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site tidying…
Part of the long-term updating of the site is to bring more and more of the content under the site (content) management tool. As per my previous note, the transfer of the ‘reports’ keeps moving at its snail pace of progress. Today 2003, much of 2004 plus 2007/8/9 reports are now ‘migrated’ (done!). Yesterday I made a similar move with the ‘reference’ section that’s titled ‘discovering burgundy’ – it’s now here. I filled in a couple of the holes, but the content is largely as before – so what benefits? Well the benefits are all mine – if I add a new page in a particular section, all the others are updated automatically – I don’t need to adjust 25 pages to reflect the addition. [....]
maison ilan – update
Things have been very busy at the winery lately. With all the fruit in tank and fermenting I have been focusing on tasting, testing, punchdowns and of course more tasting. I decided to use a fair amount of whole cluster on the Morey half way because I was curious about doing it, the otherhalf because my destemmer broke. Luckily a new destemmer came about an hour after I went from hand destemming pergatory to whole cluster just 2 clicks before madness. I decided also to be quite quick to initially punchdown and then to not be overly pushy with the must and just quickly get to once a day punchdowns. This of course raised eyebrows in the winery with my mates, but the results are [....]
2006 louis chenu père et filles savigny 1er aux clous
I have to say that this wine is even better now than when I first tasted it – or at least my memory of it! I suppose that means I’ll have to ensure I get my orders in for a mixed case each of 2007, 2008 & 2009… 2006 Louis Chenu, Savigny-lés-Beaune 1er Aux Clous Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. Lovely, soft red fruit with a depth that keeps pulling your nose to the glass. Slightly plump texture, wide and clean, pretty red fruit with a even a little more dimension in the mid-palate. ‘Just right’ acidity, some velvet tannin, if you search, and a good finish. Class in a glass, a very lovely bottle. Rebuy – Yes
gros frère et soeur 98 bourgogne hautes côtes de nuits
I thought I’d give the ‘bourgogne theme’ one more day… 1998 Gros Frère et Soeur, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose starts a complete jumble of dark wood, similarly dark fruit and some spice – fortunately it knits together rather well in only about 20 minutes; creamy spiced deep red plums and macerating cherry – not quite how I expect a bourgogne to smell, but it’s very, very nice, and frankly it gets better and better. Fresh and still quite astringent in its ‘attack’, yet the dark fruit mirrors the nose with some creamy packaging. Quite intense and, all-in-all, quite impressive in a burly Nuits sort of way. I was ready to dismiss it early-on, but clearly that would have been at [....]
return of the green meanies – from a white 2004…
Until I opened this bottle the concept of the green meanies (coccinelle, mirepoix, green, can’t smell anything or whatever suits you) was merely anecdotal to me in the context of white burgundy, and that despite such a luminary as Christophe Roumier telling me they were there for all to find. Anyway, until now I never noted it in whites, indeed I loved early-opened whites much more even than I did the reds… 2004 Françoise et Denis Clair, St.Aubin 1er Murgers Dents du Chien Last tasted April 2007 it was quite okay, today there starts a hint of mirepoix but it’s wrapped in a little cream so it’s far from offensive, it’s there in the finish too. Right now it’s been open for 30 minutes and [....]
maison leroy 95 bourgogne
1995 Maison Leroy, Bourgogne Medium ruby-red with and edge of salmon pink. Sweet raisin, slightly resinous aromas, eventually a beacon of pure, red berry fruit. In the mouth there’s a warm red fruit base and very good acidity – the texture is plusher than you’d expect for the label. There’s still some grain to the tannin and even a hint of astringency. The finish is medium at best, but overall this is a compelling wine that I’m convinced if served to you blind, you’d be guessing higher appellations. This wine starts with both aromas and flavours of maturity bvut they fade to more primary elements so I’ll try and leave my remaining bottle at least another 5 years. Rebuy – Yes
deux beaux (monts that is…)
2000 Hudelot-Noellat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaumonts Medium ruby-red. The nose starts with musky, dark oak, a good thirty minutes is needed for most traces to fade leaving a nice, faintly spicy effect over red fruit – very pretty. Plenty of sweetness from red fruit that has a very nice depth. There’s still a lick of slightly astringent tannin and acidity that is balancing if ultimately slightly sharp. A nice wine that needs more time than many 2000s, but some way behind the Clavelier 00 Brulées of some weeks ago. Rebuy – Maybe 2007 Daniel Rion, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaux Monts Medium cherry-red. The nose starts with ultra-young barrel-type fruit aromas, Slowly it beds down to good red fruit with a very understated spice background and [....]
