ibis888

'02 Jean-Michel Guillon Gevrey-Chambertin 'La Perriere'

Just starting to enter the window... classic Gevrey, great QPR.

Paired well with Rosemary & Garlic chicken and potatoes.

1st question: The mystery and fascination with Burgundy is the ability to recognize and appreciate the dramatic difference between villages and the cru's from within. when you look at oregon now days, there are amazing producers that reside there, many that make wine in a so called 'burgundy' manor, and there are those who make wine in a "wine writers" manor, hoping to get the points of press, and have to ability for shelf life, and later pleasure. When you begin to build your cellar, dont just buy what people say to buy, buy what you officially like, because you are the one drinking it in the end. hit vintages that are on and off years, the off years you can drink while the on years age. for burgundy, the 05's got a lot of praise, red and whites will be of no question, just like 02. though with years in between like 04, drink this now for its charm, but not longevity (red), white though will hold out. 99, 96, 93, 90 are all exceptional years that drink well, and will continue to over the yearss. 01, 00, 98, 97, 95, 92, are years that you must look at with a fine eye, bc some are reaching an early peak, and some are more for white wine than red. your price range is more than suitable for now

2. D.Rion is a great producer, (though now there is a new hand at the wheel, so watch out, quality will vary for a while... look for Patrice rion after 2003), the only question you should have in mind; is the bottle standing up, or is it laying down. is the shop over 75 degrees, has it been there since 97, or 98? how is the fill in the neck? other than that, you should grab the damn thing!!

Thanks! I have had a lot of West Coast pinot and really enjoy them but the really good bourgogne's (05' Arnaud Pere & Fils Bourgogne is my current favorite) and village burgundy's that I have had just seem to have more to them. I also agree, the intrigue of the region holds a certain fascination as well. I can only imagine how some of these 1er Crus will be.

I've accumulated several bottles so far:

96' D. Rion Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes

96' D. Laurent Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers

99' d'Angerville Volnay Les Friemiets

02' N. Rossignol Volnay Les Chevrets

05' R. Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques

05' Hospices de Beaune Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Arthur Girard

05' P. Bouley Volnay Clos des Chenes

The older bottles were all from MacArthurs and had good fill levels, no seepage, the caps turned freely etc. etc. I have read that Laurent uses a lot of oak and have seen a lot of his wine still on shelves but several people have recomended him... it may be an interesting bottle.

I have been trying to gather a variety of different wines from a variety of producers and regions around the Cote D'Or to try to hone in on what I like. I'm trying to get a spread of vintages so that I will have a few bottles to drink here and there while I wait for the '05s to age (hopefully I will still love wine in 10 years!). From what I have read, the Volnays and Vosne-Romanees may be the most compatible with my tastes but of course only actually tasting the wines will confirm that.

I can't wait to try these... now all I need is a bigger cellar and more $$!

A question that may spark an interesting discussion:

I have been fortunate enough over the last several years to fall in love with the world of wine. As I explore the offerings of many regions of the world (I am still trying to work my way through Italy!), I find my tastes moving more and more towards the old world, particularly the wines of Burgundy and the south of France (reading about the personalities of the different producers in Kermit Lynch's book has been a great inspiration).

My experiences with the wines of Burgundy have so far been limited to some enchanting Bourgognes and village wines (it was about a year ago that a Puligny-Montrachet village wine opened my eyes to how amazing white wines can be).

So here is my question: I am considering acquiring a few bottles of some of the nicer premier cru wines from the Cote D'Or to start building a modest "cellar" (read: cuisinart wine cooler). Is the cost of acquisition and effort of storage of these wines worth it? Does the $50-$100+ price tag and the many years of bottle age required to really reach the peak flavor create a signifigantly better experience than a nice bottle of $40 Oregon pinot that can be drunk on release or does some of the fascination of buying and storing these premier and grand crus reside with the deciphering of the vineyards/producers and the acquisition of "trophies"?

One more question while I have everyone's attention: I'd like to try a great bottle before buying up recent vintages ('05) that really should be layed down for several years before being opened. I have seen a few of the so called "good" vintages (1996, 1999) available at MacArthur's... would a nice 1996 1er cru (ex. '96 Daniel Rion Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes) be in its prime by now? Can I be reasonably assured that the wine won't be cooked from a reputable store like MacArthurs or should I be weary?

Thanks for reading (and replying I hope!)....

My apologies for the long post... but I think that I may be on the verge of jumping into the burgundy deep end and I need all of the support that I can get!

I just checked with Komi: One menu @ $155 with a $90 wine pairing. They opened for New Years Eve reservations today at noon and it took a while to get through.... not sure how much longer they'll have openings.

I have been to Komi twice and have found the experience extraordinary on both occasions. Has anyone had any experience with Komi (or any other fine restaurant) on New Years Eve? Is the $50+ New Year's Eve upcharge commensurate with an increased level of cuisine or are we just paying for the date??