"A Night of Extravagance" @ Jiang Nan Chun, Christmas day 2004

Pre-dinner: Les Heritiers du Comtes Lafon Macon-Milly Lamartine "Clos du Four" 2002

1. Krug Collection 1981
2. Domaine Trimbach Clos Ste Hune 1983 Alsace
   
3. Domain J-F Coche-Dury Meursault "Perrieres" 1996
4. Pahlmeyer Chardonnay 1996 Napa Valley
5. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg 1988
6. Domaine Henri Jayer Echezeaux 1998
7. Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rionda Riserva 1978
8. Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 1975 Pessac-Leognan
9. Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 1982 Bolgheri
10. Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon "Monte Bello" 1971
11. Vega Sicilia "Unico" 1970 Ribera del Duero
12. Domaine Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape "Reserve des Celestins" 1992
13. Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage "La Chapelle" 1978
14. Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape 1990
15. Chateau Calon-Segur 1947 St. Estephe
16. Chateau Petrus 1970 Pomerol
17. Chateau Gilette "Creme de Tete" 1970 Sauternes

With a wine list like this, one would hardly think this is any ordinary event. In fact, the event is a culmination of months of brainstorming and no less than six months worth of ordering, negotiation and preparation on the part of the tireless Andy Tan. So upfront, a big thanks to him.

Besides myself I knew that almost everyone who turned up was greatly anticipating the event. Andy literally worked the wine tonight. I did not see him sit down from the time he showed up at the restaurant at 6 till right about the time the dinner started at half past seven -- pulling out the fragile corks, clearing the mouldy mouths, decanting, arranging the glasses, tasting, ordering and pre-pouring the wines. And to think he started even beyond that in his shop where the wines had been left standing for a few months.

We used some glasses which to me made a world of difference to the wines too. Special mention to the Riedel Sommelier Montrachet and Riedel Vinum Extreme Pinot Noir glasses, the latter proving to be an essential enhancer to the pinot noir, nebbiolo and Rhone-varietal wines. Don't leave home without it.

Enough advertisement, now on to the juices.

The pre-aperitif serving of Lafon's Macon "Clos du Four" displayed the fineness of the 2002 vintage to white burgundies in general, even in such humbler appellations as Macon. Very ripe, plenty of liveliness plus a good touch of minerality.

The Krug Collection hit the nose with a grand and warm concoction of toasted bread crumbs, white plums, steamed dough and marzipan. While suggesting some maderization on the nose, it was kept fresh with suggestions of dried orange peels. On the palate the fine bubbles smothered the senses with a very rich and creamy texture. Very lively thanks to fine acidity.

The Clos Ste Hune was terrific. Tell-tale, ultra-typical nose of riesling -- soil infected lime peels and kerosene tinge. This is a very dry but very rich and ripe riesling. Fat yet bracing, voluminous, layered and textured with no sharp edges in the mouth, it was at once sweet and minerally. Late grapefruits suggestions emerged toward the end. Still plenty of life ahead, but this is definitely the richest and sweetest Clos Ste Hune I've tried so far. Almost became warm toward the back, suggesting that this was probably picked very ripe.

Coche's Meursault Perrieres' nose was out of this world. Warm roasted hazelnuts, smoke and minerally aromas later incorporated white peaches, confectionery and warm butter, complicated by olive oil and white flowers hints. In the mouth, this very youthful wine was bracing and penetrating, typifying the vintage, yet maintains a sense of restrained richness characteristic of a true Perrieres. Lemons, nut oil, liquid stones, apple skins and butter (yet again) on the palate which was actually plump yet was gracefully hidden in a delicate and sleek frame. This is a true lesson of intensity without being oversized. New world chardonnays, pick up a clue here.

The Pahlmeyer Chardonnay was a very good if not outstanding efforts and was excellent especially in the context of its origin and age. Even now, it's surprisingly fresh and cool despite its size. Toasty, honeyed and suggestions of lemon custards, it was huge yet civilized and still quite lively, even minerally. Buttery and generous, but it was completely overshadowed by the preceding burgundy which displayed more profound layers, delicacy and minerality.

DRC's Richebourg hit the nose with a briary profile of stemmy, spicy candied cherries. It entered with a palate coating but finely pitched sweetness featuring plenty of redcurrants and raspberries, and exited with fine but formidable tannic grip. This is not your typical sappy oozy pinot, and although many expected a sweeter showing from this stable, I was very impressed with the thrust, volume and intensity, noting a huge amount of complexity yet to be unfolded over time behind the masculine frame. As in most of the very special red burgs I've tried, this had a late suggestion of haw flakes candy at the end. Special.

