Dinner at Ma Cuisine

Hidden off of the main tourist routes of Beaune is a relaxed restaurant of solid cooking with a superb cellar called Ma Cuisine.

The proprietors are a couple. She, Fabienne Escoffier, is the Chef and Pierre minds the dining room and cellar - sounds familiar. The room is simple and small facing a huge window into an attractive medieval street.

I had a very good Jambon Persille, but not quite Chez Guy level (the little bistro in Gevrey Chambertin is my standard for this dish) and a Compote de Lapin - pretty much a pulled rabbit salad with lots of celery and chervil. A ‘99 St. Aubin from Jadot was quite good with these. I am consistently reminded how good the ‘99's and 2000's are at the moment for whites.

Next was a Cote de Veau Roti - a young veal chop roasted on the bone. This was perfectly cooked seasoned, rested and sliced. Roasted Mousserons were beautiful with the dish. Very simple. No sauce. My sauce was a 2000 Mazoyeres-Chambertin, Domaine Perrot-Minot. This is one of the few 2000 Cotes de Nuits reds that I have not started pulling from my own cellar as his wines tend to be extracted and need time, even in a more feminine year like this. So it was a chance to give it a whirl from his cellar. It showed well, certainly needed decanting, and showed more tannin, oak and dense phenolics than I expected. It still could sleep awhile.

I discussed this grower with Pierre and Fabienne after dinner. They were pleased with the evolution of several producers wine-making styles - becoming more extracted and age-worthy - but not all. Some producers were making chunky, oaky wines more like new school Barolos. I respect their opinions as they buy their wines tasting at all growers first. I was reminded - once again - that buying Burgundy is impossible without tasting.

A not so moving experience . . .

I am that guy who does not love Bordeaux. On occasion, I will select Bordeaux, for certain applications, but they are not first on my list. I will usually say when asked to rank favored regions of France that the Rhone Valley and Burgundy rank higher than Bordeaux for me. That written: when it works it works. Recently I had a chance to sample both ‘61 Petrus and ‘59 La Mission Haut Brion and both were certainly as perfectly expressive and unassailable as could be imagined.

I think I’m a good objective assessor of Bordeaux as I don't get caught up in the wines emotionally. In the end, only outstanding quality moves me. But…after tasting 60 or so Bordeaux yesterday from ‘06 (barrel samples) and many more today…I am unmoved.

The uneven ripening of the merlot in all districts has made for very inconsistent wines that must be tasted before purchasing. Many have green tannins, are lean or have firm, firm tannins that make them more like many 1970's Bordeaux than more current years. No amount of oak aging or micro-oxygenation can fix the problems. Most of the Cabernet-based wines carry vegetal flavors (I'm reminded of 92's with riper tannins and more fruity character) and I do not expect great improvement in the barrel. The estate that selected well is not worth anywhere near the price asked. On a value for money basis I would ignore the ’06 vintage.