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Burgundy Doma

Jan17

Restaurant: Doma [1, 2, 3]

Location: 362 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 277-7346

Date: December 6, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Ok food, big “formal” space

The Dirty Dozen is a sub group of the Hedonists that does themed blind tasting meals a couple times a year.

Tonight’s was again at Doma, a newish (2012) Beverly Hills Italian very much in a 90s (high end) vibe. The theme — again oddly for Italian — is Red Burgundy. And even more oddly, Doma is “closed” for dinner, but a skeleton crew came in and cooked our dinner. The manager pretty much served us. lol. He’s nice, and I’ve known him for 20 years (back at Valentino), but the place is on life support.

The Doma interior is large, formal, very white tablecloth and so different than more hip Italians like Bestia.

The white wines tonight were not blind and were served before dinner proper.

Random mediocre magnum left over from a previous dinner.

The champagne and white wines tonight were not blind and were served before dinner proper.

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 89. Dark orange-pink. Exotically perfumed scents of raspberry, pungent herbs, candied rose and smoky minerals. Fleshy and supple in texture, showing a floral accent to its red berry compote and tangerine flavors. Lush and broad but lively too, finishing with a hint of spiciness and good floral persistence.

Ron brought: 2011 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. VM 94. The 2011 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre is all about grace. A gentle hint of spice leads to dried pears, crushed flowers, red berries and licorice. Constantly changing in the glass, the 2011 is a marvel to behold. Suggestions of smoke, graphite and licorice add layers of nuance in a magical wine loaded with class and personality. Best of all, the 2011 is relatively approachable by Raveneau standards, which means reader won’t have to wait long at all to experience the magic of one of the great sites in Chablis.

From my cellar: 1985 Nicolas Potel Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. BH 91. A very fresh yet mature nose of citrus, white flower and lightly toasted nut aromas combines with round and vibrant middle weight flavors that possess a seductive and rich mouth feel, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish. This is really a lovely effort with complexity and ample finishing punch and is a wine that will continue to hold well if not improve.

agavin: drinking great for its age!

Erick brought: 1996 Pierre de Crillon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 1er. 93 points. The wine…dark and ox-looking apple juice…BUT no ox in sight…it’s totally fresh and alive! Rich and ripe fruit of apples, apricot, peaches…round and buttery with honey and roasted nuts, yet stands to attention with that powerful 96 lemon and grapefruit acidity. Has some intriguing flavors of cigar ash, antique wax, grilled pineapple with a drizzle lavender honey and spritzed with Champagne vinegar. Some crushed stones and chalk, but not any flint strike which I like. Very creamy and buttery fat, cut with citrus, then a big spice kick finish. I like this wine! The terroir is evident and true. Ex-cellar is the bomb!

Brian/Jen brought: 2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet Le Trézin. BH 88-91. A discreet, even shy nose offers up attractively fresh and ultra-pure notes of citrus, pear and a hint of acacia blossom. There is excellent delineation to the intense and clean middle weight flavors that possess good verve and plenty of minerality on the solidly persistent if only moderately complex finish.

Arnie brought: 2009 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. VM 95. The 2009 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze is unusually open and seductive. It flows with extraordinary finesse and pure elegance. White floral notes, cassis and spices wrap around the palate, adding tons of nuance. The firm tannins don’t quite allow the fruit to be fully expressive, but all that is needed here is time. Waves of flavor build to the huge, dazzling finish. This is a fabulous showing from Jadot.

Yarom brought: 2013 Gros Frère et Sœur Clos Vougeot Musigni. BH 91. A woody but spicy and unusually elegant nose offers up notes of both red and dark currant, earth and a hint of humus. There is a very suave, lush and round mouth feel to the delicious middle weight flavors that possess a good sense of verve on the impressively long and ever-so-mildly austere finish. There is better integration of the wood treatment though I underscore that it is hardly invisible.

agavin: nice but about 15 years too young.

