After a string of whites we move onto the red wines rank at the Elitistreview 20th anniversary lunch. This red was a 2005, the year Elitistreview started.
The first wine, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Clos des Ruchottes 2005 from Rousseau, was generously provided by my old friend Paul Day. He is one of the people who taught me how to blind taste when I was at Oxford. Meeting him in his college rooms regularly made me remarkably good at identifying Gentiaz Côte-Rôtie vintages considering I was only 19!
At the time, and for several years afterward, the favourable market conditions made me a regular drinker of Clos des Ruchottes. Its price was even in easy reach of a student with a serious Chave Hermitage-habit. Wine was just so affordable in the 1990s and early 2000s! I recognise I was extremely fortunate – by arse it was a fun time!
The first Ruchottes-Chambertin I report on was from a tasting of 2005s from Christophe Roumier. It is a sign of the times that I take tasting at Christophe Roumier FFS incredibly in my stride. It is now quite stunning to read that I take the immense privilege of tasting at such a prestigious domaine – with the man himself, no less – so blithely. For the record, the 2005 Ruchottes-Chambertin was “Quite delicious. Yum yum.” Wow.
By the time I was tasting 2010s and 2011s at Domaine Roumier I had generated an appropriate level of enthusiasm. The 2011 Ruchottes-Chambertin, “clearly merited all of my ejaculations of enthusiasm”. Trying some wines from bottle resulted in me commenting, “We tried three 2010s from bottle and violate me with a two-foot electrified dildo if they didn’t show more depth of flavour, harmony and class.”
Let us taste this 2005!
Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Clos des Ruchottes 2005, Rousseau
I have always been sure it is not auto-suggestion to say Ruchottes-Chambertin is packed with ripe cherry aroma; this is rich and sumptuous with them. Highly attractive and completely delicious. Yum yum.
This is a wine of superlative quality. Scintillatingly beautiful and dazzlingly complex, it is a coruscating entity of total delight and incredible class. The fruit is beguiling, the vineyard character utterly compelling, it dazzles with style and is engorged with real pleasure.
It is so long! That fruit lasts and lasts along with its sophisticated earthy power. Yes, it has power, but it is so very refined and totally harmonious. For the lover of fine Burgundy, this is that cat’s arse.
Brilliant. I could not wish for a better bottle of Ruchottes-Chambertin. Thank you, Paul!
All that being said, it should be noted that red Burgundy and I are drifting apart. It represents such poor value; Burgundy is sadly now for selling, not for drinking (although it is a really crap time to sell your Burgundy as the market is flat).
Another lovely, evocative , note . Like you Davy, I was very fortunate to drink many great bottles of Rousseau, Chave, Bachelet etc etc because they were relatively affordable 20 years or so ago, and so many friends were happy to share their great wine . It’s quite rare nowadays to attend vinous lunches where such fine bottles are consumed.
Indeed it is – Paul was extremely generous to open this. I had a look on Wine-searcher.com and the cheapest it is going for is £1000 IB per pop – crazy! I know Paul would have bought EP and so not paid this.
We lived through great times, Keith, where a chap could drink more-or-less whatever one wanted without breaking the bank. Buying Chave 95 for just under £20 a bottle was such a bargain it was almost rude!
There are still bargains out there, but it is not the same. South Africa, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie and, of course, Germany serve us well.
Indeed. South Africa is naturally my go to country, having been so fortunate to live there for up to 6 months every year for nearly 25 years . The way this country is going down the tube it’s likely to be much longer in future!!!
I’d go if they’d take me!
Very happy to read about the Anniversary lunch, and I am pleased that it has given you so much pleasure
Thank you for dropping by, Jonathan, and huge thanks for your support over the years. You have been very generous and Team Elitistreview are all most grateful. Stay tunes for the next post on Friday 15th