Dinner no 1 with Comte Flaneur

[Nicklasss]

Being in London for the first time is a good thing, as a positive part is to have some time with Comte Flaneur. Bordeaux wines is the reason why we know each other, but good human personality is really what's making the difference, to pass time together.

So on June 30th, i was invited to Comte's place for dinner, as we arrived that day in the Big Smoke, and i knew MC and the kids would recover that night. So went on my own to meet Comte and one of his wine friend, Yassan. It was a great night, to see us back as last time was in 2019 in Denver. Comte prepared some shrimp appetizers and a lam roast that night, as we discussed of many things like first visit in London, next BWE reunion and of course of wine and how it brings people together. Hours passed by quickly, but luckily we have another dinner planned on July 5th.

[Nicklasss]

Ian had prepared 3 wines for the night, with multiple glasses to taste. First wine was the 1991 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne. Medium gold color, with an intense nose of butter, some lemongrass, white flowers, some mineral, and other fatty things. The nose hold on all night, with such élégance and power too. Mouth was very Burgundian, with that mixture of hard to understand components of warm butter, almonds, light lemon, integrated wood, light yellow fruit and minerals. Long. It is incredible how the best dry white wine leave you with a greatness impression. Hard to rate but i would say 95.

Then, Comte served us two red wines, completely blind. The tough part was beginning...

[Nicklasss]

Ian wanted us to try to guess about the two wines.
They started very differently as wine 1 was having less nose and more mouth, while wine 2 was the opposite. After smelling and tasting both wines one or twice, while the wines were 1-2 degrees too cold for me, so i would need more time to play the game, but i already did a statement : no right bank wine. Later on, i couldn't find he smoke or tobacco of Graves wines, so was now looking for Médoc...

[Nicklasss]

When warmer, and with time, wine 1 that was still very dark crimson red, developped a nose of nice red berries, blackcurrants, with also a light roasted noble wood, blackberries, good spicyness and some soil nores. All completely integrated, asking concentration for analysis. There was also very "genuiness" to that nose, that i would described as "strict elegance". In mouth, it was a balanced wine, with great core of dark and black fruits, but with a kind of velvety power, but a medium touch of austerity. Perfumed and flavorful in mouth, with blackcurrants and blackberries flavors, soil mineral, ripe abundant tannins, and that nice long final, that has fruit and melted oak components. I rate it 96-97.

[Nicklasss]

Wine no 2 started with a sheer seductive blackcurrants, blackberries nose, with a color that was still slightly more purple than wine 1. On the nose, there was also a light licorice touch, same type of minerals as wine 1, but added a minty or juniper touch with time. Nose stayed powerful all night.

Mouth was strict, with almost only minerals to start with. The wine blossomed during the night, taking expansion with more and more blackcurrants flavors, something like dark rasberries and some integrated soil tones. Long wine, with lot of structure too, but in a different, more mellowed way than in wine 1. I rate it 95-96.

Before Ian showed the wines, i guess that the 3 of us preferred wine 1 that night, but both wines can still take time.

[Nicklasss]

For the game, i ruled out Saint Estèphe quickly. Doing those blind tasting, and guessing, is always limited as per your own tasting experiences.

For me, wine 1 could be a Saint Julien, and i called it that way. Wine 2, earlier in the night, i thought it was kind of 1989 Palmer, by it strong perfumes, and the still serious mouth. But later on, as Yassan was pointing out the minty aromas developping, i wasn't sure anymore. And with more development, and Ian gave us an clue saying the 2 wines were from 2 different vintages 10 years appart from each other, things got a bit clearer in my mind. I finally called that wine no 1 was a 1986 Saint Julien, LLC or Léoville Barton or Beychevelle. I have only taste the 86 Barton previously. For wine 2, i finally called 1996 Pichon Lalande...

[Nicklasss]

I'll let Ian state what are the wines he served us, as it was a very big surprise...

By the way, Comte had also plan a 1990 Chateau d'Yquem for dessert, and unluckily, unfortunately, don't know a better word, it was corked. We couldn't believe it, and it was a first corked Yquem for Comte Flaneur, but i told him back my story of the corked 1986 Yquem i opened in Montreal with dstgolf a few years ago...

[Comte Flaneur]

It was a great pleasure to see and host Nic, the third BWEr to come through London in the last month and I hope to see more BWErs before the year is out.

I took a risk because I am a pretty chaotic and neurotic when it comes to hosting dinner parties, and I am a lousy cook. If I could cook I would host more, but given my deficiencies in the art of culinary gastronomy I fear I would soon have a nervous breakdown. Then there is all the washing up, and trying not to break the expensive (Grassl and Zalto) glassware when you are either half cut or badly hung over!

With prawn cocktail (my local supermarket had sold out of grapefruits and glacier cherries)

Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne 1991

My last bottle and as glorious as ever. A deepen golden hue, it is rich, lush and exotic with, as Yassine described, a patina that only age can bring …it had complex tertiary notes of boudoir and antique furniture.. An absolutely compelling wine with a majestic finish. Last year it was my white wine of the year. Half way through 2022 it is streets ahead of everything else. 96 pts and 13.3% abv.

With a large leg of roast lamb beautifully stuffed with rosemary and garlic and seasoned by an estranged relative …though I think I left it in the oven too long…but at least it was succulent and tasty:

Comtes Lafon Volnay 2010

Classical, clean and elegant but really suffered in comparison with what came before and after. It came across as one dimensional, 89 pts, 13.5% abv.

