A dinner with a Master of Burgundy: Clive Coates

Clive was staying with us at home for 3 days in Chicago. I set up a dinner in his honor last Tuesday, even though it was a root day :)

Clive passed his Master of wine in 1971 and has been a wine merchant for a long time. The, as we all know, he wrote what is, in my opinion, The reference, the Bible of Burgundy: Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy.


A revised edition, with a new section on Chablis has also been released: The wines of Burgundy.
Those 2 books are the only ones I need when I'm looking for any information on Burgundy.


We asked our friends who were joining the dinner to bring a bottle of Burgundy to share.

A few of the wines we had:

• 1990 Dom Perignon


• 1998 Pol Roger, Winston Churchill


• 1990 Clos de Tart


• 1998 Chambertin, Rousseau


• 1998 Chambertin Clos de Beze, Bruno Clair


• 1998 DRC Romanee St Vivant


• 2001 Confuron-Cotetidot, Gevrey Lavaux St Jacques


• 2001 Montrachet, M Coutoux


• 2002 Corton Charlemagne, Girardin


• 1996 Dugat Py, Petite Chapelle


• 1995 Chambolle Charmes, G Barthod


• 1999 Corton Renardes, M Delarche


• 1996 Chevalier Montrachet, Leflaive


• 2000 MSD, Dujac


• 1991 Gouges, NSG Vaucrains


• 2001 Chambolle, Mugnier


• 2003 Leroy, Savigny Les Ratausses


• 1997 Mikulski, Meursault Genevrieres


• 2006 Simmonet Febvre, Les Clos


• 2000 Corton Rognet, Ambroise


• 2003 Charmes Chambertin, N Potel


• 1985 Albert Morot, Beaune Bressandes


• 1988 Albert Morot, Beaune Bressandes


• 2007 Pernand Les Combottes, Rapet


• 2002 Chassagne Les Vergers, Jean-Marc Pillot


• 2007 Puligny Les Luzins, Marc Colin
  

It was a pleasure to drink with Clive and listen to his stories.

A great dinner with friends, bottles being passed around....exactly what wine is about.
Among Clive favorites, a pair of 1998s: Rousseau Chambertin and the Bruno Clair Clos de Beze and a wonderful and elegant 1990 Clos de Tart. Indeed, simply awesome wines!
But plenty of other wines showed very well, despite the root day: the 95 Barthod, the 2001 Confuron Cotetidot and a wonderful 1991 Gouges Vaucrains now at its peak.
2 big disapointments: a corked Dugat-Py and an unspiring Montrachet from Coutoux...oh well, even this was not enough to spoil a great evening!


The next day, Clive proposed to cook dinner for us. How can you say no to someone with culinary training?!!
A very good dover sole, enjoyed with Clive, my wife and 4 other friends. After the previous night fest and also to pair along our dinner, refreshing whites were in order.
We started with a perfect Michel Arnould Reserve Champagne.
Then we moved to a beautiful, balanced 2007 Clos des Briords VV Muscadet from Marc Ollivier. Mineral,refreshing. Very fine.

We quickly forgot a corked 2004 Raveneau MontMains (although I wonder why this has to happen with a Dugat-Py and Raveneau and not with an Argentinian malbec..). To replace it, we opened a great 1996 Chassagne Montrachet Les Champgains from Michel Niellon. At its peak now.
Also opened a 2002 Excelsior Clos du Poyet muscadet from Luneau-Papin. I have to admit that this wine did nothing for me.
A 2002 Deiss Engelgarten impressed me with its minerality and focus and a very good 2002 Dr. Bürklin Wolf Ruppertsberger Gaisböhl Riesling trocken.
Because no meal is complete without a red wine (not really but that's the only lame excuse I found), we opened a 1995 Dominique Laurent Volnay Caillerets with now the oak integrated and an absolutely wonderful 2004 Chambolle Musigny from Fourrier.

Beyond the wines which were very good, the company was even better. Really, what more can you ask than having good friends, good laughs when sharing good wine and food.
It was a delight to listen to Clive stories, parts of his life, Burgundian adventures...and much more!

Scotch Garglers Blind Tasting: Gevrey-Chambertin

Our tasting group, the Scotch Garglers (explanation to follow this spring/summer), gathered to taste blind some Gevrey Chambertin. No particular order meaning village, 1er and grand cru were all mixed up.
It was interesting to see if we were going to be able to recognize the village from the 1er and Grand Cru.








2001 Domaine Arlaud Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes Cuvée Unique Vieilles Vignes

Brickish rim. Beautiful elegant nose with floral and mineral notes. Nice red fruits.
On the palate, also nice and pure red fruits with some herbs, licorice and smoky notes. Refreshing minerality.
Great wine drinking very well right now.

2004 Domaine Fourrier Griottes-Chambertin Vieille Vigne

Showed much more dark fruits than the other wines from the line up along ripe strawberry. Round, more body. The wine is ripe but somehow shows some green tannins.
Got better with time but this will be interesting to see how it is going to evolve.

2005 Mongeard-Mugneret Gevrey-Chambertin

Boy what a great nose! Complex, cherry, red fruits with mushroom and earthy notes. Superb texture with quite a long finish.
Became a little less interesting withair as it became flabby. But this was a stunning wine upon opening.

1996 Sylvie Esmonin (Michel et Fille) Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

Very barnyardy, cheese rind nose but fruit hidden in the background. Drying finish with some metallic notes.
Recognized the Esmonin right away as I previously had it and, compared to the 97, it's always been a disappointment.

2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

Strange peanut butter notes on the nose. Creamy, low acidity, grenadine and cherry. very forward with oak showing more with air.
A shock when it was revealed it was the Rousseau.
Even more stange that I tried it to make sure the bottle was ok before the tasting and it showed a purity and freshness that could not be found after.

2006 Drouhin-Laroze Gevrey-Chambertin

Bright fruits on the nose with some floral notes. Very tannic with an unpleasant drying finish.
Palate is less exhuberant than the nose and thin with a short, slightly green finish.
Overall I really did not like this wine.

2005 Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

Shy nose not showing much at first. Red fruits and earthy notes. Not bad but undramatically drinkable.

2000 Domaine Pierre Gelin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

A Rather modern nose with some heat on the finish. Smoky oak but with an interesting earthiness and iodine notes.
Enjoyable.

Conclusion

My favorites were:

1- Arlaud Combottes
2- Mongeard Mugneret
3 - Fourrier Griottes
4 - Gelin Beze
5 - Rousseau Cazetiers
6- Latour Cazetiers
7 - Esmonin VV
8 - Drouhin Laroze


A great tasting overall with a lot of surprises.
-The 1st one was the very 1st wine itself! We all though this was a Grand Cru and I was not expecting to see that finesse with Arlaud.
-The Fourrier was a little disapointing, especially giving I usually enjoy his wines a lot.
-The Mongeard Mugneret was just stunning! I though it was the Rousseau (as the Rousseau was one of my wines and I tasted it before). Well not at all ! EVen if the wine did not show as well 3h after being opened, I say Bravo!
-Talking about the Rousseau, I wonder if someone changed the wine after I uncorked it! Unrecognizable, what happened? well I don't know, that's why I may have to drink another 4379 burgundies to try to start understanding those wines...!
-The Gelin, rather "modern", was interesting and enjoyable. I thought it was a Grand Cru because of the pure and long finish.

Overall, the straight village, well showed as such except for the Mongeard of course. Otherwise, pretty much everyone was spot on on the level of the wines..
Aren't we good? :-)