Vin Jaune 1988 Chateau D'Arlay

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Robert Parker (90)

I suspect a well-traveled palate and an open mind is essential to develop a fondness for this style of wine. Chateau d'Arlay, owned by the Comte de Laguiche (the same family that possesses a parcel of Le Montrachet vineyard), makes a wine that, in France, has a mythical reputation. Historically, it is claimed to have considerable curative powers, and is often drunk with some of the richest, most unmistakably French dishes in the culinary world. The first time I ever had a glass of Chateau d'Arlay Vin Jaune was nearly 15 years ago while eating, for the first time, a tiny bird called Ortolan, which are illegal, but can be secured with the right culinary contacts. French custom requires that when eating these birds the diner's head be covered, and the bird, which has only been defeathered, not gutted or decapitated, be picked up by the index finger and thumb and dropped on the palate. Then the crunching and swishing begin. I must admit I never tasted anything so fat, oily, and rich (Ortolan makes foie gras taste like fat-free food). I was grateful for the powerful, medium dry, austere, sherry-like Chateau d'Arlay (considered the only proper beverage for Ortolan) as it performed flawlessly in cleansing my palate of the Ortolan's intense oily flavors. Yet it did little to erase my thoughts of munching on the bird's skull and beak with my molars. Most Americans are unlikely to find a place to serve this wine. Few of us eat foie gras, nor do we have fowl as fat and oily as Ortolans. However, this is an intriguing rarity - rich, medium dry, with an exceptional perfume, and made in a honeyed, nutty, slightly oxidized sherry style
Chateau d'Arlay also produces microscopic quantities of a Vin de Paille (the 1989 is outrageously rich), and their liqueur, which is essentially a rich wine with a dollop of old eau de vie (very French and very "Jurassienne," as they might say in France). Everyone should try these curiosities at least once, just to satisfy their intellect.

BOW (8.25)