A homage to my last 3 weeks of tasting, and the weekend’s event – the 77th Saint Vincent – in Gevrey-Chambertin:

2016 Agnes et Didier Dauvissat, Chablis ‘Les Petits Vignerons‘
A fine Chablis nose that draws you – steely, with a modest seashore and minerality. In some respects, the concentration here reminds a little of 2018s with an extra richness – but the shape of the wine, the line and intensity, the wonderful Chablis complexion of this wine are a little different. So delicious, so engrossing. That’s a great villages…
Rebuy – Yes

2008 Joseph Roty, Gevrey-Chambertin ‘La Brunelle‘
Their Côteaux Bourguignone aside, Roty needs at least 10 years to get going, and here we are…
This nose starts herby, earthy and a little creamy – the last of the oak – but aeration brings more roundness of red berry fruit to the fore. Supple, wide, fresh but also growing in intensity and a really super, creamy, finishing energy and complexity – that’s a great finish for a great villages – bravo…
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Jean Raphet, Clos de Bèze
This was great, way back in 2003, I would have bought more, but the merchant refused to refund a corked bottle, so that was the last contact that I had with them…
The nose here has much in common with that of the Roty, just a little extra sweetness and richness. Much more richness of texture and depth to the flavour too – it comes to you in concentrated waves of flavour – and with impressive intensity in the middle too. This is the wine that impresses more, though the ‘smaller’ Roty is actually the tastier wine today… still, very good, and possibly still too young…
Rebuy – Maybe

2005 Alex Gambal, St.Aubin 1er Les Murgers des Dents du Chien
Golden colour though no browning. A perfumed roasted lemon is my first impression, a little spiced too. Time adds faint lanolin to the nose. In the mouth to my surprise, is a lovely sweeping line of freshness – waxily-fine textured and mineral. Such a difference in the delivery of flavour versus the Chablis of last week. The finish mineral and has some caramel aspects – probably the barrels talking here. Concentrated but alive, beautifully proportioned and very long. A point! Opened on Friday, this was completely stable/robust, such that still delicious on Sunday – narrower, but not a suggestion of tiring in either flavours or aromas. Bravo – I hope it’s not my last!
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Bouchard Père et Fils, Chambertin
Not a wine you see very often – it’s a domaine wine – but with only 0.15 hectares, it’s not a wine that they tend to (need to) show in tastings. A couple of years ago the 1998 was brilliant! Here a poor start, but only because the cork breaks in half – the second part coming out in a thousand pieces! I asked Frédéric Weber if he could tell me a little more about the plot and he responded right away! “Yes, it’s a plot of 0.15ha in the upper part of the Chambertin (close to Les Latricières) I think it is a very nice situation particularly in the hot years because we are close to the forest and that permits us to keep freshness and a good balance, the soil is poor and very thin, the yield is low in average, in the best year I produce only 2 barrels. I like to vinify with whole clusters and a soft maceration to express the aromatics and elegance of Chambertin, we do not produce a deep Chambertin in this part.”
What a beautiful nose – not the pure and powerful that I remember from the 1998, rather a beautiful and elegant floral bouquet. Rather silky in the mouth, still a grain of ripe tannin if you search hard enough. Elegant and floral here too – slowly becoming a little more mineral and mouth-watering. Very long. Not a powerful wine but such a beautiful thing – I would say ready but hold for as long as you wish. None of the overt structure remains that you can still see in many of the higher 1999s
Rebuy – Yes