I should subtitle this as “don’t worry about the price of 2005 Musigny”. Given that the average 2005 will be (a little) better than the average 1999, this excellent wine really exemplifies what treasures await in 05 – and from all sorts of appellations too – don’t worry about the trophy wines, just fill your storage space with good 05 village and 1er Cru wines and you have the opportunity to drink well for the best part of the next 20 years; and if 2007 is hailed as even better than 2005 – so what! – you can go on holiday to the Maldives instead of chasing the en-primeurs…
1999 Jean-Claude Belland, Santenay 1er Comme
Deep colour – actually there’s still just the merest hint of cherry-red at the rim. The reticent nose is rather brooding, alternately showing some lovely pure blackcurrant fruit then a rather more mineral note – not unlike the graphite of a Paulliac, perhaps hints of licorice too. Very well textured – you really have to roll the wine around your mouth to find the tannins as they still have plenty of dark fruit coverage – faint grain can be found eventually. There’s real concentration here and quite a burst on the mid-palate too. The acidity is just right, only on the finish does this wine hint at its origins – medium-plus length at best. This wine delivers much more than I expected, and in a very understated way – it probably requires at least 3-5 years more in the cellar – but this bottle was far from sacrificed.
Rebuy – Yes
belland 99 santenay 1er comme
Update
1.2.2007(30.1.2007)