Hermitage dinner at the Medlar restaurant in Chelsea

[Comte Flaneur]

After two years I was finally struck down by the lurgy, testing positive for covid today. I started to feel a bit under the weather on Saturday but continued testing negative. I was eager not to miss this dinner.

It has been crazy busy at work and at the same time I am having to deal with the legacy of my mother’s passing in mid-January. Being forced into my sick bed today I finally had time to catch up on BWE…

…the darkness, the demons, the murder trials, the corruption, the bent coppers, the injustice…the infanticide and the ritual sacrifice of the 2018 vintage…the normalisation of 15% alcohol…defending the indefensible…

All I can say is where there is discord, let there be harmony. Where there is error, let there be truth. Where there is doubt, let there be faith. Where there is despair, let there be hope…

On Saturday evening seven of us gathered in the Medlar private room for a Hermitage themed dinner, on the King’s Road right in the heart of Chelsea, just a stone’s throw away from where Brian Jones, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards shared a squalid apartment on Edith Grove as 19 year olds sixty years ago. To set the record straight - and not many people know this: it was Brian Jones, not Jagger and Richards who founded the Rolling Stones.

I digress


With aged Comte gougeres

NV Egly-Ouriet Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Brut (degorged in April 2011 after 57 months under Leese so most likely 2006 is the base wine)

- This has a dark evolved colour and came across as intense and serious. I did guess the producer on the second attempt. **** 92


With warm salad of violet artichokes, ox tongue, castle Franco and aioli

2009 Hermitage La Chapelle

- Bright resplendent purple hue, this is ever so primary but sunny and bright too. Well made with a beautiful purity, precision and intensity. This is very enjoyable to drink now but will evolve for decades, and develop more complexity. I would love to fast forward twenty years. Could it be another 1990? My fourth wotn ***(**) 95

2000 Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon

- Evolved, classic Hermitage, intense and complex with spicey, peppery and olive notes with a bit of horsiness that did not detract from the enjoyment. My third wotn ***** 96


With braised beef cheek with parsnip purée, greens beans, pickled red onion watercress and horseradish

2004 Chave Hermitage

- Effortlessly brilliant, drop dead gorgeous nose, with plenty of evolution and complexity. Like the Pavillon in the perfect place, and all you could ask for in Hermitage. It has a languid classy and detailed palate. My wotn 97 *****

2005 Chave Hermitage

- You would have guessed that this was 10 years younger than its flight mate. A much less evolved colour, the aromatics soar from the glass, this is brooding, intense and more powerful than the 2004. It is bigger with more length on the palate. If you are lucky enough to own both you can drink the 2004 now while waiting on the 2005. I own neither sadly. My second wotn ***(**) 97


With roast rump of lamb with a confit onion, piquillo pepper, anchovy and thyme tart, tapenade and sweetbreads

2000 Chave Hermitage

- This seems as though it has been fully mature for a while. Very agreeable but some distance behind the 2004. Needs drinking up. **** (92)

1989 Domaine Des Remizieres Desmeure Pere et Fils Hermitage en magnum

- This was my contribution, and an auction purchase. Fully mature Hermitage not in the same league as the other wines last night but not disgraced either. It tasted like a mature St-Julien/left bank Bordeaux. *** 89


With cheese selection - limited notes here

2018 Charles Lachaux Bourgogne Aligote Les Champs d'Argent

- A delightful, delicious, light and dextrous wine, somebody said notes of custard cream. I was shocked when I saw how much this now costs. **** 92

2017 Domaine Michel Niellon, Chassagne Montrachet Clos Saint-Jean

- Niellon has been on terrific form in recent vintages. This is just fabulous ****(1/2) 94

2017 Francois Carillon, Chassagne Montrachet Les Macherelles

- Also excellent/outstanding ****(1/2) 93

2006 Chave Hermitage Blanc

- A bit heavy and ponderous compared to its racy Burgundian flight mates ***1/2 90


It was a thrill to drink so many great Hermitages. But we had a little too much of everything. While serving whites at the end with cheese is an inspired idea we didn’t need four more bottles…two would have been enough.

