Casual Dinner with La Tache and (mostly) 96 Champagnes

Arrival

1996 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Clos Saint-Hilaire

Sweet, with some ginger and maderized notes; very interesting, but not super fresh.

1996 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime

From mag. Nice, but a bit anonymous in this company. Definitely tasted young, as magnums do.

Flight 1

1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

Just spectacular, super precise, beautiful lemon curd and some stone fruits on the nose, with a beautiful tapestry of a midpalate that sang a beautiful song. Endless finish. WOTN for me.

1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

As always, very good, with beautiful toasty brioche, some oxidative notes, and lovely fruit and a streak of acidity that was in balance. To my palate, the Salon was better, but I loved this as well. #2

1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque

This felt shut down, not really singing like the 96 DP did a few months ago. The stuffing is there, though.

1996 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Bru

This was a bit disappointing for me, as past bottles I've had were much better. Tough flight though. Lots of acid, but to my palate not enough fruit.

Flight 2

1976 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

Decanted and filtered to remove cork bits. I think it might have been better to just open this, as the nose was otherworldly upon first pouring, lots of wild aromas that sort of weren't there when it was served an hour or so later. Not quite enough fruit to go with the acid, and felt a bit thin, compared to the other wines in the flight, but had lots of interesting tertiary notes that were fun to drink. Perhaps not the best possible bottle. #3

1988 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

This was spectacular, not a ton of power, but so much elegance. Just a stunning example of what La Tache can be. I think the 90 is better, but not many LT are in this class. Super length and incredible palate presence. WOTF, and close to WOTN.

1996 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

This was powerful, much more so than I would have expected, and much more friendly than I expected. The 96 Richebourg we had last year was super shut down but this was much more open, and continued to open up with time in the glass. Fantastic wine, and perhaps a bit underrated. #2

1988 Vigot-Battault Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Gaudichots

Mystery wine, served blind. This didn't taste like LT at all, or even Vosne; I wouldn't have been shocked if it were morey, or GC. Tasted super young, like something from the 2000s; but given the flight we felt it was probably old. Very surprising. #4

Flight 3

1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

Very tight, but powerful and superb potential, perhaps the most of any wine opened tonight, along with 02. I loved this. Deep dark fruits, with some 5 spice, soy, and hoisin notes, along with superb purity on the palate and long finish. 2nd in this flight, but on any other night, could easily be WOTN.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

Personally I really like 2001, and this was no exception. I felt like this was completely in the zone and hitting on all cylinders. Perhaps it won't get that much better, but tonight it had everything, fruit, balance, and power. This reminded me of what the 88 may have been a decade ago. WOTF

2002 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche*

Sexy but tight, although it opened up after some time in the glass. A bit more dark fruited than the 01, but to me a bit less elegant and the slightest bit ponderous in its current state. I think this will be better in 10 years. #3

Intermezzo

2004 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

Not a fan of 2004s and this didn't change my opinion a bit. Super tight, searing acidity not much nose, not much there. Pass

2004 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil*

Ok, is this actually an 04? It actually has some fruit to go along with the ample acidity, but super elegance, power, and tasted impossibly young. Spectacular wine. Just a step behind the Salon. WOTF

Flight 4

2012 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

Decanted 3 hours. Singing with lots of fruits, and a ton of power. I think 12 is a bit of an overlooked vintage; William Kelley has touted it for some time and I understand why. This just lacked a bit on the nose to compare it to the otherworldly 10, but wasn't too far behind. A bit more red fruited to me. WOTF

2017 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche

Contrary to some people, I thought this was more open than last year, where the wine wasn't really doing much for 3-4 hours after being open. This was lovely, balanced, if not the most powerful wine; in some ways it reminded me of the 01, but had a bit more fruit. In 10 years if it shows that well I'll be very happy because I have a bunch of this. Very nice performance. Just behind the 12

2019 Domaine Nicole Lamarche La Grande Rue

Tasted blind. This was surprisingly open and ready to drink, with a ton of power, and definitely grand cru level, but felt very different from the LT, although clearly Vosne. It didn't have as much spice as the LT and had a bit softer fruit. I think most people were surprised how good this was, good things have been happening at Lamarche.