Nerves were calmed with a restorative glass of Puligny-Montrachet Tremblots 2011 from Domaine Joly, which I'd recently got out of storage. This was a beautiful scintillating colour and was ripe and elegant with mouthwatering acidity and some tropical fruit going on. It was particularly excellent with the hot smoked trout kedgeree which G made as a starter. I actually glazed over for a moment before remembering I had company...
The raison d'etre for the gathering was to drink some more of G's auction acquisitions, which looked like they came from a venerable establishment.
First was this Beaune from Bouchard, which the bottle detectives guessed was from the 1950s. This was a very dark colour and had a lovely perfume but we all suspected it might have been strengthened with some syrah, and the sugar bag had certainly been applied with a liberal hand. It was relatively midweight, rich and smooth and hard to believe it was in its 60s. Apparently back in those days the negociants used 100% new oak so this was basically made the same way a grand cru would be made now. For £18 including delivery, nobody was quibbling!
The next two wines were more divisive, in that I parted company with everybody else in my assessment of them. But it's my blog, and I'll write what I want to.
First we had a Vosne from Domaine Pierre-Yves Masson. I think I was dealing with the main course or possibly the cheese as I heard murmurs in the background saying it was no good and needed to be chucked. Fortunately I got a swig in before any hasty action was taken and I rather liked it - rich and sweet. Others felt it had insufficient acid to keep it clean.
Then we went on to this Clos de Vougeot 1950 from Geisweiler & Fils, which was the opposite situation. For me, there was a strange pungent whiff on the nose, something vegetal, as if something was rotting at the back of the potting shed. Everyone else loved it and described it as fruity and complete. I guess it all worked out because I got to drink more of the Vosne, and the others were welcome to the Clos de Vougeot. I just wished T had been there to tell me what the chemical was that I was picking up.
To finish, D indulged us with two halves of sweet wine from the Finger Lakes, Sheldrake Point riesling, one from 2001 and one from 2008. There was no controversy here. We drank the oldest one first, which was actually in a 350ml bottle. It was a beautiful amber colour and absolutely luscious, with some botrytis and apricots. It complimented the lemon tart beautifully and was not unduly sweet but very well-balanced and not showing its age at all.
The Late Harvest Riesling from 2008 was even more amber in colour and sweeter - more dried apricots this time. I think we agreed the 2001 was better but they were both excellent. Thanks D!
