La Paulée de New York

March 2007

In March of this year I was fortunate to attend La Paulée in
New York, an event that anyone who loves Burgundy must experience at least
once. La Paulée is rooted in the traditional dinner Cistercian monks held for
their workers at the end of the harvest. Today’s American version brings
together a wide range of people who are passionate about Burgundy for an
extravagant dinner featuring a dizzying number of profound wines and the
cooking of some of the finest chefs from the US and France. One of the unique
features of La Paulée is that diners bring wines from their own cellars, making
this an event that beautifully combines formality with a more open spirit of
camaraderie. It is quite a sight to see glasses being handed from table to
table and bottles being poured at the speed of light. You have to be fast, or a
sublime wine might pass by, never to be seen again.

The list of growers present at this year’s event read like a
veritable who’s who of Burgundy producers. Chefs Daniel Boulud, Michael Mina,
Olivier Muller and Michel Troisgros led the charge in the kitchen. The wines
were expertly poured by an all-star team of the country’s top sommeliers. In
fact, it was a remarkable scene to see so many of the country’s most renowned
chefs and sommeliers gathered in one place. The service was world-class and
demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the highest level of professionalism.

Guests were seated at long, communal tables, each of which
was named after one of Burgundy’s great vineyards. As I wandered around the
backstage area before dinner I was pulled into one of the rooms where wines
were being grouped by table. To say that I have never seen so many of the world’s
great wines in one place would be a massive understatement. Those fortunate
enough to be seated at “Clos de la Roche” enjoyed a particularly jaw-dropping
selection of wines! It was a sight to behold. In fact, I think the sommeliers
had just as much fun as the attendees did. I was seated at “Cros Parantoux,”
along with glassmaker Maximilian Riedel, producers Jean-Nicolas Méo and Patrick
Landanger and importer David Shiverick, among others.

The night was full of highlights. The food was extraordinary,
especially considering the large number of hungry diners in the room. Seeing
and hearing musical group Les Cadets de Bourgogne and Daniel Boulud sing “New
York, New York” not once but twice was especially entertaining. Their
performance captured the spirit of this wonderful gathering. Kudos to Daniel
Johnnes for orchestrating a truly unforgettable event that perfectly expressed
everything that is life-affirming about great wines and the generosity they
inspire.

My evening began with Pierre Rovani handing me a glass of Ramonet’s 1992 Bâtard-Montrachet, which
was an incredible wine with which to start the night. Served from magnum, it
was deeply-colored and packed with fruit and sweet toasted oak notes, showing
stunning length on the palate and extraordinary balance. In a word: awesome. Lafon’s 1995 Meursault Charmes was
also terrific; buttery, bursting with fruit and immensely enjoyable, showing
great length and balance. Of these three first wines the 1988 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne was the most advanced in its
soft-textured, sweet, evolved fruit. The stunning whites continued with the
gorgeous 1999 Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet.
It presented a complex array of smoke, earthiness and toasted oak that
complemented the intensity of its fruit, with superb length and a finish that
seemed to last forever. The 1992
Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles offered a leaner, more minerally
expression, with persistent, honeyed fruit and smoke notes. The 1997 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Le
Montrachet, served from magnum, was richly-textured and opulent, with
plenty of fruit and notable length if not quite the complexity of the other
wines in this grouping. A gorgeous bottle of the 1989 Raveneau Chablis Valmur followed. Intensely flavored, yet
delicate, this weightless beauty presented notes of minerals, crushed rocks and
citrus with stunning balance and a long, long finish. It was one of the wines
that screamed for more time and attention than this occasion provided.

The 2002 La Pousse
d’Or Volnay Clos de la Bousse d’Or was a great wine with which to move into
the reds. It was fresh and bright, with focused red fruit, a structured
personality and a long, clean finish. The 1990
Echézeaux from Rouget was delicate and mature, with notes of tobacco and
leather that complemented its ethereal, sweet fruit. The 2001 De Vogüé Bonnes Mares exhibited uncommon depth and richness in
the luxuriousness of its vibrant fruit, with a personality that was delicate
yet powerful. Still very much an infant, it was a privilege to catch this
gorgeous wine in its youth. Domaine de
la Romanée-Conti’s 1995 Grands-Echézeaux followed. It was delicate,
soft-textured yet intensely spiced, as well as more generous in its expression
than the somewhat compact, dried out 1995
Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée Aux Brulées that was served alongside it. Domaine Leroy’s 1995 Clos de Vougeot
presented superb balance and purity in its delicate, sweet fruit.

