Great wines on a night of defeat...

A little evening watching France vs. Germany, hosted masterfully by our hosts with many great wines of character.

I admit I am having some difficulty tasting given the turn the match seems to be taking. We decide nonetheless not to wait too long for the Champagne.

Here is a summary of this colourful evening (of defeat)!

Larmandier Bernier Champagne terre de vertus non dosé (Chardonnay), 17/20.
Presumed base 2004/2005... Disgorged in 2007, the bottle ageing allowed it to tame the force of its bubbles. The attack is lively, the mid-palate round and creamy, the finish refined, with notes of toast and dried fruits.

Pierre Moncuit 1996 Champagne blanc de blancs, 17/20 A delicate wine (beautiful acidity, richness, pastry aromas on a base of candied lemons) with a very clean finish. A lovely chardonnay at peak maturity!

Assyrtiko de Santorini, Hatzidakis, vv de Mylos 2009, 15/20. Old vines harvested in over-ripeness and vinified dry, 2,700 bottles produced, a very aromatic wine (notes of exotic fruits, dried fruits, mineral and smoky). On the palate, the wine is powerful (14.5% alc) and acidic with a lovely bitterness on the finish.

Vouvray Domaine Huet clos du Bourg 2000 Demi-sec 15/20 Characteristic nose of quince and candied fruits, the palate is complex and beautifully balanced, the sugar barely perceptible with a very refreshing citrus/pineapple finish.

Anjou les Nourrissons Bernaudeau 2010 (sold under the Vin de France appellation), 18/20. Very rich nose, slightly oxidative, with candied fruits and quince, the palate is very powerful, very rich with enormous acidity, beautiful length — a very great wine in the making, typical of this great winemaker.

Languedoc Domaine de Montcalmes 2011 le Geai (pure grenache sold as Vin de France) 15/20 (16/20 the next day). Peppery nose with garrigue notes, the palate is still closed but the wine is very airy, the alcohol barely perceptible and the tannins present but silky. After 24 hours of decanting, the aromas opened up, it is more expressive and harmonious and holds its own alongside a Lomo roast with Espelette pepper.

Gevrey Chambertin Armand Rousseau 2006 17.5/20 This is a lovely Côte de Nuits, very refined and very ripe, relatively complex and long on the palate. Blind, we all suggested a Gevrey Chambertin 1^er cru at minimum… it is a village wine... a superb village wine!

Vertus Rouge 2002 Larmandier Bernier Matte and light colour, the nose is floral and ripe — it is clearly a lovely, well-ripened pinot noir that we place on the Côte de Beaune. The acidity, generally marked in red wines from Champagne, did not tip us off... A lovely surprise — there are few pinot noirs of this level in Champagne.