La Paulée de Singapour 2018

Barely two days after the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Gala came the annual La Paulée de Singapour organised by The Vintage Club on 02 February 2018 at the brand-new Andaz Hotel, Singapore, masterminded by M. Christophe Cazaux-Maleville with his partners Gilles Herr and Antonin Pon. The La Paulée may trace its roots back almost a century ago to Meursault where workers in the vineyards would gather to celebrate after the end of a back-breaking harvest with plenty of food and wine. In particular, it seemed the vignerons would each bring a bottle to best the efforts of rivals. The tradition still continues but, of course, the event in Singapore was simply a good excuse to indulge in a mad evening of wining. This time, the French Ambassador could not join us but the local French community still showed up in force. The free-for-all promenade that preceded dinner began on time at 1730h but, in spite of the 150 minutes till dinner, I still could not sample all the wines available. All the domaines represented by The Vintage Club were present to show off the 2015 vintage which, I must say, is excellent for both whites and reds in equal measure (though the 2014 whites are still peerless) and it was good for me to be able to catch up again with M. Etienne de Montille soon after my visit to his Domaine last November. The Andaz did a great job in its organisation and service although the hall for the promenade was too small, I feel, and the ambient temperature way too warm though the ballroom was quite perfect. Things became rather loud and riotous quite quickly, which is how it is supposed to be, punctuated by several rounds of the mandatory ban bourguignon. At the end, forty-nine wines in one evening was a little too much for my palate but it was great fun and I’m already looking forward to the 2019 edition where the outstanding reds of 2016 will be featured.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Puligny-Montrachet Champs-Canet 1er, poured from jeroboam. Lifted tones of clear citrus with good transparency, presence and focus on the palate, showing fine acidity and intensity with good linearity.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Pommard Clos des Epenots 1er. Clear purple but closed on the nose. Equally reserved on the palate where notes of earth and wild berries dominate with good acidity, somewhat short at the finish.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Volnay Clos des Chenes 1er. Darker in tint and tone, displaying good attack and intensity of raspberries, dark currants and earthy tones with a spicy glow, somewhat short.

2015 Domaine du Chateau Meursault Beaune-Greves Les Trois Journaux 1er. Good color. Deep aromas of dark roses and raspberries, full-bodied and rounded, showing excellent intensity and layering of fruit with seamless acidity, finishing with excellent linearity and definition. Very lovely.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Marsannay Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, poured from magnum. Clear purple with an abundance of raspberries, dark cherries and earth, fleshy with good concentration and fine acidity, seamlessly integrated.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Marsannay Marsannay Les Favieres. Deep purple, this village exudes sharp intense aromas of sweet ripe berries with a herbaceous trace, forward in balance with excellent acidity and concentration, finishing with splashes of spice though somewhat short.

2014 Domaine Pierre Damoy Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Tamisot. Good colour. Highly effusive with clean forward notes of rose petals, ripe cherries and red fruits. Fleshy and open, showing fine detail, excellent presence and acidity, just a tad short. An over-achieving village. Worth every penny, and more.

2014 Domaine Pierre Damoy Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. Deep colour, exuding notes of rose petals and red currants. Rounded with subdued intensity. Distinctly feminine. Highly beguiling and elegant. Excellent.

2014 Domaine Pierre Damoy Chambertin Grand Cru. Good colour, displaying an intense bouquet layered with dark currants and dark roses, highly effusive. Excellent in concentration and poise, hugely understated, subtly structured with superb acidity. Excellent.

2014 Domaine Georges Noellat Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru, poured from magnum. Brilliant bright colour, displaying superb intensity of glorious ripe fruit on the bouquet with great succulence and purity on the palate, glowing throughout its length with supreme elegance in spite of its fullness. Wonderful stuff. A must-have wine.

2014 Domaine Georges Noellat Vosne-Romanee. Correct pinot tint. Superb bouquet with a forward balance of gorgeous ripe fruit amidst gentle saline minerals, highly poised and rounded, displaying great presence and purity. Utterly charming. Beautifully crafted.

2012 Domaine Georges Noellat Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er. Darker in hue with earthy tones and textures, very correct for Nuits-Saint-Georges, supported by glorious ripe fruit with darkish tones, superbly integrated, tapering to a long glowing finish. Excellent.

2015 Domaine de Montille Volnay En Champans 1er. Highly delicate bouquet, beautifully lifted, showing great colour, purity and ripeness, structured with supple sweet tannins amidst sublime acidity. Superb.