Cotsen brought: 2014 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. BH 95. Once again the nose has mostly absorbed its wood treatment on the ultra-spicy, ripe and attractively fresh nose of black cherry, earth, underbrush and soft floral aromas. There is flat out incredible density to the extract rich and imposingly-scaled flavors that completely coat the palate with sap before culminating in a velvety yet superbly intense finish that seems to just go on and on. Once again though note well that plenty of patience is going to be required before this incredible beauty of a Charmes is ready to roll. This is seriously impressive.

agavin: 10 years before its most optimistic drink date

Eggplant involtini. Eggplant with a zesty sauce and lots of cheese. This was actually my favorite dish of the night.

Mark brought: 1995 Domaine Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares. VM 93. Black raspberry, violet and herbs on the nose. Thick, brooding and very intensely flavored; has a mellow flavor of woodsmoke. Large-scaled and multilayered. Finishes with ripe, chewy tannins. A terrific example of the ’95 vintage at its best.

agavin: sadly corked

Erick brought: 1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Bonnes Mares. VM 91-94. Saturated ruby-red. Wild, musky aromas of black raspberry, mocha, cocoa powder, minerals, smoky oak and a light vegetal complexity. Highly concentrated and powerfully structured; bright but very unevolved. Major tannins are buffered by the wine strong material. Finishes impressively long and bright, with terrific grip.

From my cellar: 1998 Mongeard-Mugneret Richebourg. 95 points. WOTN, rich and young with a lot of oak still on it.

Octopus with split pea sauce. Slimy, chewy, vaguely fishy and didn’t pair at all with anything, not wine or peas. ick!

John brought: 1990 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux. VM 90. Benjamin Leroux poured the powerful 1990 Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux from magnum. Still deeply colored, it was youthful and structured, with tons of fruit and terrific harmony.

Ron brought: 1996 Louis Jadot Clos de la Roche. VM 88-90. Blueberry, violet, mocha, smoke, herbs and earth on the nose. Pliant in the mouth, with the mocha and earth flavors repeating. Denser and more vibrant than the Clos Saint-Denis. But shows very good rather than outstanding length.

Albert brought: 2000 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche. VM 91+. Deep medium red. Cool, complex aromas of raspberry, cherry, tar, minerals and roasted herbs; subtle hints of mulch and vegetables. Structured but youthfully closed today. Best today on the tannic finish, which features a late explosion of fruits, minerals and herbs.

agavin: very slight corking

Stuffed quail. Looked repulsive, like a little body builder, but tasted pretty decent.
Parpadelle with ragu. Not sure what kind. Pretty decent.

Robin brought: 2005 Mongeard-Mugneret Clos Vougeot. BH 91-93. Somewhat curiously, this is more aromatically elegant with subtle toast aromas serving to highlight the spicy red and black fruit mix nuanced by hints of earth and smoke that can also be found on the delicious yet entirely serious big bodied yet textured and relatively refined flavors, all wrapped in a finish that is both powerful and impressively long.

agavin: #2 winner, it was a MM kinda night

Brian brought: 2005 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot. VM 92. Good full, deep red-ruby. Superripe aromas of black cherry and blueberry, complicated by torrefaction notes of licorice, coffee and mocha. Superconcentrated, lush and sweet; chewy, layered and mouthfilling without coming across as heavy. In comparison to the young 2006, this has nicely integrated its stems, not to mention its licorice, fresh herb and bitter chocolate components. Finishes with superb length.

Larry brought: 2009 Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux. BH 95. A ripe yet airy and fresh nose speaks of spice and pure plum aromas that display background hints of cassis and floral aromas that are followed by intense, powerful and broad-shouldered flavors that possess superb depth of material and knockout complexity on the hugely long finish. This is very serious juice that is most impressive.

Steak with pheasant liver risotto. The steak was solid but the risotto was pretty yucky. Just tasted like chicken liver and was so heavy. Almost no one finished it.

Fries were fine.

