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The white wine of our lunch program was served completely blind. It was an amazing wine that toured all of France with its complexity. At first, its sexy nose had me leaning in a buttery Chardonnay direction, but one sip made it clear this was no Chardonnay. It almost had the dried white fruits of a great white Bordeaux, but this was much more exotic and sweet, possessing a different overall profile. There was a hint of Rhone tropicality, but its sweetness was more delicate despite covering a wide range of yellow tones. This was a complex, ‘precise’ wine, ‘the best wine of Savoie.’ Where? Even I had to ask. Eastern France, South of the Jura, don’t miss that left turn if you want to get some of the 1990 Domaine Dupasquier Rousette de Savoie Marestel. I’m not sure what’s what on the label, so I am just putting it all down lol. The excitement of such a discovery was written all over my face. It was amazing to find something new that was this good. A small smile and twinkle in the eye of The Educator made me know that we were birds of a feather (95).

There was another new, exciting discovery, a magical place in a faraway land seemingly only known to those who already know it. Those who already know it, and who like their fine wine, would most certainly dine at a certain Michelin-starred restaurant, so that’s just what I did. I have been drinking a lot of dry Rieslings (‘GGs’) this summer, so I couldn’t resist grabbing a half-bottle of one of Riesling’s top dogs right now, a 2009 Keller Kirschspiel GG. This had a fantastic nose that was clearly great and sweet with its citrus and lychee fruit, but also taut with a refreshingly cold minerality. There was nice petrol giving this some go, and it bristled on its palate. There was a satiny, tender and long finish to this delicious virtuoso. This goes under the ‘pure pleasure’ category (94).

I certainly couldn’t resist a bottle of 1996 Roumier Chambolle Musigny Amoureuses at 210 euros. The Roumier had a gorgeous nose full of roses, red fruits, royal garden and a kiss of waterfall. There was crazy Asian and forest spice abounding, but its palate was a bit more reserved. It was more tender than most ’96s, still with a hint of the vintage’s strong acid but simplistically satiny. I felt the wine was a bit shut down, however (94+).

Swallows of 1986 Mouton Rothschild (96+) and 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard (96) were most welcome at the end of the night, as some other guests had left a smidge in their bottles. ‘This is what we do every night,’ the sommelier smiled.

I had lunch with The Aginator, a ‘no bullshit’ kind of guy and longstanding friend who doubles as a nice bodyguard when abroad. Any problem will soon be no problem when The Aginator is around. We went back to the Keller, this time a 2007 Keller Abts Erde GG. This was another fantastic Keller with aromas of sweet peach and nectarine. This was sweeter than usual, perhaps a function of the vintage or the vineyard, not really sure. Its palate was lush and creamy, soft and sweet (93).

We plucked an unusual 1981 Haut Brion Blanc off the list next. It had a great, yet unique nose that opened up slowly. This was glue city with a touch of good oxidation, aka maturity. It got sweeter in the glass, unfolding into honey, lavender and ‘caramel’ per my friend. The wine also became brothier. This was a smooth and polished wine, like a well-oiled doorknob, and its palate was perfectly mature (93).