The nose has some herbal notes to begin with; building and building in the glass to offer aromas that show a very impressive depth of cushioned red fruit – very fine indeed (some might say). Round, with very fine acidity, the tannins have just a little grip but are pretty-much overwhelmed by the fresh fruit flavours. Sleek lines for a Griotte but super, flavour.
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is quite different to yesterday’s M&P Rion; narrow, yet it plumbs impressive depth; redder with a note of cherry stones – blind, you would be unlikely to pick this as a 2009. In the mouth this has some fat, but there’s also a beautiful line of acidity that runs through the core of the wine. The crystalline fruit seems equally bright and quite fleet of foot too – nothing vaguely ponderous here. Quite long on a fading mineral note. Considering he’s such a late picker I have no idea how Laurent delivers such minerality in a vintage like 2009, but chapeau! Excellent wine that is far from the vintage stereotype.
Ardea sealed and these things are frankly a pain in the arse to remove. Medium-plus purple-rimmed colour. The nose starts dense and unyielding but very quickly develops a dark macerating fruit aroma, then slowly evolves, adding dimension with beautiful high-toned berries – they take on an exquisite almost jellied dimension. I think I am in the presence of greatness – but before getting carried away, let’s taste. Silky, but it’s pure sinew and muscle, there’s not an ounce of fat. There is plenty of acidity but the flavours it helps introduce are incredibly intense and long lasting – those flavours start as essence of fruit and end as rocks. I dare say that I could really bore you with a long list of adjectives if I follow it for a couple of hours – but I only need five minutes to confirm what the nose suggested: I’m in the presence of greatness.
Ardea sealed. Shiny, bright medium-plus colour. The nose starts a little disjointed, then 5 minutes later – wow! Faintly vanilla-cream tinged very dark red fruit, maybe a little blue-skinned and certainly a little fresh peach with cream – the nose has an almost satin shimmer. In the mouth this has a smooth, slightly narrow entry before spreading wide and panoramic across the tongue. Beautiful balance with a depth of fruit that creeps up on you. Incredibly long and with completely buried tannin. Even as a big fan of Charmes I would have to call this ‘benchmark’ as the flavour stains your tongue. Charmes delivered with the focus and clarity that (maybe, only) 2008 can bring – wonderful.
Medium gold. The nose hits you with mild oxidation and a pronounced mineral note. The palate is concentrated and mouth-watering – very long with the help of that acidity too. The oxidation is there in the flavours but on a lower level than the nose. Lots of dimension in the mid-palate but a shame the bottle is spoiled so…
Medium-plus colour. The nose starts as an interesting mix of high-tones, cherry-red fruit and a creamy red base, but that was only the start – super-focused red fruit follows – a real thing of beauty. The palate is super-intense, beautifully packaging the tannin. The length is fine but slowly narrows rather than expands, so the finish is impressive rather than great – the rest is great.
Deeply coloured with a twist of purple. Wide, with a high toned and slightly estery nose. The palate is well concentrated and certainly well textured. High-toned, ripe fruit in the mouth with good acidity and good length. There is plenty of wine here, but today I find the high-toned flavour and aroma profile just a little odd (I remember a Dominique Laurent like this), in fact I didn’t want a second glass. Day two was much better – less high-toned and ‘chemical’. I very much enjoyed the last two glasses. A couple of bottles can sleep in the cellar…
Medium, medium-plus cherry red. The high-toned nose also starts with a little reduction and earth – it never really becomes fully fruit driven. The stance of this wine is althletic and ‘wiry’ with plenty of intrinsic muscle. The texture is good and the acidity helps to push the finish reasonably long – though in this company it’s (at best) average – with a little raisined aspect and some underlying oak being the dying notes.
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