Salvation Army charity dinner @ Ming San's (Red Burgundy 1998 Grand Crus)

Most hospitable hosts Ming San and his wife are. The proceeds of this tasting are strictly for charity to the children's funds of Salvation Army -- which, I was told, would be very significant for them. God bless them all... Anyway, both the food and the wines were fantastic! A very satisfying dinner on all counts. I went home a very happy man, and let me tell you one of the reasons: the wines.

We started the night with two Corton Charlies. Before I proceed, let me admit that I have a certain fondness for Corton Charlemagne. For most people, they are four-square, impressive but rather charmless whites. But to me they combine the structural austerity of the best Chablis with the voluminous density of a Cote-de-Beaune grand cru. Make no mistake, they not very expressive, friendly wines, hence not so easily appreciated. Nonetheless, the Bonneau du Martray 1996 we had was fabulous. It had a mixed reticence of lime skin and slightly cheesy aromas (at first) but gave way to a rather generous, fruit-front, almost oily-textured palate framed with energetic lemony acids. It was at once voluminous and penetrating, and had an almost spherical texture in the mouth. Deliciously good.

The Rollin 1996 Corton Charlie however was quite different. Andy said there was an aroma of 'rubber' -- which I understood. To me there was a rather chemical-solvent like aromas interspersed with pear. Minerally oyster shells were discerned on the palate. The wine entered very linearly in the mouth, promising a good cut but seriously lacked both volume and penetration for a wine of such calibre. Although the acid angle was there, it ended short with a bitter tinge on the finish. Now, on to the reds...

1998 Drouhin-Laroze Bonnes-Mares had a lightish, very translucent colour. On the nose, green grape stems and cooked cherries. It was equally green on the palate. Besides, this wine lacked depth, sweetness and volume. Over time it gave off slightly cheesy aromas and the stemminess became slightly floral. Too bad the palate and finish were both hollow, grainy and short.

Potel's 1998 Bonnes-Mares was a big contrast to the previous wine. Although it also had that stemmy edge on the nose, this wine had a full-on dark fruits approach to it. There was, however, a certain stink that I found in a lot of southern Rhone wines -- something slightly brett-like (I tend to mistake this for reductive-ness, but this one is also present in the palate, hence can't be reduction). This wine is quite sweet, rich and voluminous. It's no doubt a well-made, albeit rather full-on wine. Finishes rather dry-edged and powdery.

Taking a more sedate turn, I appreciate the next wine: Clos de Lambrays 1998. On the nose it already showed the regal expansiveness and depth befitting its cru -- at once refined and sweet. Deep, bright red, it showed dark cherries and raspberries in a very elegant frame. Dense, plush, sweet entry that gently persisted to the finish, this is a delicious mouthcoating wine that was gripping from start to finish. I liked the slightly saline tastiness that developed over extended aeration. It's got the 'dirt' factor! Turned firmer at the very end. Excellent.

Talking about full-on, take-no-prisoners wine, the next wine is close to it. The 1998 Clos de Tart came immediately as a massive, wooded-style burgundy. The wine is powerful and the fruits came across as almost roasted. The wealth of fruits was at this point still overshadowed by a chocolatey and fine-grained oaky sweetness. Too frontal for my taste although the overall showmanship was quite impressive. I'd have appreciated more depth and cooler fruits in my burgundies.

Bruno Clair's wine is not easy to appreciate. Clair's wines are contemplative in nature and, especially in a comparative tasting, tend to be underwhelming compared to its peers. This might explain why some of our table-mates had a preference on Groffier's interpretation of the Chambertin Clos de Beze 1998 flight. Unmistakably Gevrey metallic red-fruits nose, Clair's Chambertin Clos de Beze had crushed cherries and ripe strawberries. In the mouth it too was shyly sweet but had a certain inner-mouth minerally pungency which I associate with Clair's wines -- an attribute which is not easily discernible, but an important one that gives it its uniqueness. Subtle saline minerality is found in the palate framed with a backward tannic spine. Still, I had hoped for more cut and angle at the finish. Otherwise this is a serious, understated and pure wine. Very good.

