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Following are tasting notes of wines we drank on our recent decadent trip to
France during ten days in April 1996.
All the wines mentioned here were consumed with great meals for four people at some
of the finest restaurants in France.
This page highlights the wines, with passing reference to the restaurants
and the food.
For details of the fantastic meals these wines were enjoyed with, see
French Dining Pleasures.
Chablis - Valmur 1989 J-M Raveneau
4/96. Lunch at "Hostelerie de Clos" in Chablis.
Deep straw color. Wonderful aroma of apples, minerals and honey. Rich and full
on the palate. Dry, restraint and extremely elegant. Full bodied wine, solid
structure, good acidity and fantastic balance.
The wine accompanied Foie Gras in Apples and Caramel. Trout in Chablis.
Escargot in Cream & Garlic sauce. Roasted Langoustine. It went perfectly with
all the dishes, even the Foie Gras.
Wine cost $73. MARK: 19/20.
Meursault - Les Boucheres 1988 Ropiteau
4/96. Dinner at "Bernard Morillon" in Beaune.
Almost dark yellow color. Very complex and unusual nose. Vanilla (without the
'hardness' of wood), honey, truffles(!). Rich, multilayered taste, with
lingering aftertaste. Very interesting full bodied wine. Less viscous than a
typical Meursault 1er Cru, but a lot of punch.
The wine accompanied Langoustine in Saffron sauce. Oysters Creme with
Roquefort toasts.
Wine cost $79. MARK: 18/20.
Gevrey - Combs aux Moins 1988 R. Leclerc
4/96. Dinner at "Bernard Morillon" in Beaune.
Very good color. Red fruit wrapped in well developed beautiful 'Bourgogne
Nose'. Deep enticing taste. Sweetish and fruity with leathery, 'meaty' tones
and soft tannins. Extremely long and pleasurable aftertaste. An impressive
wine. Could easily be mistaken for a Grand Cru.
The wine accompanied Baked Truffles. 'Charolais' Fillet with Foie Gras. Bresse
Chicken in wine sauce. Cheese.
Wine cost $69. MARK: 18/20.
Chassagne - Les Ruchottes 1990 Dom. Ramonet
4/96. Dinner at "Lameloise" in Chagny.
Deep straw color. Perfumed nose of flowers and butterscotch. Round fruity and
refreshing taste with butter and nuts flavors. Perfect balance between fruit,
acidity, and wood. A fantastic and powerful wine.
The wine accompanied Langoustine Risotto. Lobster chunks in Puff Pastry with
Tomato sauce. Frog-Legs Lasagna.
Wine cost $115. MARK: 18/20.
Volnay - Champans 1985 H. de Montille
4/96. Dinner at "Lameloise" in Chagny.
Very unusual purple color. Enticing and very complex aroma of a mature (B).
Delicate fruit mixture on the palate with powerful punch. Quite uncommon in a
Volnay. Infinite length. A truly great wine, and certainly the best Volnay I
ever had.
The wine accompanied Lamb Fillet in herbs. 'Charolet' Fillet Mignon. Pigeon in
pasta and Goose Liver. Suckling Veal in Wild Mushrooms. Cheese.
Wine cost $85. MARK: 18+/20.
Chateau Climens 1989 Sauternes
4/96. Dinner at "Hostellerie de Levernois" in Levernois.
Rich, full yellow color. Sweet honey, apples and orange on the nose. Very
sweet but good acidity to balance. Superb and uncloying.
Half a bottle with Lobster and Pate de Foie. Two Foie Gras, of Duck and
Goose. Duck Liver in Almonds. Ox-Tail Consomme.
Wine cost $96 (375 cc). MARK: 18/20.
Puligny - Les Combettes 1990 E. Sauzet
4/96. Dinner at "Hostellerie de Levernois" in Levernois.
Medium straw color. Perfumed nose of toasted almonds. Elegant though restraint
on the palate. Lightweight, a bit lacking in fruit. Still an excellent wine.
The wine accompanied Langoustine in sweet Green-Pepper sauce. Red Snapper in
Wine sauce. Scallops and roasted Lobster.
Wine cost $120. MARK: 17/20.
Clos de la Roche "VV" 1985 Dom. Ponsot
4/96. Dinner at "Hostellerie de Levernois" in Levernois.
Immense color, full red all the way to the rim. Immense nose of red forest
fruits, mushrooms, grapes(!), above some beautiful mature elements. Exquisite
taste, extraordinary complexity and concentration. Good acidity and tannins
that require a few more years to open completely. An extraordinary wine!
This half bottle accompanied the Cheese selection.
Wine cost $122 (375 cc). MARK: 19/20.
Meursault - La Goutte d'Or 1985 Ropiteau
4/96. Dinner at "Bernard Morillon" in Beaune.
Good straw color. Mature, high quality and complex nose. Harmonious, creamy
taste. Excellent aftertaste. Fat texture and superb balance. A mature
Meursault at its best.
The wine accompanied Pickled Sandre Fillets. Green Salad with Duck Liver,
Asparagus and Langoustine. Lightly-creamed Lobster Chunks. Turbot in two
sauces.
Wine cost $94. MARK: 18/20.
Beaune - Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus 1990 Bouchard P&F
4/96. Dinner at "Bernard Morillon" in Beaune.
Full red color. Dominantly fruity aroma. Very good taste though still a bit
closed. Very prominent tannins. Good length but tannins-dominated aftertaste.
A rare excellent example from Bouchard.
The wine accompanied the Cheese and the Desserts.
