fredag 31. juli 2015

Champagne of the Year 2015


Generalforsamlingen Vinklubben Kåte Rhoner 29.5.15







Cristal 1988, Louis Roederer
Lett gylden med epleskrott, Blanc de Blanc aktig og lett oksidativ. Litt slapp mousse med moden frukt. Jeg gjettet 1985. Men en veldig god fruktkonsentrasjon. Holder seg overraskende godt i glasset og blir bedre og bedre. Karakterfull og spennende. Kjerneessensen av årgangen 1988. En stor champagne. Selv om kanskje ikke det var en helt optimal flaske ble det CHAMPAGNE OF THE YEAR !  96 poeng.

Michael Edwards WoFW:
One of the few remaining great family houses of Champagne, Louis Roederer has one priceless asset that its rivals lack: Almost every one of its Vintage cuvées-certainly the magnificent Cristal-is made exclusively from grapes grown in its 230ha (568 acres) of enviably placed vineyards on the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs, and the Grande Vallée de la Marne; these holdings also supply two thirds of the house's needs for the Roederer Brut Premier NV. Such a high proportion of "estate" grapes is very rare in a grande maison, giving inherently superior quality and control at every stage of production.
This explains why Roederer can often release Vintages earlier than its rivals, based on wine maestro Jean- Baptiste Lécaillon and his team's intimate knowledge of the optimally ripe parcels within the predominantly grand cru structure of the estate.
Actually, the modern trend toward a more parcel-by-parcel approach to Champagne-making is nothing new at Roederer. As early as 1845, the family realized this concept in its choice of vineyard sites in creating a highly distinctive Vintage style based on the chalkiest, coolest, and most durable plots of the northern Montagne at Verzenay and Verzy: V & V, the heavenly twins, have always been about density of texture, intensity of mineral flavors, and potential for long aging. Such is their strong personality, says Lécaillon, "the terroir takes over from the varietal characteristic."
Introducing this tasting, Lécaillon also gave us his thoughts about ideal disgorgement dates and adaptions in vineyard husbandry and winemaking techniques-set against the backcloth of climate change in warmer autumns but also mercurial weather patterns, especially chaotic distribution of rainfall. "Our wines are much riper than they were 15 years ago, so they don't need to remain on lees (for the richness these give) for much more than three to four years now." A diplomatic way of saying that he is not a fan of latedisgorgement. To guard compensating freshness, several of the best Vintage cuvées are made wholly or partially avoiding the malo. But Lécaillon's real long-term achievement is likely to be his measured introduction of organic viticulture. Going further, Roederer's 40ha (100 acres) of biodynamically cultivated plots within the estate is the largest development of its kind in Champagne. No one understands better than Lécaillon's team the fundamental paradox of winemaking in the Marne, subject as it is to maritime and continental influences in contrasting vintages. "In an 'Atlantic' vintage like 2011, I've no doubt that the biodynamic parcels were the most successful; in riper 'continental' years (2005, 2002) I'm not so sure," is Lécaillon's insight. 
The Vintage rosés were shown rightly in the bloom of youthful fruit. At Roederer, they are made in a special way: the Pinot Noir berries are cold soaked in their juice, to which is added a touch of Chouilly Chardonnay. The encépagement for Vintage whites is 70% Pinot Noir / 30% Chardonnay. Dosage nowadays is 8-10g/l 



Cristal 1990, Louis Roederer
Ikke så utviklet som 1988, breial og stor i munnen. Autolyse og moden frukt. God kompleksitet og lang ettersmak. En veldig vinøs burgunderaktig Grand Cru champagne. Litt lettere i munnen med touch av marmelade, honning, herreskuff og møllkuler. Litt mere brun frukt enn 88, kanskje litt kork også. En ikke helt optimal flaske ? Men godt var det ! 95 poeng





Krug 1996
Sjø, syrlig og slank. Saltaktig, nonmalo, papp, citrus, "mother earth" med stålskjelett. Bør lagres og denne champagnen har et enormt potensiale. Sitronsyra vasker bort alt ved hver slurk. Forfriskende med bivoks, honning og jeg var på Salon eller Cristal. Fine nyanser her, veldig detaljert og ungdommelig. Takler fatet utmerket. Mineralitet, stein og grus. 96 poeng.