Andy's 'mystery' wine turned out to be the legendary Henri Jayer's Echezeaux 1998 -- what a treat! This must have stood up in the glass for an hour or so before we drank it. The early oak-infused elements in the nose had subsided and been replaced by cream-covered black cherries with a suggestion of toast and raspberry jam. In the palate, this was a different story altogether. Refined, delineated and velvety textured, it combined an uncanny balance of sweetness, earthy spices, candied fruits and a subtle complication of bacon fat. I must agree with Andy that this is the best version of the under-achieving grand cru plot of Echezeaux. Yet another lesson about grace, balance and precision from a typically less-than-stellar terroir and vintage. While this is not perfect, I'd be hard pressed to find another Echezeaux (plagued with problematic tannins that year) that could display such refinement and balance.

Giacosa's Barolo showed what a matured nebbiolo wine could become. Smelling younger than its two and a half decade of age, it gave off an oily bouquet of redcurrants, tar, violets and hints of truffles. On the palate it too showed a formidable structure that belied its age, finishing off with rustic tannins which framed its otherwise sweet palate-profile. This wine must have been next-to-impossible to assess when it's young but by now has developed nicely.

La Mission Haut Brion's tell-tale Graves nose of scorched earth, leather and tobaccoes overlaid by smoked-meats suggestions led to a very structured frame that was held up more by its acids than its tannins. I have always admired the 70's decade of Bordeaux. The examples I've tasted, this included, showed such lively acidity which gave the wines wonderful inner mouth energy and enabled positive evolution-in-the-glass experience. This wine turned sweeter with aeration, putting on more flesh and density which evoked sweet plums and ashy overtones.

The 1982 Sassicaia taught me once and for all, that for the very rare few, super Tuscans can actually age. Sporting a Medoc-like aromatic and palate profile, over time, as it very slowly unwound itself in the glass, this very compact wine displayed blackcurrant, soy and a nutmeg impressions on the nose. (I have always found a pitch of nutmeg spice on Sassicaias in general and this is no exception.) My only regret that this wine was not more ready than I had preferred, rendering this as one of the hardest to assess tonight, although on a positive side, I certainly had found lots of other Bordeaux of this vintage to have evolved into its downslopes at this point. Tasty? Not yet. Long-lived? Without a doubt.

The Monte Bello hit the nose with a nicely integrated burnt white chocolates, cinnamon and currants. The palate was very consistent with the nose, and displayed an admirable feel of freshness and cut. In fact I found the taste profile briary, something I rarely accord to older wines. It was a tasty, generously-sized wine which retains its elegance and charm. Tannins were totally resolved but the wine still maintained a sense of structure. A true Californian vin de garde. Quite impressive.

Vega's Unico was an intriguing wine full of surprises. The nose exploded with vanillin, shaved coconuts, ash, smoke, meats and truffle-infused currants. On the palate, however, this wine was pristine in its rendering of redcurrants which hit the senses with such liveliness, purity and a 'pitch' so rare I found this hard to forget. It was suave, textured and long. Notes of soy emerged at the end. Very impressive and memorable.

It would be difficult to replicate Bonneau's Celestins 1992 at the level it showed itself tonight. I have had the fortune of drinking this wine many times, and each time it was impressive. Tonight, it was just out of this world. Briary nose (typical of Bonneau's Celestins cuvees) of pure kirsch and raspberry liqueur, with sour cherries tang, beguiling medicinal aromatics and hints of animal fur. This high-pitched monster caressed the palate with cherries, tangy raspberry jam and roasted spices. It was at once voluminous, energetic, intense and suave. A world-class performance that left the rest behind.

The La Chapelle deserved all the accolades it received, in my humble opinion. Smelling almost bordeaux-like, it set itself apart with a smoked ham overtones. Sporting a bracing acidity, the Medoc-like profile of currants and sweet tobacco with a pervasive nuance of smoke and game, this wine was relentless in the mouth -- suave and layered. Coincidentally just a few nights ago someone remarked to me that the 1978 La Chapelle was actually as good as the legendary 1961, just not quite ready. After tonight, although I have yet to taste the 1961, in terms of evolution, I would tend to agree that statement. It is scary, but I think that this wine probably has an upside of at least another two decades. Now I know how legends were born -- they take decades.