My Covid could not have come at a worse time. Tonight I am missing out on a Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux dinner. Worse still on Wednesday I am missing out on a 2001 burgundy dinner which includes premier and GC wines from producers like Dujac, Ponsot, Rousseau, Clos Du Tart, Clos Des Lambrays, Cathaird, Lamarche La Grande Rue, Lafarge etc. then on Friday a Lafleur, Ausone, Cheval Blanc, VCC and Figeac dinner.

[JimHow]

Wow, I’m so sorry to hear of you Mom, Ian, my deepest condolences. A very difficult time. What an awful year indeed, but spring approaches. Sounds like the UK is coming out of it, as are we here in the USA. My cold lasted about three days, it was about a 6 on a scale of 10, glad I was boosted. Take care of yourself, my friend.

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks Jim, how long were you testing positive for? I haven’t given up hope of going to the right bank dinner on Friday.

[JimHow]

It happened first week of January, and delayed the trial a few days.
I was sick for a couple days, tested positive, then was sick for another day or two.
The rules in the Alaska courts were pretty liberal if you were fully vaccinated and boosted, I was allowed back into the courthouse within 5 days of the first of my symptoms because I was then symptom-free. One of the prosecutors got it as well and the same applied to him. So I was only tested once, I had symptoms for about three days. The cold itself wasn't too bad, I just had really bad headaches, no breathing problems.

[jckba]

I’m sorry to also hear of your moms passing, Ian.

And what a wonderful write up as usual and 2 things comes to mind, (1) I think I just might prefer those off vintage Chave efforts as they are always supremely enjoyable and don’t need another 20 years and (2) Jacques and I split a case of the 2017 Michel Niellon Chassagne Montrachet CSJ 1er from Astor a couple of years back and we both joked after the fact wondering why we didn’t each choose to go in for the full case . And hoping your feeling better soon.

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks JC. Luckily I too have a case of the Niellon 2017 CSJ.

Jim I think I am the same as you. This is a 6/10 cold. Sore throat bit of fever, headaches and sneezing.

[jal]

I am very sorry for your loss Ian, may you and your family know no more sorrow.
My son had Covid in January after he was boosted in September, he said the worst thing about it was the quarantine, he'd had worse hangovers (his words, not mine). Feel better.

[JCNorthway]

Sorry for your loss, Ian. And sorry for your illness. My wife and I both got it over the holidays - actually tested positive on Christmas morning, which obviously changed plans for the day. I had a stuffy nose and slight cough for three days - I had been boosted in November, which I'm sure helped.

The wine dinner sounds wonderful. I somehow never got involved with Hermitage wines back when I was actually earning a living. Now it seems too costly a habit to develop, so I mostly just avoid them.

[stefan]

Condolences, Ian. It is hard to lose a parent.

Get well quickly!

[marcs]

Yes, condolences Ian, the death of a parent is an enormous thing. And hope you get over the Covid quickly -- sounds not bad so far.

Great notes, and I loved your opening invocation on BWE. Perhaps we should use it to open our next dinner...

Your wine life in London seems to be, as we say in the US, "off the hook". Dinners that would be the event of the year, the decade or a lifetime for many seem to be just "Tuesday evening" for you!

A 2011 Chave Hermitage I had a few months ago was not just the best Northern Rhone but the best Syrah I have ever had, leagues ahead of any other Hermitage I've had. And that's not even a big year! I don't know if I got lucky on that one bottle or Chave really is that good. '

I loved the combination of character, size, and smoothness/elegance in that wine. Huge wine but moved like a ballerina. I have a case of the 2005 Chave Hermitage with impeccable provenance, my biggest purchase ever. I have not yet tried a bottle.

[JoelD]

Sorry to hear about your mom, Ian. To lose a parent during all of this must be very difficult.

