MNSC Burgundy Trip Day 5: gang of four

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Two big domaine visits this morning.  First stop was at Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier in Chambolle-Musigny.  Tasting notes can be found here.

Next stop before lunch was at Domaine Ponsot in Morey-Saint-Denis.  We finally got to pick and eat a couple of grapes left hanging on the vines before going in to visit.  The grapes were really ripe, sweet and delicious.  We later found out that the grapes actually didn't belong on Ponsot land... Oh well.  Tasting notes for the Ponsot wines can be found here.

Laurent Ponsot joined us for lunch at Castel de Tres Girard in Morey-Saint-Denis.  I didn't go for salad today, and went for the menu Bourguignon instead.

Amuses bouches

Les œufs meurette du Castel de Très Girard - I didn't really like the alternative version I had on my first day here, but these classics were absolutely awesome!  The thick, rich red wine sauce, together with caramelized onions and strips of smoky lardon, just made for a perfect combination with the soft, runny eggs.  Soaking everything up with toast was just about the best thing ever.  I didn't exactly pull a Dyson, but my plate was pretty darn clean...

Traditionnel boeuf bourguignon, carottes, oignons, champignons et tagliatelles fraîches (boeuf origine France) - OK so this was another touristy dish I needed to check off...  The beef itself was not bad, pretty tender.  The carrots were tasty, as were the strips of lardon.  It probably wasn't the best idea to finish the pasta...

Fromages frais et affinés de chez Gaugry à Brochon - the minute I see the name Gaugry I knew I wanted some cheese no matter what.  They are the only house that still make Epoisses from raw milk, and how could I come to Burgundy and not have some?  I asked for a slice,  which wasn't quite as ready as I'd like.  The slice of Comté was sweet and decent, though.

We were amused by the name of the dessert - Shake’s pear très Bourguignon - but were too full to stick around and find out what it was.

As our numbers dwindled, so did the number of bottles consumed at our meals.  First came the 2007 Mugnier Musigny, which was sweet, fruity, almost jammy with blackberries.  Fragrant and really beautiful.

1997 DRC La Tâche - really smoky, minerals, vegetal, smelling of stems, sharp alcohol and green pepper.  Second pour was much better.

Our first stop after lunch was Domaine des Lambrays in Morey-Saint-Denis.  Tasting notes can be found here.

We had a little gap in between appointments, so I asked for a detour to do something really touristy - to stand in front of the famed cross of Ligier-Belair erected in front of La Tâche.  We even managed to pick a bunch of grapes from La Tâche to taste them...

Last stop as the sky dimmed was at Domaine Marquis d'Angerville in Volnay.  Tasting notes are here.

Now down to just four of us, we headed to La Régalade for dinner.  Pineapple hadn't been here in a while, and it's clear that the standards have gone down.

Our amuse bouche was a little bit of carpaccio de St Jacques aux truffle.  This was OK.

I took a large green salade to start, and finished with the œuf brouillade aux truffes.  Unfortunately this was way too runny, and the truffles were also of lesser quality.  I don't think we'll be coming back to this place.

We had drunk far too much wine at this point, and the wine list wasn't exactly inspirational, so we made do with one bottle for the four of us.

2004 Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses - fragrant and lovely, with grilled meats, mint and smoke.  Fairly smooth and elegant on the palate, but the finish was a little short.  Lovely nose.

We headed back to the hotel, where a couple of the boys tried to pick out a bottle from the hotel's wine list...