By billn on November 14, 2006
Wine #11 of my pre-Christmas Pommards is the first that is not from a single lieu-dit. This vintage was a wide-ranging blend of Perrières, Levrière, Croix Blanche and en Chaffaud – just starts to give you some idea of the reach of the bigger négoce. 1999 Bouchard Père et Fils, Pommard Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose is wide with a black tinge to the fruit and the beginings of a savoury note at its base – the fruit slowly comes more to the fore, becoming sweeter and fresher. In the mouth the fruit is also rather black and has a really nice purity on the mid-palate. This fruit is currently a little over-shadowed by the grainy, slightly astringent and certainly a little rustic tannin – which [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2006) |
By billn on November 12, 2006
I don’t often whinge – I think! When it comes to corked wine, my average is only around 4% detected – close to, but at the bottom-end of the rates from most studies – so I don’t consider myself a hypercondriac. My approach to merchants when I have a bad bottle is simply to point out the problem and in a friendly-way ask (where possible) for a replacement, no histrionics, no emotion. The level of professionalism that merchants display at this juncture usually defines the longevity of your/my relationship with them – that’s my experience anyway. Those that can swiftly achieve the replacement, without fuss – I don’t need an apology as it’s clearly not their fault – tend to be my main suppliers, those [....]
Posted in Degustation, The Market |
By billn on November 11, 2006
#10 (already!) of my pre-Christmas Pommard odyssey. It’s the first time I’ve seen this Leroy bottling and within this series it is, perhaps, the most impressive wine yet, relative to it’s appellation: 2000 Domaine Leroy, Pommard Trois Follots Medium, medium-plus ruby-red. That characteristic Leroy nose (how do they do that?) of well integrated oak set against wild red fruit, almost confiture and rose petals. The fruit is red-coloured and like the other 2000′s quite tannin-forward. It’s as long as the JM Boillot Jarollières 1er cru, riper but less complex. You are left with a smooth coating on your teeth as a reminder. It’s not really possible to criticise such an accomplished villages wine – really excellent. Rebuy – Maybe
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2006) |
By billn on November 10, 2006
#9 of my pre-Christmas Pommard odyssey 2000 J-M Boillot, Pommard 1er Jarollières Medium, medium-plus ruby-red colour. The fruit on the nose is just as sweet as the previous Rossignol, but it’s darker coloured at the edge with a red core, faint coffee too – very fetching! Less ripe palate than the Rossignol – almost mouth-puckering by comparison with a higher level of tannin. This is, however, very complex in the mid-palate and longer too. Rebuy – Maybe The good news of the day is that my en-primeur purchases have just been delivered – though it seems odd timing given that I’ve drunk so much 04 already this year: 2004 Bouchard P & F, Volnay 1er Cuvée Carnot 2004 D & F Clair, St.Aubin 1er Dents [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2006) |
By billn on November 9, 2006
#8 of my pre-Christmas Pommard odyssey 2000 Nicolas Rossignol, Pommard 1er Les Jarollières Medium ruby-red. The nose is an interesting mix of high-toned floral elements over an intitially diffuse base of sweet fruit – then I got something more like rubber – others said shitake mushroom! Lovely ripe fruit on the palate, still forward tannin and a mineral aspect at the centre. The finish is medium length for a 1er Cru. Aromaticly this is a super wine, but becomes just a little anonymous from there-on. Rebuy – Maybe
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2006) |
By billn on November 8, 2006
Wine #7 of my pre-Christmas Pommard odyssey 2003 Domaine Leroy, Pommard Les Vignots Deep cherry-red – only slighty paler than the 03 Dugat-Py. The nose is rounder and more forward than the D-P, just a little reduced at the start but there’s lots of disparate complexity. Somehow the palate is also less ‘together’ than the D-P; it’s fresher, got more tannin and lots of coffee-bean in the mouth – significantly more apparent complexity but like the nose, little apparent cohesion. Longer than the D-P; if all the parts come together this could be a very, very good wine. Rebuy – Maybe