Sorry to hear about the Covid too. I had it 3-4 weeks ago. Was something between a bad cold/flu. Although I will say the vax side effects hit me a bit hard. Tested negative after 3-4 days depending how you count. Could have been worse. Glad I didn't get the previous variants.

Looks like a great tasting. I'm so far very partial to the La Chapelle. The 83 and 98 recently were wonderful. Hopefully you can make it to your Bordeaux one.

[Nicklasss]

Hello Ian.

First, very sorry for your lost and my sincere condolences. Sad to lose a near parent, especially a mom, so important for all of us, giving us life. Wish you good courage through the rough times.

Very nice report on that Hermitage tasting. Did not had many Chave, but it is clearly a nice producer. The 2003 is grandiose. Even what Chave produces as "his selection" négoce is excellent. Happy to read too that the Chapoutier delivered.

I don't buy Hermitage as it needed so much time, like Bordeaux... and as you read in another thread, i don't have lot of patience...

Hope you will go out of covid quickly, so much in play! Missing that 2001 Bourgogne tasting is really very bad. I remember a bottle of the Romanée Hudelot-Noellat Saint-Vivant that i brought to tasted with JeanFred that was incredible, besting a 1996 Mouton Rothschild that night...

Finger crossed for your Right Bank wines tasting...

[Comte Flaneur]

Thank you all for your kind wishes and sharing your experiences. I was boosted in November too, so hopefully I will follow the three day model. The burg dinner is a lost cause but I have not given up on the right bank dinner.

Having trouble processing the loss of my mum, even though it was expected, and as she passed away exactly as she would have wanted at home. She was 91 and unless your are superhuman everything can become an ordeal at that age. You become dependent on others. You lose your independence and dignity. So for her it was a release.

The only Chave I own is a six pack of 2010 and a bottle of the 1997 Blanc. I looked at the prices and like many other things they have gone nuts in the last year or so. Not only has that horse bolted you cannot even see its backside.

You can still pick up HLC quite cheaply at auction here. Last year I got 3x1998 for £190 and I narrowly missed out on some 1995s and 1996s. I really like the 1990s HLCs but they were underperforming their terroir.

[dstgolf]

Ian,

Sorry to read about your loss. Mom's can never be replaced in your heart or mind regardless of the circumstances surrounding their passing. Stay strong and our hearts are with you.

These times are tough for sure and bringing out the crazies in everyone. It's been too long for most to endure and just about everyone are showing varying degrees of strain at this time coming out of the winter doldrums. The numbers catching covid this time around has been huge and like yourself symptoms not worse than a limited cold. I was out to dinner with a buddy last Thursday a few blocks away from the trucker convoy blockade that most have heard about inside the lockdown zone which was pretty eerie for around here but after a great night enjoying a 2004 Canon-le-Gaffeliere and some Portuguese white blend with oysters Rockefeller to start I was informed that my buddy came down with covid Saturday and again mild cold symptoms. So far no symptoms on my front but...

A few wine dinners that may have to be missed is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Here they are saying you can return to normal activities 5 days after onset of symptoms but can't travel for 10.

Speedy recovery.

[DavidG]

Ian, deepest condolences on the passing of your mom, and heartfelt wishes for peace there and for a speedy and complete recovery from COVID.

I’ll second Marcs’ comments about your wine life in London. Your reports are always fascinating. I appreciate the opportunity to share in the experience vicariously.

[marcs]

A thought on this -- Ian seems to say that the Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle (assume it is Jaboulet) is almost as good as Chave, or differences are marginal. I'm not an expert, but when I had the 2012 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle (multiple times) and the 2011 Chave Hermitage the differences were not marginal, they were enormous. The 2012 Jaboulet was crude and unpolished in comparison to the Chave, although I would say both were "internationally styled" in their way the Chave was much more balanced and sophisticated. I don't know if this is the years or a general thing, obviously I didn't taste the specific wines Ian did. But my view seems closer to the market as one is twice the price of the other.

