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2009 denis bachelet gevrey 1er les corbeaux
2009 Denis Bachelet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Corbeaux Medium, medium-plus colour. Wow: There’s a strong smell of pyrazines on the nose – blind, I’d probably lose my house pronouncing this as a 2004. The flavour is likewise corrupted. This seems very stable in the glass, and it’s not for me. Rebuy – No
louis jadot 2008 pommard…
A wine of consolation this – I just (with sadness) turned down an invitation to the Paulée de Meursault on the 21st November – well I am already there three days next week and two days the week after… Anyway, the Antonin Guyon was not so bad – so let’s try something a little more ‘middle of the road‘… 2008 Louis Jadot, Pommard This wine showed two personalities; day 1 it was a little non-descript on the nose; rounder and sweeter than the Guyon Chambolle but less impact or dimension – here was a club to the rapier of the Guyon. Day 2 and I’m much more impressed with this; the nose has opened with a slightly warm and sweet core but coupled to creamy [....]
antonin guyon 2008 chambolle le cras
Ooh – it seems like ages since I had a 2008 – it must be over a week, maybe even two! Let’s put that right. Here’s a Chambolle Les Cras, but this ‘domaine’ wine is actually a villages Les Cras, in this case from Antonin Guyon. 2008 Antonin Guyon, Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras Medium, medium-plus colour. Forward red fruit notes that have a hint of sour about them – they make me think of rhubarb – lucky I like rhubarb! In the mouth this is very smooth and it pulls you into the mid-palate with plenty of (equally smooth) acidity – but I expect this could become a bit screechy in 2-3 years as the sweet fat of the fruit shrinks. There is quite some intensity [....]
1983 pierre bourée charmes-chambertin
Well the last ’83 was super so why not try another. Blind, there is nothing here that may have led you to assume that this was the grand cru of the pair… 1983 Pierre Bourée, Charmes-Chambertin Medium colour, again with plenty of browning. The nose starts in a very tight way; some savoury notes but little else to latch onto. Very slowly a raspberry perfume with clear stem references begins to evolve. The first mouthful is of a perfectly balanced, if rather thin, wine. There is a little rasp from what remains of the tannin – it’s a nice touch of character. There is eventually an interesting extra dimension, and some intensity, in the mid-palate – this is not a food wine, it’s flavours are [....]
robert arnoux 1983 nuits st.georges
1983 is regarded as a tannic vintage – perhaps like 1998? – whatever, let’s double-up and try a Nuits. After this performance, I see a second 83 on the horizon… 1983 Robert Arnoux, Nuits St.Georges Medium colour, quite some browning. The nose is clean to start and all about soil, soil and more soil – with time we have a deep sweetness and a subtle undertow of musk. A little tannin bubbles below the surface and the flavour grows and grows in the mid-palate – really good intensity and plenty of sweetness too. I think this has a really good mid-palate complexity and with just a hint of creaminess too. Slowly lingering on beautifully judged acidity – medium-plus length – tons of enjoyment here; this [....]
offer of the day – Leflaive 2010…
DOMAINE LEFLAIVE 2010 – Puligny-Montrachet (En Primeur) BOURGOGNE 2010 75cl 34.00 (2009 – 35.00) Swiss Francs PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 2010 75cl 59.00 (59.50) PREMIERS CRUS PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Clavoillons 2010 75cl 79.50 (84.00) MEURSAULT Sous le Dos d’Âne 2010 75cl 89.50 (89.50) PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Folatières 2010 75cl 129.00 (118.00) PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Combettes 2010 75cl 129.00 (118.00) PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Pucelles 2010 75cl 155.00 (148.00) GRANDS CRUS BIENVENUES BATARD MONTRACHET 2010 75cl 259.00 (228.00) BATARD MONTRACHET 2010 75cl 279.00 (248.00) CHEVALIER-MONTRACHET 2010 75cl 345.00 (315.00) The 2009 prices are in brackets after the 2010 price. Despite a Swiss franc that’s currently 9% stronger versus the Euro than it was this time last year, there are ‘real’ 10% increases at 1er and GC level – let’s call that a net 20% [....]
sylvain pataille 2009 marsannay longeroies
This brightened up an interminable night of TV – David Attenborough’s new series being a tad too late for me – all I am left to view is cooking, dancing and the buying and re-selling of old tat; which could be the basic template for every night’s TV these days… 2009 Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Les Longeroies Medium-plus colour. The nose has an intensity that majors on a fine and clear raspberry note. In the mouth this reminds me of a 2008 with a sweet-and-sour approach; fine sweet fruit with a powerful acidity that offers impressive balance. There is a nod to the vintage with a modest mid-palate padding that also shows a hint of cream to the flavour. Like the 09 Ladoix 1er of Ravaut, [....]
g&p ravault 2009 ladoix 1er le bois roussot
2009 Gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Ladoix 1er Le Bois Roussot Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is an interesting thing – this reminds me of a 2005, I think that’s my first time ever with a 2009! Concentrated fruit – essence of raspberry – some high-toned, slightly alcoholic notes and dried herbs. Cool and concentrated with plenty of acidity, though far from too much. The flavour lingers on a (very) dark red fruit note. Relatively narrow in the mid-palate but with decent intensity, only a medium-plus (or so) length, but overall this is a quality wine – and did I mention the price…(?) Rebuy – Yes And it’s been a little while, so ‘un-petit-peut-de‘ 2009 mini-hype for you. [archive]
pruning time…
No not in the Côtes, at home! Beautiful weather enabled a ‘useful’ weekend. Four trees completely pruned for winter, avoiding the garden sinking under the volume of falling leaves. In three weeks time there’s even a man going to come and ‘chip’ all the branches – I suppose that means I’ve time to ‘do’ another tree! No notes from weekend wines, but with friends we got through another 78 Pucelles and 84 Charmes, plus an 08 Pillot Chassagne Clos St.Jean, a 66 Bourée Pommard and a 98 Clare Valley Shiraz. All drank very well. Now back to work!
1974 joseph drouhin chambolle les amoureuses
1974 Joseph Drouhin, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Amoureuses Clean, bright medium coloured, clear at the rim. The nose has depth, initially with a hint of must – I’ll come back to it. In the mouth this is clean, indeed has cleansing acidity but without being tart. It seems linear and a little dilute – only in the mid-palate does it begin to unfold and deliver waves of decently intense flavour. By now the nose has tidied up and there’s a hint of pyrazine, but it’s more coal than coal-tar and adds an interesting dimension, another hour on and it smells fabulous with perfect red berries over a faintly musky base. So, this is silky and subtle, but with clean and long-lasting flavours and just the right [....]
panos does burgundy 2008 vs 2009…
An article in France Today, yesterday! No comments from me as my own 2011,2010,2009 trilogy will be online in couple of weeks – except(!) – I wish I’d been there [archive]
pavillon 2009 volnay 1er les santenots
2009 Domaine du Pavillon, Volnay 1er Les Santenots Medium-plus colour. Deep, dark fruit with floral top notes and a hint of mineral – limited width but great top to bottom dimension. Full, rounded and quite sensuous; not too sweet and there is good buffering acidity. Dark fruit tones and a velvet tannin that you have to search for. Long lasting on a mineral note. More challenging than the Bouchard ‘baby Jesus’ today and a better wine for it – the future can look after itself. Super wine and something of a bargain. Rebuy – Yes And two fun things: Is Keith having a joke at the expense of Alice ? Plus cartoon of the week!
