A simple dinner with family

We were at the Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant last night to celebrate my mum's birthday. I wanted my mum to try the Dan Dan Mian there -- hoping that it would evoke some memory of her days in Beijing where such noodles were one of the basic food she had. I can't comment if this objective was met, but I know she enjoyed it and that was the more important thing. (She only said that the nostalgic version was less oily and less refined.)

We had only one wine, Robert Groffier's Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers 2001. I had wanted to try what this domaine recently produced since some of the 1998 and most of the 1999 wines were bordering on the new-world style to my liking. I had been reading and was told that they cut back somewhat on doing sur-maturite oaked style recently and so with some anticipation I tasted this wine. What's more this is a 2001 -- a vintage that had captivated me since its release for its purity, elegance, and, at least more recently, beginning to display a high-class sweetness.

Like other 2001, the colour was brilliant. Dazzlingly rich and bright ruby red. On the nose this was quite muted. But perhaps it was just because of either the glass (we had a large burgundy-spherical type of glass, not the usual Riedels I am accustomed to) or the wine was overcome by stronger aromas of the accompanying food -- which was very good, by the way. I did not take notes -- it was such a casual outing -- but the ripe cherries flavour were prominent. It was very ripe, but not overripe, and there's a nice restrained transparency of flavours around it. A more minerally styled Chambolle in my opinion. While it's not outstanding, it was enough to reassert the fact that Groffier has come back down to earth for the better. An outstanding Pinot Noir, but only a very good Chambolle 1er. Texturally this was great, but taste-wise it could do with more intensity, cut and hopefully a burgundy-dirt funk -- something which this wine did not show.