Three vintages of Roumier’s
Bonnes Mares were up next. The 1985
Bonnes Mares was soft and perfumed in its ethereal fruit, although this was
not the freshest bottle I’ve had. It was surpassed by a gorgeously alive,
vibrant bottle of the 1986 Bonnes Mares that
was packed with layers of expressive fruit. The 1979 Bonnes Mares was fully evolved, and perhaps slightly past
peak, but beautiful in its delicate, perfumed fruit and weightless texture. Henri Jayer’s 2000 Vosne-Romanée Cros
Parantoux was sublime and mind-blowing. Even though the wine was in my
glass one moment and gone the next in a fleeting instant, it nevertheless left
an impression I will not soon forget. I was curious to taste the 1976 Echézeaux from Mugneret-Gibourg as I had just attended
a mini-vertical tasting of this wine at Daniel the day before. What a beautiful
wine. It presented a deeply-layered personality in its seamless, ethereal
fruit, with superb length and stunning overall balance. Domaine Dujac’s 1999 Echézeaux was powerful and youthful. Packed
with generous, vibrant fruit, it offered awesome balance and enough structure
to age gracefully for years to come.

Domaine Leroy’s 1989
Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts was incredibly enjoyable. Still youthful and
vibrant, it was full of fruit, with just the barest suggestions of more
advanced notes. Jean-Nicolas Méo
served his stunning 1991 Vosne-Romanée
Cros Parantoux. Sweet, ethereal and delicate, it hovered over the palate in
a display of incredible class and elegance. Arnoux’s 1990 Vosne-Romanée Suchots was another pretty, ethereal
wine. Lovely and caressing on the palate, it offered outstanding length and a
superb finish. Tasting three 1966s from Maison Leroy provided a fascinating
comparison. The 1966 Grands-Echézeaux
was the fullest and ripest of this trio. Deeply expressive, sweet and long, it
exhibited stunning overall balance. The 1966
Nuits St. Georges Les St. Georges was softer and more evolved in both its
aromas and flavors. Leroy’s 1966 Pommard
Clos Micot was sweet and full-bodied but somewhat rustic in its overall
balance.

Benjamin Leroux poured the powerful 1990 Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux from magnum. Still deeply
colored, it was youthful and structured, with tons of fruit and terrific
harmony. Rousseau’s 1988
Charmes-Chambertin was superb. Deeply expressive, it blossomed on the
palate with endless layers of flavor, stunning balance, and a note of sweetness
on the long, lingering finish. Bachelet’s
1990 Charmes-Chambertin was another gorgeous wine that offered different
shades of expression as it sat in the glass, revealing notable complexity and
an ethereal finish. One of the evening’s highlights was the 1959 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg,
which was served from double magnum. The wine was full of life and
extraordinary in an expression of sweet dark fruit and earthiness that invited
contemplation. Even with all the great Burgundies flying around there were a
few pirates as well, including the 1966
Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. It turned out to be one of the most profound
wines of the night. Bursting with the essence of bacon fat, dark fruit and road
tar, it was a compelling wine that left me utterly speechless. There were, of
course, many more wines, but these are just a few that left a lasting
impression.

Food:

Sea Scallop on Melba Toast with Wakame Sea Weed Sear Urchin
and Yazu

Bacon Poached Maine Lobster, Spring Onion Crêpe, Scallion
Glace and Seasonal Wild Mushrooms

Potato and Leak Cassserole with Burgundy Snails, Calf’s Head
and Persillade

Braised Beef Cheek with Winter Root Vegetables, Ribeye
Carpaccio with Herbs and Chips

Truffled French Brie

Glace Praliné, Mousse au Chocolat, Pot de Crème Vanille –
Coconut et Gelée de Framboise- Litchi

Wine:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 1992
 </td>
 <td>
 Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995
 </td>
 <td>
 Lafon Meursault Charmes
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1988
 </td>
 <td>
 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1999
 </td>
 <td>
 Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1992
 </td>
 <td>
 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1997
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Le Montrachet (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989
 </td>
 <td>
 Raveneau Chablis Valmur
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2002
 </td>
 <td>
 La Pousse d’Or Volnay Clos de la Bousse d’Or
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990
 </td>
 <td>
 Rouget Echézeaux
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2001
 </td>
 <td>
 De Vogüé Bonnes Mares
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echézeaux
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995
 </td>
 <td>
 Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée Aux Brulées
 </td>
 <td>
 89
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985
 </td>
 <td>
 Roumier Bonnes Mares
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1986
 </td>
 <td>
 Roumier Bonnes Mares
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1979
 </td>
 <td>
 Roumier Bonnes Mares
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Mugneret-Gibourg Echézeaux
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1999
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine Dujac Echézeaux
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1991
 </td>
 <td>
 Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990
 </td>
 <td>
 Arnoux Vosne-Romanée Suchots
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966
 </td>
 <td>
 Maison Leroy Grands-Echézeaux
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966
 </td>
 <td>
 Maison Leroy Nuits St. Georges
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966
 </td>
 <td>
 Maison Leroy Pommard Clos Micot
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990
 </td>
 <td>
 Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1988
 </td>
 <td>
 Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990
 </td>
 <td>
 Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1959
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966
 </td>
 <td>
 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
 </td>
 <td>
 96&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>

--Antonio Galloni

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