It was pretty dull really, especially so in the second half. We miss Olise and, if Mateta goes cold, it’s going to be a long season. The evening that followed, though, was nickel, as the French like to say. Some cracking bottles, some cracking food and no shortage of middle-aged puerile behaviour.
Herewith some thoughts on the wines:
2004 Pouilly Fuissé Les Combes, Verget
This had just the faintest hint of corkiness, amplified when three of us concurred that we picked it up. Corkiness notwithstanding this was still fresh, which only added to the irritation; it would have been a very good, if not great, bottle otherwise.
2020 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu River
This bangs. Grand vin. I missed it for a Guffens of the same vintage on account of (a) muddling a flavour profile loaded up in my mind somewhere, (b) its flat-out brilliance and (c) its slightly oleaginous texture. Fantastic wine that is worthy of all the points. Richesse, poise, minerality and impeccable balance.
2021 Chardonnay Estate Vineyard, Giaconda
100 points from Erin Larkin, Lisa P-B, and Jane Anson, who clearly tasted a different bottle than I did. A wine for critics, a wine for scores, and a wine that I wouldn’t finish a bottle of. Party-trick reduction and I even got the sense that there might be a headache in the post with this one. It doesn’t matter as it’s nigh-on impossible to buy it.
2020 Macon Pierreclos, Tris de Chavigne, Guffens-Heynen
This is what I thought the Maté’s was. My favourite wine from Guffens, indeed my desert island white. This bottle lacked the fireworks of the last magnum I had, but remains a benchmark and, like the Maté’s, will embarrass an almost untold number of wines from very swanky producers in the Côte d’Or. A shade under a grand a case these days and still worth every penny and more.
2007 Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu River
OK: there’s a company theme here. I had this as mature and very serious white Burgundy, and I should have known better. This is one of my standard ringers, as it was my host’s. What particularly impresses is that this is only the second vintage made of Hunting Hill. Brilliant, and a wine that demonstrates why everything should be bottled under screwlid.
2014 Valbuena, Vega Sicilia
Served largely, I think, on account of my inherent prejudice against Spanish wine, largely borne from too many reduced and weird offerings from the trendy new kids on the block. This, however, is gorgeous and totally seductive. Very well made, with some very clever barrel work – like Roc de Cambes from somewhere else but I wasn’t sure where. I loved it.
2009 Langoa Barton
Clearly claret, clearly from a ripe vintage, and clearly very good. I know this wine reasonably well. Past bottles have had a bit more energy but this, nonetheless, was pretty much everything that is good about proper claret, and about as good as proper claret gets before you get north of £100 a bottle.
2015 Cornas, Cuvée Renaissance, Clape
Clearly northern Rhône, and clearly Cornas after a bit of deduction, this is rather good, but not really my bag. I like a bit more meat and a bit less fruit in my Cornas.
2005 Crozes Hermitage Guiraude, Graillot
This is what the whole thing is about. You’d have paid £275 a dozen for this in 2007. Having had likely more than my fair share of the wines that preceded it I am struggling for descriptors. Peppers and spice, smoky meat. Just perfectly mature wine that shows just how good Crozes can be (the size of the appellation is about 10 times what it should be and the diamonds can be lost in the snow) and how it’s not always the big guns that impress you most.
Fin: I haven’t had as fine an evening in some time; much of this was down to the company. The wines, mind, all hit a very special sweet spot: none of them insanely priced, all of them, perhaps with the exception of the Giaconda, special.
Sausages: I have to mention these, from HG Walter. Impeccable.
