Sauvignon).

While its whites have gained some notoriety, Château La Mission Haut-Brion is celebrated for its exceptional red wine, often compared to the Premiers Grands Crus Classés of the Médoc. The estate also produces a second wine, La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion.

The wines of La Mission Haut-Brion delight wine lovers and collectors. They are renowned for their elegance, complexity, and ageing potential.

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan 2009

In my 33 years as a Sommelier and Wine Buyer, I have been lucky enough to open countless bottles of La Mission Haut-Brion (and probably even more Haut-Brion) and have rarely been disappointed. In fact, this vintage, 2009, once again, exceeded my expectations.

Beyond its dark color, right at opening, it offers attractive aromas of ripe dark berries and fruits mingling earthy, smoky, and floral notes. The palate is ripe, dense, ample, rich, complex, layered, yet suave, refined, and elegant. It is finely textured and structured, generously expanding from the attack and coating through the mid-palate to the seamless finish. It is a magnificent wine!

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2016 (again)

Chateau Haut-Brion Grand Cru Pessac-Leognan 2016

It is sentimental between Chateau Haut-Brion and me.

I first tasted Haut-Brion in 1994. It was a 1986 vintage, and I fell in love that day.

I was lucky to work in a “Relais et Chateaux” located in Talence, bordering Pessac. Most of the wines on the list were from the appellations “Graves” and “Pessac-Leognan.” We also had a few vintages of Haut-Brion.

Then, one day, a customer brought a magnum of Haut-Brion 1959. The wine was magnificent. It was an epiphany. I was 21 years old and had never tasted such an incredible wine.

Later, in September 1996, my Sommelier Promotion was invited to spend a week at the Chateau to participate in the harvest. It was an incredible memory!

We were even given a bottle of Haut-Brion 1993 (or was it 1994? My memory is failing me) as a present for our contribution from Mr Jean-Bernard Delmas. And I can proudly say that I have harvested some of the 1996 vintage.

Since then, my love for Haut-Brion has never ceased to grow. I visited the Chateau many times in the early to mid-2000s. In my 33-year career as a Sommelier/wine Buyer, I have always had Haut-Brion on all my wine lists (and shelves when I worked in retail).

I have been lucky enough to open countless amounts of this wine over the years, from the 1945 vintage to 2018 for the most recent vintage, and pretty much everything in between.

I have repeatedly said that Chateau Haut-Brion is my favorite Bordeaux wine, and this 2016 vintage confirms it again!

The last time I tried the 2016 vintage was in October last year, and it was beautiful! And 10 months later, it is still a masterpiece.

Haut-Brion 2016 offers plenty of gorgeous red and black berry and fruit aromas, refreshing acidity, outstanding balance, excellent structure, a long finish, and a good grip of integrated tannins that will mellow down with time. Its freshness and richness enhance its soft and silky texture. It is sophisticated, focused, elegant, and racy. What a wine!

Cheers! Sante!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Nice line-up again - Clinet 2010, Margaux 1982 and La Mission Haut-Brion 2016

Nice line-up again - Clinet 2010, Margaux 1982 and La Mission Haut-Brion 2016

The other day, I opened, prepared, and served these 3 great wines:

Chateau Clinet Pomerol 2010

It has a deep, dark, ruby color. The nose is packed with ripe black and red fruit aromas mingling with earthy, spicy notes. The palate is generous, rich, and ample, with blackberry, redcurrant, and coffee flavors with earthy and oaky nuances. Despite its low acidity, slight roughness, present yet integrated tannins, and medium-long finish, it is an enjoyable example of this solar vintage. Although approachable now, it might benefit from a few more years in the cellar. Overall, it is a very nice wine.

Chateau Margaux Margaux 1982

One of the guests brought this bottle. And I was really pleased as 82 Bordeaux are rare nowadays. Surprisingly, it had another two capsules. At first, I feared I was a fake, so I inspected the label. Then, I removed the second capsule and processed to remove the cork, which was as soft as butter and broke despite being extremely cautious and using a double blade (shame I did not have my Durand). The bottom part fell into the bottle. It also had many sediments, so I had to decant it. Per my experience and knowledge, the capsule, cork, and label were all real. It was not a counterfeit. This bottle must have been capsuled with two capsules at the Chateau, as it occurred occasionally in the 80s (I have seen it on other Bordeaux wines).

This Margaux 82 displayed an advanced, bright, light brownish color. The beautiful, delicate, fresh, youthful nose filled the air with secondary and tertiary aromas of red cherry, leather, tobacco, licorice, and underbrush mingling with floral and oaky scents. The palate was delicate, finely chiseled, refined, elegant, and beautifully balanced, with a long finish. Magnificent wine!

