Had a fantastic tasting and dinner with a selection of wines from Burgundy, pairing a young vintage with an older version of the same wine for each flight, each paired with a dish created by Chef Joe Sparatta of Elements Restaurant to match the wines. What a perfect setting, a private table upstairs, endless passed appetizers including an heirloom tomato tart that was outstanding, pureed pepper soup, salmon tartare, all washed down with Eric Rodez Brut Rose Champagne. The rest of the evening included unbelievable food and seamless service - if you haven't been - go! The wines were presented by Olivier Daubresse, one of our favorite importers and one of the sharpest palates I have ever tasted with. His long term relationship with his growers and the sheer amount of time he spends in Burgundy in the cellars and vineyards selecting his wines has given him a depth of knowledge that is disseminated throughout the eveing in a fun, relaxed, honest and charmingly French accented manner.
The wines and details are below - normally the only way to get great older white Burgundy is to buy young wines and store them, but these gems are available - perfectly stored by either Olivier or in the cellars in France. Fortunately I am back to Elements for two more events in the next week (tough job but someone has to do it!) and will report on the rest of my Elements Trifecta. Here are the details and a list of the wines - older wines are available but limited - call 908.953.0900 or email me at Chris Cree if interested.
First Course: Local peach salad: quinoa, fleur de vert, black garlic, poppy seed sponge cake - unique, different and delicious!
2006 Domaine Larue St. Aubin en Remilly 1er cru $56.00/$48.00 - Pale straw color. Lovely crisp and fresh - still very primary. Great acidity and minerality with the hallmarks of the En Remilly site - still locked up with tight core of solid fruit. Great value, huge potential for the patient! Drink 2013-2016
2002 Domaine Larue St. Rubin en Remilly 1er cru $60.00/$51.00 - Hints of straw gold color, beautiful nose of clover, acacia, hazelnuts - complex and mature and beautiful! Silky, broad and developed on the plate, reinforcing the lovely scented nose - rich and showing lovely secondary notes, yet still fresh and not at all past prime. Declicious with this dish and a great example of the precision and quality Didier coaxes from this great terroir. An over acheiver!
Second Course: Wild King Salmon "white clam sauce", fines herbs risottoe - creamy warm and rich.
2006 Domaine Bzikot Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er cru $110.00/$92.00 - Sylvan Bzikot just gets better and better, a true rising star in the Puligny firmament! This 06, while a little tight and closed has tons of potential - stony, mineral, beautiful Puligny! Pale straw color, hint of pear, quince - youthful and tight, it has lost a little baby fat and not yet moved into its next phase. Lots of promise here, but linear and tight tonight, especially in contrast to its elders. Drink 2015-2020(+?) I like the older wine with this course, but I want a case of this in my cellar!
2004 Domaine Bzikot Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er cru $114.00/$95.00 - A hint of gold/amber, nutty, evolved, mid concentration with hazelnut and almost a hint of caramel. Not sure this has the depth to go too much longer, but a beautiful drink now. From now - 2013/4
Third Course: Griggstown pheasant: foie gras, corn, pork belly. This was another terrific disch, the rich fois gras and salty smoky pork belly bringing lovely contrast to the Pheasant. Again, the older wine won out! Imagine that!
2006 Domaine Borgeot Chassagne Montrachet Les Embrazees 1er cru $102.00/$85.00 - Still a little youthful but fuller and more open than the Bzikot 2006 folatieres, this is more opulent and upfront in style, creamier, less mineral - typical of the site. Still in first gear, drink 2013-2016
1999 Domaine Borgeot Chassagne Montrachet Les Embrazees 1er cru $112.00/$95.00 - came out a little cold and closed, with almost an earthy note - opened up nicely and put on weight and aromatics in the glass - mature and ready to drink, broad and mouth filling.
Fourth Course: Veal, potato, truffle, mushroom blanquette - again another hit, detailed and precise, each component defined on its own but when combined in a bite were fantastic. My desciption doesn't do it justice! perfect with the Grivault, the older one better but only by a nod.
2004 Domaine Albert Grivault Meursault Perrieres 1er cru $135.00/$110.00 - Ahhh! Grivault Perrieres! What can I say - these wines are great right out of the gate and everyday of their vinous lives, changing and evolving and improving way longer than their elegant understated style suggests. Jjust opening up but still quite youtful, primary and fresh. Som tropical fruits, orange blossom. One the palate mouth filling, silky, with a lovely creamy texture and good underlying acids. Again, in its youth but deliciously so!
1999 Domaine Albert Grivault Meursault Perrieres 1er cru $140.00/$119.00 - just a hint of color, and just beginning to show a trace of secondary notes this is an adolescent wine with a lot of promise. Beautifully detailed, elegant, seamless with discreet power and depth underneath. Another 5-10 easy, but delicious now and every day until it finally fades away.
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