By billn on February 24, 2008
2005 Albert Bichot, Grands-Echézeaux I drank this (the vines of and tended by Philippe Engel) out of sequence as I really wanted the comparison with the Griotte. The vanilla-style sweet oak is still too much to the fore, this is a wall of almost overpowering aromas – it’s certainly not shy. The palate is balanced, initially with a hint of carbon dioxide and incredibly wide and long – by far the most impressive wine of the night in this respect. This wine needs at least 2 years to lose the facile, sweet oak – but afterwards, it will be a stunner! Rebuy – Yes 2004 Jacky Truchot, Chambolle 1er Les Sentiers Medium colour. Lots of dirty, toasty oak and burnt match to start with – [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2008), Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on February 23, 2008
1999 Véronique Drouhin, Vosne 1er Petits Monts An understated nose that slowly builds power in the glass – exotic hardwoods and faint chocolate mix to give a very complex impression. The palate is relatively tight, the faintly astringent tannin being well covered by the understated fruit – the length of finish is rather more distinguished. Despite the tight presentation there is good focus here – better than the last bottle. Rebuy – Yes 2001 Fourrier, Gevrey 1er Clos St.Jacques A lovely fine and elegant nose of quite some complexity – red fruits and earth. The palate is long, faintly mineral and very wide in the mid-palate and into the finish. Perhaps a little unruly – let’s say over-exuberant as it finishes but much complexity here [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on February 22, 2008
1993 Esmonin Père et Fils, Gevrey 1er Clos St.Jacques Medium colour. The nose is rather mature and quite ripe with an undertow of undergrowth and eventually chocolate. After the last 1993 this is fuller and riper with apparently lower acidity. There is a medium-plus length of finish and very understated structure. I would characterise this as a very friendly and ‘cosy’ wine – particularly for a 93 – one to curl up with. Possibly not a wine for the ages but it’s coming into a nice drinking window now. Rebuy – Yes 1993 Dujac, Gevrey 1er Combottes Corked – damn, I was really looking forward to this comparison! 1998 Jean Chauvenet, Nuits St.Georges A relatively narrow and slightly volatile nose – some, though marginal, improvement [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - No (2008), Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on February 20, 2008
Drunk in the comfy surroundings and simple but delicious food of ‘Hilliards‘ in London: 2001 Coche-Dury, Auxey-Duresses Medium-pale colour with a hint of amber at the rim. The nose is soft, with a suggestion of undergrowth and pretty violets. The palate is mineral yet soft, not so deep but a fine width and a savoury finish. An altogether lovely aperitif if you can get a good price. Rebuy – Yes 2004 Chevillon-Chezeaux, Nuits 1er Les Bousselots (Blanc) Medium yellow. The nose starts with a forward brioche note before fading into a good if simple ripe fruit effect. There is some fat, but this wine is defined by a lovely spine of acidity – it starts just a little prickly but quickly smooths. Unlike many heavy [....]
Posted in Degustation, Rebuy - Maybe (2008), Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on February 6, 2008
I couldn’t resist it, yesterday I opened up one of my wines of the year from last year and was very happy with the result. Equally priced is another of my wines of the year last year and I just had to pull the cork! David Croix suggests aeration as the wines are bottled with plenty of carbon dioxide, but in this case the bottle was open for about 30 minutes then poured, no more. 2005 des Croix, Bourgogne Pinot Noir Medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose is pungent with creamy, mineral, ripe and soft red fruit – it’s like a grand cru – an okay start then! The palate is not quite so silky smooth as the Morgon, but the concentration is undoubted, neither [....]
Posted in Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on February 5, 2008
I’m amazed by the transformation that 12 months in bottle has achieved. Last tasted, this was a tannic brute with an apparently modest finish but tons of potential (read: fireworks). Today its rather smooth, still concentrated and the finish is no-longer overwhelmed by what went before… 2005 Potel-Aviron, Morgon Côte du Py VV A broodingly dark colour. The nose is slightly alcoholic, mildly meaty and creamily black fruited – almost like burgundy, but not quite. Very smooth and concentrated – I’m impressed how it pushes from the mid-palate into the finish – without fatigue. Again the fruit is black cherry shaded. Drinkable now with much more to come, and half the price of a growing number of inferior ’boutique’ bourgogne rouges. Rebuy – Yes
Posted in Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on February 4, 2008
2005 d’Ardhuy, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Chaumes Medium cherry-red. You are greeted by wide, concentrated and bright nose, faintly alcoholic with red and black fruit and a gradually developing creamy background – perhaps a hint of green pepper is the only clue to ‘vosne’. Lovely texture and concentration, the tannins are completely enveloped by the ripe fruit, but enough freshness remains. A slow diminuendo of a finish rolling on with the acidity. At the right price, this is an easy rebuy. Rebuy – Yes
Posted in Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on February 3, 2008
From the outset, this wine didn’t really have a lot going for it; a critically unloved vintage for whites and the éleveur a bulk supplier to French supermarkets – lastly the ever-present shadow of p.ox. On the other hand, the label of a wine from the Hospices and I picked it up very cheap (obviously miss-priced) in a supermarket about 3 years ago – but even at that price, I only bought one! 1998 Hospices de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Cuvée François de Salins, Maison Paul Reitz. The colour is already a little concerning – a deep, burnished golden – fortunately the aromas have only the barest suggestion of anything oxidative, mainly showcasing a deep core of mature fruit edged with a trace of toffee. The palate [....]
Posted in Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
By billn on January 27, 2008
2005 Remoissenet, Beaune 1er Marconnets A domaine wine here: A hint of sweetness, a dense soft-red fruit and an underscore of minerality on the compact but giving nose – slowly opens in the glass. Poise, concentration and a very nice kick in the mid-palate are the first impressions. Slowly you pick up on the velvety tannin and the persistence of the finish. Balanced, some fat and some of the coiled-spring energy of the vintage. This is (versus other 05′s) quite well priced. I think I shall buy a few more… Rebuy – Yes
Posted in Rebuy - Yes (2008) |
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