Something I generally notice with people scoring wine is that quality differences I view as pretty large are only a point or two in scoring and not really notated too much in notes. This may be part of the shrinking of the acceptable score range, or it may reflect something about the context of mass tastings. I had the 2012 Jaboulet and the 2011 Chave on different nights, and drinking the entire bottles over a night really emphasizes the quality difference. By the last glass of Jaboulet I was like "this is boring, do I want to finish it?", while at the last glass of Chave I was like "IS THAT ALL? I NEED MORE REGARDLESS OF PRICE!" When you're comparing sips that doesn't come into play.

[DavidG]

Jaboulet La Chapelle could go to to toe with Chave back in the 70s through early 90s or so, though I’d give the decision to Chave more often than not. They were the N. Rhône standard bearers back then. La Chapelle seemed to fall off after that, at least for my palate, and I stopped buying. Chave shot up in price, so I stopped buying that too. Seems like all of the N. Rhônes that were worthy successors have done the same.

[Musigny 151]

Beware of 1990 La Chapelle. I am not sure what happened, but I was told a container of Rhône’s baked one Memorial Day weekend. There is a huge difference between European sourced 1990 Rhône sourced here and their European counterparts. The Chapelle is a casualty, but I have tasted substandard Chapoutier (sometimes that is hard to tell) and Beaucastel.

[jckba]

Beware of 1990 La Chapelle. I am not sure what happened, but I was told a container of Rhône’s baked one Memorial Day weekend. There is a huge difference between European sourced 1990 Rhône sourced here and their European counterparts.

Didn’t the same thing happen with the ‘83 or was it ‘85 La Chapelle that Wildman brought in?

[JoelD]

Beware of 1990 La Chapelle. I am not sure what happened, but I was told a container of Rhône’s baked one Memorial Day weekend. There is a huge difference between European sourced 1990 Rhône sourced here and their European counterparts.

Didn’t the same thing happen with the ‘83 or was it ‘85 La Chapelle that Wildman brought in?

I opened an 83 from Wildman at the Friday convention dinner and it was a delight. One of my top 3-5 WOTN. Based on that bottle I'd guess the 85 then.

[Tom In DC]

I think it was the 83 that came to the US in two batches. The good ones were in the first shipment. Buying now is probably worse than a coin toss.

[Comte Flaneur]

A thought on this -- Ian seems to say that the Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle (assume it is Jaboulet) is almost as good as Chave, or differences are marginal. I'm not an expert, but when I had the 2012 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle (multiple times) and the 2011 Chave Hermitage the differences were not marginal, they were enormous. The 2012 Jaboulet was crude and unpolished in comparison to the Chave, although I would say both were "internationally styled" in their way the Chave was much more balanced and sophisticated. I don't know if this is the years or a general thing, obviously I didn't taste the specific wines Ian did. But my view seems closer to the market as one is twice the price of the other.

Something I generally notice with people scoring wine is that quality differences I view as pretty large are only a point or two in scoring and not really notated too much in notes. This may be part of the shrinking of the acceptable score range, or it may reflect something about the context of mass tastings. I had the 2012 Jaboulet and the 2011 Chave on different nights, and drinking the entire bottles over a night really emphasizes the quality difference. By the last glass of Jaboulet I was like "this is boring, do I want to finish it?", while at the last glass of Chave I was like "IS THAT ALL? I NEED MORE REGARDLESS OF PRICE!" When you're comparing sips that doesn't come into play.

Marc where did I say or even infer that Jaboulet HLC is ‘almost as good as Chave’? This is what I said:

“You can still pick up HLC quite cheaply at auction here. Last year I got 3x1998 for £190 and I narrowly missed out on some 1995s and 1996s. I really like the 1990s HLCs but they were underperforming their terroir.”

Note I said they were ‘underperforming their terroir’, or, I could have said, their ‘potential’. What I could also have said is that this is more than compensated for by the price. As I said explicitly you can pick up 90s HLCs quite cheaply and at the prices they offer good vfm imho, prices which are a small fraction of what you would pay for Chave.

