Weekend Nov 17 18 19

Paul Day said:
Friday lunch at Table de Bruno Verjus was very enjoyable. This is close to the sadly missed Hedone in style … brilliant sourcing of ingredients. Those whose follow Andy Hayler should note his October 2021 review is hopelessly out of date re pricing: the tasting menu is now €400, but wine prices ard extremely high with no obvious bargains as far as I could see (although I am not completely up on all the very latest natty cults). For instance, Clos Rougeard was about 5 times as much as when Andy visited. Rousseau 2019 Chambertin was €8000. And so on.

Rather than go apoplectic at mark ups as seems to be a particular sport of some here, I just took the standard wine pairing, which bizarrely included d’Yquem 2009 (still excellent but not as exuberantly exciting as it was earlier on). In fact the wine btg option was probably the best value to be had and also fun. The other wines were mostly sound if not always exciting (e.g., Pacalet’s 2020 Condrieu won’t have Vernay worried) and included one Spanish wine fermented with mushrooms - which wasn’t as undrinkable as it sounds.

I overindulged with a small pour of yellow Chartreuse, and thr sommelier kindly gave me a pour of one of the many Romano Levi grappas they had.

The food? Well I enjoyed it very much … really pure seafood, and a really amazing Norwegian king crab leg that is probably the best crab I can recall. Not all of the plates look pretty, but I don’t mind if the quality is so fine.

Hospitality and service was fantastic. My first visit but I would love to go back.

Selected dishes and wines (there were a lot!):

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The sea anemone deep fried was great:

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Richard Geoffroy’s 3rd edition Sake … not bad, but overpriced and oversold:

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The glorious crab … at least to eat:

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Very fresh lightly salted Caviar from a farm in Poland … lovely dessert.

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I was there about 2014-2015 (i.e., not long after the opening) and had a good meal, but overpriced vs. what I can get elsewhere in Paris.The wines already were ferociously priced. Re the Chambertin, if you know where to go in Paris, it's 900€, with very good food to boot.
 
Godolphin 2005 utterly delicious and a great argument for keeping these big Oz Shiraz for a while. Thanks to Roger Jones for selling it to me all those years ago. Now for the Amon Ra
 
  • NV Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier - France, Champagne (18/11/2023)
    Mag, 2015 base. Pale straw. Young and vibrant, some mid palate depth and richness but still elegant, floral and about line rather than development. Needs a couple of years in this format for my palate. ***1/2 (90 pts.)

  • 2004 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (18/11/2023)
    Quite a dense mid ruby. Eleven years since my last bottle of this and it’s evolved nicely. Still quite dense and vital, just a sense of herbal savouriness on the nose that hints at the vintage and follows through to provide a sense of spine to the palate. Darker fruited than typical for Fourier. Starting to show some sous bois development, though the fruit is still the main component. Quite long. Very drinkable, the profile proving a good match for some rich food. **** (91 pts.)
  • 2004 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (18/11/2023)
    Best showing of this yet, and typically my last bottle. A similar savoury edge to the Cherbaudes alongside, but a density of richer and redder fruit to cover the savouriness and provide a real sense of richness and luxe. A clear step up. Currently in a good spot and worked well with veal sweetbreads and morels stuffed with shallot and foie gras. **** (93 pts.)

  • 1998 Domaine de Trévallon - France, Provence, Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône (18/11/2023)
    Deep ruby. A touch of volatility on the nose. Similar to a bottle a couple of years ago, more impressive than loveable. Blackcurrant with a southern herbal shroud. The VA just a little too pronounced and lending a Musaresque lift that doesn’t suite this particular bottle. Still excellent wine, but frustratingly it could and should have been a little better. ***1/2 (90 pts.)
  • 1998 Rust en Vrede Estate Red Wine Stellenbosch - South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch (18/11/2023)
    Dense ruby. Gorgeous nose of blackcurrant and blackberry with a hint of graphite. Fully resolved with a finely silky texture, ripe fruit and impeccable balance. A sense of mid palate richness. Decently long finish. Showed impressively alongside a Trevallon of the same vintage, and super with the grouse. **** (93 pts.)

