Meal...

On December 28, we had dinner with Kimberly and David Shiverick, An American importer who also owns a vineyard in Maury (for they are also lovers of the Roussillon): Blanc n° 1 2004 which tastes better and better, even opened after two days for lunch and dinner, the wine was good, with a sweetness due to a perfect ripeness. Valandraud 2003, also tasted for lunch on December 30 had the characteristic of the ripeness of 2003 (a bit of caramel) and a bottle of 3 Marie 2004 which deserved the notes it received.

Saturday, we had lunch with Kimberly and David as well as our friends Michel and Dany Rolland who are, with a famous owner, the first who helped us when we were doubtful or guided us when we needed to make technical decisions (like not fining following a comment made by Michel). They also helped us with press by including our wine in tasting organized in their lab for wines signed “Rolland” (I remember that Gault et Millau or Dupont preferred Virginie to Valandraud), etc…

Blanc de Valandraud N°1 2004, Meursault Bouches Chères 1999 1er cru from Domaine Buisson Charles, again, wines produced with ripe fruit as well as complex and soft flavors after 8 years of maturity… Difficult to spit. We actually didn’t spit anything especially as the Iranian caviar and scallops were such a great complements. With the roast – Truffle mach potatoes, we drank a wine our American guests brought: The Prisoner 2006 from Napa Valley, a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, produced with mature grapes, soft and great QPR for it is sold at retail in the US for 35 Dollars.
We followed with a bottle of Ausone 1959. Bordeaux built its reputation on these vintages: modern, ripe grapes. I found this bottle fantastic, even though it was not very powerful. This wine was easy to drink. It was the time when Ausone was compared to great burgundies: lacy and, as Manu would say, was “pinoting” well. We then drank a very different wine, powerful, typical of a Left Bank, Pauillac to the last drop: Latour 1959, which, while not as ripe as Ausone, had this incredible energy of a wine needing the proper aging to reach its apogee. This goes to say!
We served the Maury from Calvet-Thunevin 2004 with the famous chocolate cake from Lopez to finish this pre holiday meal with our friends.

For the meal with family and childhood friends, we drank:
Charles Heidsieck 1995
Puligny Montrachet Leflaive 2000 Clavoillon
Branon 2000
Valandraud 2000
Trotanoy 2000 (top)
Porto Quinta do Infantado 1995
Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Les Folatières from Vincent Girardin 2004, corked
Tante Berthe 2002 Beaune 1er cru, Château de Chorey
Nigl 2005
Victor de Diel 2004
Vosnes Romanée 1er cru en Orveaux 2002 from château de Marsannay
Porto Martinez 1991

Well, for now Evian, Vittel and Badoit.