Champagne Brut 1976, Roualet-Crochet
Vanilje, kremet og kompleks nese med marsipan og endel fat. Rik og en fantastisk nese, men mangler endel friskhet vs. Krug 96. Forførende og "up-front", nesten litt "Heidsiecks" i stilen, men best den første halvtimen. Korrekt og fast med et godt munngrep. Kaffe med bitterhet og er nok relativt nygogget. Viser årgangens storhet. 94 poeng.






Cuvèe des Archives 2002, Collard-Picard 
Lys strågul, yngre vin på nesa med fat og endel dosage. Fet ettersmak, dør endel i glasset og den bør fortsatt lagres. Mister endel spenst i glasset inntil ny skjenk kommer. Kormokjeks, litt bitter og vanskelig i munnen. Vi hadde denne også på champagneturen i oktober 2014 og den virket da som en bedre champagne. 93 poeng.

Fra champagneturen 2014: Cuvèe des Archives Brut Millesimè 2002, Champagne Collard-Picard; delikat, uendelig lang og god munnfølelse, perfekt balanse, litt syltet frukt, presis og konsentrert. Litt uenighet om kvalitet, men jeg syntes dette var fabelaktig ! Men til 300 euro da.  95 poeng.





Jacquart Brut Mosaique NV
Blek farge, snev av strågul med uelegant nese som bør lagres. Litt sødme og dosage, rik i munnen med ivrige bobler. Brioche, trang og lite utviklet. Kremet, spenstig og denne klarte seg overraskende godt i et krevende selskap. Og Kim og Knut likte denne spesielt godt... Til kr. 350,- er dette et bra kjøp. 92 poeng.


mandag 27. juli 2015

Bordeaux 1995


Generalforsamlingen Vinklubben Kåte Rhoner fredag 28.5.2015:



Konklusjon: Årgangen kom etter flere dårligere årganger og årgangen er nok hauset endel opp. Det var mye grønne og stilkete tanniner, vinene viste god klassisk friskhet, men på den lette siden mht. fruktyngde og lengde. Fremdeles endel tanniner og i flere viner vil frukten slite med å holde følge. Det som kanskje var mest overraskende var at vi slet med å identifisere kommuner og side av elven. Synd vi ikke hadde flere østsideviner; årgangen er nok mest vellykket på denne siden.


                                               

Chateau Leoville Lascases 1995, St. Julien
Fremdeles lilla kant, ung med solide tanniner. Delikat og elegant rødbærsfrukt, vanner litt ut og har ikke dybden som som de andre hadde. Noe grønt og "leafy", kirsebær og lett i formatet. Overrasket hvis dette blir dypere og bedre. 92 poeng.



Chateau Leoville Poyferre 1995, St. Julien
Ung og parfymert med litt grove "upfront" tanniner. Solbær, sigar og kompleks. Underskog og dypere i frukten. Frisk og bør fortsatt lagres. 94 poeng




Chateau Leoville Barton 1995, St. Julien
Lukket, "muted"  med mye underliggende trøkk. Tydelig Cabernet, kanel og krydder. Lang ettersmak, tørrende og bør lagres. Igjen viser Leoville Barton seg som det suverent beste kjøpet.
93 poeng

Alle tre bør lagres ytterligere, de hadde alle litt "gammeldagse" tørre tanniner. Vil noen bli for tørre i frukten ? De viste pene og fragrante neser. Flighten ble drukket uten mat noe de trenger. Igjen påfallende at Lascase`n er vanskelig å drikke, selv etter 20 år.




Chateau Rauzan Segla 1995, Margaux
Mørk og kompakt med bra syre. Sigar, bra tanniner, snev av varm frukt & rosin. Floral, kirsebær, noe grønt og pen rødbærsfrukt. 92 poeng.



Chateau Haut-Bailly 1995, Pessac-Leognan
Litt mere brun i kanten. Lettere og hul i munnen. Således litt typisk for slottet. Fragrant, spiss og tynn i frukten. Men snev av eksotisk frukt. Drikker godt nå og bør nødvendigvis ikke lagres så mye lengre. 91 poeng.



Chateau Lynch Bages 1995, Pauillac
Kort i munnen og snev av kokt frukt. Lett og tørrer veldig i "finish". Viser slottets vei mot "modernismen". Solide tanniner, litt lukket og flere trodde dette var Haut Bailly. Ingen typisk "sigar-pauillac" og igjen en skuffende Lynch Bages. 90 poeng.



Chateau La Fleur-Petrus 1995, Pomerol
Mere krydder og et eksotisk uttrykk. Citrus, floral og myggspiral. Tobakk med noe undermodent grønt ledet oss mot vest. Og det er nok endel Cabernet Franc i denne. Fin modning på frukten og den beste vinen i rekka. 93 poeng.




