Restaurant: Petrossian Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4]
Location: 321 Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048. (310) 271-6300
Date: February 4, 2020
Cuisine: Caviar +
Rating: Amazing night!
Tonight’s dinner chronicles yet another masterly winemaker dinner hosted by Liz Lee of Sage Society. This time around it celebrates the diverse and excellent wines of Louis Jadot with winemaker Frédéric Barnier. This is actually at least the third time I’ve dined with Frédéric, the first being years ago at Bouchon and the second (also a Sage event) at Republique.
This time around we are back at another favorite Liz haunt, the awesome Petrossian Beverly Hills.
Petrossian has been importing caviar for a long time and has a high end restaurant — surprisingly excellent — tucked away inside their Beverly Hills location.
They are located on Robertson.
We begin with a Champagne I have been opening a lot of myself:
2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. (Drink between 2018-2047)
Caviar with crème fraiche on blinis — had about 5 of these.
Smoked salmon and tuna with crème fraiche on toast.
Our hostess Liz Lee in the center and Jadot master winemaker Frédéric Barnier on the left.
Flight 0a: 2018 Barrel Whites
2018 J.A. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Clos des Prouges Tête de Cru. BH 90-92. Subtle wood influence frames pungent citrus and petrol-suffused aromas. The dense, powerful and palate coating broad-shouldered flavors possess impressive volume on the more complex and persistent if slightly warm finish. (Drink starting 2024)
2018 Louis Jadot Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume. 89 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Ripe and fleshy for Chablis. Plenty of apple character start-to-finish. Good density for its level. Should drink well young. 88-89 point potential.
2018 Louis Jadot Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot. 89 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Also lots of ripe orchard fruit, less classic start, then firmer and more tart middle through finish. Very good length. Needs time to fully harmonize. 89-92 point potential.
2018 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. agavin 91. Very tropical and different. Lovely right now, but wonder how it will age.
2018 Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle Domaine du Duc de Magenta. 91 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Lots of apple throughout, some lemon and lemon curd. Intriguing combination of ripe and tart, with a long, leaner, minerally finish. Very good length. 89-91 point potential.
2018 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 92 points. Walk around tasting. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Dense and rich but with so much coiled energy in reserve. Very good density and length. 92-93 point potential.
Flight 0b: 2018 Barrel Reds
2018 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 91 points. Walk around tasting. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. More red vs black fruit coming across as ripe, but with just enough elegant tannins and acidity in the background for harmony already. Another very successful vintage for this cuvee, with 91-93 point potential.
2018 Louis Jadot Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Barre. agavin 93. Very elegant and ripe.
2018 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. 95 points. Year in, year out, a favourite from the Jadot stable. This seems to be the hypothetical blend of the Estournelles and Lavaux but by only taking the good elements of each. There’s a balance of rich fruit and tart-red-fruited-acidity here, as well as a convincing dose of rusty earthiness. The palate is more layered, silky, and complex. Very delicious already.
2018 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 93 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Lots here with combination of ripe red and black cherry and a meatiness that I enjoy, but makes it seem background. But that’s young Corton.
2018 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot. 92 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Lots here but very tannic and angular, so impossible to fairly assess this young, this quickly.
2018 Louis Jadot Echezeaux. 91-94 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. A complex array of red cherry and berry on nose and palate with good power, but elegant textures already emerging. Good+ length. 91-94 point potential.
The lineup of 2018s.
Then we moved over into the dining room.
Liz likes to make sure there is a unique (labeled) glass for every wine.
The gang of us around the table.
Our special menu.
Flight 1: 2017 whites
2017 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. BH 90-93. An expressive, ripe and fresh nose of white peach, pear and lavender displays discreet hints of wood and a trace of the exotic. There is good richness to the delicious and generously proportioned middle weight flavors that possess plenty of palate coating dry extract before terminating in a saline and mineral-suffused finish. This is really quite good and more classic than it usually is. (Drink starting 2025)
2017 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. VM 90-92. The 2017 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru comes from a single parcel of 50-year-old vines that tends to suffer a lot of millerandage and is often one of the first plots picked. It has quite a powerful bouquet of citrus fruit infused with touches of licorice, maybe just missing the precision of the best wines that I have tasted from this vineyard by Jadot in the past. The voluminous palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and touches of tropical fruit such as passion fruit and guava, and creamy-textured toward the finish. There is a lot of pleasure to be found in this Meursault, if not the intellect of the Charmes this year. (DIAM GC closure) (Drink between 2020-2030)
2017 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 92-95. A less elegant and slightly more wood-influenced nose offers up restrained aromas of essence of white flowers that includes rose petal, lavender and acacia blossom as well as discreet citrus nuances. There is both more volume and richness to the large-scaled, intense and powerful flavors that evidence seriously good punch and power on the muscular and wonderfully long finish. This is an impressive built-to-age Bâtard. (Drink starting 2029)
Lobster Salad w/ Truffle Mache. Lots of lobster. Nice bright flavors and interesting textural components. We had crunch from the crisp like thing (texture similar to a spring-roll shell), differing crunch from the radish, soft lobster and stringy greens.
Flight 2: Old Whites
1990 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières.