In contrast, Groffier's Chambertin Clos de Beze was a more lush and expressive version. Ripe raspberries and hints of caramels on the nose and similar profile on the palate. This wine is generous and sappy, and technically very competent, albeit rather oak-driven. However, the overall impression is that of breadth and waxy sweetness, not depth and layered complexity. A crowd-pleaser, actually my basic issue with this wine is its lack of typicity. Blind me and I'd guess Chambolle-Musigny -- and should it be such, I question, especially when this is supposed to have hailed from one of the two most renowned grand cru plots in Gevrey-Chambertin?

The next flight was Vosne-Romanee's grand crus. Robert Arnoux's Romanee St. Vivant 1998 had that tell-tale Arnoux meatstock aromas with a very Vosne-like spicy black fruits supporting it. This wine reminds me of a classier version of his Suchots -- every bit as complex and completely stuffed with black and red fruits, but with more elegance and depth, and one which is texturally silkier. This had an almost confectionery like sweetness in the mouth kept lively without undue palate weight. Excellent.

Domaine de la Romanee Conti's Romanee St. Vivant 1998 is a very different interpretation. Immediately classier and cooler right from the nose, it had an almost minty lift with sweet cherries and beetroot hints (stems?) What hit me was its transparency and nonchalant elegance. Although at this point the Arnoux is more stuffed and complete, I liked DRC's cool complexity. Holding its own in the glass, it put on even more sweetness over time but remain weightless in the mouth. There are layers here, again, just waiting to unfold. Classy juice. Excellent.

I recalled being taken aback by Domaine Dujac's Echezeaux 1998 when it was first released. I had always enjoyed Dujac's wines for its flirtatious femininity and aromatic seductiveness. But he seemed to be marching to a different beat in 1998. Even tonight, I noted the same tomato, roast coffee and chocolates in the palate as I had years ago. Its fruit profile hints at sur-maturite, and with a saline impression of extract (not to be confused with saline minerality here...) Alcohol impression was not shy either. This is again a very frontal wine: unabashedly luscious but devoid of midpalate sweetness which I seek in a good burgundy. New-worldish and shallow. Disappointing.

The good thing tonight is that for every less favourable turn, the next wine always came up refreshingly and genuinely good. And so was George et Henri Jayer's Echezeaux 1998 which followed on Dujac's out-of-whack showing. This wine was compact and massive -- perhaps too youthful tonight -- but no doubt had tremendous upside ahead of it. While the Dujac could have come from everywhere (new world included), one sniff of this and this could only be a Vosne-Romanee. Warmly enveloping, cosy nose of black cherries and redcurrants jump amidst hints of creme brulee backdrop. Implosive in the mouth with pungent smoky minerality of the best of Gevrey and the candied sappy sweetness of a charming Chambolle on the midpalate. This is one of the rare occassion where you could taste the shape of the wine: it was utterly spherical in the mouth. Despite the size, it's thoroughly balanced. I wonder when this baby is ready what the layers expression would become... Special.

The last wine was served blind. It had a seductively cool, candied, creamy, caramelly redcurrants and raspberries with violet hints on the nose. Gosh, this was complex... At once I thought of a Chambolle a la de Vogue. The otherwise deep, penetrating, bright and luscious red fruits interestingly had a very steely nervous backbone of uncommon minerality especially for a Chambolle. There were complication nuances of dark chocolates, but the core remained bracingly structured and minerally fresh. A complete wine. It can only be a Le Musigny. No wonder they call it one of the most profound piece of 'dirt' in Cote d'Or -- Comte de Vogue Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1998. Special.

Before we called it the night we took some time to plot possible future events. A riesling dim sum luncheon? A 1996 white burgundy comparative? A vertical of Comte de Vogue's Musigny? Well, all sounds good to me! You can't blame me if I already look forward to the next occasion(s)...