Mark brought: 1985 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage. Light colour, pale and bright, fresh and a bit hot, cherry stones and almonds, off-dry, light body, hint of citrus, green apple on the finish, good length. A particular style, not unattractive, but lacks gravitas.

Berries on a kind of custard. This was probably the second best dish and was refreshing and decent.

The lineup

Cryptic notes and scores.

Wines were solid for the Dirty Dozen and being that I won I got a free meal!. Only one or two corked and a whole mess that were great.

Food was pretty lousy. A couple decent dishes and some really icky ones. Big point deduction for icky dishes like that octopus and the liver risotto. They treat us very well but service was awkward because there was only one regular server. Took a while for each dish to get to all 12 of us.

All in all, I don’t really want to go back to Doma, it’s totally on life support.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Dirty Dozen, Doma, hedonists, Red Burgundy, Wine

Dirty Dozen Cabernet

Oct02

Restaurant: Doma [1, 2]

Location: 362 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 277-7346

Date: August 16, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Good food, big “formal” space

The Dirty Dozen is a sub group of the Hedonists that does themed blind tasting meals a couple times a year.

Tonight’s was again at Doma, a newish (2012) Beverly Hills Italian very much in a 90s (high end) vibe. The theme — again oddly for Italian — is California Cabernet. And even more oddly, Doma is “closed” supposedly for a month, but a skeleton crew came in and cooked our dinner. The manager pretty much served us. lol.

The Doma interior is large, formal, very white tablecloth and so different than more hip Italians like Bestia.

The white wines tonight were not blind and were served before dinner proper.

Jen brought this bonus: 2006 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 97.5. The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness in a hypothetical blend of the 2002 and 2004. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the 2006 is all about texture. There is a real feeling of density and weight in the 2006, qualities I expect to see grow with time in the bottle. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2006 has been nothing short of magnificent both times I have tasted it. Comtes de Champagne remains the single best value (in relative terms) in tête de cuvée Champagne. I suggest buying a case and following it over the next 20-30 years, which is exactly what I intend to do. There is little doubt the 2006 Comtes de Champagne is a magical Champagne in the making.

A bonus from my cellar: 2015 Vietti Roero Arneis. 90 points. Light, fresh, bright. Lemon meringue and green apples. Some mineral notes.

Flight 1:

Onion, balsamic, fontina cheese flatbread. Delicious. I could have eaten a whole pizza of these.

Warren brought: 2002 Blank Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 98. VM 88. This beautiful hillside vineyard is situated behind the Dominus Estate in Yountville. The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) has turned out even better than I predicted seven years ago. Made by Helen Turley when she was the consultant at Blankiet from tightly spaced, steep hillside vineyards planted by her husband, John Wetlaufer, it exhibits a beautiful nose of flowers, high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, creme de cassis, chocolate, espresso and blueberries. Extraordinarily young, fresh and fabulously concentrated, this wine still impresses with its intensity, complexity and youthfulness. It will probably not peak in quality for a decade, and has 20-30 years of further aging potential.

agavin: eucalyptus, hot. 8 votes.

Dave brought: 2002 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve. RP 95. Put them all together and you have the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, a sensational 14,000-case cuvee that is one of the benchmarks for what Napa Valley is capable of achieving. Its dense purple color is followed by copious notes of smoky barbecue, creme de cassis, white chocolate, blackberries, charcoal and truffles. Full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with sweet tannins in the finish, this 2002 has not yet hit full maturity. Give it another 2-4 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following two decades. I asked the winemaking team what the final blend was for the 2002 Private Reserve, and to the best of their recollection, the largest component was from Steinhauer Ranch (50%), followed by St. Helena Home Ranch (23%) and tiny percentages of Bancroft, Rancho del Oso, Chabot, Marston, and some Cabernet Franc from Howell Mountain.

agavin: oak, hot. 7 votes.

