1999 Christian Clerget, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Charmes
(From magnum) Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose starts very-much in a coffee/mocha vein, but bit-by-bit plums ever-more depth. Time takes the nose into a lovely core of tight, focused red fruit that eventually widens to give a redcurrant aspect – always my favourite. This has depth, intensity and an obvious extra level of tannin vs the older wines. A lovely wine. Rebuy – Yes
1999 Sylvie Esmonin, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos St.Jacques
(From magnum) Medium ruby-red colour. It’s a wide and mineral nose with an almost corky element. With time the corky element takes over – I never found it on the palate though – still, a shame.
1990 Lafon, Volnay 1er Santenots de Milieu
(From magnum) Very deep colour – close to black. No obvious oak on the nose, but it’s so dense and unforgiving – perhaps this is a harsh adjective, but this wine is so fresh, linear and dense that it could be 2002 in presentation. The only clue to its age, is that the tannins have started to melt, but super concentration remains – it’s a tour-de-force – but wait for 2015. If there is one criticism, the wine doesn’t seem so long and is unlikely to gain length with extra age – but I’m still very, very impressed. Versus the Clerget Chambolle this has twice the depth & concentration, but the Clerget is significantly more refined – the choice is yours. Rebuy – Yes

1993 Géantet-Pansiot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Poissenots
(From magnum) Deep ruby-red colour. Even at 13 years-old the nose still has some fall-out from the toasty oak of its youth; mixed with sweet, predominantly black shaded fruit and a little coffee – it takes some time in the glass to lose the oak, but it becomes ever-more primary with a strawberry/raspberry impression. Instant impressions are of concentration and very good acidity but only average length. Despite the length, this very youngly presented wine is certainly the most interesting Géantet-Pansiot I’ve ever had, all that I tasted from 2000-2002 seemed too soft in the middle. Expanding well in the mid-palate I even get the impression that the length improves with time, but following the hights of the ’93 Rousseau Clos St.Jacques this is very-much on a lower level. Rebuy – Maybe
1993 Bertrand Ambroise, Nuits St.Georges 1er Rue de Chaux
(From magnum) Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is quite estery, masking any real depth – at least at the start – very slowly this lifts giving a 20 minute window of nice red fruit and the start of a cedar note, but later becomes very high-toned again. The palate has a fresh yet concentrated stance with a heavy emphasis of nice black fruit. The finish is understated but long. An interesting wine that for me – apart from that 20 minute window – was spoiled by the aromatics. Rebuy – No.

1997 Mugneret-Gibourg, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Feuselottes
(From magnum) Medium-plus colour. The nose is surprisingly meaty and spicy, opening ever-wider and at the same time denser red fruit and a more mineral, cedar note comes through. The palate is very fresh and interesting for a 1997 – no dodgy acidity here – though perhaps only medium-plus length. Like the nose, the red fruit on the palate is rather dense and wall-like (like some ’95’s) – little in the way of delicacy is available and I’m not sure if more time will bring it, but this is quite young and almost impossible to pick blind as 1997. It’s still a fine young wine. Rebuy – Yes
1993 Armand Rousseau, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos St.Jacques
(From magnum) Medium-plus ruby-red colour. A deep, intense, meaty nose that starts with a slightly diffuse width. There is also a faint oaky component to the depth, but it’s mainly consumed now – with time the fruit really tightens and focuses. In the mouth this wine is still immensely youthful – 10 extra years would provide ample benefit – the acidity is like a roller-coaster into the finish, and a very impressive and intense finish it is too. Bravo, but still a baby. Rebuy – Yes

1995 Dujac, Clos de la Roche
(From Magnum) Medium, medium-plus ruby-red, and a little brighter than the 75cl bottle that I last opened. The nose takes time to get into it’s stride; starting with faint smoke and a slightly estery width, but there is an ever-sweetening and intensifying core of red fruit that eventually becomes more floral – though it’s a heavy rather than refined scent – impressive and moreish all the same. The slowly intensifying fruit on the nose is mirrored by the taste, always building in the mouth, just a transient petillance too. Good acidity and dry but not blocky tannin and long with a dark-fruit aspect to the finish. The stems don’t seem to engender the fresh purity of some wines, but the complexity is there for all to see. Very impressive. Rebuy – Yes. (No question, I already did!)
1995 Méo-Camuzet, Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Murgers
(From Magnum) Medium-plus ruby-red. A dense and intense nose of meat, earth, blood and eventually red fruit – some of the effect is wood-driven, but it’s impressive all the same. Well-balanced palate of good acidity and relatively good texture for a ’95 – the tannin is well-controlled. This is a very young wine that was never embarassed for density vs Dujac’s Clos de la Roche though by comparison was missing both complexity and a little length. A very young wine that definitely surprised on the ‘upside’. Rebuy – Yes

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

Tomorrow will kick-off the first of about 8 days of concentrated tasting; I start with a dinner with 12 super wines – all from magnum – then Tuesday will see a large Pommard tasting, Thursday and Friday I have visits at a number of domaines. Saturday sees yet-more 2004’s. I won’t have time to write up all the notes before the next report – but c’est la vie!
2001 Laurent Ponsot, Morey St.Denis Cuvée des Grives
Medium ruby-red. The first impression from the nose is of soft, dark oak plus an equally soft red and black berry fruit. The palate is red fruity with a little tartness to the acidity, medium density and reasonable length. The texture is almost good, just a little grain to the medium-minus tannins. This is another (junior) Ponsot from 2001 that misses a little ripeness – or at least that’s the impression from the acidity – though it’s a lttle better than the village Gevrey. Rather like that Gevrey (who’s aromatics I prefered) it’s a wine that I can enjoy, but I wouldn’t buy it again.
Rebuy – no