Rebuy – Yes (2010)

The tasting I had at the domaine last week was a resounding success – a very fine selection from 2008, but it’s often interesting to compare your notes with a bottle at home. I loved the Perrières best, despite the Vaucrains being the ‘top wine’ (most expensive) in the cellar, so bought half a dozen. 2008 Jean Chauvenet, Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Perrières Bigger glass, more aeration; yet the fruit holds onto a creamy-vanilla coating which I don’t remember being so obvious back in Nuits in the (11°!) cellar. The fruit, however, is a summer pudding of black and to a lesser extent red berries and is quite captivating. Plenty of acidity which turns into real intensity in the mid-palate and towards the finish – [....]

2008 Château de Puligny-Montrachet, Puligny 1er Les Folatières Starts deep and very faintly of baked bread, but swirl and the nose has a nice freshness and the fruit behind is high-toned and citrussy . This is a mouthful of energy and joy – blind I might have guessed it to be the 2007 (I must compare!) as the obvious richness of 2008 is hardly visible. Roll the wine around your tongue and the acidity helps develop a fine and mineral flavour – there’s no fat or excess here, just a good mineral end-note. Quite linear, mineral and with a good intensity – it’s my kind of wine, but if this is the performance of a 2008, can I handle the 2007? Rebuy – Yes

One large tranche of work behind me, it’s time to play with oxidation fire – but the dice roll and this is a good, or rather, very good one. Hooray! Fair to say, however, that my happiness is tinged with the sadness of even contemplating failure with such a bottle… 2000 Bonneau du Martray, Corton-Charlemagne The first whiff is of an oak-based toasty bread, below is a very faint baked citrus note. Very mineral, very lovely width, and even a hint of plush-ness. There is a good mid-palate intensity that intersperses lots of complexity – a faint creamy brûlée lingers in the mouth, and for quite some time. Very good length and complexity, yet, an understated, underdeveloped wine. It is possible to get more enjoyment [....]

What can you learn from opening only two bottles – half bottles at that – and from the same producer too. Actually quite a bit I think, after the premier cru I decidied not to open a Clos de Vougeot! Okay, Grivot is not your average producer, but useful data (to me) all the same. That data says ‘wait’ but nothing to worry about. I guess I have to drink more from 2007-09 plus 70s stuff! 1996 Jean Grivot, Nuits St.Georges Les Lavières Medium colour. The nose is wide and a little wild, perhaps a soupçon of brett? Maybe not, a clearer fruit note does come through, but there is plenty here that suggests a measure of aromatic maturity. If the nose hints at maturity, [....]

I decided I’d had enough of that old wine – time for some good new stuff 2008 des Chézeaux (Ponsot), Clos St.Denis Très Vieilles Vignes Ardea sealed and these things are frankly a pain in the arse to remove. Medium-plus purple-rimmed colour. The nose starts dense and unyielding but very quickly develops a dark macerating fruit aroma, then slowly evolves, adding dimension with beautiful high-toned berries – they take on an exquisite almost jellied dimension. I think I am in the presence of greatness – but before getting carried away, let’s taste. Silky, but it’s pure sinew and muscle, there’s not an ounce of fat. There is plenty of acidity but the flavours it helps introduce are incredibly intense and long lasting – those flavours [....]