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2006) |
By billn on November 7, 2006
#6 of my pre-Christmas Pommard odyssey 2003 Dugat-Py, Pommard Le Levrière Deep cherry-red. High tones over a dense fruit core; initially a little diffuse this tightens and gives a chocolate edge. Very, very impressive concentration with just about enough acidity to carry it and its sandy textured tannins into the finish – those tannins are well-covered by the extract. Medium-plus length, this is very-well crafted – it is immaculately dressed though today it’s hard to communicate with. A very impressive if one-dimensional wine today. Rebuy – Maybe
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2006) |
By billn on November 6, 2006
That’s most-likely the last visit to the Côtes over for this year – so I expect a slowing down of posts. My last domaine visit was at Prieure Roch in Premeaux – the horse to the left was ploughing just down the road in Les Argillières before my visit. Talking of Tools; I got over the first hurdle no problem; the worm of the ‘screwpull’ snaked easily into the cork without pushing it into the neck. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I got to the second hurdle; it was easy to withdraw the corkscrew – unfortunately all but the center of the cork stayed put. I knew I didn’t have one of those two pronged implements (note to self – personal [....]
Posted in Degustation, Travel |
By billn on November 6, 2006
#5 of my pre-Christmas Pommard odyssey 2005 d’Ardhuy, Pommard 1er Fremiers Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. Soft and round, this has a lovely high-toned nose and a very faint caramel-coffee edge. Ripe and sweet palate – again with a lovely extra 1er cru dimension to the fruit. Well balanced with some faintly astringent tannin and a super finish. Rebuy – Yes – and actually I did!
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2006) |
By billn on November 5, 2006
#4 of my pre-Christmas Pommard odyssey 2004 d’Ardhuy, Pommard 1er Fremiers Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose has faint cedar and a powdery red fruit aspect of quite some width, depth develops only slowly though I’d like more precision. The palate has just an edge to it, like the acidity is only-just ripe – which would be a surprise considering it was picked at 13.9° natural – on the positive side here you can easily see why this is a premier cru; for the first time we have a wine with more than one dimension on the mid-palate, and nice fruit it is too. There is nothing like the density of the previous Dugat-Py wine, but then this 1er cru is less than half the price [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2006) |
By billn on November 5, 2006
I visited Domaine d’Ardhuy on Thursday. That meant that I had to visit again of Friday. Why? – well to collect the wines I ordered after the tasting of-course. It’s just one of those occupational hazards that one has to be prepared for…! Carel Voorhuis took me through a few barrels of pre-malolactic 2006′s, and then some of the remaining 2005′s in barrel. Finally we took a look at a few wines in bottle – quite a number of the 2005′s are already bottled at this estate. See some of my notes below from those already bottled wines: 2004 Domaine d’Ardhuy, Ladoix Blanc High-toned sweet nose. Nicely round palate with a good finish. Sound value. Rebuy – Yes 2004 Domaine d’Ardhuy, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Sous les [....]
Posted in Producer Update, Rebuy - Maybe (2006), Rebuy - Yes (2006) |
By billn on November 4, 2006
2004 Dugat-Py, Pommard Le Levrière Deep cherry-red. The nose starts quite reduced with sulfur and hints of mushroom – hard to get at the fruit – slowly it warms to give a bright, high-toned beacon of pure red fruit. The palate has a perfectly (oak) upholstered texture, really impressive concentration, good acidity and surprisingly only a mild grain to the tannin. This is quite mineral and shows a long finish, akin to having (I’m assuming!) a piece of coal in your mouth. From the mid-palate onwards this is much more impressive than the Coche. Very impressive. Rebuy – Yes My ‘rebuy’ decision is based purely on the quality of this wine with respect to its appellation – note that I didn’t take the cost of [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2006) |