nicolas potel 99 maison dieu bourgogne vieilles vignes
We need more bourgogne – maybe one tomorrow too 1999 Maison Nicolas Potel, Bourgogne Maison Dieu Vieilles Vignes Medium, medium-plus colour. When first opened there’s a dark waft of oak supported by some bright cherry. Time in the glass makes the oak fade and the fruit come more to the fore, soft, sometimes powdery but very pretty red-cherry fruit. More than decent concentration for a regional, good acidity and balance. The tannin is mainly resolved though there’s still a little velvet-style texture. The finish is mouth-watering, sweet and red-coloured. The longer it was open, the better it tasted. Very nice indeed. Rebuy – Yes
harvest roundup
So, a few updates on resources for the Harvest 2009: Mark has managed to extract pictures from his daughter’s pink Fuji, so, added to his first and last posts are galleries from his experiences. There has been a really good commentary here from Cynthia. Finally, I can deliver you the full set of ‘polished’ reports from the Domaine de la Vougeraie: 01- mardi_8_septembre_2009 02- mercredi 9 septembre 2009 03- jeudi 10 septembre 2009 04- vendredi 11 septembre 2009 05- samedi 12 septembre 2009 06- dimanche 13 septembre 2009 07- lundi 14 septembre 2009 08- mardi 15 septembre 2009 09- mercredi 16 septembre 2009 10- jeudi 17 septembre 2009 11 – vendredi 18 septembre 2009 12 – samedi 19 septembre 2009
a return to taste: de montille 06 bourgogne
It’s been a long time since I posted, and I think there have been too many “harvest” entries and not enough slurping – so here is a TN for you. It may have been the occasion – a pique-nique en famille – or merely the fact that this bottle was a gift (and therefore free of intellectual investment on my part) – but this one simply delighted, and delighted simply. Highly recommended, and adds its modest weight to my personal view that 2006 is going to turn out to be a very pleasing vintage for the lover of red burgundy – a vintage I continue to buy for my personal cellar. 2006 de Montille, Bourgogne Rouge Pale bright cherry red, with a broad paler rim [....]
harvest 2009 – producer updates – monday 21st sept
I asked a few producers how things were looking in the cuverie: Intense colors – for the reds pH’s that basically (if I may) are not increasing during fermentation – we should end up with levels around 3.60 – 3.70 which is close to my goal. Tannins, after being a bit sharp at mid fermentation, are really softening nicely with the prolongation of macerations, and showing a good concentration, will lead to wines with a good if not overwelming tannic structure. The whites are showing a beautiful fruit, entering the cellar is an enchantment. acid balance seems good, but difficult to taste at this stage. Carel Voorhuis, Domaine d’Ardhuy I am afraid it’s too early to talk about extraction as it is the beginning of [....]
mark – pernand-vergelesses day 4 friday 11th Sept
A few words on other matters before getting into Friday’s picking activities et al. One of the many things I have quickly come to love here is the view across the steep sided valley in which Pernand sits on one side – on the right heading up towards Echevronne. Domaine D-F is probably circa half way up the village or more but, sat in the courtyard, as I can be with spare moments, looking straight across, in one’s eye line is the wonderfully named terroir of “Sous le bois de Noel et ses Belles Filles” (Under the Wood of Noel and his beautiful daughters – not sure who the Noel was by the way) . Think that’s the full name (without checking). The vines plunge [....]