Wine cost $58 (375 cc). MARK: 17+/20.
Meursault - Les Perrieres 1990 Michelot-Buisson
4/96. Dinner at "La Cote St. Jacques" in Joigny.
Beautiful golden color. Excellent aroma of pears, toasted almonds,
butterscotch and vanilla. Rich taste, surprisingly developed. Fat and viscous
texture. Superb!
The wine accompanied Hot Oysters wrapped in Spinach leaves. Lobster Ravioli
and Parsley stuffed with Truffles. Langoustine in Morilles mushrooms sauce.
Lightly smoked Sea Bass with Sevruga Caviar.
Wine cost $120. MARK: 18/20.
Echezeaux 1985 H. Jayer
4/96. Dinner at "La Cote St. Jacques" in Joigny.
Extremely strong color, resembling a good Bordeaux. Absolutely no clearing
towards the rim of this 11-years old (B). Immense nose! Mushrooms and forest
floor around a profound aroma of red fruits. Wonderful taste: Fantastic
concentration of sweet mouth-filling fruit. Extraordinary harmony between all
the taste elements. Mature, velvety, full-bodied wine. Solid structure and
plenty of "winyness". Unbelievable quality! The best Echezeaux I ever had. So
much better than the '83 DRC.
The wine accompanied Suckling Lamb. Pigeon and Foie Gras with Truffles and old
Port. Turbot on red onions. Roasted Duckling with Fruit sauce. Cheese.
Wine cost $200. MARK: 19+/20.
Corton Charlemagne 1986 J. Faiveley
4/96. Dinner at "Lion d'Or" in Romorantin-Lanthenay.
Golden color. Wonderful and mature aroma of minerals, apples and smoke(!).
Rich, harmonious taste that fills the mouth with delicious complex flavors.
Good acidity and length. An extremely fine example of Corton Charlemagne.
The wine accompanied Langoustine in ten mild spices.
Wine cost $154. MARK: 18+/20.
Hermitage "La Chapelle" 1983 P. Jaboulet
4/96. Dinner at "Lion d'Or" in Romorantin-Lanthenay.
Full color up to the rim. Rich nose of spices, engulfed by black forest
fruits. Exquisite exotic taste. Relatively short aftertaste. A great mature
wine.
The wine accompanied Entrecote in Marrow sauce. Roasted Pigeon. Cheese.
Wine cost $115. MARK: 18/20.
Chinon, Verennes du Grand Clos 1989 C. Joguet
4/96. Dinner at "Auberge St. Fiacre" in Veuil (Loire).
My first ever red Loire. Good dark color throughout, Strong bouquet of
violets, black fruits and spices. Sweetish taste that becomes a little hollow.
An excellent wine.
The wine accompanied Langoustine "Cigars" in saffron sauce. Scallops Omelette
in olive-oil. Veal Sweetbread. Stuffed Chicken. Cheese.
Wine cost $37. MARK: 17/20.
Chablis - Les Chablisiennes 1990 J-M Raveneau
4/96. Dinner at "Le Boeuf sur le Toit" in Paris.
Typical Chablis. Excellent aroma. Very dry but full taste. A bit rough, but
went extremely well with the endless array of seafood.
Wine cost $42. MARK: 16/20.
Condrieu 1992 Guigal
4/96. Dinner at "Le Boeuf sur le Toit" in Paris.
Light color. Very nice aroma of fresh flowers and light fruits. Tasty and
pleasant, but lacks any complexity. Is this the best Viognier?
The wine accompanied Grilled Langoustines. Cheese.
Wine cost $36. MARK: 15/20.
Meursault - Les Perrieres 1988 Comtes Lafon
4/96. Dinner at "Tan Dinh" in Paris.
Deep straw color. Extraordinary nose! Apples, pears, minerals and a pleasant
touch of vanilla. Superb, complex and delicious taste and aftertaste. A fat
wine with viscous texture and very fine balance. A super great wine.
The wine went unbelievably well with Crab Wonton. Assam Shrimp Rolls. Piquant
Mango and Crab salad. Lobster Ravioli.
Wine cost $113. MARK: 18+/20.
Bonnes Mares 1986 R. Groffier
4/96. Dinner at "Tan Dinh" in Paris.
Good color. Fantastic nose of cherries, mushrooms and earthy tones, all
engulfed by the most beautiful 'Bourgogne Nose'. Exquisite taste, rich in
fruit and concentrated. Good acidity but totally devoid of tannins. The best
1986 (B) I ever had. A giant wine!
The wine accompanied Duck in Plum sauce. Langoustine Crepes. Vietnamese Lamb.
Wine cost $154. MARK: 19/20
Hermitage Blanc 1986 J. Chave
4/96. Dinner at "Taillevent" in Paris.
Light color. Light and not particularly interesting nose. Totally dry taste
with little body and not much acidity.
The wine accompanied Pigeon Terrine. Boudin de Homard. Langoustine Tails. Sea
Bass in Olive-Oil. Grilled Turbot. Fillets of Red Snapper.
Wine cost $92. MARK: 16/20.
Vosne - Cros Parantoux 1985 H. Jayer
4/96. Dinner at "Taillevent" in Paris.
Very strong color, no clearing towards the rim. Wonderful nose of red forest
fruits surrounded by layers of additional complex aromas. Delicious taste of
lingering mature fruit. Good acidity and soft tannins. A remarkable wine in
perfect balance!
The wine accompanied Truffles in Pastry. Rabbit Pie. Suckling Lamb. Cheese.
Wine cost $150. MARK: 19/20.
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