TN: Dinner Last Week

[jrufusj]

Had dinner at a great French restaurant in Tokyo last week. Restaurant Le Bourguignon serves good food, slightly Japan-influenced by way of local ingredients, but always well balanced, well executed, and true to a French ethos. The wine list is a great source of values (at least in a Tokyo context).

2002 J.M. Boillot Rully La Pucelle 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Rully

With two courses:

Carrot mousse with uni and beef consomme gelee

Pan fried terrine of unagi and foie gras

Bright gold with perhaps the tiniest hint of green, crystal clear. Nose of very light bit of oak, piercing apple fruit, developing into bit of fig and mineral. Palate of well-cut acidity, surprisingly round richness that continued onto finish. This developed in the glass and persisted on the finish well beyond what its appellation would suggest. Definitely a buy for drinking at home over the next few years if I see it on a shelf here in Tokyo.

1986 Albert Morot Beaune Teurons 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune

With two courses:

Pan-seared medai with matsutake sauce

Breast of duck with slow cooked root vegetables

Faded to light cherry color. Color was indicative of the fruit that remained on nose and palate -- all cherry. What fruit was there was good and even a little sweet with maturity, but was light for the remaining structure. First blush of nose and palate suggested sweet tea. I'm having a hard time figuring out what I thought. Surprising

level of mature sweetness for the vintage, but somehow it still didn't keep up with the acidity and residual tannin. Definitely better on the nose than palate. With time in glass developed a good aray of secondary aromas...winter leaves, a little tar, some warm spice. Perfectly enjoyable -- rather drink this than most new world pinot -- but not a good match. Structure outweighed fruit for the fish and clashed a

little. Matched better with duck, but was a little dwarfed.

1976 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon - France, Loire Valley, Anjou, Coteaux du Layon

With a variety of cheeses.

Deep, deep honeyed gold in glass, with a richness and viscosity you could just see as you moved the glass -- really appetizing appearance. Nose of orange peel, freshly crushed peaches, wild honey, and chestnut puree. Developed stony, mineral elements as it opened up. Good balance of crisp appley acid with honeyed sweetness let the nectarine and pomelo fruit come through. As it moved back in the mouth, creaminess took over, but without losing crispness. Finish was a bit shorter than I would have hoped, but this was still a fun wine to drink and a great

value.

Jim

[kazuo]

Jim:

Le Bourguignon is terrific little restaurant, isn't it? Last time we were there, we had the 1971 Ganoux Corton Renardes. Spectacular older burg, and held up well against a 1972 La Tache that we brought. Glad to hear that another Tokyo-ite likes the place.