The Rayas, a thoroughly wonderful wine, was somewhat underwhelming. (Perhaps the Bonneau was etched too deeply in my mind?) This had a heady nose of creamy strawberries and kirsch. This was unctous to the point of pretty port-like -- sweet yet lively. It was a very elegant and silky wine, but perhaps too elegant. I wished for my CDP to have that sauvage edge to it and this came across a tad too safe.

The oldest wine featured tonight, the Calon-Segur did not in any way show any sign of retirement. It was densely coloured with a very gradual bricking and orange rim. On the nose I sensed currants, tar, dried raisins and meats. The palate was redolent of minerals and sweet tobacco. Rather than sporting a more effiminate characteristics that very old Bordeaux tends to put on (e.g., liqueur-like sweetness), this had a definitely masculine frame. It was a classic St. Estephe -- still four-square with a tell-tale tobacco-leaf twang to it.

Tasting so many good wines in one night put the Petrus in a very difficult position especially when it was the last dry wine to be tasted. Blueberries and raspberries dominated the palate profile which was decidedly sweet. This wine was all-flesh -- the tannins had melted away, the texture silk-like and the finish nicely warm and fuzzy. I wish I had more words to describe the Petrus, but either I was less-than-impressed (one must remember we're talking about a wine of such lofty standing, not just any other Pomerols here, hence the elevated expectations) or was really unable to coax enough out of the wine tonight. Still this was a great wine, whose texture and natural sweetness other merlots should emulate.

The Gilette Creme de Tete oozes with apricot jam and marmalade extract. It was honeyed but not cloying, indeed a nice fresh end to our vino odyssey tonight. Unlike some other Sauternes which deservedly are called "stickies", this one remained cool and did not sport an overt bortrytis nose. Very pretty.

Volnay Tasting @ Jiang Nan Chun, 19 Nov 2004

Burgundy the way it should be expounded? No doubt this hardly contains the breadth and depth of wines required to serve as an authoritative guide to the terroir of any particular appellation of Burgundy. But given any context and within the means of those who attend, this gathering is nothing short of commendable for at least these few reasons.

• Focus. Volnay was the theme and we sampled some of the best producers of the appellation. One may not subscribe to the notion of terroir, but that is not the point here. When we speak of burgundies, the sheer virtue of how each wine is named, the very foundation of winemaking in the burgundian tradition takes the terroirs of the appellation for granted. It's not discussed or debated. It's just... there. So there we have it: Volnay.
• Representation. I felt that the tasting was diverse enough to encompass the more well-known terroirs and the top-tier quality-driven producers. We sped through the climats of Champans, Clos de Chenes, Chateau des Ducs, and Santenots, tasting handiwork of d'Angerville, Lafarge, Comtes Lafon and de Montille no less, within the scope of the recentmost vintages of 1995-2002.
• Thirdly, there was an accompaniment commentary on the region of Volnay, introducing its soil types and premier cru sub-climats and hence its "typical" characteristics. Personally I did find this very important and appropriate in order to form a proper context for understanding the region.

There are several thoughts that rang in my head after this tasting.