1991 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d’Or. JG 90. It has been quite a while since I last tasted a 1991 white Burgundy, but the ’91 Goutte d’Or from Maison Jadot was drinking very well indeed and was impressive enough that I may keep an eye out for other white options from this vintage. The deep, complex and mature nose offers up scents of almond, citrus blossoms, apple, passion fruit, a touch of honey, incipient notes of nutskin and a beautifully complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still beautifully balanced, with a fine core of fruit, gentle, framing acids, superb soil signature and lovely length and grip on the complex and classy finish. Fine juice and a total surprise for a 1991 Meursault! (Drink between 2012-2020)
1994 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 96. The 1994 Corton-Charlemagne surprises for its richness, density and power. Butter, dried apricots, tangerine and mango are alive in the glass. The presence of botrytis, which is high in 1994, is very much felt in the wine’s viscosity and pure textural richness. With time in the glass, though, the wine freshens up considerably as mineral notes become vivid. The 1994 remains bright, focused and quite youthful. Today, it is simply magnificent. Frankly, the 1994 is simply magnificent. (Drink between 2013-2024)
1986 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet. 95 points. This bottle was in pristine condition and the color was spot on deep yellow (not deep gold). The nose offered apples, hazelnuts, and macaroons.
Scallop w/ Trout Roe & Pine Nuts
Flight 3: 2012-2014 Reds
2014 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. BH 92. A highly restrained if not mute nose grudgingly displays notes of spice and brooding dark berries, earth and floral hints. There is by contrast excellent richness and volume to the velvety and supple yet serious middle weight plus flavors that display strikingly good persistence on the sappy and beautifully well-balanced if moderately austere finish. This has tightened up considerably since I last reviewed it from barrel and it seems relatively clear that this is going to require at least a modicum of patience but when it arrives at its peak, it should be lovely. Recommended. (Drink starting 2026)
2014 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. VM 93.5. Good bright medium red Aromas of raspberry, rose petal, minerals and crushed stone convey a very sexy, slightly high-toned liqueur-like quality Dense, fine-grained and taut, displaying piquant mineral energy and mouthwatering acidity to its flavors of raspberry, cherry and blood orange Really compelling inner-mouth tension here This firmly tannic, classic 2014 finishes with lovely rising floral length I would not be at all surprised if a decade of cellaring brought an even higher score (Drink between 2025-2037)
2014 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 95. Bright, dark red Ineffable floral and pepper topnotes to the aromas of black raspberry, tart cherry, licorice, menthol and spices At once savory and sweet; incredibly dense, refined wine with uncommon creaminess and concentration to its flavors of red and black fruits, minerals and herbs Superb old-vines thickness and silky depth here, but also with terrific definition, spine and energy Finishes with outstanding rising length A treat to taste today but this almost liqueur-like wine should go on for 20+ years A great performance in this cooler vintage (Drink between 2025-2040)
2012 Louis Jadot Clos St. Denis. BH 93-95. Here the nose is quite similar to that of the Clos de la Roche save for the fact that it’s spicier. There is a silky texture to the detailed and sleekly muscular medium-bodied flavors that are not as powerful though the refinement of a classic Clos St. Denis is explicitly in evidence on the hugely long finish. In a word, this is terrific. (Drink starting 2030)
Black Truffle Pasta with Parmesan Foam. Amazing dish. I could have eaten several of these. Just a really lovely creamy truffle pasta.
The glasses multiply like bunnies.
Flight 4: 80s Reds
1985 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. BH 90. Just a bit of bricking in evidence. The expressive, pretty and solidly complex nose has now gone completely secondary (though not tertiary as there is no sous bois) and complements the precise, intense and lightly mineral-suffused middle weight flavors that possess good length and depth. This is drinking perfectly now and about the only nit is a touch of gas so be sure to decant for 15 minutes or so to allow it to dissipate. (Drink starting 2009)
1989 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots.
1985 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. JG 94. The 1985 Clos St. Jacques from Maison Jadot is a beautiful example of the vintage that has just now begun to truly blossom and is drinking very well indeed. The deep and beautiful nose offers up scents of cherries, red plums, woodsmoke, summer truffles, a beautifully complex base of soil, fresh herbs, a touch of sweet nutskin and just a bit of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully delineated, with a fine core of fruit, lovely complexity and very good acidity for the vintage. The finish is very long, shows just a bit of melting tannin and is beautifully balanced and classy. It is interesting to see how this wine has evolved, as it was quite black fruity for much of the first twenty-odd years of its life, but is now blossoming into a beautifully red fruity example of Clos St. Jacques. Lovely juice. (Drink between 2012-2050)
Quail w/ Potato Nest. I was initially skeptical about this dish. Not as to pairing, Liz always gets that perfect, but to the the idea of this “ball of quail.” It turned out to be amazing. Sort of like a western shrimp ball, but with quail, sauce, and offset by the nice crunchy nest.
Flight 5: Special Old Reds
1988 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. BH 91. Mix of primary and secondary fruit aromas plus strong notes of earth and underbrush are followed by nicely complex, slightly edgy, medium weight flavors that offer good length. This is still firm on the backend but not hard and it’s drinking very well now though it will easily hold for another decade or more.
agavin: this bottle was fabulous, more like 96 points.
1978 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. agavin 94. Very nice as well.
Duck Consomme w/ Duck Confit. Okay, I didn’t know what to expect. But here we have a lovely pressed square of duck with a consommé added tableside.
The finished dish. Lovely and delicious.
Drinking Continues
Cheeses. Papillon Basque & Beaufort.
The white lineup.
The red lineup.
When Liz sets up a dinner, she really endeavors to get everything right.
Food was some of the best in town for wine tastings. Really light, fresh, and delectable.
Wines were just off the chart good at this dinner. Just blockbusters and nothing flawed at all. This offered a great perspective on Jadot as it traveled the gamut of ages, giving a glimpse of 2018, showing off recent vintages like 2017 and 2014, and then delving into mature wines of both colors.
Service was great. Having our own Somm ensured that — and we had unique stems for everything. Petrossian really took care of us too.
Amazing night.
