TN: The Billionaire's Wine

[sdr]

No, I'm not a billionaire and not likely to become one, but just once I wanted to pretend to drink like one. The all-white theme was selected by my guests as a match for the sublime food at Nobu. We also had some sake which I was surprised I liked, but that is available to the masses.

• 1996 Krug Champagne Clos d'Ambonnay - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne (11/23/2010)
  Once in a very long time - or more likely, never - you get a chance to taste a wine that is already a legend despite it's youth and priced as such. You yearn to have even a tiny sip, or even a sniff, from someone else's bottle because short of selling all your worldly goods and then some, you cannot imagine acquiring a whole pristine bottle all to yourself. But if you are very lucky, the opportunity comes to barter a substantial part of your carefully assembled wine collection in return for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the dream come true. So just how good is the '96 Krug Clos d'Ambonnay? It's very, very good, nay, great indeed. Bass notes of polished wood, toast, honey form the background of this ambrosia. Deep, dark, rich yet perfectly poised. Amazingly elegant. Power to burn yet seemingly weightless. Mind bending. The only nit to pick would be that it was all over you right from the start, so what you had at hour one is what you had at hour three. Obviously thrilling to drink, and yet, and yet - I would never consider purchasing it with real money, so once in a lifetime will have to suffice. (97 pts.)
• 1996 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne (11/23/2010)
  You think you know what a wine might taste like because you've had many similar examples in the past, at least judging by the label. Then once in a great while, along comes a bottle that changes your perception of the genre. This is one of those wines. Of course it looks like any fine young champagne, light yellow, infinite spray of pinpoint bubbles. But what is this fragrance wafting up from the flute? I can pick out a few familiar scents - wheat, chalk, citrus. But there is much more. Is that white rice? Lilac? It hardly matters because even if you think you nailed it, a few minutes later it is different. Always subtle, always intriguing, even mesmerizing. With this much on display at age 14, I can hardly imagine what the next decade or two will bring. I just hope I am around to find out. (97 pts.)
• 2002 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (11/23/2010)
  Side-by-side with the arguably oxidized '02 Meursault Perrieres, it was obvious this was indubitably the superior wine. Fabulous combination of the hyper-rich exuberant Coche signature imprinted on the steely elegance of the best parts of the hill of Corton. Compulsively drinkable, delicious in a way only white Burgundy seems to achieve. A fine finish to a spectacular night at Nobu. (95 pts.)
• 2002 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru (11/23/2010)
  Greg thought this bottle was hopelessly oxidized but I cannot agree. True, it was meek on the nose, but rich and luscious on the palate in that Cocw way. Brown butter and lightly toasted nuts. Thick and rich. Enjoyable, at least to me, but a single, not a home run in Coche terms. (90 pts.)

[dstgolf]

Stuart,

Sounds like outstanding champagne.Pretty fortunate to enjoy such standout wines. Makes me envious! I couldn't resist to search the pricing on the 1996 Krug Champagne Clos d'Ambonnay and it is silly money in excess of 2K!! Nevertheless nice to have one more off your bucket list of great wines!

Happy New Yew to You and Kathy

Danny

[stefan]

Nice evening, Stuart. I guess the Clos du Mesnil has better QPR than the Clos d'Ambonnay, being less than one L while the Clos d'Ambonnay is more than one L.*

HNY

stefan
*For those who don't know, "L" is the unit for measuring the cost of luxury wines. One L is the price of one bottle of Lafite from the vintage under discussion.

[Nicklasss]

Thanks sdr to report on such ''dream'' wines. But when you wrote that you would report more Champagne TN to help me buy some bottles, I thought you would start with something at least for millionnaire (even if I'm far away from being one) .

And for my first billion, if I calculated things correctly, I should get my first one in 200 000 years!

Nic

[AlexR]

Stuart,

Thanks a million for sharing your impressions.

It is a delight to enjoy the pleasure vicariously.

All best wishes for the New Year!

Alex

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks Stu - these are very important scientific experiments that we can enjoy vicariously - last week we had a spectacular straight Coche Meursault 1996 and a champagne from the centre of Ambonnay - Billiot 2002 which costs half the price of DP 2002.

[DavidG]

Nice impressions of some wines I will likely only seen about. Though your notes will make the fantasy that much more vivid. Thanks for sharing Stuart and all the best in the new year.

