Fine Wine Dinner
a celebration of rare, exquisite wines and a five course dinner,set in our intimate private dining room
Notes from the Sommelier:
2013 Salon, Champagne, France
I've heard the 2013 vintage in Champagne being described as being ripened under moonlight and I think this captures the style of Salon in this vintage perfectly. Hailing from the tenderloin, midslope of Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger, Salon is only made in top vintages and 2013 is certainly at the top of the top vintages. Intensely concentrated Chardonnay of the highest class and refinement channels the chalky soil into a lacy, caressing Champagne elaborated for 10 years in the cellar prior to release.
2014 Domaine Leflaive, Chevalier Montrachet, Burgundy, France
Pioneers of Biodynamic farming, Domaine Leflaive was well ahead of the curve that has become the norm for producers looking for quality over all else. From one of their signature Grand Cru vineyards, this small strip of land is truly God's gift to Chardonnay. I'd argue we haven't had a vintage as good as 2014 since and the likelihood of these cool, chiseled years seem increasingly rare nowadays. 10 years on, baby fat has been burned off and the power and regal texture of Chevalier are on full display.
2001 Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Grand Cru, Richeburg, Burgundy, France
What can be said about Domaine de la Romanee Conti that hasn't already been said about many of humanity's great artistic accomplishments? Beyond the immediate curb appeal lies endless complexity and detail of the vintage laid bare by Vosne-Romaneés second largest Grand Cru vineyard. "As goes Richebourg, so goes the vintage" is a saying heard in Burgundy and this bottling shows the best of what 2001 has to offer. Freshness, clarity and eloquence from an era unburdened by a warming, unpredictable climate.
1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Bordeaux, France
Likely the "classiest" of the First Growth properties of the left bank, Lafite has an effortless panache that comes through in even the most difficult vintages. That said, this from the exceptional 1990 vintage and suffice it to say in the great years, hold on to your hats. Nearly 35 years on, this is center-cut, filigreed Bordeaux at its apex. There is a velveteen, high-thread count feel to the palate and soaring, autumnal aromatics.
2001 Chateau d'Yquem, Sauternes, France
The greatest contemporary vintage of this great property. High on the hill in Sauternes, this property has been regarded as the top site in the region long before it was legally coded as such in 1855. Recipient of rapturous praise from the wine cognoscenti and multiple 100 point scores, this is a punishingly concentrated vintage coming in at 150 grams per litre of sugar. One of the most undeniably profound sweet wines I've ever tasted.