Yarom brought: 1999 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 91. I was never as enthusiastic about the 1999 vintage for Napa Cabernet as some of my colleagues, and the late-released 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate displays the green, herbaceous element that was one of my disquieting observations about this vintage when it was first reviewed. Still very young, with a deeper color than the 2007 with just a touch of lightening at the edge, it reveals notes of forest floor, roasted herbs, black currants, and a hint of mint. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and extremely youthful, it has another 20 years ahead of it.

agavin: corked in my opinion. 0 votes.

Flight 2:

Tartar with egg. Solid.

LEC brought: 1994 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. JG 92+. The 1994 Mayacamas cabernet sauvignon is another stellar bottle in the making, that offers up a classic aromatic mélange of black cherries, dark berries, chipotle peppers, a fine, complex base of soil, cigar ash and woodsmoke in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with impeccable focus and balance, bright acids and plenty of ripe, perfectly-integrated tannin on the long, complex and youthful finish. This superb bottle will need at least another six of seven years in the cellar to fully blossom, and over time should prove to be one of the very best vintages of Mayacamas cabernet from the decade of the nineties. If only all of the top wineries in California were still making wines with this sort of pedigree and cellaring potential! Fine juice.

agavin: bright and fruity. 2 votes.

From my cellar: 1998 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard. JG 94+. This was the first time that I had the pleasure to taste the 1998 vintage of Martha’s Vineyard and the wine is excellent. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a ripe and classic constellation of sappy cherries, blood orange, a touch of red currant, eucalyptus, a fine base of soil, cedar and fine spicy complexity in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and now nicely open for business as it closes in on its twentieth birthday, with a superb core, impeccable balance and a very long, complex and moderately tannic finish. A classic in the making.

agavin: nice, drier, long finish, eucalyptus. 10 votes. 3rd place overall. One of my better rankings.

Erick brought: 1995 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard. RP 98. I realize perfection in wine, like perfection in anything, is in the eyes of the beholder, and there are those who believe perfection is simply unobtainable. But in my mind, the 1996 and 1995 come close to perfection. Why? First of all, these extraordinary expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon are awesomely concentrated and endowed, while at the same time elegant and amazingly harmonious. The equilibrium between the wines’ component parts – new oak, alcohol, tannin, acidity, and extract – is right on, with nothing out of place. The 1996 and 1995 could be mistaken for identical twins, although close examination reveals that the 1995 has a slightly firmer tannic edge, and the 1996 slightly lower acidity. However, both possess Colgin’s tell-tale opaque black/purple color, phenomenal aromatics consisting of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cassis, subtle new oak, and a notion of floral scents (is it acacia or lilac?). In the mouth, both wines are full-bodied, remarkably supple and opulent, with a purity and presence of fruit that must be tasted to be believed. Their finishes last for 45+ seconds. I suspect each of these wines will get even better over the next 5-10 years before reaching their full plateau of maturity, where they should remain for two decades or more. They are the quintessential examples of Cabernet Sauvignons that marry power with elegance. As a friend said after tasting a Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon, “they float like a butterfly, but sting like a bee.” I am not sure Mohammad Ali or Ann Colgin would agree with that, but it paints another picture of these extraordinary wines. These wines are made by Helen Turley, the prodigiously talented winemaker/consultant.

agavin: herby, tart, menthol. 11 votes. 2nd place overall.

Flight 2:

Walnut and radicchio risotto. I love risotto, and this was well cooked, but the walnuts could have been better and the radicchio gave it a touch of bitterness.

Avi brought: 1997 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 98. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 1997 is just short of perfection from this great vintage in Napa Valley. A spectacular wine, it was the first made by Rosemary Cakebread. Production was quite high, as the new plantings started to fully produce, with 4,800+ cases declared. This is wine that fills the olfactory senses with gorgeous ripeness, blueberries, black raspberries, blackberries and cassis, while spring flowers and a touch of oak still lingers in the aromatics. When the wine hits the palate, the extraordinary intensity, purity and multi-dimensional complexity all seem to converge with a cascade of fruit, glycerin and richness. Like most Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignons, it is only 13.8% alcohol. This is a magnificent wine, a young adolescent in the scheme of its potentially fascinating evolution and should have a good 25-30+ years left in it – although it’s strutting its stuff at present. Certainly in the first two decades of Spottswoode wines this is clearly one of the most compelling efforts.

agavin: deep purple, rhone-like. 4 votes.

