Backstage at La
PauléeWine: <table><tbody><tr><td>1962</td><td>Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche (jeroboam)</td><td>97</td></tr><tr><td>1962</td><td>Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti (jeroboam)</td><td>97</td></tr><tr><td>1971</td><td>Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St.Vivant (jeroboam)</td><td>93</td></tr><tr><td>1971</td><td>Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche (jeroboam)</td><td>96</td></tr><tr><td>1962</td><td>Domaine Georges Roumier Bonnes Mares (magnum)</td><td>96</td></tr><tr><td>1985</td><td>Domaine Georges Roumier Bonnes Mares (magnum)</td><td>96</td></tr><tr><td>1990</td><td>Domaine Georges Roumier Bonnes Mares (magnum)</td><td>98</td></tr><tr><td>1986</td><td>Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet</td><td>92</td></tr><tr><td>1986</td><td>Domaine Ramonet Montrachet</td><td>97</td></tr></tbody></table>The best seat at La Paulée isn’t at one of the tastings or
dinners that grace the calendar during this weekend-long celebration of the
wines of Burgundy, rather it is backstage at the main event Gala Dinner.
Hundreds of the rarest Burgundies, many in large formats, are carefully opened,
decanted and tasted in this inner sanctum that is strictly off limits to
visitors. Poor weather forced me to move my flight up or risk being stranded in
San Francisco. I ended up missing the Gala Dinner, but luckily I was able to
sneak backstage before leaving to taste a number of mind-bending wines. 

Perhaps because of my early training in music and theater, I
have always had an attraction to the behind the scenes goings on, and this was
no exception. It’s hard to fully capture the scope and breadth of the wines
being staged for the Gala Dinner. Imagine a collection of the rarest Burgundies
on the planet in large, almost unthinkable quantities, and that’s a start. Then
there are the large formats. Lots of them. The collection of wines being
prepared for my table alone was awe-inspiring. I was fortunate enough to taste
a number of wines as they were being opened by all star-team of sommeliers
headed by Robert Bohr, Richard Betts and Bobby Stuckey. The atmosphere was
electric. 

Large formats are very difficult to open and serve properly,
especially mature Burgundy because of its often delicate nature. The wine must
be gently siphoned into a decanter through gravity without disturbing the
sediment. It is an operation that requires extraordinary skill and concentration
under any circumstances, especially so when many other bottles are waiting to
be opened and guests start getting thirsty. I stood next to Bohr as he expertly
opened bottle after bottle with no problems whatsoever. My job was quality
control. Tough assignment, but someone had to do it. 

The 1962 La Tâche
from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was
superb. I could have gone home at this point and been utterly thrilled. Sweet
spices, licorice and soft, subtle fruit came together in an incredibly appealing
Burgundy of the highest level. The 1962
Romanée-Conti showed more depth and firmness, along with incredible staying
power on the palate. This was the second jeroboam of this wine I have tasted in
the last year. The 1962 Romanée-Conti
remains a reference point wine. On this night it was deeply moving. 

The 1971 Romanée
St.Vivant was the most fragile of these four wines from Domaine de la
Romanée-Conti. The bouquet was haunting and totally beguiling. This was a touch
less interesting on the palate, but the aromatics alone were extraordinary. The
1971 La Tâche was initially rather
firm, but then began to open up nicely in the glass. Unfortunately I didn’t
have the time to follow it over several hours as I would have liked, but fellow
tasters reported the wine fleshed out beautifully over the course of the
dinner. Based on what I was able to observe over a few minutes, I am not
surprised. It isn’t every day I taste four jeroboams from Domaine de la
Romanée-Conti, but I hope this won’t be the last. 

Three magnums of Roumier’s
Bonnes Mares were special. As expected, the 1962 was the most delicate of the group. Here, too, the aromatics
were particularly alluring and beautifully delineated. I would have enjoyed the
1962 more a little earlier in its life, but everything was in perfect balance
in this magical elixir. The color, integrity of the fruit and length were all
phenomenal. The 1985 was an
especially great example of this wine laced with endless perfumed fruit and a
totally compelling personality. Frankly, it was hard to spit. Once again, I
noted how well magnums of the 1985 have aged. I was completely unprepared for
the sheer beauty of the 1990. What a
fabulous wine! A burst of gloriously ripe, red fruit exploded from the glass,
followed by a never ending array of spices and flowers that melded together
seamlessly in an extraordinary display of sheer class. This was a fabulous
bottle in every way. 

Two 1986 Montrachets
provided fascinating contrasts. The Domaine
de la Romanée-Conti impressed for its intensity and depth, but I gave an
edge to the Ramonet for its sheer
energy, minerality and vibrancy, all of which elevate it to the pantheon of
immortal, heroic wines. 

I barely made my flight back to New York, but the rush was
well worth the effort, as the wines I tasted will remain with me forever.

Food:

Galantine de Crustacés aux Truffes Noires

Sole à la Ciboulette 

Caille Farcie à la Truffe

Filet de Veau Rôti aux Noix, Estragon, Confir de Radis Rose
et Noir

Sélection de Fromages Artisanaux 

Assortiment de Chocolats, Gâteaux et Mignardises

--Antonio Galloni

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