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All Classified Burgundy has seen steadily rising prices starting off this third millennium. The top properties from the top producers have become really out of sight pricewise. The consumer now is looking at newer spots for better affordable values from the three villages in Maranges or even further south into Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais.
Nevertheless the Auction market for Grand Cru (and even choice Premier Cru) remains bullish for those in that stratosphere led by DRC, Leroy, and the like. However, the strongest demand may well be family Domaine Rousseau that always seems to sell way above those ever increasing catalogue estimated high bids. Any Rousseau bottle is certainly a current “hot” popular auction item!

Your scribe has been a long time aficionado including a buyer of Rousseau up to and including the 2002 vintage. Since then the demand is so great that bottles are almost impossible to find locally and if so at very high prices indeed. Fortunate over the decades to have tasted many sensational bottles produced by Rousseau. Several postings made on this Blog including their Gevrey-Chambertin profile here on June 22, 2015 and more recently a spotlight on their prized Clos St Jacques holdings (vintages 2002, 1999, 1995, 1991, and 1989) here on October
19, 2020. Still there are a few old time collectors like generous Ian Mottershead who have some of these Rousseau treasures left and rather than sell them at auction are sharing them among friends. Lucky us! This all leads into an amazing wine dinner held for our Group of Eight at Blue Water Cafe in Vancouver on February 15, 2022 featuring 10
Rousseau beauties in two flights. Overall the wines were delightful as expected combining that sublime combo of enough power with perfect balance plus stunning elegance and complexity. Maybe high prices are warranted for those that can afford to cherish such amazing unique “works of art”. Some brief impressions as follows:

2005 CLOS DE LA ROCHE GRAND CRU: Only plot in Morey-St. Denis on calcareous soil with big stones but this one from the great 2005 vintage so typical power but impenetrable as still rather closed in. Needs more time to develop a better more open refined character.

2002 LAVAUX ST. JACQUES 1ER CRU: SE exposure of young vines just replanted 1992 in well drained soils cooler windy climate is paler forwardly softer lovely drinking right now.

2018 LAVAUX ST. JACQUES 1ER CRU: Same wine but 26 year old vines instead of 10 from improved terroir by climate change in warmer vintage all helps. Young dark concentrated big intense fruit already enjoyable but no rush.

1990 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN AC: Blind: Very light aged rim open fragrant higher acidity of guess 1988? bit lean and simpler but better with the pork dish. Surprised it was 1990 but in tough company here.

1993 RUCHOTTES-CHAMBERTIN CLOS DES RUCHOTTES GRAND CRU: Underrated Monopole on compact rocks in cooler windy plot. Wonderful aromatic elegance with tertiary complexity from aging in bottle. Smooth texture
with finesse and surprise of the night!

1999 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN CLOS ST JACQUES 1er CRU: More clay at the bottom and white marl at the top. Star of our previous CSJ in 2020 tasting. Again shows impressively with integrated tannins drinking beautifully on a wonderful plateau presently. Admire the power with such delicacy! Wow.

1999 CHAMBERTIN CLOS DE BEZE GRAND CRU: Two northern plots here in deep rich soils is less charming than the same vintage of CSJ. Depth with a touch of classy aromatic Oriental spices but needs way more time to develop fully. Classic sensational treasure from an outstanding vintage.

1996 CHAMBERTIN GRAND CRU: Four parcels with east exposure. Fresh full and well structured. Variable vintage of harder wines from not the ripest year but good grape selection. Quite dense texture and tannins are still firm on the long finish with a touch of spicy licorice. Hope the fruit holds against that abundant acidity and tannins. Hopeful potential here but not as classy as 99 vintage.

1995 CHAMBERTIN GRAND CRU: Same vineyard a year older but a lot paler edge. Dropping some colour and is a lighter more forwardly vintage than 1996. Coming around for enjoyment now but no rush as still can take time in top storage. Don’t underestimate the improved potential and staying power of both Clos de Beze & Chambertin. Property themselves suggest 20-35 years minimum for those two.