Robin brought: 2001 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 91-94. The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa has hit its plateau of maturity where it should rest for another decade. Sweet, juicy, sexy black and red currant fruit intertwined with licorice, earth and subtle oak aromas jump from the glass of this dense plum/purple-colored wine. Attractive, round, fleshy and voluptuously textured, this fully mature, loaded 2001 can be drunk now and over the next ten years.

agavin: deep. 4 votes.
Larry brought: 2001 Dominus. RP 98. A brilliant showing for Christian Moueix’s well-known Napanook Vineyard, the 2001 Dominus is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. A classic in the making, this is a flawless, seamless example of elegant, complex Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that possesses a Bordeaux-like personality. This gorgeous, sexy, opulent, dense ruby/purple-colored wine reveals sweet caramel, mocha, creme de cassis and kirsch notes intermixed with a hint of espresso roast as well as underbrush. Ripe, long and full-bodied with well-integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood, this prodigious 2001 is drinkable now and over the next 25+ years given this estate’s longevity track record. A virtually perfect wine, it is one of the most complex 2001s at present.

Flight 3:

Parpadelle with ragu Bolognese. Very good, although not quite as good as Felix.

John brought: 2005 Colgin Cariad Proprietary Red Wine. RP 100. The blend that Colgin fashions from three vineyards owned by David Abreu (Madrona, Thorevilos and Howell Mountain) is called Cariad. The 2005 Proprietary Red Cariad consists of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot. Offering up spring flowers and garden aromas, sweet blueberry and black raspberry fruit, a touch of charcoal embers, graphite and background toast, it is fleshy and full-bodied, and again, meriting a three-digit score. This is absolutely remarkable wine. As it sat in the glass, it developed some rather compelling chocolaty, licorice undertones. This is a great classic to drink over the next 20-25 years. By the way, for those interested, the cooperage generally chosen is dominated by Taransaud barrels, but there are at least four different coopers.

agavin: hot. 5 votes.

Brian brought: 2006 Shafer Hillside Select. RP 92-94. A slightly more compact version of the great Hillside, but nevertheless youthful, the 2006 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has a dense purple color, some notes of damp earth, cedar wood, forest floor, red and black currants, and toast. Some austere tannins kick in in the finish, but the wine is full-bodied, ripe and rich. An outstanding effort, but not one of the monumental vintages for Hillside Select, it should be drunk over the next 20 years.

agavin: rich, hot, long finish, tropical skittles. 32 votes. First place of the night. Brian gets the free dinner!

Amanda brought: 2007 Bond Vecina Proprietary Red Wine. RP 100. A perfect wine, the 2007 Vecina provides a prodigious display of blackberries, charcoal, black currants, burning embers and a La Mission-Haut-Brion-like hot rock/gravelly character. The most tannic as well as most concentrated and layered of the 2007s, this is a long-term, but utterly brilliant wine. In many ways it reminds me of the Harlan Estate itself given its prodigious build and potential for extended longevity. It merits 4-5 years of bottle age and should drink well for three decades thereafter.

agavin: super dense, eucalyptus, coconut. 8 votes.
Mark brought: 2007 Maybach Materium. RP 99. The prodigious 2007 Materium exhibits an even more opaque purple color, and ratchets up the level of intensity and aromatic complexity. Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, and cassis aromas intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, spring flowers, and toasty new oak are found in this beauty. Outstanding intensity along with full-bodied power and beautifully integrated acids, tannins, alcohol, and wood suggest this 2007 should hit its peak in 5-7 years, and evolve for three decades or more.

agavin: dense & hot. 9 votes.

Only here did I start to get full. Veal with potatoes. Fine, but not exciting.