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2016

Too young, but what an incredible wine. Fresh, rich, concentrated, focused, racy & complex. Gorgeous! 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Cristal 2015, Droin Hommage à Louis 2021 & Haut-Brion 2008

Last night's wines: Cristal 2015, Droin Hommage à Louis 2021 & Haut-Brion 2008

I opened and served these wines for a private dinner.

Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne 2015

Light, refreshing, crisp, with razor-sharp acidity, it is satisfying but better with food (oysters, for example).

Jean-Paul et Benoît Droin Chablis Grand Cru "Hommage à Louis" 2021

Strangely, I would have loved to like it, but I found it a bit dull and lacking in substance, with a short finish. It's definitely not up to the standard of a Grand Cru, in my opinion. Too bad. I will need to revisit it with a new bottle to check if it was just a problem with this particular bottle.

PS: For those who did not know this Cuvée from Droin, it is a special Cuvée. It is supposed to be the pinnacle of Droin wines and one of Chablis's finest grand cru Cuvée. The name pays homage to "Louis Droin", who bought this plot in 1920. It was used for the first time for the 2020 vintage. It is a plot on "Les Clos" adjoining "Valmur", so normally It should be beautiful. And I like their wines in general. But this particular bottle, no. That's why I said I should taste it again; perhaps it was a bottle that suffered. However, the cork was good, as was the appearance and the nose. On the other hand, the taste was really disappointing: no substance, complexity, or length in the palate.

Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2008

My tasting is biased because Haut-Brion is my favorite Bordeaux wine. Yet, again, it showed wonderfully. I loved it. It was opened for 1h30 before serving, and there was no decanting. It was perfect. It was so smooth and silky yet textured and structured, complex and rich yet elegant and sophisticated. It was really pleasurable.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Château Lafont Menaut Pessac-Léognan 2021

Château Lafont Menaut Pessac-Léognan 2021

I recently bought this lovely Pessac-Léognan from my local supermarket to try out a 2021 Bordeaux within a 15-20 Euro price range.

What a pleasant surprise! Kudos to Philibert Perrin, the chateau's owner, and his team.

Chateau Lafont Menaut is located about 5 km south of Chateau Carbonnieux, the Perrin family's most renowned property.

The land, acquired by the Perrin family in 1990, was once covered with trees. So, they embarked on a deforestation program and stumbled upon an old, abandoned washhouse, the Menaut fountain, which became the origin of the Château's name.

Philibert gradually took over and started planting vines in 1993. The vineyards now consist of 17 hectares of red grape varieties (50 % Cab Sauv, 45 % Merlot, and 5 % Cab Franc) and 4 hectares of white (100% Sauvignon Blanc). Until 2000, Philibert made the wine at his brother Eric’s property, Chateau Haut-Vigneau.

In 2000, Philibert started the construction of the operating buildings: a vat room, barrel cellars, and living quarters. Construction ended in 2017 with the addition of a wine center and a tasting room. The final blend usually reflects the percentage of the planted grape varieties. Aging lasts about 12 months in French oak barrels, of which 30% are new.

So, why “a very pleasant surprise”? 

Well, ending a trilogy of great vintages (2018, 2019, and 2020), 2021 was a challenging vintage in Bordeaux, as producers had to battle frost, millerandage, and mildew. Chateau Lafont Menaut lost half of its production that year.

However, some very good wines were made with careful viticulture, hard work, and decisions and actions at crucial moments. Lafont Menaut is a very good example.

Chateau Lafont Menaut 2021

Intense, opaque, and deep color. Ripe dark cherry and red fruit aromas on the nose, with earthy, spicy, oaky notes and slightly smoky nuances. Tight, dark, and ripe, right after opening, after a few minutes and swirls in the glass, the palate offered a more gentle profile: round, fleshy, firm, yet fresh and juicy, with earthy and smoky notes. Nicely done!

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin @chateaulafontmenaut #lafontmenaut #wine #vin #vino #wein #pessacleognan #bordeaux #redwine #tasting #tastingnotes

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Haut-Brion 2016

Haut-Brion 2016, what else? 

If you have been following me for a while, you've surely realized that I'm a bit biased when it comes to Haut-Brion. 

What can I say? It is my favourite wine, after all. 

And I'm always the first to say that Haut-Brion should be open for a while. Especially so young. As it is a wine that opens up and gains in complexity with time. 

Rewarding the most patients of us with an array of enticing earthy aromas and flavours, structure and texture, elegance, balance and sophistication, heavenly delivered with grace and power and expanding to the seamless finish. 

And yet, I was not patient enough to wait for this gem to reach its optimum taste and age. 

The 2016 Haut-Brion is a masterpiece with gorgeous fruits, refreshing acidity, great balance, excellent structure, a long finish and a good grip of integrated tannins that will mellow down with time. 

Decanted about 1 hour before serving, it showed wonderfully. Yet, it will have benefited from a few more hours to really display its full potential. 

