WTN: Twice Eaten

Dinner with Maureen
1998 Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel
Maureen opened this because I’m generally skeptical about Loosen and never buy the wines, but she insisted that they did well in 98 and was she ever right. This was a ripe firm focused finely-etched jewel that had a bunch of squidgy fruit left around the edges but hardcore firm innards and a very impressive poise. I liked it a lot.

1988 Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux
This was funky and difficult to appreciate from the beginning. A curious muddy murky thing that was not dead (plenty of chunky fruit), not corked, not bretty, but over almost four hours it never got better. What a curious shame. So, we went to the backup.

2004 Jacky Truchot Charmes-Chambertin
This started off reduced and stinky but with just a little bit of air out came the fine and elegant waves of fruit that were fun to keep drinking and drinking and drinking… Nice stuff.

Dinner with Rahsaan
2002 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese
Golden yet clear, succulent yet verdant, brisk yet round. This is a fun wine that gets better and more integrated with a few hours of air. It gave me plenty of pleasure over two days because I love all the elements but I’m guessing it will be even better in the future when those elements start singing in harmony.

2005 Henri Gouges Nuits-St-Georges
Sweet slightly sweaty fruit with a meaty earthy character and fine focused tannins. Nice respectable package. The fruit in this bottle was still exuberant enough to enjoy, and enjoy I did.

Thanks for the notes - riesling and pinot is a winning combination - but I don't get the structure of your post: who is Maureen (sorry, Maureen) and what's the difference between the two dinner sections? (insert here "stoopid" smiley)

[David M. Bueker]

Maureen is likely Maureen Nelson, a DC wine geek & dear friend who has ruined my retirement plans by hooking me on Burgundy.

Maureen is likely Maureen Nelson

Yes, sorry for the 'unknown' names, she doesn't post here but does on the other board (Disorder) where I post my notes and I think many/some here know her.

ruined my retirement plans by hooking me on Burgundy.

But I'm sure you're so much happier as a result!

riesling and pinot is a winning combination

Indeed indeed.

what's the difference between the two dinner sections?

Two different dinners this weekend

[David M. Bueker]

Maureen used to post and chat on WLDG.

Dinner with Rahsaan

Never met Maureen, but Rahsaan's a nice guy, glad you got to have dinner with him.

Thanks for notes on the village Gouges, was thinking of getting some.
Had the '89 Armand CdE a couple weeks ago, not bad, but after several different vintages I don't see why Armand commands a premium.

[David M. Bueker]

Well now both Rahsaan and I have posted positive notes on the Gouges. Clearly it's a must buy...wait...did I say buy...umm

Rahsaan, why so sceptical about Loosen? The real stuff, I mean, not the negoce and "co-operative winemaking" stuff.

Well now both Rahsaan and I have posted positive notes on the Gouges. Clearly it's a must buy...wait...did I say buy...umm

No, it only means it should command a premium, unlike the Armand...

[David M. Bueker]

I'm not Rahsaan, but I feel the Loosen wines lack a degree of soul. They are too polished & frequently soft, even in higher acid vintages.

I'm not Rahsaan, but I feel the Loosen wines lack a degree of soul. They are too polished & frequently soft, even in higher acid vintages.

That's what I felt, but have you had this 98 UW Auslese? It was well worth drinking even if it tilted towards the polished side.

I guess it is no great victory that they can occasionally make very good wines, and I am still not motivated to start buying them. But, at least there is now some slightly more positive associations with them in my mind..

So Hoke, do you find them consistently interesting?

Thanks for notes on the village Gouges, was thinking of getting some.

Yes, depending on the price it could be very attractive. I paid $50 which is probably a lot and I'm not exactly stocking up at that price. But I'm guessing it was available for less when it was first release. Not that that helps you much..

Had the '89 Armand CdE a couple weeks ago, not bad, but after several different vintages I don't see why Armand commands a premium.

For what it's worth, Maureen says the dregs we decanted off the bottle smelled gorgeous the next morning. Unfortunately we left the full bottle at the restaurant so it was probably dumped, especially as the waiter thought it was 'dead'. Which I didn't.

I have never had a mature Armand which was why I was excited to open this, but I've liked the stuff from the late 90s and early 00s and I never noticed a huge price premium. Then again I bought all of mine in England and perhaps they are more expensive here, and I haven't looked into buying the 05s which I'm sure are very expensive.

Dinner with Maureen

Hi Rahsaan! Speaking of Maureen, would that be Maureen Nelson? If so, when you see her next please give her my regards.

[David M. Bueker]

I should see her over the holidays Bob. I will try to remember.

Rahsaan - I do tend to prefer Loosen's Auslesen, but I generally judge a producer by their kabinett and spatlese since that is what I mostly drink.

I'm not Rahsaan, but I feel the Loosen wines lack a degree of soul. They are too polished & frequently soft, even in higher acid vintages.

That's what I felt, but have you had this 98 UW Auslese? It was well worth drinking even if it tilted towards the polished side.

I guess it is no great victory that they can occasionally make very good wines, and I am still not motivated to start buying them. But, at least there is now some slightly more positive associations with them in my mind..