Dave was getting hungry also before this course and ran down the block and brought back parmesan truffle fries!

Flight D for Dessert:

2003 Château La Tour Blanche La Tour Blanche. RP 92-96. The La Tour Blanche ‘03 offers yellow flowers, melted candle wax and honey on the nose with Muscat-like aromas developing in the glass. The palate is well-balanced on the entry with lemon curd and honey notes, though it needs just a little more acidity to give it tension and freshness. The finish is quite linear, springs no surprises, and just drifts a little when you seek more tautness and race. Still, this is a pleasurable, if not profound La Tour Blanche. Drink now-2020+ Tasted April 2013.

Apple bread with ice cream. Tasted like French Toast.

My cryptic notes.

The lineupThe gang.

Overall the food was pretty good. Not as good as last time — noting that they are technically closed. Service was slow despite the place being empty, as the manager pretty much did it himself, but they were extremely nice and accommodating.

Wines were solid for the Dirty Dozen and being Cabernet (which I don’t really like). Only one “bad” or spoiled and a whole mess that were great.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Cabernet, Dirty Dozen, Doma, formal, hedonists, Italian cuisine, Wine

Dirty Dozen at Doma

Jun09

Restaurant: Doma

Location: 362 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 277-7346

Date: May 4, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Good food, big “formal” space

The Dirty Dozen is a sub group of the Hedonists that does themed blind tasting meals a couple times a year.

Tonight’s was at Doma, a new Beverly Hills Italian very much in a 90s (high end) vibe. The theme — oddly for Italian — is Bordeaux.

The Doma interior is large, formal, very white tablecloth and so different than more hip Italians like Bestia.

These champs and whites were bonuses, and not served blind.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this <em>cuvée</em>, but with no lack of vivacity.

From my cellar: 2009 Domaine Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. BH 91-94. An airy, cool and pure nose of white flower, spiced pear, lemon and hazelnut complements the rich, full and relatively powerful flavors that possess good concentration and an explosive, mouth coating and palate staining finish. This is not quite as mineral-driven as the Perrières but this is really quite impressive and the length is genuinely outstanding.

2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet Le Trézin. BH 91. Surprisingly, given how cool and elevated this terroir is, there is a trace of exotic fruit present here as well with its notes of dried peach, apricot and honeysuckle. There is fine richness to the stony middle weight flavors that are bigger than is typical, all wrapped in an exuberantly energetic, mouth coating, delicious and complex finish. A fine villages that should be approachable young if desired.

Flight 1:

The Bordeaux were all served double blind in flights.

1979 Château Margaux. Parker 93. This wine is just now reaching full maturity, much later than I initially expected. It is a classy, elegant example of Margauxpossessing a dark ruby/purple color, and a moderately intense nose of sweet black currant fruit intermixed with minerals, vanillin, and floral scents. The wine is medium-bodied, with beautifully sweet fruit. This linear, more compressed style of Margaux possesses a good inner-core of sweet fruit, and a charming, harmonious personality. Although not a blockbuster, it is aging effortlessly, and appears to take on more character with each passing year.
1975 Lynch Bages. Parker 86. After the number of disappointing tastings I have had of this wine, I was surprised that it showed reasonably well at the blind tasting in December. The color exhibits significant amber/orange at the edge, followed by a dusty, herbaceous, cedary nose with some ripe fruit. Full-bodied but slightly hollow, the wine exhibits more sweetness and expansiveness than I expected. This above average wine is beginning to reach full maturity. Given the number of washed-out, excessively tannic examples of 1975 Lynch-Bages I have tasted, I am now more optimistic about this wine.

1970 Palmer. Parker 95. Not yet fully mature, the 1970 Palmer is one of the great wines of the vintage. It exhibits a dark, opaque garnet color, and an emerging, fabulously complex, exotic nose of licorice, over-ripe plums and blackcurrants, soy, cedar, and minerals. Rich and concentrated, with medium to full body, a sweet inner-core of fruit, firm but silky tannin, and a long, rich finish, this remains a youthful, potentially superb Palmer. While approachable, it will benefit from another 3-5 years of cellaring, and will keep through the first 10-15 years of the next century.