2015 Domaine de Montille Volnay Les Brouillards 1er. Deep color and tone, displaying good lift of raspberries and dark cherries. Rounded with fine detail and concentration, just a tad short.

2015 Domaine de Montille Volnay Les Taillepieds 1er. Deep in colour and tone. Fleshy with excellent earthiness, laced with fresh acidity and fine detail brought about by ripe dark berries with a gentle biting intensity. Plenty of velvety power though lacking in structure.

2015 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet Les Cailleret 1er. Sharp lifted bouquet, stuffed with clear yellow citrus amidst a superb minerally base with mild saline tones, displaying good depth, layering and potential complexity. Excellent.

2015 Domaine de Montille Saint-Romain en Jarrons. Attractive lifted aromas of earthy minerals, showing excellent fruit quality with superb layering and freshness, very well balanced, teasing the palate with great verve and fleeting intensity. Excellent.

2015 Domaine de Montille Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Superb bouquet of complex white fruits, strongly perfumed, layered with excellent fullness, concentration and detail on the palate, producing superb mouthfeel. Excellent.

2015 Chateau du Moulin a Vent Moulin-a-Vent. Deep colour. Big, dark and tannic with a rich abundance of dark plums and currants that is quite unexpected of gamay, brimming with biting intensity.

2015 Ch du Moulin-a-Vent Champ de Cour. Coming from a single vineyard gamay, this wine is dark in colour, displaying high extraction of fruit that translates into licorice, wild berries and ripe dark fruits with substantial earthiness, coating the palate with raw biting intensity.

2015 Ch du Moulin-a-Vent La Rochelle. Very dark and full, well extracted with a great concentration of spicy earthy tones.

2015 Chateau de Chamirey Mercurey La Mission 1er monopole. Well-developed bouquet of complex citrus and morning dew with a fabulous palate, superbly layered with lovely richness and purity of fruit underscored by understated minerality. I’m reminded of the outstanding 2014 and, in fact, would be fascinating to compare both side-by-side in a blinded tasting. Superb.

2015 Domaine Comte Senard Corton Grand Cru Blanc. Superb bouquet of complex white flowers and delicate chalk, layered with great transparent textures in spite of the rich tone of fruit and minerals, displaying great elegance and sophistication. Outstanding.

2015 Domaine Faiveley Puligny-Montrachet Champs Gain 1er. Clear grassy elements with a hint of rye, showing good intensity of flavours amidst stern minerals with excellent potential for further complexity.

2015 Domaine Faiveley Corton Clos des Corton Faiveley Grand Cru monopole. Dark in colour with abundant fruit, very ripe, marked by an earthy edge with graphite minerals. Very full, rich and tight, almost opulent.

2015 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er. Dark in colour. Rich in ripe dark berries and currants, well-extracted with overtones of licorice, slightly dry.

2015 Domaine Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Porets Saint Georges 1er. Saturated with dark chocolate, black currants and ripe dark berries, well-extracted, tight and full with searing intensity, ending in a spicy finish. Still primal.

2015 Domaine des Perdrix Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Aux Perdrix Cuvee Les 8 Ouvrees. Beautiful colour, exuding a lifted bouquet of dark rose petals with a perfumed fragrance, highly focused on the palate, displaying great concentration and searing intensity of fruit, well-structured at its spicy finish. Excellent.

Etienne de Montille loves a good party

Delamotte Blancs de Blanc Brut NV, poured from jeroboam. Rich in toasty yeasty characters, displaying excellent tone of fresh green melons and deep clear citrus to match its dry finish. Quite excellent.

2015 Domaine Vincent Bouzereau Meursault Les Charmes 1er. Poised with great restraint, concealing rich white fruits but absolutely lovely on the palate, displaying gorgeous acidity and concentration with very fine detail, striking a great balance between delicacy and delivery of power. Excellent.

2015 Domaine Vincent Bouzereau Meursault Goutte d’Or 1er. Powerful aromas, rich in melons and lifted ripe citrus and lime on the nose and palate, well balanced against a minerally floor, highly supple with lovely acidity and mouth feel. Excellent.

2015 Domaine Vincent Bouzereau Meursault Les Poruzots 1er. Delicious tones of cider and subtle yellow citrus, laden with cool minerals upon its gentle entry onto the palate, showing good transparency.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Meursault Charmes-Dessus 1er, poured from jeroboam (courtesy of Christophe). This wine shows great restraint on the nose though the palate is imbued with great concentration and intensity with lifted clear tones, layered with sharp acidity, finishing with notes of bitter lemon. Excellent, though I feel its 2014 counterpart is more expressive.

