2006 Sylvie Esmonin Clos St Jacques 1er & 2005 Mount Mary pinot noir

I returned to Absinthe for its superb degustation menu on 22 Feb 2012 with Hiok and the delectable Pearlrie, on a mini-theme of pinot noir.

2006 Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques 1er Cru, paired with the opening courses of Iberico ham, scallops and pan-fried foie gras. Double-decanted for an hour, and aired further in bottle for almost 2 hours. Slightly heavier in color and tone for a pinot. Not wildly exuberant on the nose, but it’s really quite lovely on the palate, lit with cherries and ripe strawberries, soft and supple, slightly salty with a mild biting intensity amidst a deeper vein of dark currants and subdued tannins, opening up eventually, becoming a medium-bodied seamless wine of great purity and elegance, persistent in its finish. Most persuasive and feminine. Definitely ready for drinking. Excellent.

2005 Mount Mary Pinot Noir (courtesy Hiok), paired with the excellent rack of lamb. It struck me I’ve never really had a Mount Mary pinot noir before. Aired in bottle on-site for about 45 minutes. Displaying the same pinot tint as the Sylvie Esmonin above, but with more exuberant aromas of cherries and raspberries that seemed riper and sweeter, complete with a suggestion of oiliness and of nail varnish, highly aromatic, matched by a medium-bodied wine of excellent tone and weigh, although it is noticeably less complex compared to the Burgundy. It developed a more salty tone over time, managing even to gain a bit of complexity, but so did the Burgundy which stayed ahead the whole time. Nevertheless, it’s very good, setting the stage perfectly for us to close the evening with a generous dose of No.4 Havanas.