A wine that reached a brilliant peak – for the vintage – at around 7-10-years-old. Since then, slowly downhill – but I really wasn’t expecting this…

2000 Jean-Marc & Hughes Pavelot, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Dominode
A full colour, now starting to show a little age. The nose is big and punchy – but really not very nice – full of old pyrazine. I would have bet a lot (and lost!) that this was a ‘classically mature 2004.’ The palate is also shot-through with this flavour. I have no idea where it has come from as I have never previously noted any hint of such a smell and taste in this wine. A wine with zero pleasure for me – such a shame. I let it stand overnight, stoppered, in the fridge. On day 2 there is no relenting of the aroma and flavour, and with no beef bourguignon on the horizon, this was unceremoniously dumped…
Rebuy – No

But this was a very worthy replacement – it will be in my April report, online in the next few days…

I truly hope that in 4 or 5 years time, the 2020 vintage will be remembered for its wines, rather than Covid-19.

Sunday-Monday I made a short excursion to Beaune – 16.5 hours in total.

It wasn’t entirely clear whether the Swiss would let me leave Switzerland, but they quizzed my reasons and then waved me on; having been away from my apartment for 12 weeks, I really wanted to check that all was well – and fortunately, it was. So I came back home to Bern as no-one is open for visits. The border officially opens 16 June – let’s see if any domaines will be open to visits then!

It was sobering to take a short walk around Beaune – Monday lunchtime but with practically nowhere to lunch – apart from a couple of sandwicheries all was closed. Not a single cafe in Place Carnot was open – but then there were also no people to be seen. Actually, far fewer people and less places open than in mid-January.

Before returning, I took a jog around some Meursault vineyards – an easy 7km photo tour – I knew you wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t get the obligatory ‘vines in flower’ image! According to the Chambre d’Agriculture, the Côte de Beaune & and Côte de Nuits chardonnay has finished its flowering, and the pinot noir is at the mid-flowering stage. The Hautes Côtes have only their first flowers. Despite some cool weather, the strong sun has pushed the growth forward – roughly equal to, or up to two days behind, the same stage of growth as in 2007 and 2011 – so still one of the earliest vintages on record – more than a week ahead of 2015, 2017 & 2018 and an almost unbelievable 24 days ahead of 2019 – though the heat of June and July accelerated 2019 in the mid-season.

There was plenty of wind, despite the sunshine, above the level of wind allowed for treating (with sprays) so some domaines were already giving their vines a haircut. Certainly, I saw more people in the vines than in Beaune!

Nobody…

Place Carnot – closed!

Meursault

Meursault

Meursault

Meursault

Meursault

Meursault

Meursault

Meursault