Yak's Home Page
Introducing Yak
Yak's Rating Scale
Yak's Burgundy Primer
Tasting Notes Archive
Wine & Food Adventures

Chablis - Les Clos..... Gevrey-Chambertin..... Gevrey - Cazetiers.....

31-Dec-94

Tonight, for New Year's Eve, an excellent dinner for four, accompanied by three (B)s plus Calvados, Camus XO & Royal Salute. (As I write this just after we finished, spelling and syntax mistakes in excess of the usual are to be forgiven < g >). Two of the three courses were taken from the Wine Forum recipes. The main course (the weakest!) from a Decanter-Magazine Scottish recipe. Everything but the wines were Dorit's production as usual.

Shrimp Fondue (From Jim Holmes' recipe) - SUPERB (very easy to prepare)
[Chablis]
______
Steak in Whiskey sauce, accompanied by small baked potatoes and an excellent salad of cabbage, chopped goose pastrami and raisins!
[Gevrey-Chambertin]
______
Cheese plate
[Gevrey - Cazetiers]
______
Creme Brulee (from Derek Erb's recipe) - SUPERB
______
Coffee & digestif

Chablis - Les Clos 1990 J. Drouhin

12/94. Acquired from Beaune June-94 for $23 (imported for $30 net).
First taste of the 1990 vintage of this, usually excellent, wine from Drouhin's own Domaine.
COLOR: Clear, normal Chablis tinted yellow.
NOSE: Pleasant, but not overwhelming fruit or anything else for that matter. Quite disappointing.
TASTE: In my experience, many times taste does not fulfill the nose's promises. Here it was the other way around. Rich 'fatty' taste, dry yet discernable honey overtones. A bit tannic and close.
LENGTH: Quite lingering, though develops an unpleasant after-taste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: 13% Alcohol, good acidity, some bitterness (too young?), not great balance.
OVERALL: A let down compared to the '86 and '89 I had many times. I hope this is not indicative of the 1990 vintage, as I have quite a few other whites from this vintage. Still, a very good wine taken on its own.
MARK: 16/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.


Gevrey-Chambertin 1989 Dom. Esmonin

12/94. Acquired from Nuits-St. Georges Dec-94 for $22 (imported for $33 net).
We rarely drink 'Villages' (B)s. This wine was acquired following strong recommendation by Peter Finkelstein.
COLOR: Medium ruby red, bright up to the rim, a bit too clear.
NOSE: Abundant red fruit, a bit aggressive (but in no way distracting) 'Bourgogne' aroma.
TASTE: Young, mouth-filling vibrant taste. Certainly Gevrey but a bit coarse.
LENGTH: Medium length, but tasty to the last hint.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: 13.5% Alcohol, medium body, good acidity, still some strong tannins, not yet fully mature.
OVERALL: Not a great (B), but very enjoyable nevertheless. May get better in a year or two.
MARK: 16+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


Gevrey - Les Cazetiers 1985 L. Jadot

12/94. Acquired from Beaune Jun-94 for $36 (imported for $45 net).
Second time in a couple of months that we have this 'super-second' 1er Cru from Jadot's own Domaine.
COLOR: Deep, very impressive garnet-red, paling a bit towards the rim.
NOSE: Immense bouquet. Subdued but discernable fruit, earth, mushrooms and a fantastic velvety 'Bourgogne' smell. One of the best (B) nose I have experienced.
TASTE: Fully mature complex wine, developing in the mouth, and most of all - very tasty. Too good to analyze.
LENGTH: Never ending.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: 13.5% Alcohol. A full-fledged 'manly' Gevrey, yet delicate and sleek. Alcohol and acidity happy marriage. Almost no tannins felt.
OVERALL: A truly extraordinary great (B), a Grand Cru for all practical purposes except pedigree and price. I hope it will stay that way for a couple of years as I have four more bottles < g >.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


Reach Me? yak@yakshaya.com

Yak's Home Page
Introducing Yak
Yak's Rating Scale
Yak's Burgundy Primer
Tasting Notes Archive
Wine & Food Adventures

Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.