Actually holding onto its young colour very well. If there’s not much colour development, then there’s plenty of aroma development and such appealing complexity too. Ooh, that’s a beautiful energy – freshness but depth of complex flavour with much maturity. That’s really delicious. Bravo!
Medium-plus colour, some purple hues. The nose has quite some ripe depth, perhaps going lower with a hint of toastiness. Cool and intense – that’s a great start. The tannin is slightly blocky but not really grainy. Mouth-watering flavour grows in the mid-palate before falling away. There’s a hint of 2009 on the nose but this is lithe, clean and not a bit sweet and fat like some from the vintage – it’s a bit of a ‘refresher’ of a wine.
Medium-plus colour. The nose just bursts with sweet raspberry concentrate – hard to see much more. In the mouth the ripe fruit is tamed a little by good acidity and an understated velvet undertow of ripe tannin – lovely fruit conserve flavour in the mid-palate with a darker, almost licorice, twist as it runs into the textured finish – I would say that this is a rather concentrated wine. Day two and there’s a little of the stems on the nose, aromatically it’s a little less interesting but the palate seems rather stable and easily holds my interest – perhaps with a slight elevation of the tannins too.
Obviously bottled for some time! The nose seems rather mineral but with a clear waft of pinot perfume too. The flavours are wide, and, perhaps relatively light but everything is supported by an understated and supple tannin. The flavour slowly grows, filling all the nooks and crannies in your mouth. Very tasty wine!
Cuvée Albert Grivault (Maison Drouhin)
Pale golden. A nose of depth, plenty of patisserie too. Slides across the tongue in a silky fashion with very understated acidity, but far from MIA. There is some extract in the mid-palate but it is a ‘slow grower’ rather than a wine of fireworks – seemingly the apogee of flavour is in the finish as the wine continues to widen. As noted, no fireworks, rather a wine for contemplation – and I did contemplate all of it!
The nose is rather rich for the appellation, showing a little brioche and with a swirl some ripe fruit. More than a hint of minerality and with a nice initial acidity before filling out in a richer vernacular. It does taste very nice but from the mid-palate onwards I’d just like a hint more acidity. I have to say, the wine was easily despatched, and Alex was right it is very tasty, but based on the mid-palate and finish I would probably would look elsewhere when it comes to re-stocking the cellar – probably to the 2010 now the 2008s are exhausted!
After the 2010 Bouton, this has a little brioche on the nose with higher-toned, faintly agrume fruit. There is more depth and concentration than apparent in the Bouton, if slightly less acidity – so there doesn’t seem to be quite the intensity – but there remains despite the extra richness, balance, and more to contemplate. Very good wine, but then it should be for twice the price of the Bouton 😉 Still an easy rebuy for me.
‘Nomacorked’. This has a fresh but forward nose of dark red fruit with a mint-leaf impression too – quite like the Potel but with more depth and balance. The flavour is also quite forward and friendly, the acidity giving the impression of sweet and sour in combination with the fruit. In the mouth the impression is of roundness, and I have to say it’s rather delicious too. Far from the concentration of the Camille-Giroud or the Pataille, but more effortlessly drinkable today.
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