A prostigious dinner

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:46 pm

We had a very nice dinner on Tuesday at Tetsuyas. The picture is of our wines enjoying the cool evening air before the dinner. I am doing the notes from memory so they will be vague and a bit shabby, but better than nothing I suppose.

Diebolt-Vallois Champagne 1999
This is a small maker champagne which the owner insisted was 'much better than that coarse bubbled industrial swill' Dom Perignon that is my preferred tipple. Anyway I am not much chop at writing notes on sparkling wine. This one was a creamy full bodied style with fine bubbles and excellent length. Liked it very much - not as much as Dom though. 93 points

Domaine J.N Gagnard Batard Montrachet 2001 - Grand Cru
Nice and open. Citrus, stonefruit, struck match and plenty of lovely spicy oak. Intense rich weighty palate with citrus, apricot and oak flavours. Creamy but with penetrating acidity. Very very long. Really needs time. Drink 2009-2017. 95+ points

Domaine Rousseau Le Chambertin 2000 - Grand Cru
Such a pretty colour - shining limpid ruby. Fragrant with raspberry liqueur and fresh raspberry, spice, roses, some sappy overtones. Smell constantly changing - some licorice later on. Fine raspberry/red fruit palate. Quite crisp. Everthing in balance. Great purity. Long and expansive on the finish. A ballerina. 96+ Points

Chateau Pichon Baron 1995 - Pauillac - 2nd growth
Open. Blackcurrant/cherry, cedar, tobacco and a fairly stong but attractive smoky/horsey smell. Rich fat palate with firm tannins. Not sweet but ripe. Earthy blackcurrant/plum flavours. Good length. Looked a bit shabby after the next wine was opened but still a good performer and an excellent wine.94 points

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1990 - St Emillon - Grand Cru
Joy of joys yet another meeting with my favourite wine of all time. Good colour. Beautiful smelling wine - raspberry, licorice, sweet dried herbs, spice, chocolate, charcoal. Perfect balance on the palate. Smooth and ripe but so elegant. Ridiculously long. Maybe I should give it a 100 points - everyone else did. 99 points

Chateau De Fargues 2001 Sauterne
A single estate wine made owned by the famous Lur Saluces family..and from a great vintage. Sulphur, oak, rich cumquat/apricot fruit. This one is a bit one dimensional at this stage. Needs another 20 years. I am not rating it now. I was an idiot for bringing this.

..and because we were still thirsty we ordered from the winelist.

Domaine Bernard Dugat-Py "Coeur de Roy" Vielles Vignes 1997 - AC Gevrey Chambertin
Smells very stongly of fresh cow poo and then red fruit. Opened up after a while and the fruit came up. Fine minerally slatey palate. Good finish. Hmmmm. I'll make up a score. 91 points

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:59 pm

Yeah, I know, even I would have enjoyed the Burgundies as well as the Bordeaux, you just posted this to make us all jealous.

You are obviously vastly over-paid. :-)

Max · Post by **Max** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:03 am

Boy! I need the kind of jobs people like Gary have! I think last wine I brought to a BYO was a bottle of NV Fleur de Lys at a pizza place for lunch with the other half... working as a writer at a newspaper in WA certainly isn't flushed with cash!

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:02 am

That is curious..I keep telling em I am vastly underpaid. No one listens as usual.

Tets is about a once a year thing - which is what makes it special. The service is impeccable. No rush with the wines and the food always appeared at just the right time. 11 courses (I think)

The Rousseau is very voung still but less $ than a bottle of Grange..I know what I would rather drink - although vastly different styles of couse.(I like Grange).

GW

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:52 am

Gary W wrote:That is curious..I keep telling em I am vastly underpaid. No one listens as usual.

They must be checking your web site to see how much wine you drink... ;-)

GraemeG · Post by **GraemeG** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:23 am

Lots of young wines here. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I always feel if you're going to open these top sehlf jobs at under 10 years of age they should refund part of your money...

I guess the PB has got some time yet to improve - I drank a 94 recently and although it's at peak the vintage was far less impressive.

Of course, with the state of white burgundy production these days it seems you drank yours at about the right time...

cheers,
Graeme

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:32 am

Ooh, some cracking wines there.

I've had Cheval Blanc once in my lifetime, 86 or 89 I think, one of my top wines of all time.

Rousseau rocks. It just does.

Anything with the words Gagnard and Montrachet in it rocks too.

I had the 01 de Fargues earlier this year, very nice wine. Searingly intense at this stage from memory with a looooong life in front of it.

We're visiting Tetsuyas in July, I must dig very deep.

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:35 am

GraemeG wrote:Lots of young wines here. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I always feel if you're going to open these top sehlf jobs at under 10 years of age they should refund part of your money...
I guess the PB has got some time yet to improve - I drank a 94 recently and although it's at peak the vintage was far less impressive.

Of course, with the state of white burgundy production these days it seems you drank yours at about the right time...

cheers,
Graeme

1999 Champagne ready to go - but with time.
2000 Burgundies are quite accessable though young. A lovely ripe vintage.
1990 Cheval is 100% ready now - trust me...but has lots of time.
1997 Dugat certainly ready.
2001 Batard - a big robust drink now but very enjoyable.
2001 Sauterne a waste.
1995 Pichon Baron is ready now but can be kept.

GW

Hacker · Post by **Hacker** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:04 pm

Gary,

was the Diebolt the 'Fleur de Passion' or the Prestige?
and is prostigious a level above prodigious?

cheers,

DM

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:12 pm

I never saw the bottle (or paid attention). I will find out.

Prostigious is Adam/Antonio's word - a combination of prestigious and prodigous. The ultimate compliment. I like it.

GW

Davo · Post by **Davo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:15 pm

Red Bigot wrote:Yeah, I know, even I would have enjoyed the Burgundies as well as the Bordeaux, you just posted this to make us all jealous.

You are obviously vastly over-paid.

Yep, offlining with Gazza is hazardous for your wallet's health. Especially that final "I feel like another" off the wine list :lol:

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 2:06 pm

Hacker wrote:Gary,

was the Diebolt the 'Fleur de Passion' or the Prestige?
and is prostigious a level above prodigious?

cheers,

DM

Was this one - 'Fleur de Passion'
GW