Chateau Angelus 1995, St. Emilion 
Mørk sursøt og bra med tanniner. Solbær og åpen. Viser slottets start mot A-klassifiseringen. Solid vin med en tettvevet struktur. Eksostisk og aromatisk krydder. Skogbunn, rik, floral med søt tobakk. En meget vellykket årgang for slottet. 93 poeng.




Chateau Montrose 1995, St. Estephe 
Elegant med blomster, litt bitter og lite fullmoden. Sedertre og jordlig. Litt hard på kanten og bør lagres. Således litt typisk Montrose. Igjen litt grønn undermoden stil. 92 poeng.


søndag 19. juli 2015

Spansk hvitvin bedre enn Le Montrachet ?

Fredag 28.5.2015 Stavern


Vi startet med et par velkomstviner:




Champagne La Chapelle du Clos Blanc de Blancs NV, Cazals
Are og Kim hadde med den samme champagnen ! Endel dosage. Den virker moden og drikkeklar allerede. Bra syre holder den opp på greit nivå. 87 poeng

DN.no: 
Innesluttet på duft med hint av epler og toast. Pen fersk og frisk frukt på smak med en spenstig syre og delikat frukt. Lang tørr og bitende utgang. 90 poeng





Testalonga El Bandido Cortez 2014, Swartland 
Blomster på nesa, Chenin Blanc syre, stram med endel fedme i munnen. Uharmonisk balanse og munnfølelse. Roar sa han drakk betydelig bedre og rimeligere hvitviner i Sør Afrika. Hvorfor kommer de ikke til Norge ? 85 poeng.

Fra BA;
Terningkast 5: 1959101 Testalonga El Bandito Cortez 2014, 11,5 prosent vol, Testalonga Wines, Swartland/Sør-Afrika, 75 cl, 284,90 kroner. Bestillingsutvalg. Strågul med vandig kant. Aromaer av gule, nypressede epler, sitrus og mineraler. Fersk eplefrukt i smak med god konsentrasjon og en tiltalende frisk syrlighet. Chenin Blanc kalles «Steen» i Sør-Afrika og er en drue som trives på dette kontinentet – langt fra hjemstedet i franske Loire. Til god sjømat.


White Wine of the Year 2015






Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 1993, F. Raveneau
Gul og gylden, snev av sherry og avreven linoleum på nesa. Frisk og intakt munnfølelse med en imponerende lengde,  Nesa blir også bedre i glasset over tid. Eplecider, litt tynn i munnen og ingen tydelig og klar Chablis. En ikke helt optimal flaske. Som ofte med slike viner gjetter vi på Loire.
89 poeng.




TECHNICAL INFORMATION

WINEBLENDVINE AGESOIL TYPEVINEYARD AREA*
Les Clos Grand Cru
Chardonnay45 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone.50 ha
Blanchot Grand Cru
Chardonnay55 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone.64 ha
Valmur Grand Cru
Chardonnay40 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone.75 ha
Chablis 1er Cru
Vaillons
Chardonnay33 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone.40 ha
Chablis 1er Cru
Butteaux
Chardonnay45 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone1.49 ha
Chablis 1er Cru
Montée de Tonnerre
Chardonnay50 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone2.51 ha
Chablis 1er Cru
Forêt
Chardonnay15 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone.67 ha
Chablis 1er Cru
Monts-Mains
Chardonnay20 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone.36 ha
Chablis
Chardonnay9 years averageKimmeridgian Limestone.91 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Harvested by hand
• Grapes pressed gently by pneumatic press
• Only indigenous yeasts are used
• Juice is left to settle, and then racked off its lees into cuve to ferment
• Alcoholic fermentation takes two weeks, followed by a malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Wines are aged for 18 months in older oak barrel and feuillette (most of which comes from barrel-maker Chassin), of which a very small percentage is new







Chardonnay Coleccion 125 Bianco 2006, Bodegas Chivite
Lett oksidasjon på nesa, kamskjell, marsipan, rik og aromatisk. Men en bra syre redder det hele. Møllkuler, noe botrytis og en annerledes og spennende hvitvin. Nedfallsepler, fat, intens og moden. Vinen holder seg bra og gjorde det overraskende godt mot høyverdige motstandere. Godt hjulpet av 95 poeng fra Kim !  Et godt kjøp til ca kr. 260,-. 92 poeng.





