Dinner with scribbler in Paris
Scribbler messaged me a while ago saying he was going to pass through. We’ve not met before but it sounded like the perfect opportunity for an offline.
I organised a bunch of interesting bottles and some food, as follows:
Henriot Champagne millésime 1998 A little disappointing but nonetheless scoffed down very fast.
Domaine Antugnac Limoux Gravas 2005 Quite buttery and yoghurty, probably from being opened a day earlier and then recorked. Usually this wine shows a lot of freshness and it wasn’t here.
William Fevre Valmer Grand Cru Chablis 1999 A little reticent at first but with air showed a classic Chablisien character (which scribbler picked), good acidity and balance. It lacked some of the refinement of the 2004 which some on this board have loved and I put that down to the relatively hot conditions in 1999. Still, very good stuff.
Lame Desisle Boucard Bourgueil 1976 (Loire) With a name like that, I’m surprised it’s not more popular. I wanted to show something to scribbler that he’d probably never see again and this was it. A 31 year old Loire red that was absolutely firing. The nose was big, with lifted pencil shavings, graphite and cedar. There were undertones of red fruit jam (confiture de fruits rouges sounds so much more classy!). Scribbler put it in the 90s. I would have too. The palate was quite tannic still, quite acidic but full of flavour and very persistent. The colour was dark, opaque. In good years, these wines can go for ever. It’s the combination of tannin, acid, 10 degrees in the cave at 95% humidity. It’d only been taken from the domaine and labels 6 months ago.
With a 2 kg côte de boeuf this was superb. I was like a proud father at my son’s first footy game after he just scored the winning goal.
But, not to be out done…
Chateau du Breuil Coteaux du Layon 1964 (Loire) The cork had been in this baby a long time and didn’t want to leave. Opened up smelly and reductive. I put it in a jug for a few hours and it transformed. Honey, crême brûlée candied pine apple, antique wood, smoke, vanilla. A deep golden amber colour. No volatility what so ever. It could have been 10 years old. Fresh and lively on the palate, superb acidity. The domaine still has 47s, maybe I should get some? (Don’t worry Nev, I’ll get you a few bottles).
This was all served with: a selection of charcuterie – pâte encrout, rillettes à l’oie, black pig saucisse, saucisse seche, 5 different cheeses (langres, munster, mimolette, evataz, buche de chevre), côte de boeuf, beetroot salad.
A great night.
