Notes from a dinner - Tuesday, December 20, 2005, at Pinot Provence in Costa Mesa, CA. Our party of ten got together to try some Pinot, Musigny, and DRC. We had some hearty appetizers of lamb, skewers with shrimp & date, several cheeses and some paté, followed by entrées of duck in a cherry sauce, baked sausages with apple, and baked red potatoes. Many thanks to Greg Sanders for supplying the Burgs.

Overall impressions: it had been a long time since I'd been able to taste some Domaine Romanee-Conti wines (1984), but it was certainly worth the wait. The '00 La Tache was magnificent, and the '01 Romanee-Conti quite nice. Sadly, the '02 Richebourg was corked - though it took us awhile to accept that fact.

Surprises? Yes, the '01 Loring Clos Pepe has shed its baby fat and is tasting very structured and delicious. In addition, the '04 White Rose Michelle was very intriguing throughout.

2001 Loring Clos Pepe
A little reticent at first, but swirling brought out cherry and black cherry, with just a hint of spice and coffee-scented oak. Very nice structure and balance, good cherry flavor profile, and nice finish. Some others though this not very “Clos Pepe-like” (which I took to mean that it was less weighty), but I though it showed a nice elegance.

2003 Loring Clos Pepe
Deeper and darker in the nose, yet this seemed to stay closed in the glass relative to the ’01. Slightly more telltale coffee – yet very much in the background, nice black cherry. Very nice balance and structure overall, though the weight felt a bit light on the palate.

2004 White Rose Michelle - Oregon
Nose of candle wax, slightly floral cherry, mint and menthol. Definite acid balance, nice ripe cherry fruit, with just a touch of grapefruit to the aftertaste.

2004 White Rose Quiotee's Lair - Oregon
More effusive than the Michelle, with scents of wild strawberry, cherry and citrus. Lighter in mouthfeel than the Michelle, and carrying more pronounced acid.

1978 Drappier Champagne
We used this as a palate cleanser before moving on the Burgundies. I had this same wine one week before, and found it really delightful. But, this time out it definitely seemed more tired – which might have been due to the warmer temperature of this particular bottle…or not. Very toasty and cheesy, pleasant, if a bit oxidized in flavors. The bubbles looked a bit weak in the glass, and the wine seemed to come through much softer on the palate as well.

1999 Jacques Prieur Musigny
Slightly candied nose of cinnamon, cherry, mint, pine, and a touch of nutmeg. Off-sweet mouthfeel, nice cherry fruit, toasty on the palate with just a hint of citrus. Full body, very lengthy finish.

1999 Comte de Vogüé Musigny
Beautiful nose of ripe dark cherry, olive tapenade, Worcestershire, grilled bread and white pepper. Very nice balance, spicy mouthfeel with a bit of white pepper, almost creamy presence before the very long finish. Really lovely!

1998 Drouhin Laroze Musigny
Savory nose of herbs and spices accent the dark fruit. This seemed less about the dark fruit, and more about the fascinating display of seasonings throughout. On the palate, there was a sense of cassoulet-like creaminess. Very nice weight and balance, and long savory finish. Matched very well with the duck; surprisingly less so with the sausage.

2000 Comte de Vogüé Musigny
Very fruit-forward, with fabulous black cherry, bing cherry and strawberry aromas, intermingled with spice and light earthy scents. Beautiful balance, with flavors of dark cherry, grilled buttered toast, Asian spice and a touch of citrus. Very long finish, and delicious aftertaste. A gorgeous wine, that was not at all overblown, yet seems (gasp!) almost new-world-like in power and richness.

2001 Comte de Vogüé Musigny
From the first sniff, this seemed more about emphasizing elegance over power. Nose of bing and black cherry, with vanilla, clove, cinnamon and mint. While seemingly a lesser presence in mouthfeel than the ’00, this wine had beautiful balance throughout its long finish.

2002 Comte de Vogüé Musigny
Slightly ripe nose of red and black cherry, with hints of toasty oak and spice. Literally a fruit-ball initially on the palate, with a nice core of chewy dark cherry that seemed to melt away smoothly through the long finish. Beautiful balance, nice light tannins perk up the back end and finish.

2000 La Tache
Powerful floral aromas of violet and rose petal, like some hi-toned perfume. Lovely fruit, with red and black cherry and a touch of raspberry. Additional scents of citrus, leaf, au jus, caramelized brown sugar, clove, and a faint wiff of sweet bubblegum. A touch of rhubarb and smoky forest floor, combine with lots of dark fruit on the palate, and the whole thing is made all the more mouthwatering by the touches of grapefruit and acids in the structure. Lightly crisp, with a terrific long juicy finish. About as ethereal as I've had.

2001 Romanee-Conti
Nose of candied red and black cherry, rhubarb, celery seed, and orange zest. Light citrus notes accent the cherry fruit on the palate, and the structure and balance worked out perfect with both the duck and sausage. A beautiful wine, just dressed a little more chicly and not quite as attention-getting as the La Tache.

2002 Richebourg
Sadly, corked – yet ever so slightly.

1978 Maison Jaffelin Echezeaux
Somewhat understated in the nose, with an initial waff of baked squash that fades to reveal lovely smoked meat juices accenting the cherry and wild strawberry fruit. Nice mineral, flinty quality to the fruity flavors. Surprising vibrant on the palate, with plenty of cherry fruit to carry this for years to come.

1985 Grahams Port
Nose of dark sweet cherry, with hints of spice and brandy. Smooth and fruit-filled, still seemed young with just a trace of heat on the back end.