TN : Christmas dinner

[Nicklasss]

Last night, we had dinner at my parent's house. My mother cook really good Boeuf Bourguignon, from and old Margot Oliver cooking book. But that version is quite good.

Of course, we drank few bottle of wine with the meal.

2008 Cousino-Macul Antigas Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon : My father decanted that for 2 hours, and it was a really good choice. This is a really good low price Chilean wine. Darkred color, nose of incense, with dark berries, herbs, and a touch of oak. Quite elegant. In mouth, no rough edge. This is balanced and medium long, with dark berries flavours, cherries, rasberries and herbs. Drink well and well made. TN : 88.

2006 Morey St-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Ormes from Pascal Marchand : A guy originally from Montréal, making wine in Bourgogne since 1985 i think. He just started his own negoce thing in 2006 I think. This wine is SOOO Bourgogne. Light red color, perfumed and elegance on the nose, with good core of all kind of little red berries (cranberries, strawberries, red berries, cherries and rasberries), with some light vanilla tone and something slightly herbal and mineral. Beautiful nose. In mouth, this is quite good as well, on the light side in mouth, but still intense and balanced, aerial and aromatic, long light bitter final, mixed with cranberries and strawberries. A touch of something sweet too (brown sugar?), and flowers. Drinkable easily. some could find this wine ''thin'' as it is nothing powerful, but a pure expression of finesse of the terroir from Bourgogne. Liked it a lot. TN : 93.

1996 Chateau Clerc Milon : After the Bourgogne, this ''austere'' style Pauillac just look like a beast. Dark red color, nose is defined, with marsh, graphite, wood, dark currants, wet earth. Intense nose. Add some wet earth too. Leather. In mouth, this is harsh cmpared to the previous wine. Dark berries, licorice, wet clay, mineral, cedar and graphite. A nice Pauillac but really austere. Not seductive at all. At the end, I can't give more than a TN of 89 to that wine. A bit of a deception. i bought that in 1998 or 1999, and after 12 years in the cellar, it is a long wait for that...

2005 Chateau d'Argadens : My father bought some bottles of that after my recommendation. Again a nice Bordeaux supérieur. Concetrated red color, nose of rasberries, currant, oak, spices and more dark berries from the Merlot. In mouth, Medium power and tannins. This has a medium core of fruits (Merlot berries, rasberries) some wood touch, soft spices flavors like a light touch of cinnamon. Well done. TN : 89.

We finished the night wit h a bottle of the 2007 Carmes de Rieussec, that is quite good for a second wine (honey, paeches, apricots), but not a lot of botrytis. Good balanced and drinks well too. Another bottle should be open in a few days.

Nic

[JEP_62]

I haven't had the 2008, but other vintages of Cousino-Macul RSV have inpressed me also. They seem to age well too. I think it was the 1999 that I was drinking a couple of years ago that really impressed me considering the low price. I think this still goes for around $15 around here - great QPR.

Andy

[Winona Chief]

Another good report on a 2006 red Burgundy - that's turning into such a classic Burgundy vintage. I like them a lot.

Chris Bublitz