Medium colour. The nose offers occasional floral flashes, there is little on show here, perhaps just a little warm brown sugar. Sweetness of fruit and just a faint sour edge to good acidity. There’s a nice core of flavour, still with a faint rasp of tannin and quite some complexity – like a creamy cinnamon flavour but it’s all in the mid-palate and finish. This, grand cru or not, is a wine of subtle complexity rather than intensity and/or concentration. There should be no rush to drink this, but this is hardly even a middle-weight of a wine – that said, it was lovely!
2001
2001 Camus Gevrey-Chambertin
An assemblage of multiple parcels dotted around the village. The colour looks quite mature. The nose shows some herbs and just a hint of volatility. In the mouth this is sweet and tasty – indeed very good. The acidity is penetrating without being sharp and long too. Blind I would have guessed a ‘ready to drink’ late-1980’s wine.
2001 Camus Latricières-Chambertin
2001 Fevre William Chablis Le Clos
Medium-plus lemon yellow. Pungent aromas of fruit and stones – I honestly can’t say that it’s offereing more than intermediate-age aromas – there’s no sense of maturity. Like the nose, pungent is not a bad word to describe the intensity and weight of punch taht the flavours deliver. Balanced, good acidity and great presence. I remember buying these for 35 Swiss Francs each – you can’t get a half-bottle for that now. Still every one has been enjoyed; super wine.
2001 Méo-Camuzet Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Clos St. Philibert
What a great wine both this and the 2000 have been – this is my last bottle and all have performed well. Medium-plus golden, the nose has hints of butterscotch and the faintest whiff of oxidation – but in an interesting rather than overt way. The palate remains smooth though there’s a suggestion that the acidity is starting to take hold, but for now it just helps to push the finish a little longer and with a very understated mouth-watering edge. This wine is still giving plenty – for sure it’s completely mature, but whilst I think it might last another few years, if you have some, I’m pretty sure that the experience won’t improve. Well-done Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc!
2001 Gros Michel Nuits St.Georges 1er Cru
A blend of Murgers and Vignes Rondes. There’s a layer of sous-bois to get through but below is good supporting fruit. In the mouth that fruit is ripe and sweet – nicely concentrated too. Tarry, staining flavours that are very long indeed. This needs a couple more years in the cellar but it’s frankly excellent.
2001 de Courcel Pommard Grand Clos des Epenots
Medium colour with a hint of salmon red at the rim. Rose petals, faint stems and an undertow of meat on the nose. Still a little tannin, which, if you look closely enough has an element of astringency. Really interesting fruit that’s powdery and red with just enough sweetness – this really perks up with food. Very good but not yet great…
2001 Bichot Albert Vosne-Romanée
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is still interesting, if with a slightly heavy emphasis on coconut-oak but a nice acid-red fruit bubbles below. In the mouth this is slightly narrower and sharper than its youth but despite a little coconut flavour there’s good acidity and a nice dimension of fresh finishing flavour with fine length. Half the bottle was left overnight in the fridge. Next day the aromas are more interesting; the coconut is gone and it’s replaced with a little ginger-cake. In the mouth the wine also seems rounder and again no coconut – less narrow, more generous. I’d definitely rebuy this based on the day two performance, as for day one, I’m not the greatest fan of coconut!
2001 de Courcel Pommard Grand Clos des Epenots
Medium colour with a hint of salmon red at the rim. Rose petals, faint stems and an undertow of meat on the nose. Still a little tannin, which, if you look closely enough, has an element of astringency. Really interesting fruit that’s powdery and red with just enough sweetness – this really perks up with food.