Le Montrachet Grand Cru 2007, Domaine Blain-Gagnard
Maiskolbe, mye eik, rik og konsentrert. Solid, virker fremdeles ung, spearmint, grønn og litt kledelig undermoden. Leflaive ? Særdeles elegant, kjølig frukt, tydelig mineralitet og jordsmonn, brent aske, lett plastikk, sykkelslange og talkum. En karakterfull og stor hvitvin. 94 poeng


Montrachet was recognized as a Grand Cru AOC in 1937, as was its neighbor Bâtard-Montrachet. The rules changed little that producers did not already have in place; yields, minimum alcohol (12%) and the grape variety (100% Chardonnay only) were regulated. Even before then, the limited production numbers and sheer outstanding brilliance of the wines had made Montrachets popular among those few people who could afford them. During the mid-20th century Montrachet cemented its reputation with a number of great Burgundian vintages.
Buying into a Montrachet plot of land was something that only the most wealthy and ambitious producers attempted. A Montrachet belonged in the cellar of every ambitious (or affleunt) wine collector. Certainly Montrachet never had a monopoly on dry white wine, but it's clear that into the 1970s no area could be considered clearly superior. Therefore it is a baffling error that no Montrachet was included in the 1976 Judgement of Paris. Instead, a Bâtard-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru were selected to represent the Montrachet wines. Certainly, Bâtard-Montrachet is one of the leading Burgundy Grand Crus, but then and now Montrachet is considered clearly superior.
As a result of Burgundy's loss to California in the Judgement, the prices and reputation of Montrachet were dragged down along with the rest of white Burgundies. And as with all white Burgundies, Montrachet producers took the opportunity to up the ante and improve the quality of their wine. Nowadays, many California fans continue to discredit Montrachet, but the many diehard fans still consider it to be the best place for dry white wine in the world.

Climate and Viticulture

Clearly, there are no inferior weather conditions on the Montrachet slope that contains no less than 5 Grand Cru vineyards. The weather is perfect, as is the concentration of limestone in the soil. Yields are low, and the whole slope is sheltered enough from wind to prevent the wine from getting unpleasantly lean or unripe. But what makes Montrachet the best of all the Montrachet Grand Crus?
This is a difficult question, and most likely its answer is more difficult than we might like it to be. But it is difficult to question the fact that Montrachet has the most perfect limestone slopes in the Montrachet areas. The Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, as well as the village wines, are somewhat flat. Bâtard-Montrachet is sloped, but Montrachet has a very natural, even slope that lends character and elegance to the wine. Chevalier-Montrachet's slope is more acute, meaning that the wine is slightly more austere. The factor of slope is a simple viticultural phenomenon, and it's no coincidence that the richest and most elegant white wines are made on hills. And as it happens, Montrachet has the best slope in its area.

Grape Varieties

  • Chardonnay: Since it is not allowed to label red wine--from Pinot Noir or any other grape--as Montrachet, Chardonnay steals the spotlight as the main Montrachet varietal. In fact, Montrachet's white wine must be varietal Chardonnay, and blending is illegal. Therefore we have 100% Chardonnay wines that quite simply epitomize Burgundian Chardonnay. Many people argue that they are the best dry whites in the world, and history has certainly honored this position, but of course continuing challenges from California, New Zealand, South Africa, and numerous other areas has kept Montrachet's superiority a question mark. But within the Montrachet areas, which are themselves a large hub for reliably elegant, rich but dry, incredibly complex and refined wines, Montrachet is the undoubted leader. Chardonnay makes a generally fruitier wine here than it does in Bâtard-Montrachet, lacking the mineral edge that, to the inexperienced taster, can be construed as unpleasant. They exemplify purity, starting out with exotic fruit flavors, and on the palate having a saturating richness of butter and spice. Into the long finish, they remain completely dry. These are incredibly powerful wines, but they are never heavy, which is rare even in the Côte de Beaune. More impressively, they tend to age longer than any other dry Chardonnays; they will be more mellow but with the same impressive richness in 10 years, but will still be going at 20. At 25, they begin to fade, but even after that marker they will still offer great flavor and concentration.