So Hoke, do you find them consistently interesting?

No, I don't, Rahsaan. Primary reason I asked was that I was more of a fan of the Loosen wines back when the old man was making them (Ernie's father). All of a sudden Ernie's getting incredible praise, and I see dissing of his father for a variety of reasons. But I don't go ga-ga over the new Loosen---I like them, apparently more than you and David do, but I'm not nearly as enthusiastic as some others are. Oddly enough, the issue I had with the old man's wines was his tendency (I thought) to let the grapes get over-ripe, and to constantly have to down-classify. But they were, even then, some terrific wines.

Trouble is, I can't always clearly separate my fondness for the old guy and his style. But I do detect a difference with Ernie's wines---and maybe that is his consistency, his style dominating the terroir of the individual places? What I do know is the Loosen Urzig used to be one of the most exciting wines around---and now...it's just not. And the Erdener Pralat, which used to be a hallmark of a wine, is more often than not now a footnote.

[David M. Bueker]

As for the Pralat, I think it is a victim of its own greatness as a site. It was highly regarded because it could attain auslese+ levels in the old days. Now in our globally warmed world it gets ridiculously ripe & drops acidity, making it boring more often than not.

Picked up the village Gouges today, on sale at $40 at Zachys, and an instore coupon made even cheaper.

There's not a huge price premium on Comte Armand,but they do go for noticably more than Pommards of de Courcel or Michel Gaunoux, which I've liked at least as much. But that's my tastes.

As to Loosen, I've never been really blown away, but have only had random bottles of the "real" stuff. That said, I actually thought the '07 Dr L was a great value at $7-9, much snappier/crisper and less fruit cocktailly than previous vintages.

Picked up the village Gouges today, on sale at $40 at Zachys, and an instore coupon made even cheaper.

Nice price, good for you.

As to Loosen, I've never been really blown away, but have only had random bottles of the "real" stuff..

Yes, and I was recently reminded that this 98 Auslese was a Goldkapsel, which means it had all the more reason to be impressive.

[David M. Bueker]

The goldkapsule level is where Loosen really does tend to shine.

I have owned and drunk multiple bottles (from vintages '90, '93 and '96) of Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux with mixed success.

A couple of '90's were drunk too soon (sometime before 2000?) but from what I can remember the wine was incredibly big, massively tannic and not for the faint-hearted (in a "pure" sense for a Burgundy - in fact both drunk more like a traditionalist Barolo!) before I kept regular notes and owned a computer.

The '93 is a bruiser of a Pinot that needs a little more time and should last for another decade (I'm keeping four bottles for this particular exercise) - this is my last detailed note -

Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux 1993

June 20th, 2006 | Category: Red Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Pommard

Reveals a youthful, saturated dark ruby colour with only minimal bricking in the edges. The deep, brooding bouquet abounds with damp earth, spice, game, plenty of savoury oak over deepset sappy/plummy fruit. Similarly etched in the mouth, this flavoursome, youthful Burg needs more time. Gobs of Satsuma plum, game and pinot sap are, presently, just a little at out of whack with mouth-puckering acidity and plenty of grip from fine-grained, but powerful, drying tannins. Exceedingly long power-packed finish. At least 3 or 4 years further cellaring required. It should last another decade thereafter. I believe there’s sufficient fruit in reserve to handle this proposition. 92 points today, with, hopefully, a higher rating sometime early in the next decade. Big, bruiser of a pinot, very much in the Leroy style. 13% A/V

My last bottles of 1996 were consumed in the last couple of years and here are a few notes I dug up from my archives -

Sun Sep 11, 2005 : Comte Armand Pommard "Clos Des Epeneaux" 1996

This bottle was opened last evening and the remainder polished off this afternoon.

This monopole (single owner) site in Pommard holds legendary status amongst many a scribe. The particular vintage was harvested from Pinot Noir vines ranging from 25-80 years of age. Coates wrote, in 1998, the winemaker, Pascal Marchand, considered this his best Epeneaux ever. Coates was tempted to agree.

I thought the wine impressive, exhibiting good colour, plenty of sappy cherry and plum fruit with an element of rusticity - earthy, undergrowth aromas and flavours interplaying with some nicely honed savoury oak, silky textured, with grainy tannins, some lift from the acidity common to this vintage and very good length. Unfortunately, it doesn't compare to the great Burgundies I've had the (occasional) pleasure of sharing but, all in all, a wine that can be recommended and drunk over the next several years.

Today was almost a total rehash of what I've written above apart from the merest whisper of oxidation on the nose and a little softening of the sturdy tannin structure. Still drinking very nicely. Would rate this as Very Good only. A bit disappointing for the hype that surrounds this producer/vineyard.

March 19th, 2007

Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru “Clos des Epeneaux” 1996 - Excellent deep colour, reticent nose that came up well in the glass with time - plums, cherries, a little savoury oak with just a hint of sweet earth - followed by a slightly four-square palate with complimentary acidity and firmish tannins, reasonably long finish - just lacked some “wow” factor. Should improve marginally over the next several years but will never be great. Very good/Excellent 88