• There are signatures of the region. It is subtle, but it's there. Unless we have conducted a study of the various regions of Cote d'Or in a fairly similar fashion, it's probably difficult to pin down what is "Volnay" after sitting through one tasting session like this. But I sensed that most attendees have a certain sense of place that is "Volnay" after this session. Perhaps not enough to tell a Volnay in a blind, but sufficient to be able to appreciate Volnay as it is if they know what it is. (And this is more important, isn't it?)
• There are signatures of the winemaker, and quite frankly I think this is even more evident than the signature of the region especially in this present day and age. At this tasting, Lafon's wines are probably most exemplary of this point. Vintage after vintage we tasted tonight carried a Lafon-ness around it. From a terroir standpoint, it's probably fair to say it was less transparent, but from a consistency of quality and style standpoint, he's probably at the top of his game. Does this tendency therefore make his wines better or less distinctive? I'd leave that to each person to conclude.
• In the hands of very talented winemakers, the vintage's influence on the resultant quality of the wines is minimal. It's there, but except through the discernment of the most experienced tasters, the differences are not very apparent. A case in point. We had the pleasure of tasting Lafon's Volnay Santenots du Milieu from 1996-99. The differences of the attributes one may expect from this set of wines supposedly to reflect the influences of the vintage characteristics were not, in my humble opinion, as significant as I had anticipated.
• There is old-school and there is new-school of burgundy winemaking. Each has its merits and each is pleasurable in its own way. Some show more voluptuousness, while others are more delicate. The notion of concentration, intensity, frame and structure were interpreted differently. Again, here the consumer decides which way do they like best (at which point in time, if I may add).
• Each vintage (at least in the context of our tasting) has its purpose and place in time. For whatever that has been said (in the press and wine community) about red burgundies of 1997 and 2000, the two wines we tasted this night of these vintages were actually delicious and pleasurable. If the primary duty of a wine is to please the drinker, then they have done well. (Note that the 1997 was slightly corked, so I believe it had deteriorated the palate somewhat too despite the smell going away after some 20 minutes in the glass.) And these were supposedly less-than-stellar vintages -- at least according to 'common wisdom' -- even unjustifiably maligned in some respects. So much for common wisdom...? The same can be said about 1998. A well-known wine critic denounced the 1998 vintage, refusing to review the wines altogether, calling it unbalanced, overtly tannic and vegetal. At this tasting (plus other 1998 we tasted recently) the 1998s were delicious, even profound. Certainly tonight, some of my favourite wines came from this vintage -- they were transparent, intense and tasty. The 1999s were by far the most concentrated of the lot -- deeply coloured, ripe, hefty yet still quite pure. At this stage they are quite tightly wound, but probably less so compared to the 1995 and 1996 samples we had. Both the latter were very linear and pure expression of the pinot fruits in my opinion. What it did not show in terms of sheer flesh it more than made up for in terms of transparency, pitch, aromatics and firm (not overwhelming) structures. Needless to say, these wines are worth waiting for.
• These burgundies are not wines for immediate gratification. Pinot noirs as expressed by this region tasted yesterday were complex yet compact at this point. They also exist for the dinner table to go with food and friends. These wines are (and will be even more so) great company. Standing on its own, nevertheless the good wines that they are, it is somewhat incomplete.

The wines tasted yesterday were:

1979 Robert Ampeau, Meursault "Perrieres", 1er Cru

2002 Jean Boillot, Volnay "Les Fremiets", 1er Cru

2000 Vincent Girardin, Volnay "Les Santenots", 1er Cru

1997 Comtes Lafon, Volnay "Santenots du Milieu", 1er Cru

1998 Michel Lafarge, Volnay "Clos du Chateau des Ducs", 1er Cru (Monopole)

1998 Comtes Lafon, Volnay "Santenots du Milieu", 1er Cru

1995 Hubert de Montille, Volnay "Champans", 1er Cru

1996 Comtes Lafon, Volnay "Santenots du Milieu", 1er Cru

1999 Michel Lafarge, Volnay "Clos des Chenes", 1er Cru

1999 Comtes Lafon, Volnay "Clos des Chenes", 1er Cru

1999 Comtes Lafon, Volnay "Santenots du Milieu", 1er Cru

1999 Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay "Champans", 1er Cru

1978 Francois Ganoux, Pommard "Les Rugiens", 1er Cru

(The following tasting notes were taken under less than 'standard' condition as I was not in the best state of health at this point in time. Particularly I was not able to decipher textures of the wines well and so you might notice the lack of texture descriptors in my notes below, a marked departure from norm... It, however, still represents my best effort.)

The 2002 Boillot "Fremiets" struck me as heady, fat but textured. It gave an impression of almost roasted fruits, and exited with a warmish alcoholic finish. Rather simple and too in-your-face to my liking. The 2000 Girardin "Les Santenots" showed a higher pitched aromas of raspberries and redcurrants. Quite minerally but lacking thrust on the palate. Still it is a more balanced representation than the previous wine. Lafon's 1997 "Santenots du Milieu" was slightly corked. After some time in the glass, as the musty taint faded, sweetish aromas of cherries and toasty oak came aorund. In the mouth this was quite voluminous and packs a bit of punch -- quite impressive, especially in the context of the vintage. What it lacked was vibrancy, but I'd give this some benefits of the doubt as the wine condition was surely less than pristine.

The 1998 pair was most interesting. Lafarge's "Clos du Chateau des Ducs" aromatics were very special. Roasted meats intermigled with flinty cherries and some currants. On the palate this was very noble too -- transparent yet authoritative with good density, enormous volume and energy reserves. Mouth-coating tannins were broad and fine. There would be many long years ahead of it for sure, and will be very special, I reckon. Lafon's "Santenots du Milieu" was more forward and generous. Black cherries infused sweetness and oak influences were noticeable but not out of balance. Pristine despite being quite extracted, and certainly more energetic than the 1997 version.

