Lots of Sipping/Sniffing and No Spitting on This Night

[dstgolf]

Always nice to get together with old friends but happening less frequently with a heart attack, new marriage and divorce amongst us since our last Fall meeting. A lot to catch up on for sure over a wonderful dinner with great friends and wines to match at Brassica here in Ottawa.

Started with perennial favourite 2012 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill. Still tight, crisp and fresh in it's youth but very enjoyable citrus, green apple and brioche notes. A great star
2020 Jouis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet was a good follow-up to the Champers matching the crisp youthfulness with refreshing light citrus and green apple notes with lightly coated mellow oak in the back ground. Not over done pleasant refreshing entry into the meal for a village wine.

2014 Domaine d'Ardhuy Corton Renardes Grand Cru up next and didn't disappoint. Smoky strawberries wafted into the nose out of the glass with leather, smoke, light berry fruits and plums through the palate filling the mouth with a long finish. Young and going to improve but delicious at present.

2001 Pontet Canet is simply singing at the moment standing a head over the 2000 at present. fabulous nose that fills the back nostrils with black cherry, cassis and lead pencil. Full bodied with rounded ripe resolving tannins and great front, mid and back palate. A hint of greenness on the backend but does not detract from this beautiful wine. Drinking very nicely now but still a long life ahead. A real treat to share.

1978 Mouton Rothschild was the star of the night. Expectations were muted with the last bottle downed in a pre dinner horizontal 4 years back was DOA. This bottle was stunning with high neck fill and pristine cork. Leather, smoke, raw meat and cassis was captivating out of the glass. Still youthful dark maroon to purple with little bricking. This filled the mouth with round resolved tannins barely present and light cedar, leathery notes with little mushroom smoky finish on the back end. A real Bordeaux lovers kind of wine that we should all aspire to and yes this was all about the bottle as the last experience was a complete failure. Loved this one to finish off a fabulous gathering of close friends.

[JCNorthway]

Thanks for the notes on a range of very nice wines. Interesting that the 2001 Pontet Canet is still outshining the 2000.

[JoelD]

Very interesting mix of wines, Danny. I'm sitting on a few of these myself that I have yet to try. The 2014 d'Ardhuy (I'm much higher on 2014 red burgs than most) and the 1978 Mouton (albeit with a lower fill than I'd like, so I wonder if it's worth the risk). How did both of those change with a lot of air?

[dstgolf]

Joel,

We virtually popped and poured the 78 Mouton blowing off a little funkiness in the beginning but within minutes this was singing. Savoured over an hour but was beginning to fade at the end so not one to open far in advance as you may well be disappointed.

The dArdhuy was opened for about an hour but was certainly very approachable right upon opening with wafts of strawberry fields out of that first glass to ensure the bottles integrity. This is drinking very well with a long life ahead. Lots of joy now but will only develop complexity with age. Depends how you like to judge when to have your first sampling.

[dstgolf]

Jon,

The 2001 PC is still a youthful baby drinking very well with the 2000 also a beauty but has not opened up quite as much as the 01 at this time. I still think the 2000 in 5 yrs will knock the socks off the 01.