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:

                       

1992	Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet (magnum)	95
1995	Lafon Meursault Charmes	93
1988	Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne	91
1999	Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet	94
1992	Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles	93
1997	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Le Montrachet (magnum)	93
1989	Raveneau Chablis Valmur	96
2002	La Pousse d’Or Volnay Clos de la Bousse d’Or	92
1990	Rouget Echézeaux	90
2001	De Vogüé Bonnes Mares	94
1995	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echézeaux	92
1995	Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée Aux Brulées	89
1995	Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot	93
1985	Roumier Bonnes Mares	92
1986	Roumier Bonnes Mares	95
1979	Roumier Bonnes Mares	93
2000	Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux	96
1976	Mugneret-Gibourg Echézeaux	93
1999	Domaine Dujac Echézeaux	94
1989	Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts	94
1991	Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux	93
1990	Arnoux Vosne-Romanée Suchots	92
1966	Maison Leroy Grands-Echézeaux	95
1966	Maison Leroy Nuits St. Georges	91
1966	Maison Leroy Pommard Clos Micot	91
1990	Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux (magnum)	90
1988	Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin	90
1990	Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin	91
1959	Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg (magnum)	95
1966	Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline	96

--Antonio Galloni