2002 Jacques Prieur Volnay-Santenot...

[Capocheny]

We had a bottle of this wine the other evening with friends in celebration of my wife's and little sister's birthdays at The Vancouver Club.

Our first bottle was a 1978 Remoissenet ($350CDN) that was, unfortunately, dead in the water. All the fruit was gone and the alcoholic remnant was all that was tasted. It was simply, "gone." However, just to be sure it wasn't my taste buds (per chance) I chose to cleanse my palate with a piece of bread and some San Peligrino water. Then, I had another taste and my conclusion remained unchanged. The sommelier came by (as our wait person was serving the wine) and he could tell by my face that there was something wrong with it. So, he politely asked if he could taste a small sample. Of course, I agreed. It was nice to have him confirm my opinion.

The second wine on the menu that I had considered prior to choosing the above Remoissenet was the 2002 Jacques Prieur Volnay-Santenot ($225CDN.) So, when the sommelier suggested this as the replacement, I said yes to it immediately.

Let me just tell you that the wine was delicious (over a bit of time... it got even better!) The color was a beautiful garnet red color. Initially, it was closed but the nose was typical Burgundy... full of bright red fruits (cherries, raspberries, strawberries) and just the slightest, slightest hint of earthiness. It had none of the "stinky sock" smells that I've nosed in other pinot noirs (especially from California, ie: Babcock, Cambria, ABC.) The fruitiness was beautifully in harmony with the acidity and the tannins softened over the ensuing hour to hour and a half. Did I say it was delicious?

Since my guests were wine neophytes... I suggested that they taste this wine apart from their meals. I know some folks don't like to drink wine on its own and they tend to prefer their wines with food. But, in this case, the wine didn't have any challenges standing on its own two feet. It was absolutely tasty sans food.

Our 3rd bottle was a 1998 Rimeres de Ganuza Rioja ($125CDN) made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. Yummy! Since this is the Burgundy forum... I won't post tasting notes on this wine here. Likewise, for the delicious 1999 Kracher Trockenbeernauslese ($55CDN) that we had for dessert. Suffice to say... they were both very, very delicious as well.

Needless to say, my guests noted the "night and day" nose and taste of the Burgundy versus the Spanish wine. IMHO, learning about the wines certainly contributes to its enjoyment. Asked for a comparison between the two wines, I explained that the Burgundy was like a Rolls-Royce and the Remirez de Ganuza was akin to a Mercedes Benz. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

All in all... a wonderful evening with Great friends, Great food, and Great wines! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] What more can we ask for? [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Cheers

[wondersofwine]

With the exception of the expired first wine, the wines sound like a real treat!

[Capocheny]

Greetings WOW,

This working for a living really does get in the way of life and, therefore, any opportunity for drinking great wines is a real treat in my books. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

I'm hoping there will be many more opportunities after I retire from the work world! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Cheers

[TheEngineer]

Nice list! Just a quick question. Was the 1999 Kracher Trockenbeernauslese an Austrian wine? I've never seen inexpensive Trockenbeernauslese from Germany....

[Capocheny]

Hello E.

Yes, it is an Austrian wine... [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Cheers