Always enjoy the educational opportunity for a horizontal wine tasting to assess how a maturing vintage from a specific wine region is developing. Such a retrospective presented itself with red Bordeaux 2006 held by La Commanderie de Bordeaux for a dinner at Tutto restaurant in Vancouver on September 6, 2022. This vintage is now 16 years along from a challenging harvest often during September rains following a cold wet winter, hot dry sunny June & July, and a cooler August with more rain & less sun than average. This year had difficulty following the fantastic outstanding 2005 vintage but generally resulted in overall better results than the unripe greener large crop 2004 & delicate earlier drinking 2007. On release 2006 was called another “6” vintage comparing it to 1996 & 1986 but hasn’t developed as well as those two worthy ones. Today 2006 is perhaps likely to be most successful for late Cabernet Sauvignon Pauillac and early ripening Merlot Pomerol (less Cab Franc) but some very good wines can be found as well from Pessac-Leognan and St. Julien. The style of the reds tends towards burly hefty structure being rather tannic and needing time to round out. Whites did better with cool August weather preserving that wonderful zesty acidity. Some personal notes:

2010 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC PESSAC-LEOGNAN: Gorgeous blend of SB (70) & Sem (30) concentrated balanced and complex! One bottle is very pale, fresh, and youthful plus another has more yellow tones while others are in-between but all are excellent. This is exactly the aged bottle variation problem that caused Olivier Bernard to switch from cork to Diam closures.

First Flight 2006 RED:

LE BON PASTEUR POMEROL: Home estate of Dany & Michel Rolland. Higher 90% Merlot with highest 13.5 abv in this Group. Simpler terroir for a Pomerol with less complex bouquet but easy drinking lovely ripe fruit. Good example of how subjective wine tasting is because some liked this best in the first flight though your scribe ranked it 4th. Delicious with beef short rib agnolotti course.

CALON-SEGUR ST. ESTEPHE: Usually depends on more Merlot (here 33%) in their perfect blend but showing rustic menthol medicinal notes. Good bit dumb but mixed feelings. 3rd.

PONTET-CANET PAUILLAC: More brilliant severe selection work by Alfred Tesseron and his team with one of the top wines of the vintage. Still backward but so intense, tannic and buckets of clean fruit so Pauillac waiting to explode. No rush. 1st. Wine of the Night.

RAUZAN-SEGLA MARGAUX: Another lovely wine from Chanel showing rounder charming and elegant. This is more forwardly just now starting the plateau of drinkability. Enjoy. 2nd.

Second Flight 2006 RED:

LEOVILLE-BARTON ST. JULIEN: Property has always been such an amazing value. One bottle here has a touch of TCA but others show solid purity of fruit inviting with that typical L-B iodine spice note on the nose. Another classic in the making full of rich powerful fruit with robust tannins but so well balanced. Patience needed. 1st.

GRUAUD-LAROSE ST. JULIEN: Found it OK but a bit briary with loosely disjointed lower fruit level. Where is dense fruit and that classy complex text-book cedar cigar box bouquet of the marvellous run of treasures from 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1986? Disappointment for me yet others preferred it as best in this flight. 4th.

BRANAIRE-DUCRU ST. JULIEN: Underrated dependable property with delightful fragrant perfumes of St. Julien in a lighter charming style. Successful in 2006 at good value. 3rd.

MONTROSE ST. ESTEPHE: Great property sold by the Charmolue family in the Spring 2006 to brothers Martin & Olivier Bouygues who immediately hired the late Jean-Bernard Delmas (ex-Haut Brion). Typical St. Estephe terroir here but needs time for coarser tannic fruit to blossom out to the best plateau of enjoyment. Almost approachable now with the rack of lamb. 2nd.

Question: What are your thoughts on the Mouton wine project in Chile?

Answer: Yes it is a joint venture started in 1997 with Concha y Toro. Their Bordeaux-styled ALMAVIVA showed a bit too much unripe green Carmenere in the early vintages but presently at the celebratory 25-year mark is producing excellent Cabernet Sauvignon-focused red wine blends in Chile. Now also do a solid second label EPU (indigenous word for “two”) from younger vines usually with more CS and less C than the Grand Vin. For example, the 2020 current release of Epu is 81%CS/12C compared to Almaviva at 68%CS/24C. They have prime vineyard elevated land in the respected Puente Alto region to produce these unique terroir-driven top quality wines. Check them out.