Major Producers

Here is a list of the Montrachets that are generally considered to be world-class. This does not include certain very limited-production wines that are highly rated, but are almost impossible for anyone to obtain in the USA. A prime example of this is Domaine Leroy, whose very rare--although certainly excellent--wines are a true feat to find and purchase.
A note on price: $200 in Montrachet or Le Montrachet is almost suspiciously below-par. In fact, one should expect to pay at least $350 for an entry-level Montrachet, and $600 for a world-class bottle. More limited-production, "boutique" domaines such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti will charge well into the thousands for a bottle, but these prices are based on collectibility more than actual quality. Here is a list of the 9 wines.
  • Bouchard Pere et Fils: Like five of the 9 wines on this list, Bouchard's Montrachet is made on the Chassagne-Montrachet side of the vineyard and is called Le Montrachet. As in many other Grands Crus, Bouchard proves that its size is no obstacle, and that in its case quality is very much consistent with quantity. Few bad vintages get in the way of Bouchard's very consistent Montrachet offerings. Many Bouchard vintages are explosively powerful in their youth, with a creamy richness powerfully backed up by pear, apple, and nut flavors. The exotic scents are sometimes too overpowering and have to be given time to mellow; since sometimes the Bouchard vintages are in a more backward style, 10 years of aging for any Bouchard Montrachet is probably a must. An exotically rich but totally dry wine, one of the classics of Montrachet, even if it must age in order to show its best side. New vintages are usually somewhere between $500 and $700.
  • Domaine du Comte Lafon: Lafon's Montrachet holdings also happen to be on the Chassagne side of the Grand Cru. These wines are extremely elegant with a richness of flavor that makes them approachable in their youth. But while having great refinement, they are also some of the most unabashedly aggressive white Burgundies. With the power-wine trademarks of deep, intense flavors, scents of smoke and oak, and a long, saturating finish, these wines have some of the most intense, concentrated character of any wine in Montrachet. They are sweet in their richness but deep and intense enough to never be cloying. It's unquestionable that this is one of the four best Montrachets, but on sheer power alone it's hard to see any other domaines that can rival it. Try 10-12 years of aging in order to get a more mellow--but surely still rich and powerful--wine, although early drinking would certainly be intriguing. This is definitely a boutique producer, and count yourself among the lucky if you are able to obtain a bottle from any vintage (excepting perhaps the subpar 2003) for under $1000. Indeed, some of the older bottles can range closer to $2000, and well above that when sold by private collectors.
  • Drouhin: Drouhin's rows of Chardonnay grapes, which lie in the Puligny-Montrachet part of the vineyard, are actually not holdings but are instead leased to them by the original owners, the Laguiche family. As a result, "Marquis de Laguiche" is appended after Montrachet on the label. These rows were always excellent, but in recent years the resulting wines have become more consistently stellar, now placing Drouhin very certainly on the list of Montrachet's top producers. These are some of the most exotic, wildly scented wines of Montrachet; nobody ever said these flavors lacked diversity, but new ones for this wine have been added such as quinine, violet, and sugar. It's a very sophisticated and complex wine, with few vintages in which it doesn't reach a burstingly rich, pleasantly sweet quality. They also have a long finish on which the creamy oak tendency shows through. These can age with the best of the Montrachets, but can be approached earlier on as well. Certain vintages are in the $350 range, but most of the time they are over $600.
  • Jadot: Some négociants have not made it into this list, but Jadot competes in the very small, competition-fraught area of Montrachet as well, with apparent success. This wine comes from the Chassagne side of the Grand Cru. It is some very intense wine when young, and although it can be drunk young for its explosive, aggressive nature, aging is necessary to let the flavors harmonize with the acidity and sheer power. With time, the flavors usually will mellow into a nutty, spicy richness with flavors of clove, almonds, and a number of exotic scents. This has to be aged for 8-10 years, but other than that it is in no way inferior to much more expensive Montrachets. As usual for Jadot, the prices are much less than those of other producers. In this case they usually are between $300 and $400 for new bottles.
  • Domaine Leflaive: Located in Puligny-Montrachet, Leflaive's holdings make very good Montrachets. Unlike many other Montrachets, they are dangerously austere in their youth and lack the explosive, exotically tinged richness that characterizes most Montrachets. Ideally they will pick this quality up after 5-10 years, since they certainly are deep and complex enough to make this a plausible development. They are incredibly sweet, and will become less lean with age to fill out into a great maturity. Even in the beginning, they have impressive aromas of stones, oak, and intense minerals. An unusual but still great Montrachet. It's a very collectible Montrachet, though, and much of what gets brought into America is snapped up immediately. Used prices have been known to exceed $2500.
  • Lucien Le Moine: There isn't much of this wine, and on production it becomes immediately collectible, but it's one of the best Montrachets. The rows, located on the Puligny-Montrachet side, yield wine of great complexity and richness, but there's greatly precise acidity to cut through the buttery sweetness. The 2005 was particularly lauded. This wine is sheer power, but also prides itself on its balance. The right compromise is apparently struck, and in 10 years the wine may become even more stellar. Unfortunately, it's pretty hard to obtain a new bottle of this wine.
  • Domaine Ramonet: Ramonet's vineyards are located in Chassagne-Montrachet. These are some of the most classy, but not necessarily expensive, wines of the Montrachet Grand Cru, showing Ramonet's typical commitment to a reasonable blend of powerful intensity and light elegance. There's a lot of power on the nose, palate, and finish, with flavors ranging from exotic peach and citrus to more Burgundian nut and smoky cream flavors. But description is largely irrelevant as the wines change with time to become even more refined and sophisticated. In short, this is a wine that makes the right compromise between power and elegance. In the best vintages they shouldn't be opened for 15 years or so later, but less impressive vintages can be opened early in order to appreciate their power and richness while it's still present. The wines range from $550 to $1200, and tend to settle in the $700 range. Older vintages, however, will probably run closer to $2000, especially if they are from classic Burgundy years such as 1990.
  • Domaine de la Romanée-Conti: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the most brilliant and expensive red wine producer in the Côte de Nuits and perhaps the world, has only one white wine holding. This is about a tenth of the Montrachet Grand Cru vineyard; all of this land is on the Puligny-Montrachet side of the vineyard. The same production value and low yields are applied in Montrachet as they are in the Côte de Nuits, and while not nearly as expensive, the resulting wines still lead the area in terms of price. These are amazingly powerful wines, made in the classic Montrachet style that the area has become known for. Ideally, they have a bit more depth and heaviness to make the flavors that much more impressive. Very masculine Montrachet in general, the wine has buttery aromas but also somewhat exotic notes of honey, clove, pineapple, and peach. A minerality is also present, although it's never intrusive. These wines are rich but, importantly, not at all sweet, so 10-15 years of bottle aging is wise. New vintages tend to be in between $2000 and $7000, but those interested in buying a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti probably don't care much about the price.
  • Domaine Sauzet: Sauzet has to be considered a leading producer in Montrachet as well as Bâtard-Montrachet; these heavy wines are quite impressive both young and when drunk with some bottle age. The Montrachet holdings are located entirely on the Chassagne-Montrachet side of the vineyard. They are highly textured, layered wines that are too intense to be drunk at a young age. But even in their closed, unapproachable nature they display a broad, layered complexity of exotic flowers and some minerals. In addition, the usual buttery vanilla notes of oak are noticeable. For powerful Montrachet it's pretty hard to beat this domaine, as the wines show a monstrous finish as well as great power on the palate. But yet they still have a great elegance. Hopefully, exotic fruits will come more into view with age, and the edge will fade away, making for a luscious mellow wine. One of these bottles should cost about $500 new.







Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2004, Domaine Leflaive
Mere utviklet i stil enn forrige vin, men fremdeles limey, deilig og fresh i munnen. Smør, harpiks og kjølig. Svakt undermoden og relativt typisk for "årgangens" mineralske karakter. Lett eple, honning og marsipan. Endel kompleksitet, urtete med litt mye alkohol i finish kanskje ? Citrus. Kan lagres ytterligere. 94 poeng




                                               


Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2008, Domaine Ramonet
Litt nøytral på nesa, mere elegant i munnen med "ramonesk grønske" og transparent tekstur. Yngst i rekka ? Lite utviklet og bør lagres, Vanskelig å vurdere nå. 94 poeng.




Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2005, Vincent Girardin
Litt støv i glasset, klassisk ung hvit burgunder, nesten montrachet-konsentrasjon her, veldig god balanse, skarp og presis syre med lang ettersmak. Krydret stil og pen munnfølelse. 94 poeng WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR 2015 !! (medtatt av Knut)




Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2007, Henri Boillot
Gulgrønn og transparent, rik og aromatisk. Moden frukt og endel alkohol i finish. Kraftig i uttrykket med fatkrydder, koriander og mister litt sjarmen over tid i glasset. Øyvind mente denne ikke var som den skulle. Som forsterkes av en svak oksidativ tone. Rar vin, også et lite snev av kork og sjø. Flere gjettet Chablis ! 92 poeng.