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Ok so my attempt to write three notes a day has been an epic fail so far in 2018, but there is still hope. If I can combo my first week in Hong Kong with my next in March and somehow get current with the massively insane Grande Fete de Bourgogne, I might actually be able to catch up and start flying, so to speak.

There was an unimpressive 2009 Pape Clement Blanc next. I have had excellent bottles of other vintages of this wine in the past, but I was very under-impressed with the 2009. It was pungent and sweaty in the nose, with some grapefruit and other yellow fruits, but I found its palate very one dimensional and unexciting. (87)

The 1996 Haut Brion Blanc was ‘the best white’ per the Ringmaster, and he was right. It had a fantastic nose of glue city, with intense, rich and twisted flavors that were dry with apricot and lanolin hints. Its structure and density were ‘wow’ and ‘wow.’ HBB is always a bit of an S&M wine, and sometimes it’s good to be a masochist when on the drinking end. (96).

The 1989 DRC La Tache that followed had more vim and vigor, perhaps more discoverable as my palate recovered. There were more rubber, leather and citrus aromas and flavors. Its palate was zippy with great citrus smack to its finish. (95+).

The 1988 DRC La Tache was also vimful, on the spicier side but definitely not with the fruit of the 2001. This was more on the whips and chains side of the fence, characteristic of the vintage. Baby definitely had back, similarly zippy and zoomy to the 1989, although more so. It had excellent leather and citrus flavors. (96+).

We finished with a 1962 Quinto do Noval Nacional. I always find it tough to gather enough energy for tasting notes of dessert wines, and this was no exception. It was smoother than I expected but, of course, great. (96).

Europe, on the other hand, is fucking cold in February. I am now in the middle of six days and five cities in Europe (hello from Oslo), and my first stop was one of my favorite tasting companions in the world, the Keymaster.

It was a quiet night by usual standards, but a welcome one, nonetheless. In fact, the theme would be ‘one’, which I found quite appropriate, since I like being number one, in case you haven’t heard ; )

Everything was served blind, and we were joined by the French Paradox, always a welcome guest at the dinner table. The first wine was Champagne, and a mature one with a light, dusty petillance. There were dry flavors of orange and rust with a dollop of honey at its core. It was smooth and tasty with cream soda flavors and inching towards outstanding with each sip. The Paradox noted, ‘pamplemousse’ on its finish, aka grapefruit. I noted hay flavors, and the Keymaster ‘caramel apple.’ It was an ultimately outstanding and original bottle of 1971 Lanson Red Label Champagne. (95).

The second wine had me guessing white Burgundy or Rhone at first, but ultimately it was white Bordeaux! The three hours of decanting definitely threw me off the scent at first, but once I knew, it was, of course, more obvious! Glue permeated its nose, and this was a mature and tasty white with amber flavors and that classic taste of Graves. Its finish was long like a red. ‘Well balanced and mature’ and ‘good minerals’ came from the crowd. I was stunned to find out this was a 1981 Haut Brion Blanc, and even more stunned when I learned it was open for three hours. Impressive for the off vintage and the air time. (93)!

The third wine had a superb and seductive nose, pure fruit and pure cherry, or ‘griottes’ as the Paradox noted. Olives and spice played their way into the game, and this was a fresh and lovely red. Its sweet fruit and game were delicious at first, but the wine waned a bit in the glass. It got a little sweet, and some bath soap emerged, but that was a heck of a first glass of 1991 Claude Dugat Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru. (92).

I bought something off the list to round out our evening and put my friends to the test. The Keymaster noted a ‘bloody taste,’ and there was much more power and breed here in this delightfully (relatively) open 2011 Rousseau Chambertin. Even after tasting 87 vintages of Rousseau wines a couple weeks ago (yes, trying to get to that one), I am always ready for more! There was a lot of Asian spice here, and the Keymaster ntoed, ‘dim sum.’ Black fruits and meat off the bone sizzled in my mouth in this open, rich and approachable Chambertin that still had a lot of life left in it, of course (95).

Ok, twelve more notes on the books, I think I can, I think I can…