The battle of the titans

I opened and decanted these at 4pm, and they both ended up being triple decanted before they came on stage at 830pm. They were served blind to Jean-Nicolas and Yassine. When I opened wine one I feared it may have been corked but fortunately it wasn’t. It was a bit awkward but had plenty of graphite and pencil lead. Wine two was gorgeous on opening; that Pauillac nose and that pure translucent garnet hue. During the early part of the evening wine one was big framed and burly, perhaps a bit clumsy next to the regally quintessence of Pauillac wine two. As the evening progressed, however, wine one got stronger and stronger and really started to sing as wine two started to retreat somewhat into its shell and firm up.

Both super wines, I preferred wine one on the night, which was Leoville Lascases 1986 and was pleased by the way it finally engaged us and showed off its wares. It is full bodied, powerful, structured and dense - a formidable wine - but with plenty of ripe black and red currant fruits to fill out its big frame, with cigar box and leather hide notes developing.

Wine two is a leaner, more medium bodied wine, notably with a more minty Cabernet signature than the Lascases. It was Chateau Latour 1996. You can tell that the selection in 1996 was nowhere near as strict as with more modern Latours from the Frederic Engerer era, which followed soon after. Some who prefer classically styled claret would regard that as a good thing (yes, it is 12.5% to the LLC’s 13%) but fabulous as this claret is, I now tend to agree that, having tried this wine a few times over the last couple of years, Latour should have done a bit better in 1996. You just need to taste Lafite and Margaux 1996s next to it to understand why. I would still give it 95 points but that would compare to 99-100 for Lafite and Margaux and 97 for the LLC 1986. But as Yassine noted the Latour ‘96 probably needs another decade, which is a fair observation.

I have always been impressed by Nic’s palate and on Thursday night he pretty much nailed it, correctly identifying wine one as a 1986 Leoville and almost nailing the 1996 Latour - he pegged it as the 1996 from next door estate, Pichon Lalande. Bravo Nic!

With a selection of superb cheeses from La Fromagerie on Highbury Barn

I then opened a half of Yquem 1990, which was corked, so a half of Rieussec 2003 was summoned off the bench and it played a blinder. It is already quite dark, and perhaps a tad low in acidity, but it has a bright personality and is luscious and delicious with apricots, custard cream and honey notes, 93 pts and 14% abv.

I am looking forward to round two, scheduled for Tuesday night, but tonight Nic has a very important engagement….

[Comte Flaneur]

[JoelD]

This looks like just a wonderful tasting. When those 90's white burgs are on, they really sing.

Impressive blind tasting game and notes, Nic. Your analytical process was perfect.

It sounds like the Las Cases needed every minute of the decant to really show. I'm wondering if some of these 96's are going through a leaner phase? I've noticed this on a few wines recently. Although I'd like to try the Ducru again and see where it's at.

You're such a great host, Ian. It's awesome that so many BWEer's have been able to stop by and see you.

[JimHow]

Great job, men. Thank you Ian for hosting BWEers coming through Europe! It's great to be traveling again.

[SF Ed]

I am continually blown away by BWEers. Nicola for his amazing tasting skills (I am terrible at double-blind tasting) and Ian for his patient hosting and generosity. Impressive!

SF Ed

[Nicklasss]

Important engagement tonight, as it is MC's birthday, so going with the family at Noizé restaurant, recommended by Ian.

I'm hesitating to open the bottle that Ian gave me on Thursday night, to be served tonight for MC birthday...as that wine has too much sentimental values all at the same time: a BWE favorite estate, an estate that doesn't exist anymore, and of MC birthyear... i would prefer to open it in Ian's company...

[JimHow]

Mmmm a 1999 Magdelaine… What a gift, send pictures!

[Comte Flaneur]

Important engagement tonight, as it is MC's birthday, so going with the family at Noizé restaurant, recommended by Ian.

I'm hesitating to open the bottle that Ian gave me on Thursday night, to be served tonight for MC birthday...as that wine has too much sentimental values all at the same time: a BWE favorite estate, an estate that doesn't exist anymore, and of MC birthyear... i would prefer to open it in Ian's company...

You must open it Nic! I have a few more of them from that particular year…and you should open the other one as well as I have more of them too…

As per Joel’s point about 1996s the Pichon Lalande seems to be going through a difficult period. Judging by his recent experience and at our 1996 dinner last year it was out of sorts - not flawed - but the Baron showed better which is unusual.

[stefan]

+1 What Ed said. When BWEers get together, good things happen.

The only way I could do as well as Nic at tasting blind would be to develop Xray vision.

[RPCV]

One of the true joys of being a member here is reading stories like this.....

[dstgolf]

Another great night at Comte's house. He undersells his cooking skills as his leg of lamb is pretty good and great match for full bodied reds. Best part of the gatherings is always meeting of old friends and wines though very good tend to be secondary. Nice nose and ability describe nuances always a treat to listen to or read his descriptors. Thanks for sharing.

[AKR]

Sounds like a brilliant night!

[NoahR]

What a great night!

[jckba]

Sounds like a great all around night chez the Comte and nice job on the blinds Nic!

[s*d*r]

Châpeau.

Nice of Ian to host yet another BWE.

Don’t bet against Nic in a blind tasting. I don’t know how he can do it, especially with older wines where I presume his experience is relatively limited.

I usually get stuck after deciding whether the wine is white or red .