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Nice Burgundy visit reports from this Bordeaux-centric site… And is it April the 1st?

beaujolais plastique…

“This year, Boisset Family Estates is the first winery ever to announce that all Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles,” Here. Comments to follow… Maybe my title sounds a tad negative, but given that I see this in a generally positive light, it’s not really meant that way.  Why so?  I remain convinced that ‘Nouveau’ is what has caused the slow leaching (away) of esteem from crus Beaujolais.  If this can help better differentiate Nouveau from the highest quality wines in buyer’s minds, this will be positive.  Mandatory plastic packaging for Nouveau anyone?

marchand-grillot, Gevrey-Chambertin Jouise 2005

Having enjoyed the 2005′s from this producer I bought a few more including a couple of little seen village lieu-dits. I expect tomorrow’s to be a little more special, though this is not bad either: 2005 Marchand-Grillot, Gevrey-Chambertin Jouise A rarely seen villages name on this label. The colour is rather deep, as is the nose; dark, very faintly oaky cherry with a width of higher tones, as it warms there’s a latent hint of undergrowth. Poised, super acidity and a lingering, mouthwatering finish. There’s not the impact or intensity of the higher M-G wines, but this is a fine villages. So-far, up and down the range I’m very impressed by this producer – but okay, it’s ‘only’ the 2005 vintage… Rebuy – Yes

remoissenet 2005 morey 1er clos des ormes

remoissenet 2005 morey 1er clos des ormes

Obviously made in quite a reduced style – so open an hour before drinking or dunk the contents of your bottle into the decanter. 2005 Remoissenet, Morey St.Denis 1er Clos des Ormes Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is rather deep, showing macerating dark-skinned cherry and just the faintest of dark oak is perfectly melded to it. After 10 minutes it smelled quite reduced, but another 10 minutes on it was clear. In the mouth there’s deep fruit and of understated intensity too – again the last accent is dark oak, but it’s not much and it’s a young wine. The acidity is good, and frankly the only negative is the slight spritz for the first 30 minutes it was open – after that it got [....]

david duband 2005 morey 1er clos sorbé

david duband 2005 morey 1er clos sorbé

2006 David Duband, Morey St.Denis 1er Clos Sorbé Medium, medium-plus colour. Wide and high-toned aromatics, meaty and spicy but with more limited depth. Plenty of tannin, but it’s ripe and has a only a little astringency. The rest is well balanced and shows quite classy fruit with good complexity that’s judiciously edged with dark oak. From a density perspective, there’s less material here than many village wines from 2005, but it remains a good wine. Leave a year or two to let the tannins fade… Rebuy – Yes

quality calling…

After more than 5 years of people asking, I finally got round to ordering some ‘calling cards’. I have to say, credit where credit is due; the quality is excellent – real letterpress printing – and the people and communication were first class. Mandate Press – look them up! Heading for a long weekend walking in the mountains – back Tuesday – probably!

2005 fleurie ‘printemps’- yvon metras

2005 Yvon Metras, Fleurie Printemps Medium, medium-plus cherry red colour. What to make of the nose? Wide, fruit driven, definitely not pinot noir, but a rather fecund, almost dirty edge to the creamy summer-fruit nose – there is freshness and personality in spades – it’s sort of reduced but not… In the mouth it delivers less than the nose, but is smooth, balanced and just maybe there’s a bit of that ‘dirty’ thing going on in the mid-palate too. It’s Fleurie, and your grandmother may not like it, but I think it’s great. I think it’s even greater when I see the price!

andrée taupenot 1989 pommard 1er epenots

I’ve no info on the domaine, but please fell free to inundate me with stuff! Anyway, this is the first of a couple of bottles I picked up… 1989 Andrée Taupenot, Pommard 1er Les Epenots Medium, medium-minus colour – some amber at the rim. The nose starts with fungus and undergrowth to be replaced in short-order by dense, chocolate coated red fruits. The acidity starts a little pronounced, but also that slightly discordant note quickly fades. It’s fresh with a lovely burst of flavour in the mid-palate and still a rasp of tannin too. Good length. It has a hint of the rustic, but was devoured – a super bottle. Rebuy – Yes

the mariani column, the dalai labrador and snail porridge

John Mariani again Dalai Labrador and-with-the-snail-porridge?

bottleshock…

http://www.bottleshockthemovie.com/

des perdrix 2005 vosne-romanée

des perdrix 2005 vosne-romanée

My experience of this domaine rests only on a few mid-age bottles from the 97-98 era, and all were woodier than I liked. This wine shows a very different face… 2005 des Perdrix, Vosne-Romanée Deep colour. Initially diffuse aromatics hinted at a spicy depth but also showed a little mustiness, over about 1 hour there is more focus and clarity offering-up clean black fruit and some minerality. Mouth filling, concentrated, then bursts across the mid-palate with typical Vosne flavours if far from subtle, but to good effect. The tannins are quite well mannered and the finish lingers with an element of oak flavour – but it’s the only woody note. Fresh and tasty, and without overt oak character, but more obviously in need of cellar [....]

morning call

morning call

I’d never heard anything quite like it, and despite there being (still) several minutes of the morning left, I decided to get out of bed and check. In the garden was this very pretty and wonderfully vocal zebra finch.  I presume it had escaped from its cage and would not be long for a world without hand feeding – even in summer – but it made (the last few minutes of) my morning…

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