The wines from the structured vintages of 1995 and 1996 were both wonderful. These vintages were highly touted by the critics -- especially the 1996 -- for being concentrated, pure and potentially having long lives ahead. Both the samples tonight seemed to echo these impressions. 1995 Hubert de Montille "Champans" was elegance personified. It was near-weightless on the palate, very cool, highly nuanced, yet intense and sweet -- all in a very understated package. The aromatics were feminine and seductive -- floral hints atop crushed pure red fruits, the complexity of which was extended by the suggestions of spices and a very delicate cinnamon hint. Despite being still very tightly wound, this is one very promising wine that deserves many more years in the cellar to unveil its eventual grandeur. 1996 Lafon "Santenots du Milieu" was the most different wine amongst the vertical of this wine tonight. High-pitched steely cherries and meatstock on the nose, it led to a compact and intense frame supported by a formidable acid spine. The overall impression is one of coolness and restrain. It's hard to focus on the fruits at this juncture, but it was all there too, just a tad muted. This reminds me of a Chambolle-Musigny somewhat. Despite the hard-core impression of these wines, I still find them very charming.

The blind flight of four bottles of 1999 ended the Volnay comparatives. 1999 is probably the most raved about vintage after 1990 but today after endless press hypes, the public is modishly enamoured by the picture-perfect 2002 vintage, the question which remains is: is the 1999 vintage still that special? There were four wines in this flight, and all exhibit a common attribute -- they were all very ripe (but not overripe), deeply coloured (except for one), dense, sweet and generously-sized. This was certainly a very good year for Cote d'Or and a notably successful year for Cote de Beaune in particular, as it had been suffering from less than perfect conditions during the prior several vintages (a trend which, sadly, continued to plague it after this vintage as well until 2002 came along). Lafarge's "Clos des Chenes" was structured, ripe, and quite minerally, displaying steely raspberries and a fair amount of wood lurking underneath the generous layers of fruits. This is a very powerful Volnay (I guessed this was a Clos des Chenes but was wrong about the producer.) Lafon's "Clos des Chenes" displayed a more roasted style. It was quite exotic and very ripe as well, giving hints of liqueur-like sweetness. It is sweet, supple, layered and round. Already displaying a level of profundity and expressiveness even at this juncture. Lafon's "Santenots du Milieu" was a brooding, deeply coloured and superripe wine. Hints of smoked meats and earth adds complexity to its huge, almost chunky frame. Surprisingly the wine remains energetic thanks to the acid spine. A very powerful wine indeed too. Marquis d'Angerville "Champans" was the lightest coloured one of all (even when compared to the other vintages). Sweet berry-scented nose led to a rather silky but syrupy palate which although was clean and red-fruits laden, somewhat lacked energy and tasted clumsy. This could well please the crowd for its easygoing nature, but for a wine of such breed and vintage, it was to me an underachievement.

How about the first and last wines from the 70s? The 1979 Ampeau Meursault "Perrieres" looked and tasted much younger than it really is. Flint-accented nose gave way to liquid minerals in the mouth. White peaches and pears featured in this broad and slightly oily textured wine. I wished that it had more penetration and put on more texture though... The 1978 Ganoux Pommard "Les Rugiens" was heavily sedimented. The brickish deep-red liquid had an attractive (at least to me) aromatics of wet forest floors, sweet tobacco, herbs and mushrooms. It was still fresh and did not belie its origin -- hints of game and rusticity were found suggesting this came from a masculine four-square terroir. Quite nice.

The Volnays were indeed excellent wines. For what they were, despite stylistic differences between the various producers, I would consider them to hold its own amongst the very best in burgundy. Of course it is both futile and meaningless to, say, compare these with the best sites in Gevrey-Chambertin or Vosne-Romanee -- they would be so very different (and boy am I thankful for that!) These Volnays however embody to a larger extent the gentler, carressing side of pinot noir, without compromising the enthralling characteristics imparted by burgundy soils which gave its unique aromatic nuances, texture and palate depths of the resultant wines. These Volnays too showed enough breadth and depth of characterization -- ranging from 'soft' to 'powerful', 'seductive' to 'structured', 'pleasant' to 'academic' -- proving it a serious and complete appellation in its own right. I only wished I had some of these in my own cellar.