1989 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN CLOS ST JACQUES: Oldest one served from your scribe’s cellar is stylish and now ready. Beautiful bouquet capturing the harmonious delicacy of this site. Doesn’t have the power weight & intensity of that superb 1999 that is 10 years younger with a brilliant future even in 2032. Clive Coates rated this 19/20 in 1993 stating: “Very elegant. Fullish, beautifully balanced. Very ripe indeed, essence of fruit. Subtle. Long. Lovely.” Nonetheless even now 1989 sure shows the quality of this esteemed Domaine probably deserving of those elevated prices. Steal to buy at BCLDB outlet in May 1994 on sale reduced in price from $83.35 to $59.20. As Bob Dylan would say “For the times they are a-changin’. What a special treat to try 10 of their spectacular wines in one evening. Bliss.

Question: Are larger group gatherings festival-style for wine and/or food on the way back again?

Answer: Most topical question after two years with those tough Covid restrictions. Certainly things are starting to open up in Canada, USA, and in other countries. 2022 bodes optimistically for this type of event. The latest hot news is the successful return this week (February 14-16) of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris reported today here by
HARPERS.CO.UK.

Looks encouraging presently for many wine events in the future books scheduled to go ahead including Vinitaly in Verona April 10-13, Prowein in Dusseldorf May 15-17 & London Wine Fair June 7-9. Food events and restaurant capacities should be increasing in size too with Gala Dinners like La Paulee in New York March 12 & Los Angeles March 19 and others. Watch out for less virtual meetings and more in-person wine & food functions on the way in 2022!

So fortunate recently to be enjoying some older bottles of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande (PL). This property is a long time favourite of your scribe and it has been written up several times previously on this Blog including here on June 18, 2013. Actively followed and collected this property since proprietor May de Lencquesaing’s very first vintage of 1978. Arranged for her an important vertical dinner by our Commanderie de Bordeaux at the Four Seasons Hotel on November 13, 1986 that put Vancouver on her map with 12 vintages led off by both excellent 1983 & 1982 and going back to 1953 in Marie-Jeanne & 1934 in Magnum. Madame’s husband the General, who was present, preferred the “softer rounder voluptuous” 1982 but May admired the “tighter, firmer, balanced, more tannic, classic” 1983. Over the next 35 years many occasions arose to monitor those twin vintages including during hospitality stays with May as her guest at PL or later at her nearby Haut-Medoc sister property of Chateau Bernadotte. Many tasting-dinners of PL attended highlighted by one held at Jean-Georges in New York on October 6, 2002 where her best 7 vintages of the eighties (81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, and 89) were each provided en Imperiale (size of 8 standard bottles or 6 litres). Twenty years ago in that format your scribe was enthralled by the 1986 with those firm solid tannins (a record according to Emile Peynaud) yet balanced by an amazing core of intense special terroir fruit expression. Long ager for sure. More drinkable were the herbal 81, smooth charming 82, clean classic 83, elegant 85, younger austere 88 + great future rich 89. All truly remarkable!

Since the sale of the property in 2007 to Louis Roederer the PL wine continues at a very high level indeed among the other top Super Seconds under respected Directeur General Nicolas Glumineau since 2012. Nicolas said the wines of the eighties are “on a lovely plateau of drinking now” but is a big fan of their 1959 vintage. Recently he
stated “2010 is in the shadow of 2009 today but 2010 has complexity & power for a long life ahead.” Different blends with 2010 66% cab sauv, 24 merlot, 7 cab franc, and 3 petit verdot compared with 2009 more cab sauv 75%/20M/0CF/5PV. He compares them to Opera with 2010 Verdi’s strength of Rigoletto while 2009 is the powerful duel of the Russian Tchaikovsky between Onegin & Lensky. The climate these days has warmed for better ripeness of the tannins and the cabernet franc variety (which suits the soil) now is being used much more in the blend instead of petit verdot. Admire how they currently are looking for freshness with that excellent 2019 in the same category as 2010.

Last week was filled with anticipation to try over 2 consecutive home dinners of roasted pheasant and chicken-mushroom lasagna, two well stored bottles of the 1983 (abv 12) & 1986 (abv 12.5) PL. Delight and surprise. It is now nearly 9 years later from my 2013 comment of “more classic and still needing more time to show at the highest level” for 1983. Pleased to report it is now showing fantastic at the highest plateau level which should continue for quite a while yet. May was right, it is classic and so outstanding with cassis and cigar box complexity approaching 40 years of age. PL stands way above the general vintage rating for 1983 (as noted here in November 11, 2013) with such a clean meticulously made delightful wine shining brightly. The surprise was how backward that 1986 PL still remains. The colour is a deep red, almost barrel sample like, with impressive intense fruit but lots of tannins and acidity remain, not showing any expected tertiary aromas. With airing in the decanter and warming it developed and opened somewhat but needs more time to show at the highest level ultimately expected. Patience.

