Clos des Mouches..... Le Musigny.....

Tonight we had a great (B) wines dinner, celebrating Dorit's birthday and our 22nd wedding anniversary together with our wine partners. As some of you know, I had some problems in choosing the 'second' (in importance, not in serving order) wine, as we decided the 'first' will be 'Musigny 1985' by Comte George de Vogue. We didn't have a proper white (B) ready, and we didn't want to choose a wine that will compete (and probably lose) against the Musigny. I finally decided upon a 'Clos des Mouches 1989' by Drouhin. The youngest red (B) I ever tasted.

Though it was Dorit's birthday, she was, as usual, responsible for the food:

Beaune - Clos des Mouches	1989	J. Drouhin

11/94. Acquired from Beaune Sep-93 for $36 (imported for $45 net).
One of the best Beaune 1er Crus from Drouhin's own Domain.
Left open to breath for 40 minutes. The wine accompanied the mushroom appetizer and the rich soup. This was for me the first red (B) of '89 vintage.
COLOR: Medium rosy-red. Noticeably paler around the rim.
NOSE: A delicate combination of strawberries and the lovely "(B) bouquet". Fresh but slightly reserved.
TASTE: Good fruit, though not dominant. Noticeable wood, mouth-filling youngish vigor. A bit tannic but not disturbingly so. Very pleasant but not too complex taste.
LENGTH: Medium, but leaves no astringent after-taste in spite of the tannins.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A typical Drouhin's lightish style. Good balance. Will totally open up in a couple of years.
OVERALL: This is a very good though not a 'big' wine. The '85 I had few months ago had a better blend of youth and maturity. This wine drank very nice with the appetizers, but really superbly accompanied the strong soup. The tannins went away and it became a very smooth and tasty liquid. I guess 1989 is a less concentrated vintage than 1985. Still this wine is a pleasure to drink now, and will be perfect in two years.
MARK: 16+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

Musigny				1985	Comte de Vogue

11/94. Bought in Beaune Oct-92 for $115.
1500 cases only. One of the top five Grands Crus of Bourgogne. From a producer that used to be the yard-stick by which others were measured, but suffered a slump in its reputation in the seventies and early eighties.
Left open to breath for 30 minutes. This great wine accompanied the main dish of steak and goose-liver in pastry, and the cheese plate.
COLOR: Full dark violet-red. Only slightly paler around the rim.
NOSE: Oh la la! We could not remove our noses from the glass. By far the most fantastic and overpowering bouquet I ever smelled in any wine. Don't ask me to analyze it. The scent literally engulfed the table. We smelled it even away from the glass. It was a deep, concentrated blend of aromas. We couldn't tell them apart, and believe me - we didn't care. No fruit, no wood, no leather, no earth. Just wine. But what a wine!
TASTE: After almost getting drunk from the smell itself, we dared a small sip. "I want to cry", "Worth living for such a wine", "No such wine exist". OK, I get carried away sometimes, only I said none of the above! It was the other three. All respectable and duly introvert people < g >. I just set there and wanted my glass not to ever get empty.
It really takes a poet to describe the unimaginable pleasure this wine gives, and a robot wine-buff to analyze the complex taste and after-taste. With lesser wines I am willing to indulge in dissecting 'palate', 'structure', 'length' etc. This wine was something else. Simply stated, this is the best red Bourgogne I ever had!
P.S Where are all those who like to blabber about (B) wines and "value"? I wish they could taste this wine (only I'm afraid it is very difficult to find, if at all possible). This is the kind of experience that should be grabbed. Saving $20 or $50 will not make you richer, but missing such a unique experience, given the chance, will surely make you poorer. (This of course applies to many things in life.)
MARK: 19+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.