Liver, balsamic, mushroom, pizza. Pretty rich and delicious.

Flight 2:

1981 Palmer. Parker 81. This is a relatively light, almost indifferent style of Palmer, lacking depth, and coming across as straightforward, with a simple plummy fruitiness intermingled with scents and flavors of herbs, oak, and cedar. It is medium bodied and austere for a Palmer.

1989 Palmer. Parker 96. Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 1989 Château Palmer has always been my favourite vintage from that decade after the 1983. The first bottle was unfortunately corked. The second was as it should be: the nose tensile with red berries, sous-bois, potpourri and strawberry pastille – lively and energetic. The palate is medium-bodied and vibrant right from the start, silky in texture with plenty of citrus fruit, gently building to a harmonious and detailed finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a magnificent Château Palmer that continues to effortlessly dish out so much vinous pleasure.

1986 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 95. Now at 30 years of age, there is a gulf between the two Pichons in this vintage that no longer exists. The 1986 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has long been one of the best wines from the estate alongside the 1982 (even if the first bottle was a little oxidized). The second bottle was representative. It has a classic pencil-lead, cedar-infused nose that rockets from the glass, a subtle floral note developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red berry fruit, a pinch of white pepper and cedar, structured compared to coeval vintages and perhaps further along its drinking plateau than previous examples. Certainly à point, I would be reaching for bottles of this now if you cannot locate those 1982s, or alternatively seek out the superlative 1996. This still remains a fine, rather regal Pichon-Lalande.

Carpaccio with white truffles and fontina cheese. Amazing dish. Too small, but incredibly delicious.

Flight 3:

1999 Palmer. Parker 95. Though I have tasted many vintages of Palmer in recent months, it has been some time since I tasted the 1999 Palmer. Now at 17 years of age, it has a really quite splendid bouquet that is so fresh and vital, pure brambly red fruit, sloes and iodine. It has certainly lost some of the headiness that it showed over its first 10 years, but it is still a Palmer that likes to party. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is good depth here, clean and fresh with wonderful poise. This is a “correct” Palmer, self-aware that it was not born in a propitious vintage, therefore it might seem a little restrained, even conservative in character. That would ignore its precision and grace, the manner in which it gently builds to the finish. You can drink this now but I would be inclined to give it another 3-4 years. There are few better Left Bank 1999s than Palmer.

1998 Angelus. Parker 96. Another great showing for a Right Bank wine, the 1998 Angelus shows a saturated opaque, plum/purple color and a beautiful fragrance of blueberry and black raspberries with licorice, asphalt, truffle and a touch of white chocolate. Beautiful texture, full-bodied opulence, striking purity and overall equilibrium make for a stunning wine that is just entering its plateau of full maturity. Drink it over the next 20 years.

1994 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 91-93. One of the stars of the vintage, this opaque purple-colored wine possesses a gorgeously perfumed, exotic, smoky, blackcurrant, Asian spice, and sweet vanillin-scented bouquet. It is followed by thick, rich, moderately tannic flavors that exhibit medium to full body, good structure, outstanding purity, and a classically layered, long, pure finish. This terrific Pichon-Lalande should evolve effortlessly for 18-20 years.

Home Made Pappardelle Bolognese – House made Flat Ribbon Pasta Meat Ragout Sauce. Another great dish.

Flight 4:

1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron. VM93+. Full medium ruby. Nose at once subtle and flamboyant, with slightly roasted aromas of currant, cedar, lead pencil and minerals. Large-scaled, sweet and rich, with utterly primary fruit suggesting a long future ahead of it. Tasted next to the ’89, this was a much more massive and somewhat softer wine. Very long on the finish, with big but smooth tannins. Of more recent vintages, only the 2000 has a chance to be in the same quality class as the ’90 and ’89.