2014 Domaine de Comtes Lafon Meursault-Charmes 1er (courtesy of David Tan). Pale in colour, showing great restraint as well though it is quite superb on the palate, very full and tight with a great concentration of clear citrus and white fruits laced with sublime acidity.

2011 Domaine de Comtes Lafon Meursault-Charmes 1er (courtesy of Pipin). Displaying a superb clear golden hue, this wine was just as reticent on the nose, rich in white fruits and citrus on the palate marked by minty overtones with very fine acidity, more expansive towards the finish.

2008 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (courtesy of Vic). Great delicacy here with wonderful depth of primarily clear citrus with other subtle nuances of jackfruit, cedar and a hint of durians, quite understated in intensity with overtones of incense, structured with crisp acidity that imparted great freshness and mouthfeel, finishing well. Excellent.

2007 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Grand Cru Marquis de Laguiche (courtesy of David Tan). Showing great restraint with clear cool fruit on the nose with recessed chalky tones, offering a glowing palate rich in ripe fruit that displayed great sophistication and balance with transparent textures throughout its lovely lengthy. Superb.

2003 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, poured from magnum (courtesy of LF). Surprisingly reticent and backward on the nose, compensated though by very good concentration of fruit with a rich tonal palate amidst dryish textures and some early complexity, highly supple.

1990 Domaine Marquis D’Angerville Volnay Champans, poured from magnum (courtesy of LF). Opague rusty red, exuding a lovely earthy pungency with a bit of discreet sweetness, displaying excellent fullness of dark plums and currants with a rich fabulous intensity, laced with superb acidity that is still remarkably fresh, ensuring that this wine still has the legs to last the distance. Excellent.

2010 Domaine Anne Gros Echezeaux Grand Cru (courtesy of Hsiang Sui). This wine is imbued with a glorious tone of red fruits, dark berries and dark currants, superbly ripe with exemplary purity, underscored by stern graphite minerals on the full palate laced with crisp acidity and lovely tannins that are remarkably rich and supple. Simply outstanding.

2006 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er (courtesy of CJ). Utterly stunning in its glorious tone of red cherries and fresh rose petals, marked by a beguiling feminine fragrance with wonderful richness, depth and purity. Supremely elegant and seamless in its integration and delivery of power. Should you ever need to understand what the fuss is about concerning Les Amoureuses, go for this wine.

1966 Antonin Rodet Bourgogne (courtesy of Thomas). Murky, but still alive with a remarkably full tone of aged red fruits, still showing excellent ripeness and intensity of flavours. Ageing most gracefully.

1964 Domaine Chanson Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er. Ripe red plums, distinctly aged in character though still retaining excellent concentration and intensity of flavours with fine acidity.

2007 Domaine Georges Comte de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny 1er (courtesy of Kieron). Made from young vines (below 25 years) of Musigny grand cru, this wine exudes great colour with a lovely complex of fresh ripe cherries, smoke and sweet incense, a little forward in balance, displaying excellent presence and structure with fine intensity and integration. Excellent.

2011 Domaine Georges Lignier Clos-Saint-Denis Grand Cru. This wine proffers a predominance of abundant raspberries along with fresh ripe cherries and strawberries amidst earthy tones and sweet incense, showing good typicity of the Morey-Saint-Denis terroir in its rasping intensity and darker tone of fruit. Excellent potential but still raw.

2011 Domaine Francois Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er. Quite sublime in its delicate tones of ripe red fruits with overtones of hot stones and open on the palate with delicious succulence and richness of fruit, yet remarkably gentle and subtle in intensity. A superb expression of this famous terroir.

2009 Domaine Mugneret Mugneard Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru. Excellent depth of ripe red fruits, full-bodied with a darkish tone but vibrant with subtle intensity, showing good representation of terroir.

2014 Domaine de Montille Nuits-Saints-Georges Aux Thorey 1er. Well-extracted with abundant ripe dark berries with dry earthy textures, showing good concentration and intensity.

2006 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Hauts-Doix. Quite glorious on the nose with generous dollops of ripe wild berries and raspberries that exuded a beautiful hallowed glow, delivering on its promise with superb concentration and intensity of fruits supported by earthy minerals, finishing with a stern ferrous trace.