The new list of the so-called “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” has been released. Two initial reactions were joy because a favourite of your scribe is the fantastic GERANIUM in Copenhagen as #1 and surprise that three restaurants in Lima Peru made the Top 50: #2 CENTRAL. #11 MAIDO, AND #32 MAYTA. However, I believe you have to take it all with a grain of salt because how many of the judges do you think actually travelled to Lima in the past year to dine at those 3 Peruvian restaurants. Nonetheless, it is a different cuisine that is finding more popularity around the world. Like the influences of Africa, China, France, Italy and Japan on what has now resulted in the unique cuisine flavours of Peru. In Vancouver we are fortunate to have the new opening of SUYO (Modern Peruvian) meaning “homeland” under talented Owner Chef Ricardo Valverde and his enthusiastic team. Amazing space and dedication in preparing authentic Peruvian dishes yet with a modern twist. Sustainability, lots of vegetables, limes, different causas, outstanding Pisco Sours all so colourful together with exciting intoxicating interpretations. Well done! The opening dinner celebration was so tasty & well presented as the photos show. Super bar area. Wine service by their conscientious GM/Partner James Reynolds was in classy glassware with an unusual mixed progression of reds before whites but actually worked quite well with the matched courses. Aji de Gallina is usually made with walnuts but this one was very creamy with substituted cashews. Check out their website at suyo.ca and be enticed by the opening celebration menu with photos. Are there any Peruvian hot spots in your community?

Question: What are your recommended winery visit ideas for my upcoming several day visit to Montalcino?

Answer: Lucky you Dave. The town of Montalcino in the Province of Siena in Tuscany is a wonderful place to visit and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004. Visited there several times, the first one way back in the late seventies. At that time there were less than 50 producers compared to 240+ now. The leaders then that I really enjoyed visiting were pioneer BIONDI SANTI at Il Greppo, EMILIO CONSTANTI, BARBI, and POGGIO ALLE MURA (now BANFI), Attended each April many VINITALY Fairs in Verona in the eighties after Brunello received their DOCG status in 1980 and met the principals of emerging favs of ALTESINO, COL D’ORCIA, and MASTROJANNI among others. Long time fan of ARGIANO who we use also for our top Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A couple of developing legends are worth seeking out – CASE BASSE property of SOLDERA (Gianfranco died in 2019) in La Tavernelle and CERBAIONA DI DIEGO MOLINARI. Don’t forget some major wine producers elsewhere in Italy who produce excellent Brunello: ANTINORI PIAN DELLE VIGNE, FRESCOBALDI CASTELGIOCONDO, and GAJA PIEVE SANTA RESTITUTA. My best tip would be to seek out the differences in the many different terroirs you will discover on your trip. Altitude is a major factor together with comparing the structured fresher style in the north to the riper fruit from the southern vineyards. Have fun exploring and comparing the marvellous 2015 & 2016 vintages!

The Annual Summer Paulee event by La Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Sous-Commanderie de Vancouver BC was held on August 28, 2022 kindly hosted by Thomas O’Neill, Rajnee Pratap and sharp young son Nicolas at their spectacular “Sky Palace” successfully catered with a 7-course lunch by At Your Table Catering Executive Chef Kate Rice and her brigade. The pistachio with grilled apple for the sous vide long cooking of the duck confit was a nice pairing with the wines. This event is always such a popular one starting with an impressive themed Wine Tasting Reception sharing contributed bottles of members for tasting and discussion. The theme for 2022 was Puligny-Montrachet (repeat of theme reported here on August 29, 2016) with 35 different wines (including 2 Chevalier Grand Cru & 3 in Magnum format) available for tasting. Most members were sensibly sharing around their own bottle, trying a few other bottles for comparison, and pleasantly socializing. However, it has become a bit of a tradition over the years for your scribe to take advantage of this educational opportunity in attempting to taste all & spit most of the wines there and to comment, summarize, and all in good fun award best and worst wine contributions. My focus this time was to speak on how important the combination of Producer, Vintage, and Vineyard are together in the final result in the bottle.

(A) PRODUCER: A big variety of producers were presented led by the generally underrated bigger houses of Bouchard Pere, Champy, Drouhin, Faiveley, Louis Jadot, and Remoissenet that all showed well. At the other end were growers and relatively unknown producers like Bonnardot (simpler 2016 La Garenne), DEux Montille (2011 Les Champ Gain still bright), and Pascal Clement (fresh, lively 2017 Les Chalumeaux). Several highly respected smaller producers raised anticipation including Bruno Colin, Latour-Giraud (primarily in Meursault), Leflaive, Louis Carillon, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Paul Pernot, and Sauzet. The most bottles this time were from my previously recommended Henri Boillot who was a
star of our 2016 P-M tasting with his 2007 & 2006 plus a superb 2006 Criots-Batard-Montrachet.