[JimHow]

Amazing report, Stuart. The NH website has something called "Krug Grande Cuvee Brut" listed for $169, they do not have a year listed with it, would that be a non-vintage champagne?

[stefan]

Yes, Jim; that is the NV Krug. It's a buy at close to $100. But hold for a few years before drinking.

[alchemeus]

No, I'm not a billionaire and not likely to become one, but just once I wanted to pretend to drink like one. The all-white theme was selected by my guests as a match for the sublime food at Nobu. We also had some sake which I was surprised I liked, but that is available to the masses.

I mostly have sake when my relatives insist on going to some sushi place. Me, just can't stand raw fish wrapped in sticky rice and seaweed. Just not my taste. I get some Japanese steak thing. Sake is actually good with it. Warm kind. Maybe it's just a taste thing.

Kinda odd, but sushi (and I guess samishi? sp?) are the few foods I just can't eat. Just grows bigger in my mouth.

[Gerry M.]

Alchemeus,

I with you when it comes to sushi. I just don't what makes people go gaga over it. Years ago before there were sushi places on every street corner I played in a charity golf tournament that had a huge dinner afterwards. Before the main dinner they made a big deal of gathering everone together and opening these sliding doors to expose a separate banquet room containing this huge sushi bar for everyone to partake of. Everyone's jaws dropped in awe but I just didn't get it. The presentation and skill of the creation is interesting but once it passes over my lips I feel like I'm having a allergic reaction to it and just can't swallow.

[JonoB]

Taste the sushi in Tokyo and you will go gaga...

Mature Pinot Noir works nicely with Sushi as do Bubbles and Japanese Koshu whites. Otherwise it is difficult but I feel that sake actually only rarely works and it has to be the more delicate type... Not the very stewed ricey kind. I.e either earthy or very clean.

Sdr, thanks for the notes. Interesting to note that Krug insist that thr prices come from rarity, and that includes the NV. basically the less there is, the more you pay. I think this is played out accurately as when Clos du Mesnil was auctioned off, it was offered to Philliponat, Salon, DP and various other big names. They wouldn't touch it with a barge pole... Far from great terroir... Basically it needs a Krug style to shine. They have invested heavily in the vineyard, but other than in great vintages such as 96 and hopefully 02, it always leaves me cold and I prefer the vintage. In 96 I see the opposite. I don't see what the fuss about 96 Krug is... Salon and Clos de Goisses piss all over it, and I've had more enjoyable bottles of Henriot. CdM gets up to the heights but I do think it is true to house style rather than terroir like CdG and Le Mesnil...

The Ambonnay is supposed to be a brilliant bit of terroir, but alas I have not had the opportunity or money to see for myself. Perhaps the sale of some 08 Mouton and 08 Duhart-Milon might lead to a purchase of a single bottle to keep in a dark place for a long while.

[Houndsong]

Beer goes with sushi. I like sake somewhat too, but it's beer that does it for me.

I guess if you don't like sushi you don't like caviar also.

There's also so much excellent "cooked" sushi, various maki, handrolls, fried softshell crabs inside of them, smoked eel, salmon skin rolls, etc.

I find it hard to accept a blanket statement like "I don't like sushi."

[alchemeus]

Beer goes with sushi. I like sake somewhat too, but it's beer that does it for me.

I guess if you don't like sushi you don't like caviar also.

There's also so much excellent "cooked" sushi, various maki, handrolls, fried softshell crabs inside of them, smoked eel, salmon skin rolls, etc.

I find it hard to accept a blanket statement like "I don't like sushi."

I like good caviar on a cracker with olives or such. Sushi is completely different.

[alchemeus]

Alchemeus,

I with you when it comes to sushi. I just don't what makes people go gaga over it. Years ago before there were sushi places on every street corner I played in a charity golf tournament that had a huge dinner afterwards. Before the main dinner they made a big deal of gathering everone together and opening these sliding doors to expose a separate banquet room containing this huge sushi bar for everyone to partake of. Everyone's jaws dropped in awe but I just didn't get it. The presentation and skill of the creation is interesting but once it passes over my lips I feel like I'm having a allergic reaction to it and just can't swallow.

I like liver (especially chicken liver) and such as sweetbread. Sushi, ugh. I have a theory as to it's development. Lack of cooking wood and high population and such but...