Yesterday Cathy and I went to Nils-sur-Nice (Nils' place in Nice) for lunch. We waded through the numerous cartons of burgundian liquids cluttering the hallway and settled in the dining room overlooking the Promenade des Anglais, with Nils and Xina and Mårten, the man who never drinks anything less than 20 years old...
Champagne, circa 1960 - no label, no hints on the capsule or the cork, but a superb drink, golden colour but only the slightest oxydation, aromas reminiscent of a great chard with honey and waxy flower blossoms, finest perlage, beautiful.
Savennières Les Genêts, Damien Laureau 2005 - at 14€ this is the expensive wine of Laureau, honeyed peachy wine very quaffable on the superb crostini the Lindgrens made (one with apricots should be patented).
Chapoutier Hermitage white Chante Alouette, 1990, nice wine still with lots of fruit and a hint of quince, plus a pleasant very very slight hint of saltiness.
Morey St Denis 2003, not sure of producer because the wine was decanted and the bottle remained hidden... Georges Lignier I believe. Super delicious red burg with all the elegance that good young burgs are always ready to deliver. Surprised about the price, low twenties. I am beginning to revise my prejudice that Burgs are too expensive a hobby; my new local wine merchant has also done his utmost to convince me by handing me sub-20 burgs with lots of character. Went super on roast of lamb!
Chapoutier Banyuls 1986 with strawberry almond tart with enough chocolate detailing to make the match perfect. Round wine with plenty of youth and toasty coffee flavours.
The night before we had our winemaking friends over (Dupéré Barrera) and they brought along some... burgs! After a slightly corked Champagne Brut Réserve by Boulard (but the corkiness seemed to be tamed by smoked salmon...), we continued with:
Chablis Grand Cru "Fief de Grenouilles" 2005, La Chablisienne - probably way too young to drink, fresh fruity aroma with hints of grass.
Saint Aubin Premier Cru "Sur Gamay" 2005, François D'Allaines - more powerful, with aromas of nuts, vanilla, pine, well balanced, in top form.
Saint Chinian "En Silence" 2004, Bernard Magrez - the guy from Pape Clément, served blind I had placed this in the Minervois, powerful fruit bomb with everything a little too clean and nice, I would say it was impressive but lacking in character, tasted like so many other wines... anyhow it accompanied very well the barbecued lamb ribs and associated roasted vegetables.
Sciacchetrà 2000, Walter De Batté - from the absolute master of this rare wine, I was surprised at the seemingly premature aging, deep dark amber, all the apricot flacours of youth were gone, more like a PX really. A little overpowering with the fabulous almost weightless Tropezienne cake from our favourite local pastry shop La Fontaine in Sanary.