  • 1997 Domaine de Montgilet (Victor et Vincent Lebreton) Coteaux de l'Aubance Clos Prieur - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux de l'Aubance (18/11/2023)
    Deep burnt sienna. Properly brown. Luscious nose of caramel and apple, picking up and keeping up with the tarte tatin and cardamom & lemon thyme icecream. Sweet, but well balanced by its acidity, this is holding nicely and would be fine enjoyed on its own, or at the table. ***1/2 (90 pts.)

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Lovely evening out at Chez Bruce this evening. As ever impeccable service and food, especially the venison which was beautiful. We took along a 1989 Mouton, the last of a case. It wasn’t quite as good as the bottle at Chris Smith’s Mouton vertical lacking a little in the mid-palate and the nose was initially a bit muddled but came out with air. Lovely wine at the end of its drinking window.
 
Claude Kolm said:
I was there about 2014-2015 (i.e., not long after the opening) and had a good meal, but overpriced vs. what I can get elsewhere in Paris.The wines already were ferociously priced. Re the Chambertin, if you know where to go in Paris, it's 900€, with very good food to boot.
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There were many great bargains on the list around 2019. But also a lot of crazy prices, Overnoy in particular.
 
Cameron Clark said:
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I had never heard of John Vickery until a post on Auswine last month said that he had died. He was famous for making some of the best Rieslings in Aus History at Leo Burring, and he is also credited with bringing back the screw cap - his 98 Richmond Grove started modern trend

In a short time I have managed to put together a small collection and this is the first- it came with a cork.

Stunning is the simple description. It has just the right amount of honey, petrol and toast on the nose, with buttery, toasty yellow fruit in the mouth. Amazing. I think the 04 Drumborg is probably a better wine, but this is very close and every bit as good as last years cork closed 02 Petaluma.
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Yep, this was one of the first wines, this very vintage in fact, that I discovered when I moved to Oz in 1998. I've been hooked on Aussie rieslings ever since!

Cheers

Dave
 
Edward Bolland said:
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1999 Bouchard, Volnay Caillerets. A bit musty at first, but with a little time this has blossomed into something quite lithe and delicate, Red fruits, a perverse streak of cherry tunes, sous bois and some savoury meaty notes. A lot to like.
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Since the 1996 change, we buy this wine regularly for sentimental reasons. It's better with plenty of aging, something I fail to practice.
  • 1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (16/09/2017)
    Plenty of colour; initially grouchy nose, needs lots of air to express itself, inviting, ceps,though has a sturdiness; supple, grippy substance, remains fresh with some dark fruit, ample; authorative finish. Will hold a few years. (2002 more graceful & representative). (91 pts.)
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Went to a restaurant in Lyon called Passe temps with unique "secret menu" (just trust the cook). Korean cook, Absolutely gorgeous! All with the above Egly Ouriet VP gd cru Champagne (basis 2014, 3g/l) a great companion! disgorged 2022
Amuse bouches: scallop with sapin gelee, mille feuilles foie gras
Dish 1: Jerusalum artichoke creamwith black pudding and parsley oil
Dish 2: Raw Tuna with Beetroot and radish
Dish 3: Beef tartare (charolais) with63C yolk and Ostriete caviar and herbs (with a bit of soja sauce)
Dish 4: Lobster, girolles, chesnut with korean sauce
Dish 5: Monkfish roast with citrus fruit
Dish 6: Wagu beef (from Spain...) with parsnip cream and sauce reduction
Dish 7: Cheese cake made with 18 months comte
Dish 8: Yuzu ice cream, and poached pear with ginger/cinammon infusion (this was 2 deserts)
Dish birthday: meringue with coconut ice cream
Infusion (Korean kind of tea very tasty) with cannele and madeleine
All very refined! and dirt "cheap"... A must return!
 
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Richard Ward said:
Update: the Leeuwin Art Series Shiraz is absolutely delicious. Full of blackcurrant and banana fruit, which is incredibly dense but also very fresh. The tannins are ripe, silky and barely noticeable. This is unashamedly New World in style, and a bloody good example of it.
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I visited my mum on Saturday as my toddler had wanted to see photos of me as a child. In the collection I was surprised to find a couple of photos of me as a 2 year old visiting Leeuwin with my father and older brother in 1987. Based on your notes I wouldn't mind going back and doing it properly!

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