Dinner with friends.

2018 William Fevre, Chablis
Excellent – like all my previous notes…
Rebuy – Yes

2011 Ramonet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Les Ruchottes
A great, robust, cork. One year ago my 2010s were oxidised, but this 2011 is still in great shape.
Still a younger colour. The nose is deep, fleshy and still quite obviously oaked – it really needs at least an hour before a majority of the volatile oak components to fade – slowly a little attractive green-shaded citrus comes into view. After the cut of the Chablis, this wine needs a complete reset of the palate as it’s so louche and overtly oaked. Long, very tasty, but today less fun than the Chablis that preceded it – so drink them the other way around if you must, then you will see a little more of the minerality in the fine finishing flavours here 🙂
Rebuy – Maybe

1999 Frederic Esmonin, Griottes-Chambertin
The last vintage of this ‘Maison’ wine chez Fred, also one of the rare labels where Griotte is spelt with an ‘s.’ The cork was a good one, coming out in one piece.
Last tasted about 10 years ago, this was a deliciously lush wine – today it’s much more finely proportioned – boned even – with a direction to the flavour. The nose is not full power but it’s definitely, invitingly, complex and deep, with no hint of balsamic – the top notes are a mix of cherry stone and floral perfume. Medium weight wine but far, far from medium enjoyment. The texture is velvet and still shows some textural depth tooA beauty!
Rebuy – Yes – the old price was less than £30, though that was unremarkable versus Philippe Engel’s Echézeaux which was only £25!

Here.

Olivier Fichet (the Mâconnais one) started harvesting yesterday – the 12^th August is, of-course, a modern-day record – Olivier started his 2003 harvest on the 20^th August. It’s one of their parcels of pinot too – machine harvested in this case…