oeneous geriophilia - Vallet freres Vosne Romanee "Malconsorts" 1952

Wowsers, after last nights super young claret, comes tonights geriatric burgundy in the form of a 52 Vosne Romanee. I had been given the responsability of choosing the red between a 59 Bonnes Mares, a 52 Vosne or a 58 Romanee St Vivant. I chose the Vosne because it had the safest ullage level (equivalent to top shoulder in a burg bottle) whereas the other two were a rather alarming 2 to 3 inches short of the cork!!
The cork was covered in a bright red plume of mould, and coloured all the way through with red wine. I wasnt too hopeful of the wine. But it opened up really well, the nose was surprisingly complex still with a richly flavoured fruit layer and mature burgundy aromas - a combination of leather, dark tea, tobacco and earth with a slight hint of exotic truffle/mushroom. On the palate the wine was smooth and silky, soft red fruit flavours wrapped up with a hint of licorice root, mulberry and soft eastern spices. The length just kept on going and the finish was a touch spicy with a gamey edge. Unbelievably it kept on improving in the glass over time, and seemed to show no sign of fading over the next two hours. I was slightly gobsmacked and sad that it was my last bottle. I suspect that were I to ask Bernard for some more, I could get some if he had any, but I think that I would much rather go out on a high with that bottle. Just goes to show though, that you never can tell what its like till you pull the cork.

Vallet Freres Auxey Duresses, 2003

Its our last table of the night, a quiet night at that, and they are sat there pondering the wine-list. Ive had a quick look at their order, and tonight they've chosen the gastronomic menu. Im a bit surprised, the menu is quite an adventurous one this week, Simon has opted for a pigeon starter and lobster main course, but after all these years I ought to know not to make assumptions anymore. So a bit of eavesdropping and I can hear her talking about the Hunter Valley, my mind flashes across the Aussie section of the wine-list, Ive only got one Hunter wine - a semillon from Keith Tulloch. But again they surprise me when I ask if they need any help, the wine-list is closed and handed back to me with the words "Yes! We'd like you to chose us a white wine for our meal"

Forty questions run through my mind, but I dont have all night, so I cut it short - new world or old - they chose old. Crisp and dry, full bodied and oaky or somewhere inbetween? - they want something a bit more towards the oaky but not a full on oak bomb. So Im looking at Burgundy. Now bugundy is never cheap, so I have to get some kind of idea how much they are considering spending, but for all I know they guy might be on a date and I dont want to make him look cheap in front of the lady. So what I do is come up with five suggestions - three cheap to middle (£30 - 60) and two more expensive options (£50-100). He plumps for the Auxey Duresses (£45). Nice choice!

I worked the vintage at Vallet last year, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my career. So any chance to promote Bernard's wine, and I'm there. I did the whole presenting the bottle thing, then back at my station, ran my wine-knife under the lip of the bottle in a smooth circle to cut the foil, carefully removing it. The cork smells bad, TCA bad. Now that doesnt always mean the wine is going to be tainted, but usually when the cork smells this bad, I wouldnt bet against it. Sure enough as I pull the cork out, the horribly musty smell of TCA comes full frontal out the bottle and sends me backwards. This is nasty. So a short trip down to the cellar to retrieve another bottle and we're back cooking with gas. This one is perfect, clean, prominant aromas of toasty oak, vanilla, straw and honey with a kind of beurre noisette tone to it.

They loved it.

Vallet Freres Charmes-Chambertin 1979

This became the follow on bottle to the 59 Latricieres. This is the wine that I managed to identify when tasted blind at Louis Vallet's flat in Gevrey when I went over for the Vendage last year. So there is a special place in my heart for this wine, and tonight it shone!

Very pale colour to it, with a slightly watery rim, browning right through to the core of the wine, giving it a light rustyness. On the nose the scent is divine, soft fragrant fruits with a light touch of licorice and silky smooth aroma of strawberry fruits and something a little bit feral at the edge of the wine. On the palate the wine quite literally charms you with its simple elegance - the soft red fruit flavours having a hint of light exotic spice and perhaps a hint of anise. Over the space of an hour the wine seemed to grow in the glass, with the anise taking less of a presence and the fruit taking on an extra level of ripeness.



Mr B loved it, which was the effect that I was aiming for!

Vallet Freres Latricieres Chambertin 1959

I had high hopes for this wine. Instead they were slightly dashed. This was an interesting wine, not good, but at the same time not bad just meh. It was a kind of reverse donut - there wasnt much up front, then the fruit came forward a bit and there was just nothing at the finish. Well actually thats not quite true. At the end there was an unpleasant sensation not too dissimilar to that striking bitterness that comes from tasting earwax. It stayed on the palate for far too long as well (the earwaxyness that is), almost tainting the next wine that I tasted. Shame really, but such is wine.

Gourmet Evening Again - Vallet Freres

My god how the months fly by! It hardly seems like last week we were having the last gourmet evening, and here's the next one already. Tonight Im very chuffed to have Bernard Vallet from Vallet freres here, to show his wines. All the more so, because all being well, Im going to France in October to Vallet freres to work a harvest. Its the first time that Ive done that, so Im really looking forward to it, although Im well aware its going to be hard work. But the thing is, its easy enough to read all about burgundy, to look at maps and see the villages - Volnay, pommard, meursault, gevrey-chambertin etc etc, but I think that to actually get out there, to physically see the land, the vines, to pick the grapes, work in the winery and really get my hands dirty will give me a much better feel for the region and its wines.

Many colleagues and peers have all told me that the best way to get an understanding of a region is to be there, to stand in the vineyards and feel the soil under their feet. To feel the heat/cool/wind/mist to experience the climate that the grapes are exposed to. To spend time in the wineries, smell the new oak casks as they are filled with wine fresh from the fermenters. All those wonderful experiences which I havent had yet. So Im really looking forward to it. Hopefully we will get some time to ourselves to go and explore the region a little bit as well.

Well tonights menu looks good, and Bernard and Ed have arrived, so I need to go and brief the man on what happens tonight. Hopefully if it isnt too late I will post something afterwards.

grazza