I'm hoping for a great start to my weekend - already lined up are Joseph Voillot's 1993 Meursault Les Cras, to be followed by Dominique Laurent's 1998 Gevrey Clos St.Jacques!
In both cases I have great expectations - but without knowing what to expect!
Goughie13
Member
So far tonight, in part to give me strength for writing up my vendange experience for Bill over the weekend :-
Domaine Arlaud (all my wonderful dear friends), 2008, Bourgogne Aligote - feel moved to raise my glass here as l'anglais to my vendange minibus camion chauffeur friend & ultimate character :- Monsieur Jean-Pierre Feral !
Domaine Jean Chauvenet, 1996, NSG 1er cru Les Vaucrains
An acidity fest from both, with almost as much from the NSG, if not more (?), than the aytpical Aligote - the latter in the 2009 vintage at the domaine, our early evening vendange tipple as Vin blanc nature. Too good in my book to sully with adding Cassis. A lovely juicy, acid, drink enjoyed with my favourite garlic prawns starter.
Boy, the NSG is good, lovely bright mid ruby colour, fading rim not yet rusty. Concern at possible cork taint on opening from cold garage but over 3 hours to warm room temperature any concerns there have blown off completely. Wonderfully complex nose were as usual I'm struggling for descriptors other than slightly smokey, cherry, liquer fruit. Bags of power on a mouth filling complex mid palate of almost explosive lip smacking juicy cherry, plums, damson fruit over a mineral base with lovely, almost green but not quite, acidity (for this acidity fiend) on to a quite subtle lovely fade away mineral and oh so slightly tannic, drying, right at the end finish. This is excellent for me at 14 years, so fresh, and can't imagine a New World Pinot getting anywhere close. Tres yum ! 4 more bottles of this. Initially sampled with coq au vin but enjoyed maybe more afterwards just on its own.
I almost feel to be there Mark - cool - thanks...
Goughie13
Member
Only us two vendangeurs posting of late Bill ?
Off topic, the Jasper book sounds ace - looking forward to getting a copy. Your note on the Meursault Les Cras had me reaching for Pitiot & Servant's The Wines.... (ordered before I went to Arlaud but only to hand on my return) to recall where that was.
Back on topic, tonight finished last night's Arlaud 2008 Aligote and Chauvenet 1996 NSG Vaucrains and..........drum roll (!), opened, which I'd 'threatened' to broach a few weeks ago:-
Michel Gros, 1996, Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Clos des Reas Monopole (my first of 3)
This is quite something and very different from any red Burgs I can recall previously. Quite light and pale in appearance to the full on Chauvenet NSG, slightly hazy (rather than cloudy) but what an evocative nose (and my nose ain't great) ! Sous bois, vegetal, forest floor, secondary, hints of tar, liqourice, espresso, red fruits - tres complex and very 'giving'.
Super cool on the front palate (13%), mainly red, some black fruits, very silky indeed, at first I didn't 'get' the acidity but on further tastes the atypical 96 vintage acidity is there, very slightly green, to give a little 'bite', but beyond this the slightly chewy finish moves to softness, red fruits and a little spice. Not as anywhere near as 'biting' as some '96s.
I remember well Michel Gros' wines doing very well in the 'old' IWC, as the only 'real' Burgundy domaine entry against the then mediocre usual red burg selections from 'lesser' negotiants which seemed the make up the entries to so devalue the Old World Pinot entries to such a competition. Tasting this wine now its easy to see how MG was the winner in several years even if I'm sure there are plenty of more tres serieux Vosne's out there than this. If the '95 is heaps better as M.Coates suggests then yum yum.
burgundyfan
Member
Yesterday I opened a bottle of Serveau Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 2000 which was in my opinion some years to early. Still very closed.
Today I opened a Chambolle-Musigny Les Chabiots 2007 from Serveau which jumps out of the glass. It's just great for this young vines. This vineyard was replanted 14 years ago.
Pure strawberry in your glas. Good length for such a young vine. I will buy some more bottles in 3 weeks.
Have a nice weekend Bill
@burgundyfan - I really will have to visit Serveau to add to my experiece of their soft and delicate wines.
@nikbert - you choose perhaps my favourite cuvée ex-Rousseau!
@goughie13 - I'm convinced that the Clos du Réas wines are 'under-judged' in their youth, mainly because of the large spicy-oak overcoat that they wear. It takes 4 or 5 years for this to move into the background and you end up with a very elegant and nicely complex wine - but many people have long-since moved on because the wine didn't receive a great score!
Tonight for me it is a 1982 René Engel VR Brulées - I have had a very good weekend indeed....
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