Last night, July 9th, the Sons of Bacchus and two Daughters of Dionysus assembed for a memorable tasting of Grand Cru White Burgundies, Lynn and I were the hosts. And this time, we deviated from the usual format, by inviting spouses/significant others, and following the tasting with an informal supper of grilled sausages and sockeye salmon.

Grand Cru White Burgundies from the Cote d'Or only come from the communes of Corton, Chassagne and Puligny in the Cote de Beaune (with the exception of the rare Musigny Blanc). Little is produced and they are expensive, upwards of $150 a bottle for Corton-Charlemagne, and $250 for Batard Montrachet. So this was a really special tasting. Here are the most outstanding ones, with my scores.

2012 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Batard Montrachet - This was the clear winner of the evening. It displayed a brilliant medium gold color and a seductive floral nose of pear, peach and apricot, with scents of apple blossoms, white lilac and white incense. The flavors showed terrific varietal purity and exquisite balance and finesse, with a long, toasty, steely finish. A classic that is still a very young wine. 20/20 points.

1995 Louis Latour Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet - This was a superb example of a beautifully aged white Burgundy. It showed a deep golden color with rich aromas of pear, peach, apricot, vanilla and white incense. On the palate, the flavors were rich, sweetish and nutty, with notes of creme brulee, counterpointed by lemony acidity, followed by a toasty, minerally, penetrating finish. 20/20 points.

2005 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne - It has been my experience over four decades that Grand Crus of Corton can be quite variable in quality. This was one of the best ones. It showed a brilliant gold color and a classic nose of pear, peach, apricot, apple blossoms, acacia flowers and white lilac. The flavors were steely, muscular and authoritative, with notes of butternut and flintstone. 19.5/20 points.

There was a bevy of other Corton Charlemagnes of various vintages. The 2010 Olivier Leflaive was a pretty wine with nice perfumes and a silky, yet well structured, texture (19+/20) points. The final flight consisted of three Charlemagnes of the 2009, 2007 and 2005 vintages all of which were disappointing for Grand Crus, lacking the purity and precison of the top wines.

There was a "ringer" in the tasting, the 2011 Rasa Vineyards (Billo Naravane) "Dream Deferred" Chardonnay from the Yakima Valley, which showed surprisingly well in this company. It had a lighter gold color than the others, but showed exquiste, balanced Burgundy-like flavors. (19+/20 points)

With supper, there were some bonus wines. Elizabeth Bourcier (Assistant Vigneronne at Cayuse) brought a rich, tasty fleshy 2009 Cayuse Vineyards "Flying Pig" blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. Erik McLaughlin brought a 1994 Ramos Pinot Vintage Port (from a great year widely declared) which made a delicious accompaniment to chocolate decadence.

A Couple of Limited Production Wines from College Cellars

College Cellars is the teaching winery of the Walla Walla Community College's Center for Enology and Viticulture. The proceeds of the sales of its wines goes to the Center's programs. The following two wines are in limited supply and will likely be sold out before the August issue of the Review of Washington Wines, so they are listed here.

2013 College Cellars of Walla Walla Viognier, Walla Walla Valley ($15) - This is a very nice white for the price. It offers a brilliant medium gold color and attractive aromas of Asian pear-apple, peach, papaya, Crenshaw melon, honeysuckle and jasmine. The fruit compote flavors are lively and well delineated, with notes of peach stones, melon rind and minerals, and a bit of passion fruit imparts a touch of tropicality to the wine. 18+/20 points.

2013 College Cellars of Walla Walla Carmenère, Walla Walla Valley, Clarke Vineyard ($20) - Crimson colored (a trait of Carmenère), this young red shows enticing aromas of strawberries, blueberries, cherries, rosebuds and violets. The medium bodied red and blue fruit flavors are bright and juicy, intermixed with anise, cocoa and silty minerals. The youthful exuberance continues on the back with squeezed berries and fraise and kirsch liqueurs, followed by a ripe soft tannin finish, and moderate alcohol (12.5%) keeps the wine balanced. 18+/20 points.