Les aventures Parisiennes
Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 9:47 pm
I partook in two wine dinners in Paris this week, one informal with our old (younger than me) mucker Tim McCracken on Wednesday night, and a more formal one organised by the François Audouze last night - ‘Les academies de vins anciens.’
The Audouze dinner has been in the diary for some time but my attendance was touch and go given my hectic schedule, but in the end the lure of Paris in the blue skies and sunshine of mid-May was too enticing to turn down.
On Wednesday we opened several bottles but only finished one, not that they were sub standard. Just that Tim and I are disciplinarians. We started with an interesting Bereche champagne, Reflet D’Antan. It was young and lively with a pink-tinged colour. I think we drank it a little too cold because in the label it said serve at 10C. We only had a glass each before it was corked up.
Our first red was a Louis Latour Beaune 1966, which had a purity and translucence of colour which pointed to it be very much alive and interesting, even if it was in what I would describe as a ‘post-tertiary’ phase, where the fruit had exited the stage some time ago, but still with plenty of interest.
Next up was the piece of resistance which I guessed as a Pauillac from the 1966, 1970 or 1975 vintage, possibly Latour. It turned out to be Pichon Baron 1959. The bottle was in fabulous condition, and the wine had a timeless and regal quality about it even though it too was tertiary/post-tertiary.
We opened up a Tignanello 1985, which again was quite oxidative initially but this started to blow off eventually. It was somewhat between my first (disappointing) and second (sensational) bottles. We only had a glass each before it was resealed.
Last but not least Coutet 1975. What a wine! Reasonably evolved colour but superb poise, freshness and cut.
At the Audouze dinner there were four tables of ten, each with 14 wines. Before we sat down we sampled eight different champagnes from François’s cellar. There were one or two good ones, but only one that I recognised. I have copied in a picture of the line up.
The highlights on our table were
#2: Meursault Genevrieres Louis Latour 1969 - courtesy Tim, this started off with an oxidative note in the glass which blew off, and the wine went from strength to strength. Fresh, lively with lovely buttery Meursault signature and so youthful. Another superb 50 year old white burgundy, but it did not quite match the Corton Charlemagne 1970 we had with Jim and Danny.
#7: Chateau Talbot 1966 - beautifully poised and resolved red fruited wine with balsamic, cedar, cigar box and ashtray. A sublime expression of St-Julien. This was notably better than the Pichon Baron the previous night, good though that was. Just wonderful. Sigh..
#8: Chateau Latour 1950 - also courtesy Tim, it had quite a muted nose but a sensationally lush mid palate and fine finish. It did fade slightly after an hour in the glass, so if you have any of this it needs drinking (the first time I ever remember saying that about Latour). A noble wine ... we thought it just edged out the Talbot (I wonder if I would have said that if these were served blind?). But a genuinely thrilling Latour. I suspect this is a ‘good’ vintage of Latour, which happens to be 68 years old, and will easily surpass the biblical three score and ten. I suspect wines like the 1996 will last 100 years.
#11: Prunotto Barolo Riserva 1967 - my lone contribution and last bottle of a batch purchased from Chambers Street Wines in Lower Manhattan. This was a great bottle despite being served right after a blockbuster 1959 Amarone. It had a bright translucent hue, light on its feet with glorious notes of rose, rosewood and herbs/gardenia. Perfectly resolved and ever so nuanced mature Barolo. I was ever so sad to see this treasure depart.
#12: Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey 1959 - extraordinarily unevolved colour - you would guess this is only 10-15 years old - much lighter than the Coutet 1975 the previous night, lively and brilliant Sauternes.
Wine 10 was a 1959 Bertani Amarone and wine 13 was a 1959 Sherry (see photo)which made me think of Simon G who served us something similar at the Medlar a while ago. It had the texture of Duckhams motor oil and permanently stained any piece of glassware it came into contact with.
We went through a barren patch with wines 3-6 and when we were offered a taste of Pichon Baron 1986 it tasted so young and fruity and frankly so much nicer than those half-dead wines. But the idea of the evening was ‘not to judge but taste and compare’ old wines in context so that the younger wines would be the exception, not the older ones.
At the end we got a small taste of François’s Cheval Blanc 1955 which was absolutely sensational and eclipsed the Latour 1950. But it was only a very small taste, so it didn’t really count.
The other wine I got to taste twice from another table with two decent pours was listed as a 1982 Cornas. It was magnificent mature Cornas. It turned out to be Clape. The first time I have tasted a fully mature example. If this is anything to go by it will be worth the wait.
Thank you to Tim and François for laying on two memorial evenings. Paris under the spring sunshine but chill mornings is very special indeed. The City was resplendent.