From my cellar: 1989 Lynch Bages. Parker 99+. The 1989 has taken forever to shed its formidable tannins, but what a great vintage of Lynch Bages! I would rank it at the top of the pyramid although the 1990, 2000, and down the road, some of the more recent vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010 should come close to matching the 1989’s extraordinary concentration and undeniable aging potential. Its dense purple color reveals a slight lightening at the edge and the stunning bouquet offers classic notes of creme de cassis, subtle smoke, oak and graphite. Powerful and rich with some tannins still to shed at age 22, it is still a young adolescent in terms of its evolution and will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring. It should prove to be a 50 year wine.

Mushroom risotto.

Cotsen brought: 1990 Margaux. Parker 100. The 1990 Chateau Margaux has turned into a sensational wine that eclipses both the 1988 and 1989…and then some. It has a gorgeous, ethereal bouquet with sumptuous red berry fruit, leather, camphor and licorice—it is the kind of nose in which you just immerse yourself. Is there a hint of brettanomyces here? If there is, I don’t really care. The palate is soft and sensual with incredible depth. Fleshy and corpulent for Chateau Margaux, and yet surfeit with breeding and finesse, there are layers or red fruit, kirsch, sage and fig, later tobacco and cloves. I feel that this 1990 Château Margaux is at its peak and yet the harmony, the sheer swagger of this wine just wins you over. Magnificent. Tasted May 2016.

agavin: Cotsen sweeps the win by craft and force, as the 1990 Margaux is just one of those wines that always blows everything away.

2000 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 98. Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2000 Leoville-Las-Cases is a quite fabulous, magisterial Saint Julien that is only just beginning to flex its muscles. It has a very intense and beautifully defined bouquet with mineral rich blackberry and bilberry scents, outstanding focus and harmony, and very well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, impressive backbone and focus in situ. There is a touch of mint infusing the fruit here, superb tension with a touch of mulberry and Hoi Sin lingering on the finish that still feels backward and sinewy. What was remarkable was to observe the melioration in the glass, achieving wondrous energy and delineation with time, still improving after a couple of hours. Buy it, cellar it, drink it. Tasted December 2016.

Roast quail with polenta. Ugly, but tastes good.

My notes.

Flight D:

2007 Coutet. Parker 94. Tasted single blind against its peers. The Chateau Coutet 2007 has a very intense bouquet with lemon curd and orange blossom mixed with clear honey. There is impressive precision here, almost crystalline. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine viscous entry, great weight and intensity with racy acidity. There is also much tension cutting through the layers of viscous fruit on the sorbet-like finish. This is a typical Coutet through and through and it should age effortlessly over 20-30 years.

2011 Doisy Daene. Parker 95. Tasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Doisy-Daëne 2011 builds upon its outstanding performance from barrel. It has a powerful bouquet with seductive scents of wild honey, yellow flowers and orange blossom that are well defined, perhaps a little more extravagant then Denis Dubourdieu’s wines of yore. The palate is mellifluous on the entry with well-judged acidity, sensual and harmonious, poised on the entry and then fanning out gloriously with Clementine and honeyed notes that shimmer. This is an irresistible Barsac.

Panna Cotta Alla Vaniglia. Berry compote.

Certainly delicious.

Most of the gang. Notice our studly T-shirts. Jen, who isn’t wearing the hat, was in charge of pairing, opening, pouring etc. She rocks!

The lineup.

Overall the food was quite good. Service was pretty glacial despite the place being empty, and the waiters seemed on the verge of moving down the street to a convalescent home, but they were extremely nice and accommodating.

Wines were great for the Dirty Dozen. Nothing out and out “bad” or spoiled, 1-2 with a little bret that needed to blow off (or not), and a whole mess that were great. Particularly that 1990 Margaux. It really is a fabulous wine and Cotsen steals the wine (and the free meal) for the 3rd of 4th time. He does know how to pick them for these dinners.

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