In my 32-year career as a Sommelier and Wine Buyer, I have never been disappointed by Haut-Brion, and this 2016 is no exception to the rule. 

It is delightful now, yet it obviously has the potential to age a decade or two in the cellar. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom 

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Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Château Haut-Bailly 2010

Chateau Haut-Bailly 2010

3 bottles opened recently while working on a luxurious yacht. 

Over the last 2 years, I opened quite a few bottles of this wine in this vintage, and I must say I never get tired of it. I love it. 

Thank you, Véronique and your team. I have been buying, selling, opening, tasting, serving and drinking Haut-Bailly, for the past 30 years, and it is getting better and better. 

Tasting the delicious Chateau Haut Bailly Grand Cru Classé Pessac Leognan 2010 on a luxury yacht always adds a “je ne sais quoi” of smoothness and sophistication to the wine. 😉😁👍🍷

These 3 bottles of Haut-Bailly 2010 were delicious, rich, layered, complex, balanced, voluptuous, generous and long. Loved it. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

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Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: "Envie d’Hiver", or the illusion of Instagram pictures, and Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2008

 

"Envie d’Hiver", 

or the illusion of Instagram pictures, 

and Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2008

Winter in Hong Kong can be gloomy and depressing, cold, and usually covered by a thick, immovable blanket of grey clouds. So, I thought it to be amusing to start this post with a catchy French title "Envie d'Hiver", which translates as "longing for winter", while I actually feel the total opposite.

I'm not a winter person, except maybe when in the mountains, skiing and having a good time, (which I have not done in a long time), and thus, I cannot wait for winter to be over already. In fact, I'm like a "Marmotte". I could hibernate for 3 months straight to escape winter and wake up with spring, no problem.

The only good thing about winter, despite the magical sight of snow, the fireplace's heat, and hot chocolate, is the craving for comfy, earthy, fulfilling, and utterly satisfying food and wine, to warm up your body and brighten up your mood.

And the great thing about food and wine is that they both bring people together, and enhance conversations, with smiles and laughter, resulting in happy moments and good memories. That's why I love working with wine and love my job, as opening a bottle is always a good excuse to meet people and share a moment.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to meet Florian (@donvolnay) and Melanie (a young intern in his company), two sympathetic and ambitious young wine lovers, who brought this bottle of Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2008, one of my favorite Bordeaux, making our meeting even more enjoyable.

After enjoying each other's company, while drinking a glass of this succulent wine, they left the rest of the bottle with me to bring it home.

 

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac Leognan 2008

Average Market Price HKD 2,150 ( Euros 256 / USD 274)

Respectively on the nose and palate, the wine boasted aromas and flavors of plum, dark fruits, licorice, earth, and graphite, with light oaky nuances. The palate is forward, opened, generous, and layered with ripe dark fruits and earthy tones, friendly even if somewhat a bit austere, yet nicely balanced between the fruit, the acidity, and the present and firm yet integrated tannins, bringing both structure and texture. Agreeably coating the palate thru the lingering finish. What a lovely wine!

It was very much appreciated and drank beautifully. Thank you, Florian.

In fact, I must say that, from recent experiences, it seems that many 2008 vintage Bordeaux are opening and drinking beautifully now.  

In confidence, I will say that it is normal, (in my opinion), for both, Chateau Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, as they are not wines to drink in their youth, as they usually take about 15 years minimum to open and start to fully express themselves and continue to defy time for decades with their great aging potentials. I love them both.          

 

So, what does "the illusion of Instagram pictures" has to do with it?

Well, I wanted to take a picture for my IG account, but the bottle with the glass alone seemed boring. 

So, I added the cans of Cassoulet (one of my favorite winter comfy foods). That's all I had on hand to make the picture more interesting and appealing. Yet, I must say that is definitely not the best food-wine pairing, as something heartier from the Southwest of France, like a Cahors (Malbec) or a Madiran (Tannat), would have been a much better pairing with the Cassoulet and its "Saucisses de Toulouse".   

I also added the book to create a dark, cozy background, set the ambiance, and enhance the wine. Except that, (and I’m sure the connoisseur noticed it), "Grand Cru" (by Remington Norman) is about Burgundy Grand Crus, and thus has nothing to do with Bordeaux. 

Yet, the book title "Grand Cru" was an "echo" (a "wink" or a "metaphor" if you prefer) to "La Mission Haut-Brion", which is often considered as the "6th" "Premier Grand Cru Classé", and/or, often referred to as a "Grand Cru Classé", while it is a "Cru Classé de Graves".

And that's how, very often, Instagram pictures are set up with things that are not related and/or have nothing to do with each other, but seem to fit together, creating the perfect illusion of a good picture with items that are related and belong with each other, while the reality is otherwise.      

However, look at this picture again. The wine + the cans + the book make for a comfy and somewhat sophisticated illusion of a wintery ambiance, doesn't it? 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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