Take it away Frank I love Paris.
https://youtu.be/WF_yN1R2b5M
The Audouze dinner has been in the diary for some time but my attendance was touch and go given my hectic schedule, but in the end the lure of Paris in the blue skies and sunshine of mid-May was too enticing to turn down.
On Wednesday we opened several bottles but only finished one, not that they were sub standard. Just that Tim and I are disciplinarians. We started with an interesting Bereche champagne, Reflet D’Antan. It was young and lively with a pink-tinged colour. I think we drank it a little too cold because in the label it said serve at 10C. We only had a glass each before it was corked up.
Our first red was a Louis Latour Beaune 1966, which had a purity and translucence of colour which pointed to it be very much alive and interesting, even if it was in what I would describe as a ‘post-tertiary’ phase, where the fruit had exited the stage some time ago, but still with plenty of interest.
Next up was the piece of resistance which I guessed as a Pauillac from the 1966, 1970 or 1975 vintage, possibly Latour. It turned out to be Pichon Baron 1959. The bottle was in fabulous condition, and the wine had a timeless and regal quality about it even though it too was tertiary/post-tertiary.
We opened up a Tignanello 1985, which again was quite oxidative initially but this started to blow off eventually. It was somewhat between my first (disappointing) and second (sensational) bottles. We only had a glass each before it was resealed.
Last but not least Coutet 1975. What a wine! Reasonably evolved colour but superb poise, freshness and cut.
At the Audouze dinner there were four tables of ten, each with 14 wines. Before we sat down we sampled eight different champagnes from François’s cellar. There were one or two good ones, but only one that I recognised. I have copied in a picture of the line up.
The highlights on our table were
#2: Meursault Genevrieres Louis Latour 1969 - courtesy Tim, this started off with an oxidative note in the glass which blew off, and the wine went from strength to strength. Fresh, lively with lovely buttery Meursault signature and so youthful. Another superb 50 year old white burgundy, but it did not quite match the Corton Charlemagne 1970 we had with Jim and Danny.
#7: Chateau Talbot 1966 - beautifully poised and resolved red fruited wine with balsamic, cedar, cigar box and ashtray. A sublime expression of St-Julien. This was notably better than the Pichon Baron the previous night, good though that was. Just wonderful. Sigh..
#8: Chateau Latour 1950 - also courtesy Tim, it had quite a muted nose but a sensationally lush mid palate and fine finish. It did fade slightly after an hour in the glass, so if you have any of this it needs drinking (the first time I ever remember saying that about Latour). A noble wine ... we thought it just edged out the Talbot (I wonder if I would have said that if these were served blind?). But a genuinely thrilling Latour. I suspect this is a ‘good’ vintage of Latour, which happens to be 68 years old, and will easily surpass the biblical three score and ten. I suspect wines like the 1996 will last 100 years.
#11: Prunotto Barolo Riserva 1967 - my lone contribution and last bottle of a batch purchased from Chambers Street Wines in Lower Manhattan. This was a great bottle despite being served right after a blockbuster 1959 Amarone. It had a bright translucent hue, light on its feet with glorious notes of rose, rosewood and herbs/gardenia. Perfectly resolved and ever so nuanced mature Barolo. I was ever so sad to see this treasure depart.
#12: Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey 1959 - extraordinarily unevolved colour - you would guess this is only 10-15 years old - much lighter than the Coutet 1975 the previous night, lively and brilliant Sauternes.
Wine 10 was a 1959 Bertani Amarone and wine 13 was a 1959 Sherry (see photo)which made me think of Simon G who served us something similar at the Medlar a while ago. It had the texture of Duckhams motor oil and permanently stained any piece of glassware it came into contact with.
We went through a barren patch with wines 3-6 and when we were offered a taste of Pichon Baron 1986 it tasted so young and fruity and frankly so much nicer than those half-dead wines. But the idea of the evening was ‘not to judge but taste and compare’ old wines in context so that the younger wines would be the exception, not the older ones.
At the end we got a small taste of François’s Cheval Blanc 1955 which was absolutely sensational and eclipsed the Latour 1950. But it was only a very small taste, so it didn’t really count.
The other wine I got to taste twice from another table with two decent pours was listed as a 1982 Cornas. It was magnificent mature Cornas. It turned out to be Clape. The first time I have tasted a fully mature example. If this is anything to go by it will be worth the wait.
Thank you to Tim and François for laying on two memorial evenings. Paris under the spring sunshine but chill mornings is very special indeed. The City was resplendent.
Take it away Frank I love Paris.
https://youtu.be/WF_yN1R2b5M