2005 Yvon Metras, Fleurie Printemps
Medium, medium-plus cherry red colour. What to make of the nose? Wide, fruit driven, definitely not pinot noir, but a rather fecund, almost dirty edge to the creamy summer-fruit nose – there is freshness and personality in spades – it’s sort of reduced but not… In the mouth it delivers less than the nose, but is smooth, balanced and just maybe there’s a bit of that ‘dirty’ thing going on in the mid-palate too. It’s Fleurie, and your grandmother may not like it, but I think it’s great. I think it’s even greater when I see the price!

I’ve no info on the domaine, but please fell free to inundate me with stuff! Anyway, this is the first of a couple of bottles I picked up…
1989 Andrée Taupenot, Pommard 1er Les Epenots
Medium, medium-minus colour – some amber at the rim. The nose starts with fungus and undergrowth to be replaced in short-order by dense, chocolate coated red fruits. The acidity starts a little pronounced, but also that slightly discordant note quickly fades. It’s fresh with a lovely burst of flavour in the mid-palate and still a rasp of tannin too. Good length. It has a hint of the rustic, but was devoured – a super bottle.
Rebuy – Yes

My experience of this domaine rests only on a few mid-age bottles from the 97-98 era, and all were woodier than I liked. This wine shows a very different face…
2005 des Perdrix, Vosne-Romanée
Deep colour. Initially diffuse aromatics hinted at a spicy depth but also showed a little mustiness, over about 1 hour there is more focus and clarity offering-up clean black fruit and some minerality. Mouth filling, concentrated, then bursts across the mid-palate with typical Vosne flavours if far from subtle, but to good effect. The tannins are quite well mannered and the finish lingers with an element of oak flavour – but it’s the only woody note. Fresh and tasty, and without overt oak character, but more obviously in need of cellar time than many.
Rebuy – Yes

Another bottle from the man and his horse. A good wine, but it suffers in comparison to the wines of the last evenings…
2005 Olivier Guyot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champeaux
Deep colour, some purple at the rim. After the two wines of Marchand-Grillot in the last nights, the nose is a little more diffuse with oak influenced coffee notes over an espresso depth. In the mouth this is intense and shows lovely acid balance and quite some extension into the finish. The flavours reflect the nose in that they are a little diffuse and oak dominated – no oak texture, but plenty of toasty coffee. Today this is more than a nose behind the M-G wines but I suspect will be much more together in a year or two. I’m undecided on this, hence the rating.
Rebuy – Maybe