Burgundy at Sojourn
Nine of us gathered at Sojourn for what was, for some of us, a third night of extravagance. The food, as always, simply stunningly good by Sydney standards. Presentation is superb.
The wines were of a very good standard.
Pol Roger 1998 Smokey nose, good mousse. The dosage seems to stand out a little on this vintage. That said, cleansing and refreshing wine.
2002 Gérd Chavy & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatiès Corked.
2002 Bouchard P&F Meursault “Goutte d’Or” 1er cru A staggeringly well-made white wine. This wine is just about everything I want in a Chardonnay. It was light on its feet; it had poise; it was subtle, yet powerful; long but not overwhelming. The nose was complex, but you had to chase the aromas down. The oak handling on the palate was superb. The oak came out of the fruit. I cannot think of a better example of expert handling of oak. Amazingly good. Very good now, but will still youthful. Will be excellent with age, in say 6 or 7 years. Will last a lot longer.
2000 Bouchard Corton-Charlemagne Corked. What a tragedy.
2002 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne At first, classic with struck match, green melon, hints of citrus and smoky oak. The wine was a little warm so we cooled it down. Big mistake. It closed up and wouldn’t budge.
2001 Henri Germain Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes A gem of a Beaune. So approachable, lush and drinkable. Some at the table wondered why I liked this wine, but it was a pure, joyful expression of Pinot Noir. A great wine for simply drinking. Hints of stalkiness typical of Beaune.
2002 La Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos d’Audignac Lifted pure cherry/cranberry aromas. Hints of fennel and spice. So clean and likable. Not all Burgundy has to be big and brooding! A great little wine, enjoyed by the whole table. Soft approachable tannins perhaps a little atypical for Volnay but characteristic of this producer.
2000 J. Confuron-Cotetidot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru A bit of a great note to the nose which I didn’t detect on a previous bottle. Better on the palate but lacking that NSG ooomph.
1999 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romané1er Cru Les Beaux Monts Tight and a bit closed. Fine Vosne tannins on the palate. Clearly a well structured wine, but return in 5 years.
1999 Domaine Bart Gevrey-Chambertin Clos de Beze A big brooding wine, typical Gevrey. The nose is smoke, cherries and clay. It smells powerful. The palate has lots of fine tannin. Very good drinking but far from its peak.
1995 Faiveley Corton Clos des Cortons Woah! Powerful drying tannins. I think David said ‘Barolo isn’t this tannic!’. The tannins were very Nebbiolo like. Spice, sous bois, black berry fruits. Needs at least 15 years. Much better with food but it seems our appetite for food outpaced our appetite for wine on the night.
1999 Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Tight and closed on the nose. A huge wine on the palate. The kind of wine you’d serve after the Bordeaux. Lots of tannin, lots of smoky, earthy ‘fruit’. The structure is superb but the wine needs 10 years to mature.
1988 Chateau Climens Rich pure botrytise nose. Smells sweet and delicious. The palate is big and quite sweet but stays in balance. Very easy to drink. Still youthful. Will go on for a long long time.
Thanks all for a great night.
Some photos, particularly the spectacular food at Sojourn.
Alex looking very Parisien.
Menu changes pretty much daily but maintains the same theme: a few seafood, pork, red meat, a few sweeter dishes.
