Camille Giroud Chapelle-Chambertin

Dinner with Laube, Chan, Sturman Enjoyed with beef short ribs, well balanced, medium full bodied with a short aftertaste. Perfect pairing with the ribs

Very elegant in part for what it does not say, speaking in soft but strong tones, without showing a lot of delineated fruit. Dark, Chambertin corps, almost black/red, with a nice moist soil, dark cherry and plum nose. The palate, after 30 minutes of slo ox, is refined but balanced and soft but firm. Dark red/ purple fruit but lacking the finesse and delineation one would want from a 2005 Grand Cru

The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. Beautiful wine, strong mature bouquet. So strong that one almost forget to savour it

Blind Chablis Tasting (River Forest, IL) : Ripe combination of red and black cherry aromas with spice and roast meat. Starts with more red fruit, then finishes more black. Wonderful nose, very enticing flavors to start, but then slightly more firm middle to finish. Good now, better in 5 years, and probably even better in 10.

Beltramo's Red Burgundy Tasting (Menlo Park, California) : Moderately deep color. Candied berries and smoke on the nose. Big, powerful, backward wine with a lot held in reserve. Natural sweetness of fruit, some wood, more acidity than initially apparent, and a long, ripely tannic finish that manages to retain some welcome austerity. This is not nearly ready but is serious stuff with exciting potential (in 20 years, perhaps?).

Medium dark red color with pale meniscus; floral, roses, tart cherry nose; tasty, tart cherry, tart red fruit, roses, mineral, tart raspberry palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points