By billn on January 5, 2010
Happy New Year! The dog (Elsa) was very, very pleased to be rescued today, after 14 days of kennels (prison), and seems to fit her new ‘cow’ bed quite okay! She had to stay behind because she failed her rabies test – actually I think the lab made a mess of the first test, but there is no redress. A second ‘shot’ and her result was 10x the level needed to pass the test, but the UK passport for pets rules say they can’t travel until 6 months after the positive test – because of the early failure, she couldn’t quite make the trip – poor thing is now shadowing everyone just in case we leave her again! Yesterday was an 11 hour road-trip back [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 19, 2009
2006 Gérard Mugneret, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots Medium-plus colour. Straight away the nose is about depth, dark fruit and a little coffee/mineral mix and an impressive Vosne-style dimension – a great start. In the mouth for the first 20 minutes I can’t drink it, it tastes like salt – no, really like salt! A long pause and a coffee later, I come to it and it’s on a lower level – more an inflection (of salt) in the mid-palate – like a Denis Mortet wine! There is just a lack of smoothness – or better, elegance – to the wine. There is plenty of flavour, some here some there, complexity too, and without overt oak, yet there is cola and and a total lack of [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 17, 2009
2005 David Clark, Bourgogne Au Pelson From vines between Morey and Chambolle, but on the ‘wrong’ side of the Route Nationale 74. Deep colour. The nose is a brooding affair with faint spice and herb top-notes and a tight concentration of fruit below, eventually a faint milk-chocolate note surfaces. In the mouth this is unexpectedly intense for the appellation, rather tight and narrow in form which allows the acidity to gain the upper-hand – the classic face for many 2005s now. The tannin is a background velvet texture and the fruit is dark and fresh, finishing with a dried cranberry/raisin element. I suspect that this wine would have been absolutely singing a couple of years ago. Today, despite the appellation, this is a wine about [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 13, 2009
With a few (very) good contacts, M&M were able to fashion this blend of two iconic Gevrey 1ers – if you buy some wine from them, they might tell you what’s in the bottle – they probably won’t tell you who they got if from though! 2004 Mischief & Mayhem, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er, Crazy Love Medium colour. The nose starts very tight, just a little warmth, slowly it develops a heavy floral scent – in-part it’s derived from a little of the vintage character, but on a low and ‘nice’ level. There is some fat, silky texture, high-toned fruit, balance and a very impressive length that shows some licorice. Initially I noticed the ‘character’ more in the flavours than the aromas, but the flavours seemed to [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 11, 2009
Do you think this (empty) bottle is worth something because of the miss-printed label? Me Neither! With the exception of a Chambolle that seemed a little too sweet, I have to say that I’ve been impressed by the 03 Lachaux range; they never really closed, and whilst externally they do offer a slightly facile if opulent glass, there is certainly more below the surface if you care to look… 2003 Pascal Lachaux, Latricières-Chambertin Medium-plus colour. Brooding aromas of dark cherry and cassis that are framed with warm, sweet coffee. Mouth-filling, slightly acid-shy but good texture and fantastic length. There’s a slight bitterness that mingles with the creamy fruit in the mid-palate, tannin is fine with the merest leading-edge of astringency. Really, this a bottle to [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 10, 2009
Given how I abused this bottle, this is rather an impressive showing – and from a producer I hadn’t heard of. The bottle was pulled from the shelves of Caves Madeleine restaurant in Beaune. The small-ish glasses in the restaurant and lack of time for the wine to open up gave only an impression of balance but little else. More than half-drunk, it had the cork rammed back in, spent the rest of the day in the back of the car (December) before finally coming to rest in the refrigerator at home. Not the next day, but the day after, I poured the last glass and a half from which this note is culled: 2006 François Legros, Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Perrières Medium-plus colour. Deep, [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 8, 2009
Here’s a relatively unusual occurrence; somebody actually sent me some wine to review! I’m in an awkward place to send wine to – as I found out from my ‘friendly’ customs and excise bill – €40 for 2 ‘free’ bottles – ie more than the cost of buying the bottles! Anyway, I thought you should be aware of this departure from the norm so that you can more easily factor-in any bias that might have occurred due to the unexpected ‘bottle cost’ I really don’t get that far south in Burgundy very often, so first, a short introduction, verbatim from the domaine themselves: Domain Description: Domaine du Chalet Pouilly founded in 1850 is a family business for over 100 years, and produces two 100%-Chardonnay: Pouilly [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 6, 2009
Not even the faintest trace of ‘vintage character’. I still don’t drink that many bottles from this producer, but I’ve been very happy with those that do get to meet my corkscrew… 2004 Antonin Guyon, Meursault 1er Charmes Dessus Already a medium golden colour – but that seems to come from the oak. Plenty of sweet toast on opening, slowly becomes more brioche, width and depth aplenty – very accomplished indeed. Tongue-coating, smooth, concentrated and perfectly balanced (invisible) acidity. No real fireworks, but new flavours seep out from your teeth and cheeks; creamy accents and excellent length. This was a relatively expensive bottle, but it is a classic, high-class Meursault in that comfortable, plush, unhurried style that only this village truly delivers. My indecision on [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on December 2, 2009
Visitors at home on Sunday, and given that I already had some bottles ready for opening and two were from an ‘easier’ vintage to taste – 1997 – I went that route. First, Pavolet’s Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Dominodes . Warm, inviting, now starting to develop some chocolate flavours and aromas, no awkward edges. This wine has really entered its early plateau of maturity – it will clearly hold for another 10+ years. Super. To follow, Cathiard’s Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsorts . This was altogether a different kettle of fish. I’ve had some lovely open and friendly bottles from this case, but this wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t unfriendly, rather it was uncommunicative. Clearly cut from the same vintage cloth as the Pavelot, but tighter [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on November 30, 2009
2007 Long-Depaquit, Chablis 1er Les Vaillons Pale greeny-yellow. The nose is a faint biscuit with a wider white blossom impression above, and is edged with a just enough citrus bite – just over the hour mark, the traditional salty impression of the sea-shore begins to poke through. Smooth, mineral acidity, slightly savoury impressions and this is really very long for a 1er cru. Genuine (not fruit-driven), great value Chablis, of the wiry and intense variety. Rebuy – Yes
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on November 27, 2009
Yesterday evening I opened the first from a 12-pack of this wine, it had two specific attributes that contributed to my purchase of a full case; first it was a decently priced bourgogne from the 05 vintage which I could use as a bellwether to judge maturation of the vintage, but second, and a much sexier reason, it was in pretty 50cl bottles! For years I’ve kept a half-bottle limit to daily wine exploits – of-course gatherings are allowed to surmount that total – but if drinking alone, 50cl seems a still tolerable stretch, and, when drinking in tandem there’s still enough for a decent glass each! I suppose though, I should carefully consider the ramifications of this increased uptake; am I now inevitably on [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
By billn on November 21, 2009
In-tandem with the CERN large hadron collider (LHC), back again after a few days ‘rest’. Hopefully my annual winter cold is now already behind me and I can continue to polish my technique 2005 Lamblin et Fils, Chablis Vaudésir Medium yellow colour. The nose has hints of roast hazelnut, a little volatility, perhaps marzipan too, later I think it’s more high-toned, citrus fruit than volatility. A little oily texture, but a certain minerality too. Good balance then this wine’s peak selling point – a super burst of dimension in the mid-palate with a length to match. This wine is far from a cheaply priced grand cru, but has a lot going for it; it’s a decent price and it’s very, very tasty – nothing else [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2009) |
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