WCC White Burgundy @ Fort Orange Club 8/18/2022

WCC White Burgundy Blind
@ the Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY (8/18/2022)

My local wine group met for the first time since November 2019. The theme was white Burgundy. The longtime leader of our group passed the baton to me. This was my first dinner in this capacity since 2005.

All the wines were opened around 7pm. Dinner ran from 7:30 to around 10pm. The wines were bagged and served blind to the group, but were known to me since I organized the flights.

We chose the Fort Orange Club as the venue because we knew we'd have a private room and it has been quite consistent in the past. It did not disappoint. The new Executive Chef Peter Jones is very good. The dishes were quite tasty and well matched to the wines.

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Starter
In the spring of 2021, our second co-founder Joel Spiro passed away. We began this dinner with a toast to him and a few other dearly departed members. The choice of Burgundy as the theme was in honor of Joel since it was clearly his favorite wine region. Joel was so notable and well-regarded in the local food and wine community that our local paper published an article about him that highlights his joy for living and his generosity of spirit.

2000 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses - France, Champagne
[Disgorged October 2009.] Smokey, yeasty nose. Beautifully balanced. Complex and long.Very tasty Champagne. (93 points)

Flight 1: 2009 Base Wines
Risotto: Local sweet corn, Maine Lobster, Green Onions:

2009 J.A. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé
Simple, appealing. Quite alive and fresh. (88 points)
2009 Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
Somewhat oxidized, but still drinkable. Hard to judge. (NR)

Mike T could not be with us this evening, but he asked me to read the following in honor of Joel Spiro:

Congrats to Ken and to all of you for pulling this night together and restarting the wine collectors. I can't be with you physically or virtually tonight, but I am there in spirit. It is fitting that we use this re-boot to honor Joel Spiro. It is so appropriate that the wine is burgundy, and the venue is the Fort Orange Club—Joel was fond of both.

In commemoration of him, I respectfully call on Joel Spiro to pick a wine from the first flight, and tell us why you like it. In the spirit of the Academy Awards, I call on our former wine fairy to accept this task, for Joel.

Have a good tasting, a good dinner, and a good night.

Mike

This was very much appreciated by the group.

Here's a photo that I took of Joel at a Burgundy dinner in 2019:

Flight 2: 2016 Meursault Les Genevrières
Sous Vide Chicken Breast: Local Summer Vegetables and Beurre Blanc:

2016 Domaine Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Lemon custard nose with hints of petrol. Thick, complex, but still quite young. Lots of minerals on a long finish. I would wait a few more years on this. (93 points)
2016 Domaine Rémi Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Nose of peaches and lemon peel. Again lots of minerals. Long and complex. I would hold for several more years. (94 points)

Flight 3: Corton-Charlemagne
Pochouse (Fish Stew): Mussels, Shrimp and Crab in Saffron Broth, Crispy Baguette:

1993 Pierre Marey et fils Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Some oxidation in the nose, but the palate has that nice nutty taste that I like. Rich and complex. Too oxidized for some, but I like it a lot. (94 points)
2011 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Stunning nose of slate and citrus. Ready, quite complex. Super long finish. My WOTN so far. (95 points)

Flight 4: Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Quintessence
Cheese Board: Comte, Camembert, Humboldt Fog, Grapes, Honey Comb, Nuts, Crostini:

2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Quintessence - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Wow! Great nose of custard and lemon zest. Long, vibrant, truly great. Hands down the WOTN for me and some others. I think it's at its peak, but no rush to drink. (97 points)
2004 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Quintessence - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Similar to the 2002, but not quite as stunning. Actually more mature. A wonderful, complex wine, but somewhat in the shadow of the 2002. Larry K guessed that this was a 2004, but everyone thought the 2002 was much younger. (95 points)

All the wines:

People Pix

Executive Chef Peter Jones comes out to a round of applause:

Around the table:

Conclusion

There were, not surprisingly, a couple of duds, but all in all, the other wines showed quite well.

While several members could not attend, it was great seeing those who could be there. The sense of community one gets from enjoying good food, good wine, and good company together is quite special. I missed these people and these dinners quite a bit.

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.