Lobster Fest 2009

It was a late night - so many lobsters, so many very good wines, so many friends.

The 2009 lobster fest is history and it might be hard to top it in 2010. We steamed 14 lobsters in a gas fired cooker normally used for brewing beer. There was an antipasto plate, a spinach and artichoke dip, grilled shrimp, shrimp cocktail, salad, grilled potatoes, green beans and desserts. There was also wine - lots of wine.

There were two Chablis, a 2007 Vincent Mothe (see photo a couple posts below) and a 2006 Jean-Claude Bessin.

We began with the 2007 Mothe. Very pale in the glass with a nose of citrus, apples, and sweet pears. The taste was sharp, tart and clearly defined. This wine had a tremendous edge to it, a steeliness and a minerality that kept the fruit playing second fiddle. At $19 this is an absolute bargain in the wine world. The finish was all about tasting dry rocks with rain on them, and it was of more than acceptable length. This wine re-affirmed why I love Chablis.

The 2006 Bessin was next. This wine was darker in the glass with a definite yellow hue to it. The nose was citrus and peaches with a little pineapple thrown in and just a hint of vanilla. This was more of a fruit driven wine in the taste and it came through with apples and pineapples. It was lacking the acidity and the steely edge of the Mothe. There was a hint of sweetness at the end. On its own it was a good wine, but this wine was overshadowed on this day.

Next up were a pair from Domaine William Fevre. First was a 2006 Fourchaume, Vignoble de Valourent, a premier cru wine. One sniff of the glass and it was obvious we had moved up in class with this wine. The nose was all about citrus peel, white flowers, peaches and honeysuckle. The taste really lit up the mouth with tremendous acidity, full fruit with the apples and peaches being supported by a ripe pear. As with the Mothe there was an edge to this wine that cut through the fruit with acid and limestone. The finish was long with a little blast of limestone at the very end. The Mothe was a good counterpoint to the richness of the lobster, but this wine just married with the rich meat. It was a wonderful match and a wine that is a true bargain at $45.


Next to lose it's cork was a 2006 Bougros, a grand cru Chablis from Fevre. The nose here was a little closed and really never did open up that much. There were hints of stone fruits and honey and dry limestone, but even after an hour it remained somewhat closed.

The taste more than made up for the lack of nose on this wine. It was the Fourchaume multiplied a couple of times. White peaches, pears, a touch of honey and perhaps a touch of mango were there sitting on top of limestone and acid in a remarkable balancing act. The depth and length of finish in this wine was almost an evening unto itself. My guess is this wine is still three to five years from reaching its peak. At $80 it's not an inexpensive wine, but when it hits its peak in three or more years it will be a wonderful experience.

There were other wines as well, but these wines stood out as the liquid center piece of the evening. More about the the others later.