WTN: A Few Burgundies

A couple of years ago, a former chef at Veritas opened a terrific restaurant on Long Island and a few Veritas employees followed him to the hinterlands of Suffolk County, including his fish cook who is doing some outstanding preparations. Three of us drove to the Lake House last night amid rain, hail, thunder and lightning. We were rewarded with outstanding food, service, and wine.

We started with a 2003 Verget Corton Charlemagne VV - lovely nose of burnt almonds and orange peel. In the mouth, it was thick and oily showing some creamy lemon and a nuttiness on the substantial mid palate. Good structure and a surprise for the vintage. Actually, this was so good that we were reluctant to start on the reds, which is something that doesn't occur too often.

The first red was a 2001 Mongeard Mugneret Echezeaux - Kim showed up a few minutes after this was opened and was surprised to see this on the table. Originally, we planned on drinking some Barbaresco, with red burgs as our backup, but I recently read that 1999 Barbaresco is still too young to open, and so I pulled this reliable standby out of my wine bag instead. I enjoyed the funky Pinot bouquet, and while I got raspberry and spice, Kim was put off by a mustiness. There was lots of acidity and red fruit, a good finish, and a wine that is a joy to drink and does not require contemplation.

Contemplation is what this next wine was all about. 2001 Clos de Lambrays - this wine was decanted, but it was tightly coiled. The nose gave very little. Very dark with just a tease of what lies under the wall of tannins. Much, much later, it slowly opened with dark fruit and licorice showing, but still quite tight. Great potential.

Towards the end of the evening, the young chef and his wife (she worked with Cesare Cascella at Beppe) joined us for the remaining wine in our bottles. It was a good way to end our 4 hour dinner, and, thankfully, the storm had ended and it was an easier drive home.
__________________

[David M. Bueker]

Lovely selections. You have convinced me to keep my hands off of my '01 Lambrays.

We started with a 2003 Verget Corton Charlemagne VV - lovely nose of burnt almonds and orange peel. In the mouth, it was thick and oily showing some creamy lemon and a nuttiness on the substantial mid palate. Good structure and a surprise for the vintage. Actually, this was so good that we were reluctant to start on the reds, which is something that doesn't occur too often.

Sounds like Verget actually did something right for once. Perhaps they just couldn't fight the great terroir, even in 03.

We started with a 2003 Verget Corton Charlemagne VV - lovely nose of burnt almonds and orange peel. In the mouth, it was thick and oily showing some creamy lemon and a nuttiness on the substantial mid palate. Good structure and a surprise for the vintage. Actually, this was so good that we were reluctant to start on the reds, which is something that doesn't occur too often.

Sounds like Verget actually did something right for once. Perhaps they just couldn't fight the great terroir, even in 03.

I share somewhat the same opinion, Rahsaan - gave up on them some time ago. Always happy to be proven otherwise, but, in future, it won't be at my expense.

Thanks for the notes, Diane - great to hear you all had an excellent night, although both those Burgundies are still are a little young and underdone by the sounds of things.

I also gave up on Verget. His oak treatment is just too much.....except it was not noticeable in the CC. When I first saw the bottle on the table, I expected to be disappointed by the producer and the vintage.

Sounds like a great experience! Dale, Jacques and I had the 2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux recently [see WTN: Pre-vacation wines (Bdx,Burg, Loire, MSR)] and it was lovely. I don't remember mustiness (wine's a bit young for that), but would have welcomed it.

Sounds like a great experience! Dale, Jacques and I had the 2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux recently [see WTN: Pre-vacation wines (Bdx,Burg, Loire, MSR)] and it was lovely. I don't remember mustiness (wine's a bit young for that), but would have welcomed it.

May have been some low level TCA taint, Oswaldo.

Sounds like a great experience! Dale, Jacques and I had the 2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux recently [see WTN: Pre-vacation wines (Bdx,Burg, Loire, MSR)] and it was lovely. I don't remember mustiness (wine's a bit young for that), but would have welcomed it.

May have been some low level TCA taint, Oswaldo.

At first, the gal who noticed the mustiness, thought TCA. I disagreed, and then she felt it blew off, which TCA does not.

Agree TCA doesnt blow off, but sometimes it does dance at the edge of our perception.
I only have one of the M-M Echezeaux left, was a great bargain.
Where in Suffolk is the Lake House?
That was some storm at least in Westchester!
Thanks for notes

Lake House is in Bayshore on the South Shore of LI. It is NYC quality food, but service, while good, is not quite there. They have an appeitzer of braised beef and wild mushroom ravioli with a black truffle emulsion that rivals the best at Babbo or what was L'Impero. I'm also a big fan of their many interesting fish dishes. This link might work.

http://simbromcampisi.com/lakehouse%20w ... press.html