With the 2009 vintage HLC seems to be on top form again, and once again challenging Chave for supremacy.

Prices of Chave have rocketed sadly since I bought my six pack of 2010 18 months ago. There is some coming up at auction here on March 10, and I am selling about £3k into this auction so I will at be ‘sniffing’ these lots #485-505

https://bid.bacchuswineauctions.com/m/v ... 0/?page=21

[marcs]

A thought on this -- Ian seems to say that the Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle (assume it is Jaboulet) is almost as good as Chave, or differences are marginal. I'm not an expert, but when I had the 2012 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle (multiple times) and the 2011 Chave Hermitage the differences were not marginal, they were enormous. The 2012 Jaboulet was crude and unpolished in comparison to the Chave, although I would say both were "internationally styled" in their way the Chave was much more balanced and sophisticated. I don't know if this is the years or a general thing, obviously I didn't taste the specific wines Ian did. But my view seems closer to the market as one is twice the price of the other.

Something I generally notice with people scoring wine is that quality differences I view as pretty large are only a point or two in scoring and not really notated too much in notes. This may be part of the shrinking of the acceptable score range, or it may reflect something about the context of mass tastings. I had the 2012 Jaboulet and the 2011 Chave on different nights, and drinking the entire bottles over a night really emphasizes the quality difference. By the last glass of Jaboulet I was like "this is boring, do I want to finish it?", while at the last glass of Chave I was like "IS THAT ALL? I NEED MORE REGARDLESS OF PRICE!" When you're comparing sips that doesn't come into play.

Marc where did I say or even infer that Jaboulet HLC is ‘almost as good as Chave’? This is what I said:

“You can still pick up HLC quite cheaply at auction here. Last year I got 3x1998 for £190 and I narrowly missed out on some 1995s and 1996s. I really like the 1990s HLCs but they were underperforming their terroir.”

Note I said they were ‘underperforming their terroir’, or, I could have said, their ‘potential’. What I could also have said is that this is more than compensated for by the price. As I said explicitly you can pick up 90s HLCs quite cheaply and at the prices they offer good vfm imho, prices which are a small fraction of what you would pay for Chave.

With the 2009 vintage HLC seems to be on top form again, and once again challenging Chave for supremacy.

With this comment I was not referring to a general comparison of the historical record of the two producers, I was referring to the first post in the thread where you described the specific wines in the tasting. You rated the 2009 HLC a 95, not far behind the 2004 and 2005 Chaves at 97, and gave similarly laudatory notes to each. You confirm it here, stating in this post that starting with the new ownership in 2009 HLC is now "once again challenging Chave for supremacy". So you do seem to view contemporary HLC, based on your experience here, as perhaps "almost as good" as Chave? Don't wish to put words in your mouth but this was the implication I read.

I was contrasting it to my own recent experience where I found the 2012 HLC to be far behind the 2011 Chave, and not close at all. I thought the HLC was a good enough wine, fine but not really a great value for the price honestly. But the Chave was borderline great and worth the high price I got it for (lower than it is today, but high). Perhaps the 2009 HLC is much better than the 2012, I don't know, never tasted it, but in the case of the comparison I experienced there was a big gap.

Really, my intent was less to pick any quarrel with your post then to muse on whether the environment in large-scale tastings. combined with contemporary scoring norms, can make it difficult to differentiate between wines at the top end. IME there is actually a significant quality span at the high end in wines and telescoping everything into five or six points between say 94 and 100 can make it hard to tell

[Claret]

Beware of 1990 La Chapelle. I am not sure what happened, but I was told a container of Rhône’s baked one Memorial Day weekend. There is a huge difference between European sourced 1990 Rhône sourced here and their European counterparts. The Chapelle is a casualty, but I have tasted substandard Chapoutier (sometimes that is hard to tell) and Beaucastel.

My lone bottle from the New York dock is a leaker. I waxed it over years ago and am hoping it is not baked. The pour by Gerard Jaboulet at a trade tasting at release was black colored gold.