By billn on January 25, 2007
I had a very nice lunch in Beaune last week, and it provides me with an opportunity to give you a nice new restaurant tip and also to mention an uncommon, but tasty wine. The restaurant was called Clé de Voûte. If you enter the ring-road around Beaune from the direction of the (Lyon) auto-route, almost immediately on your right is a large antiques shop with its own small courtyard. If you have the chance, park in one of the spaces directly in front of the antiques shop – if you subsequently buy something from them, I’m sure they won’t mind – and just another door or two further-on is the restaurant. You head down the steps into a nicely converted cellar and more importantly [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2007), Rebuy - Yes (2007) |
By billn on January 22, 2007
Frankly I drink almost no Beaujolais – two months ago there was that glass of ‘nouveau’, okay, half a glass – well, almost half a glass… Putting aside the quality of the ‘nouveau’, it’s not for a lack of available quality that I don’t buy ‘Cru Beaujolais’, rather (for whatever reason) it’s just not in my mind while I’m handing over my credit-card details. Perhaps the merchants need to be more proactive and start listing Beaujolais with all their Burgundy offers – both ‘online’ and in print. Even the most expensive of the wines below will only retail for ~12 Euros – there is far more value here than most regional burgundies. I had the chance to taste some of the Potel-Aviron wines again this [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2007), Rebuy - Yes (2007) |
By billn on January 21, 2007
Three of us decidied it would be a white wine night at the at the restaurant Le Chassagne. The service was both excellent and friendly, the wines were very well priced and the food was very well presented – but like our choice of wines, the food was good rather than great. The company was, however, ‘very fine’. 2004 Jean Chartron, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Pucelle Medium lemon-yellow. The wide, high-toned nose shows a little citrus interest and some faint oak artifacts – it’s quite interesting, but could do with a little more density. The palate is delicate rather than dense – I feel there is something missing – perhaps the yields were a little high(?) The good acidity brings you quickly into the [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2007), Rebuy - No (2007) |
By billn on January 5, 2007
The young vines of the domaine’s grand cru Ruchottes-Chambertin have (for the recent vintages) been set-aside to produce this declassified ‘village’ wine. I thought the 2002 to be the the standard of a good premier cru but the 2003, whilst good, to be less successful. Here’s my first look at the 2004: Domaine Georges Mugneret, Gevrey-Chambertin This wine is lighter in colour than the domaine’s 2004 Vosne (that preceded it) – medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose is a little more reticent, slowly building a musky density with a mineral/cedar background, eventually some very smooth red fruit. The palate is also very smooth – you slip in almost un-noticed – the acidity is just about perfect, only slowly making your mouth water for more. Work the [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2007) |
