The first from a magnum dinner – it will take me a few days to get them all to you…
2001 Ambroise, Bourgogne Blanc
Medium yellow. The nose is quite reticent; sweet and creamy with well-absorbed wood and an almost sherbet top note. The palate is reminiscent of a 2004 with tight acidity that’s hardly covered by the extract. The finish is a little rough, but given that I don’t have an idea of the price I would say (overall) not bad, maybe even almost good if it’s cheap enough! Rebuy – Maybe
1997 Hospices de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes Cuvée Albert Grivault
(From magnum, Maison Ambroise) Golden colour. The nose starts in a relatively forward and creamy way with a little oak-toast in the background. Slowly the aromatics get wider and more fruit-driven, providing a real extra dimension. The palate is quite fresh and just a little petillant to start (this is soon gone). I find a faint oxidative element but the length is rather good. There is certainly a bitter element in the finish which is oak-derived and which I would have expected to have melted by now – though perhaps the magnum-size makes the difference. It’s a good if not great 1er cru that gets better all the time from an aromatic perspective, but remains relatively static from a taste perspective. Rebuy – Maybe
1997 Bonneau du Martray, Corton-Charlemagne
(From Magnum) Medium golden. The nose starts both wider and deeper than the Meursault, but less intense, eventually settling into a very mineral expression of better intensity, but neither the finishing depth nor sweet width off the Meursault. The texture is not the smoothest but in the mid-palate there is a real extra dimension vs the Meursault – a clear burst of interesting concentration. Once more there is the suggestion of a little oxidation – though only when first poured. This is a long, very mineral wine – perhaps more than one has a right to expect from 1997. From this format we have a very young wine. Rebuy – Yes