Check out some other recent posts involving May’s 93rd birthday celebration at Chateau d’Yquem here on May 21, 2018 and our Zoom session plus recent screen photo here June 15, 2020. Meanwhile dynamo May is carrying on towards her 97th Birthday on May 17, 2022. Spending time in South Africa, Switzerland, and Bordeaux she is busy these days
finalizing her historic manuscript of an amazing interesting life well lived. Expected to be published this year in French with a translation into English soon after. Anxiously awaiting. All the best wishes. Many thanks for all your valuable contributions to all of us over so many years in the world of wine.

Question: Name of the wind affecting Rioja vineyards?

Answer: There is a strong wind called CIERZO. It flows from northern Spain through the Ebro River Valley affecting several regions in Spain including Rioja plus Aragon & Navarra. Similar to the MISTRAL in the Rhone Valley of France. The positive result of the winds is usually a benefit to the vineyards in moderating temperatures and humidity levels allowing the grapes to ripen more gradually with less disease pressure.

Lunar New Year celebrations seem to have expanded in 2022. The Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon so this Year of the Tiger begins with the start of the new moon on February 1 running on for 15 days, Asian communities especially are celebrating their important festive holiday for looking forward, renewal and friendship. The Year of the Tiger (king of beasts in China) signifies endurance, fortitude, resilience, and strength plus looking after each other. This celebration is bigger than ever in Vancouver right now with more restaurants featuring festive celebratory dishes for families and friends. Of course many menus make use of traditional food items that symbolize forthcoming good fortune including noodles for longevity, fish for abundance or surplus, Spring rolls & dumplings for wealth, pistachios for a happy year ahead, Mandarin oranges, pomelo, & tangerines for good luck and so on.

On February 5, 2022 your scribe celebrated Lunar New Year with a dinner in grand style at the thriving Mott 32 inside the just rebranded Trump International Hotel now named Paradox Hotel. They highlighted an 8 course Chinese New Year Menu shown below with prominent lobster and prawn dishes plus chicken & duck. We enjoyed a
table of 6 in a private area displaying appropriate hanging red lanterns. Our own menu was pre-ordered and paired with quality wine gems less known but acquired and chosen by true professional Wine Director Robert Stelmachuk (also Vancouver Magazine 2020 Sommelier of the Year). Mott 32 has developed a top reputation for the best dim sum in town made to order from the finest fresh ingredients. We started with two exquisite dumplings of beetroot, scallop & shrimp in a most delicate wrapping followed by a Siu Mai of Iberico pork, quail egg, and black truffle. The matching celebratory bubbles of Laieta 2011 Gran Reserva Brut Nature worked fine. Next came a crispy roasted pork belly perfectly paired with an interesting Hungarian Tokaji Furmint 2013 from that special vineyard with volcanic rocks of Szent Tamas showing dry (often sweet in their dessert Aszu wine) full with good balancing acidity Riesling-like. The piece de resistance was the fantastic whole Peking Duck apple wood roasted presented and then
carved with separate golden skin plus the thinnest ever wraps with all the accoutrements. Outstanding culinary work! Three unique reds served of 2015 Scholium Project 1MN Bechtold Ranch Cinsault 13.32 abv own root planted in Lodi California in 1870; 2013 Alto Moncayo big 16+ abv rich intense powerful Garnacha from Campo de Borja in Spain; and 2014 L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo Reserve from Valle De Guadalupe in Baja Mexico earthy, peppery, smooth and much riper than classic Piedmont. More tasty beautifully prepared dishes including prawns, smoked cod at the
table, vegetables, crunchy fried rice with flying fish roe, soy ice cream with Valrhona white chocolate. What a wonderful way to celebrate the Lunar New Year!

Please chime in with your own experience. Anyone matching food with improving cabernet sauvignon from Ningxia (north central China) or newer marselan grape wines all from China?