(B) VINTAGE: Thirteen vintages shown. Brief summary:

2019: Frost April 4/5 mainly St. Aubin, Chassagne & less affected in P-M tending to tropical style but more elegant than 2018.

2018: Hot & Dry but a bigger ripe crop forwardly drinking.

2017: Large crop with rather good balance. Perhaps the last vintage before major climate change is affecting the vineyards.

2016: Frost April 26/27 Meursault more than P-M but rains and rather inconsistent. Five wines served were variable.

2015: Hotter extracted powerful. Better year for the ripe reds

2014: Late June hail northern P-M & Meursault but wonderful acidity balance (Chablis the best in decades) with intensity plus age-worthy!

2013: Cooler year Variable from fresh to exotic to grey rot. Most wines with 6 bottles

2011: Lighter less alcohol with an easy ready style. Forwardly. Tied for most at 6 wines.

2010: Reduced crop of rich pure wines with deep minerality. Great year aging well. 3 wines.

2009: Hot year with creamy voluptuous styling.

2008: Colder year of higher acidity holding well.

2004: Mixed results from difficult growing season. Some less ripe floral notes with elegance. Ready.

1996: More sun than heat with good acidity. Always Pre-Mox concerns in 1996 & 1995.

(C) VINEYARD:

This is a most important key to the terroir and potential greatness of the resulting wine. Those on the northern border like Referts (2019, 2009), Combettes (2013), and Champ Canet (2019, 2015, 2014, and 2011) tend towards adjoining Meursault typical styling with richer, hazelnuts, honey, nutty, oily, and round. But exceptions here as in Meursault Perrieres are more like P-M in structured minerality. Different as you go West with Chalumeux (2017), La Truffiere (2004) and Clos de La Garenne (2008). Even more so as you continue towards the western border adjoining St. Aubin with La Garenne (2016, 2013) and Champs-Gain (2016 & 3 producers of 2011). However as you head South the wines tend to be more elegant in Folatieres (2016, 2014, 2011) and Les Perrieres (2014, 2008) including as part of South Perrieres of Clos De La Mouchere (2016, 2013, 2010). As you go through Clavoillon (2011) and especially near the Grand Crus of Batard & Bienvenues adjoining Pucelles (2010) and Cailleret (2013) adjoining Montrachet some classy P-Ms are capable of being made here. With P-M generally you expect wines to show more almonds, minerals, savoury, stones, and tension than Meursault.

Didn’t hand out the Olympic Gold, Silver & Bronze this year. The two Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet both from Bouchard stood out with more depth and complex bouquet and flavours. 2015 is rich, softer, already enjoyable but so classy. 2004 special plot La Cabotte was a killer very fresh for 18 years with long impressive nuances. Wow.

On the other hand the worst showing three bottles were:

2015 Champ Canet Clos de la Jacquelotte Paul Pernot is usually a lovely lively P-M for this vintage but this bottle was corked. Bottle variation.

2011 Champ Canet Latour-Giraud this one showing a lot of Pre-Mox.

1996 Puligny AC showed too much aging with some oxidation.

The overall quality of P-M showed very impressively at this Paulee. Lots of lovely P-M to enjoy even in not the best vintages. My Top 11:

2019 Champ Canet Etienne Sauzet- Great producer & ripe rich 2019
2019 Les Referts Faiveley- Making better whites with perfect oak
2014 Les Perrieres PYCM- Brilliant wine rich no battonage MAG
2013 Clos de la Mouchere Henri Boillot- Also Les Perrieres + MAG
2013 Clos du Cailleret Jean Chartron- Monopole fav almost Chevalier
2011 Clavoillon Dom. Leflaive- Reductive Tight Structure Still young
2010 Les Pucelles Henri Boillot- Concentrated delicious Great vintage
2010 Clos de la Mouchere Henri Boillot- Intense Complex 2010 shines
2008 Les Perrieres Louis Carillon- Amazingly vibrant minerals Classic
2008 Clos de la Garenne Duc de Magenta Jadot- Super Surprise
2004 La Truffiere Bernard Morey- Mellow. Matured vs. in 2016 MAG

Some summary conclusions: Vineyards are showing their distinctiveness quite well. Perrieres (and Clos de la Mouchere) clearly of underappreciated top quality. Pucelles & Cailleret are definitely classy. Referts, Combettes, & Champ Canet are producing a richer styling. Henri Boillot is consistently producing outstanding bottles in this decade as well as the last one. Size matters with all 3 magnum formats stellar. Vintage is important in Burgundy. Grab some of those balanced 2020s just being released. 2014 & 2010 were previous vintage recommendations by your scribe that have proven their amazing worth with bottle age.