1989 André Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots
My last bottle of these labels – the one before ‘Sylvain Cathaird.’ The cork slides out far too easily, soaked to its length in wine – but in one piece!
Medium colour, not with any obvious browning – clean and bright. The nose is still fresh and majoring on fruit – sweet and red – just the faintest spice – of age more than Vosne, I think. A very easy wine to drink, properly ripe but of only modest concentration and complexity. Blind, I’d have positioned this more like a villages than a 1er cru – it didn’t deliver 30 years’ worth of aging complexity, that’s for sure. But it was easy to drink and everyone enjoyed it too.
Rebuy – No

2012 N&G Fèvre, Chablis Les Preuses
Magnum, DIAM-sealed. I thought this might have been ‘ready’ but it was still a little too young…
Fresh, wide and impressive nose – this is clearly Chablis – and there’s some concentration here too – though not showing much development. In the mouth too; taught, nicely structured, tons of mouth-watering flavour but still quite primary in style. Day two (it was a magnum ;-)) showed a bit more fat and also a bit more ripeness to the citrus fruit. Possibly still opened 5 years too young – but in very fine shape. It may have been my only 2012 though…
Rebuy – Yes

2020 des Croix, Bourgogne‘Cuvée L'(?)
During his time at Camille Giroud, David Croix made a couple of Bourgognes labelled ‘Cuvée L.‘ These were an assembly of all the lees of all the (red) wines from Bourgogne to Grand Cru, with extra ageing time to allow the lees to settle. I think my remaining bottles of 2008 may be ‘past it’ but perhaps not the 2010s. Here he did the same in 2020 at des Croix – ‘Are you interested to try one?’ Well, of course! Sealed with and a DIAM cork too – he usually uses only natural cork.
After all the older wines I’ve been drinking – including, this week, one of his 2008s – this dark-coloured wine has such another level of intensity – wow. The flavours and aromas are framed with some creamy oak that’s less to my liking but this has purity, presence and great texture. More ‘2020’ than ‘Burgundy’ – a second bottle might be much more interesting in 10 years…
Rebuy – Maybe

You already met the M&C Lapierre, so time for the other two:

2010 Joseph Roty, Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire
This case of 12 has almost completely expired – just one, or maybe two, of these remain hidden in the cellar. The cork extracts in one.
Wow – that still smells so pure, clean and deliciously inviting – such a counterpoint to some of the 2019 Beaujolais in my cellar from producers who use next to no sulfur! This wine doesn’t quite have the extravagantly delicious energy that it once showed, but boy is this still a great bottle – despite supporting the base wine of this domaine’s whole range! Clarity of flavour, darker red fruit of energy and precision. Just a very easy but properly shaped wine. For the label, brilliant wine – bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

2018 Xavier Monnot, Meursault 1er Les Charmes
A faint toast to this nose slowly gives way to more yellow-citrus elements and a faintly creamy oak. Charmes and from 18 too but here is a wine of direction and some structure too. Not a concentrated Charmes but one whose shape and drinkability are never in question – I often complain about the creamy oak taste of many whites – I prefer to taste the wine! – but in this case it’^s just another moreish ‘extra.’ Simply delicious wine.
Rebuy – Yes

I thought that I should get the rest of these out of the way before starting on the Christmas holiday period bottles. You already met the dreadful Penfolds and the delightful David Moreau, so:

The 2018 whites theme continues – over Christmas too 😉

2018 Céline & Frederic Gueguen, Chablis 1er Vosgros
Here the nose invites with such an obvious expression of salinity – super! Bright and energetic in the mouth with a slightly direct intensity and tons of purity. That was a super wine and on that was far too quickly drunk. Excellent stuff!
Rebuy – Yes

2018 Julien Brocard, Chablis Boissonneuse
A rounder nose so less intense than the Gueguen. In the mouth less muscled but I sense a wine that’s becoming more taught than was once the case – I’m liking this more and more with a bit of cellar time. I would probably still say Chablis, blind tasted so that’s a good thing. Very much enjoyed.
Rebuy – Maybe

1997 Bouchard Père et Fils, Le Corton
A cork that was stained for much of its length with wine but coming out in one piece.
Hmm, now that’s a rather attractive and involving nose of faintly spiced, complex red fruit – that’s very lovely! Open, indeed almost panoramic flavour – the merest suggestion of structure – certainly not with any ‘Corton-austerity.’ Balanced and drinking beautifully right now – for at least 5 years now, the higher 1997s have been drinking beautifully. A subtly long finish too. Lovely!
Rebuy – Yes

2008 des Croix, Beaune 1er Grèves
DC was one of my last visits in December to taste 21s. I mentioned that I was thinking of making a start on my 2008s of his – I’ve some bottles and magnums – to which he, almost apologetically said ‘Okay, but the 2008s were not my finest hour.’ Well, let’s see – but the cork did break into 2 on extraction…
Medium colour. The nose is fine – indeed nicely inviting – so no problem from the cork. In the mouth, this is rather good – quite easy drinking for Grèves – but there’s a bit more cushioning fat than is often the case (currently) with 2008s. We both enjoyed this over 2 nights – so no problem here – very good wine.
Rebuy – Maybe

Out of (drinking) order – the rest of the bottles from this week are still to come – but as I have this in my glass now…

2021 M&C Lapierre, Le Beaujolais
I still don’t know what I was thinking when I so enthusiastically tasted this wine in February – it was so juicily delicious and I had to have some. All the bottles at home have, however, shown quite a high pyrazine content, though if you can get past that – or are not sensitive to it (80%+ of people) then this remains a delicious and juicily red-fruited thing of just enough textural cushioning and silk to balance the energy – so good in fact that I’m still drinking it myself – it’s still a great wine for, mainly, other people!!
Rebuy – No

Going partly ‘off-piste’ for some of the bottles this weekend:

2020 Jacques Picq et ses Enfants, Chablis
A wine that depended on the moment that you caught it – sometimes with a little 2020 pyrazine but other times not. The fruit is fleshy and ripe but with the requisite drive and direction that puts the wine firmly in Chablis – and without the pyrazine, it’s delicious!
Rebuy – No

2018 Alex Gambal, St.Aubin 1er Murgers des Dents du Chien
A nose that’s still cushioned by a little creamy barrel – but still a fine invitation. Open, structural, though like the nose, these fine citrus flavours have a bit too much padding from the oak today. I think I’ll wait a couple of years for the next one! Still a very good bottle.
Rebuy -Yes

2017 Dr Loosen, Riesling Kabinett Ürziger Würzgarten
Fresh, airy, yellow fruit invitation. What an easy, delicious energetic wine to drink – maybe the 8.0% alcohol is the reason – but this is damn good, just a bit too sweet!
Rebuy – Maybe

2019 François Labet, Pinot Noir Isle de Beauté
Yes, that François Labet – but from vines in Corsica that delivered just 12% alcohol.
Dark colour but a fine and energetic cherry-red pinot nose. Round in the mouth but with plenty of acidity to provide the direction. Good texture and vibrant energy. That was very tasty!
Rebuy – Yes

2020 Möhr-Niggli, Pilgrim
Swiss pinot from Maienfeld.
Lighter colour – almost with a hint of age. The aromas are round and faintly smoky – round, warm, red fruit and occasional flashes of perfume that suggest some whole clusters. Round in the mouth too – but here is a wine with good balancing structure and a lot of middle and finishing complexity. For such a young wine it’s very approachable and the flavours, like the nose, occasionally suggest a little whole clusters too!
Rebuy – why not!