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le weekend…
Just a few notes from a lovely, sunny weekend. We were holed up in the Mâconnais village of St.Gengoux-le-National – which used to be le-Royal before the revolution – very picturesque and calm, the area is dotted with pretty little château. I can only think of one complaint; a fifty mile drive for a Côte de Nuits appointment – okay everything is relative – normally I drive 160 miles! Highlights Appointments came thick and fast; Lamarche, Michel Gros, Dubreuil-Fontaine, Maison Ilan, M&M, David Clark, Jean-Noel Gagnard and Gilles Bouton. Quite a few 2010s have already finished their malolactic fermentations and are beginning to taste like fresh and precise wines – similarities to 08 but (let’s see) maybe with a better average balance and some interesting [....]
jasper morris wins andré simon drink book award for 2010
Congratulations to Jasper Morris. I said it was good, didn’t I
two weeks early…
In the great scheme of things it matters not a jot, but just for the record the sunshine has this week brought about the first instances of bud-break in the Côte d’Or. The forecast remains good (double-good as I’ll be there for a long weekend!) but we are two weeks ahead of the average so a wary eye will be kept on the forecast; nobody wants frost, and normally people don’t breath easily until May!
drc assassin…
A little Tuesday morning drama for you. Jeanine Gros, summed it up succinctly: “‘Wine’ and ‘poison,’ these two words do not belong in the same sentence.” Nice picture of Aubert too!
2005 dubreuil-fontaine volnay
2005 Dubreuil-Fontaine, Volnay Dark colour. Concentrated red berry – so much so it’s like a sauce reduction. Clinical, clean lines – very linear but silken. Really good intensity and even an impression of flavour! Despite the note it tasted pretty good. Plenty more left for experimenting with the vintage over the next decade and a half! Rebuy – Yes
mischief & mayhem 2007 meursault charmes
2007 Mischief & Mayhem, Meursault 1er Charmes Medium-pale lemon yellow. Likewise the nose has lemon and lime aromas above a core of spiced bread. Wide, mouthfilling then a real burst of interest in the mid-palate – an extra creamy dimension – all borne on lovely acidity. Very lovely and, if I might say, with a level of energy that’s quite un-Charmes like – probably why I bought this one! Rebuy – Yes
benjamin leroux 2009 volnay 1er clos de la cave des ducs
Burgundy needs vintages like 2009. This wine is outrageously easy to drink; yet despite the relative expense of 2009s, I expect that many will be drunk as babies – just like this. But they might also bring a new audience to Burgundy who afterwards may also learn to appreciate the focus and clarity of a ‘classic’ vintage like 2008. This is particularly important with 2010 in the pipeline – it is not enough that ‘just’ the old hands might eventually prefer the 2008s and 2010s to the 2009s, in the end the wines have to sell to the wider market too. 2009 is really a vintage for the uninitiated to learn and appreciate, as well as me 2009 Benjamin Leroux, Volnay 1er Clos de la [....]
