Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Sous-Commanderie de Vancouver held an excellent Une Soiree de Printemps dinner on April 7, 2026, at Blue Water Cafe. Dr. Christine Collison Grande Senechale organized the event so well. Your scribe again appreciated how Blair Curtis and his team smartly selected the three flights of wines for interesting comparison purposes and meaningful insights into the specific appellation and vintages. The wine service organized by Melissa Lu Assistant Wine Director and the whole culinary service crew was exemplary. We started with JEAN LALLEMENT ET FILS CUVEE RÉSERVE NV VERZENAY GRAND CRU BRUT CHAMPAGNE, composed of 80% Pinot Noir & 20% Chardonnay disgorged on June 15, 2022. These special 4 hectares of north facing older vines yielded a Champagne that offers great value, creamy textural richness, and vibrancy. The two hors d’oeuvre warrant special mention; they were exquisite salmon aburi and octopus so perfectly matched with the fine bubbles.
The meal began with mixed seafood in puff pastry, paired with two Puligny-Montrachets from nearby similarly high-slope terroir, both from outstanding producers in different vintages:
2010 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET LES CHAMPS GAINS PREMIER CRU PIERRE-YVES COLIN-MOREY: Outstanding white Burgundy vintage with lower yields on thin soil at elevations up to 360 metres in the north near St. Aubin, which started picking on September 22. Les Champs Gains is a 10.7 hectare vineyard where determining the optimal picking time is difficult; avoid picking too early or too late. Bottle variation at 15 years of age, but the grape selection is well-chosen, maintaining a rich, ripe, intense, complex, and mineral-pure focus with still fresh acidity at 13.5% ABV. Lovely delicious plateau now.
2007 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET HAMEAU DE BLAGNY PREMIER CRU ETIENNE SAUZET: Hameau de Blagny is only 4.28 hectares situated just north of Les Champs Gains with Jadot’s La Garenne to the west. Also on thin stony soil without the body of vineyards lower down the slope. Sauzet has only a small holding of less than 1 hectare (.18) with attractive mineral character, this wine is approaching 20 years old and needs enjoying now as it is more forwardly mature from this variable white vintage.
The local quail course, prepared by Executive Chef Frank Pabst and his brigade, was truly outstanding and complemented the wines perfectly. 2016 CHOREY-LES-BEAUNE ROUGE DOMAINE TOLLOT-BEAUT: This appellation below the highway covers 154 hectares, consisting of over 90% red grapes, and contains no Grand Cru or 1er Cru vineyards. Nonetheless, the wines produced are underrated, especially those from the top quality house from 1880 of Tollot-Beaut, which has 8.28 hectares (and also 1.47 hectares of their denser single vineyard, La Piece du Chapitre). During many visits to Burgundy in the eighties & nineties, your scribe stayed at the Gite in Chorey-lès-Beaune across the street from the winery and on several visits admired the conscientious work of the dedicated family including fifth-generation Nathalie Tollot. Purchased quite a few vintages of their great Corton-Charlemagne .24 hectare vineyard (6 bottles of the amazing 1985 in January 1988 for $44.70/bottle and 3 bottles of the elegant 1979 for $25.50 all from importer Al C. Giusti Wine Company in Portland, Oregon). I’ve always marvelled at the fantastic ageability of all their wines and finished the last bottle of each C-C in 2025, still in remarkably fresh, complex condition! This 2016 C-L-B harvested September 20 (after a dry & sunny Summer) is surprisingly darker and deeper than 2015 even though 2016 was affected by late April frosts and rain until mid-June. Like the young primary intense cherry fruit notes. Will improve.
2015 CHOREY-LES-BEAUNE ROUGE DOMAINE TOLLOT-BEAUT: This highly touted vintage was released with hype after the less ripe vintages of 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011. It’s a bit lighter at the rim than the 2016, but it has riper aromatics with fruit concentration plus fair acid tension lift. I like the structure, and it will develop nicely. An educational comparison of two good quality young red Burgundy AC wines at lower, restaurant-friendly prices. Well done.
The main flavourful Chateaubriand with sauce Bourguignonne (and cheese course) had two classy Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru wines to study and enjoy:
2006 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1ER CRU LES CHATELOTS DOMAINE GHISLAINE BARTHOD: Chambolle-Musigny has 24 Premier Cru vineyards with magical sensual attributes. This is 2.96 hectares (GB has .33) in a bit earlier maturing vineyard situated north of and above Aux Combettes & Les Charmes, bordering Les Feusselottes to the west and Les Gruenchers to the east. It has less rich soils, containing more stones and pebbly limestone sometimes resulting in “sappy” notes for the wine. Ghislaine Barthoid has been a highly respected producer since 1987. However the family roots trace back to the 1920s when Marcel Noellat’s daughter married Gaston Barthod. Later, their daughter Ghislaine married Louis Boillot (who is also excellent). They keep both domaines separate, but their son Clement has been managing both since 2019. Admire their meticulous approach in the vineyards (now with 11 different 1er crus) and the cellars, which results in powerful, elegant wines that age well. 2006 is variable with the possibility of rot so sorting is the key. Grapes are destemmed, briefly cold-soaked in stainless steel and concrete vats with punch down (rather than pumping), and aged in 20-30% new oak with only one racking after 18 months. Slightly darker than 2009 – again a surprise. This wine is very clean, delicate, with minerality, sous-bois notes, and soft tannins. Approachable now. No rush.
2009 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1ER CRU LES CHATELOTS DOMAINE GHISLAINE BARTHOD: This vintage is driven by the very ripe larger crop of 2009 fruit. What a difference. They must have picked the grapes when they were phenolically ripe with firm yet silky tannins and developing structure. Very long and impressive. It needs further aging to show all its sensual brilliance, but it’s enjoyable already. Another good comparison of vintages.
Your scribe on April 10 was at another dinner where the 2006 MUSIGNY GRAND CRU DROUHIN-LAROZE (one of two in Chambolle-Musigny with Bonnes-Mares) was served. This 10.32 hectare vineyard is without a doubt one of the world’s greatest! Even from the variable 2006 vintage and not from the highest priced producers like Comte de Vogue, Roumier, or Mugneret, this shone brightly indeed. The sensual perfume, elegance, and velvety texture are beautiful at 20. It will develop further complexity but is already otherworldly. Not that the 1er Crus weren’t worthy but this is what a Grand Cru is all about. Noted: a memorable comparison of Grand Cru & Premier Cru in Chambolle-Musigny. However, perhaps 1er Cru Les Amoureuses would have been a fairer closer match. Fun.
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