2006 Maison Nicolas Potel, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Fuées
This wine made such an impression when tasted about a year and a half ago that orders were placed in more than one bottle size! Here’s its first outing… 2006 Nicolas Potel, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Fuées
Medium, medium-plus colour. So effusive once the cork is popped, it’s like you’re back in the barrel cellar with forward red and black fruit that is softened at the edges with a sweet, faintly brulee’d note – primary but very gorgeous. In the mouth it has lost some of that barrel ‘padding’, but you have good intensity, equally good acidity and a reasonable amount of structure; the tannin is there and whilst velvety, has the merest trace of astringency. Slowly lingering, this is super – it’s perhaps more structured than when last tasted (and ordered!) and I’d recommend that you leave it in the cellar, but the fruit is gorgeous. Rebuy – Yes
I just wanted to share with you a short note on contributions to these diary pages.
The early Burgundy Reports had a ‘guest text’ section which despite having fallen by the wayside in last couple of years, it remains open and available to potential/latent contributors. Outside of that, it’s really only the two reports of Bruce Palling and Peter Sidebotham that covered DRC 2006 that haven’t been written by me – I’m not anticipating much change there, but let’s see!
Regarding these ‘diary’ pages, things are certainly more flexible. Whether it’s Ray’s ‘how to start a domaine/new life’, Peter’s bottles – with the odd etranger among them – or some of Rusty’s insights into another world of pinot noir, it’s all stuff that I like to read. Maybe I will get the chance to add even more contributions/contributors so not to leave you on the monotonous drip of ‘today’s bottle is…’ If you have ideas, get in touch!
That’s it!
Note, it should be even easier to differentiate who has written what (hopefully it’s not hard now) when I finally get round to updating the site design a little – nothing too generic of course !
We are pleased to inform you of the creation of a charity, by some Wine Growers and Wine Merchants from Burgundy. Named “Les Climats du Coeur”, its goal is to collect money to help the poorer of our region.
1997 Robert Arnoux, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Reignots
1997 Robert Arnoux, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Reignots
Starts with dark, slightly dirty oak and some forest floor – slowly the forest floor fades to leave the oak and a slight roast coffee ground plus much fainter, greener herbal note – there is a little spiciness, but this is interesting, rather than captivating . Some sweetness though it is ‘balanced’ by acidity that’s a little tart and a lick of slightly astringent tannin. The sweetness is associated with the fruit, mainly red shaded in this vintage and hinting at cream too. There’s enough here to make me interested to try other vintages, but this wine is a poster-child to ‘not quite there 1997’. I gave it a bit more of a chance and left the last third for day 3 (day 2 I was out!) – hints of red berry, less oak and more balance. Still far from worth the normal sticker price, but there is now some interest here. Another bottle will rest in the cellar until its 15th birthday or-so. Rebuy – No
[Actually, everything is relative – looking at winesearcher on the green dollar icon above, you can buy this for £35 – put it in a decanter for 2+ hours and I think it’s maybe worth that!]
Hey guys! Well, the great news keep on rolling in. A few months back I was told about this facility in Beaune that was available for my project. At the time, I was just a bit more interested in sharing a facility. Well, as things have a way of doing, something better came along.
This facility is from the early 1910’s. While attached to a home, the building has a great amount of character and charm. There is a main winery, attic for storage (not sure I want things stored above my head in an old building) and a well sized cave below ground. I am moving forward with this facility. Harvest is closer, and it simply feels appropriate for my humble needs.
Mendocino Ridge in California is a relatively young American Viticultural Area (AVA), winning approval in 1997, yet it has some of the oldest producing vineyards in Mendocino County. The first plantings, primarily Zinfandel, were established by Italian immigrants and date to the late 1800s. Today, Zinfandel is still the pride of this AVA, but the region holds promise as a viticultural paradise for Pinot Noir.
The Mendocino Ridge AVA is a non contiguous trio of ridges that is defined by vineyards at least 1,200 feet or more in elevation and within 10 miles of the Pacific Ocean. It is California’s first and only non contiguous AVA. Because of the hilly terrain of the AVA, some lower elevations are not included, fostering the name, “Islands in the Sky.”
The climate in Mendocino Ridge is distinctly different from the neighboring Anderson Valley below. Perched above the fog and frost threat, the vineyards in the Mendocino Ridge bask in the early morning sun, and early afternoon breezes cool down the fruit, never allowing the temperatures to rise as high as the valley below. There is enough rainfall and ground water to dry farm vineyards.
The first winery in the Mendocino Ridge AVA was Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, founded in 1980. Pinot Noir plantings here are the oldest on the Mendocino Ridge. Other Pinot Noir vineyards include Perli Vineyard, Sky High Vineyard, and Manchester Ridge Vineyard (see photo). Wineries producing Pinot Noir from the Mendocino Ridge appellation include Arista, Auteur, B. Kosugi, Baxter Winery, Drew, Ferrari-Carano, J. Jacaman, Marguerite Ryan Cellars, Phillips Hill Estates and Tandem. I have had spectacular Pinot Noirs from several vineyards and producers in this AVA.
2006 B. Kosuge Wines Manchester Ridge Mendocino Pinot Noir 14.5% alc., 300 cases, $40. Byron Kosuge is a Pinot Noir and Syrah specialist who was the former winemaker at Saintsbury. A potpourri of scents including brambly cherries, candied apples, exotic woods, vanillin and winter spices. Mouth-filling dusty red cherries that are nicely spiced with a subtle complement of oak. The wine is velvety in texture with integrated tannins and a good acid cut. A complete wine with excellence balance and length. Is there an App for this?
I though this would make a nice counter-point to the Clos St.Jacques.
This is a wine that has become an icon. I could buy it relatively easily up until the 2005 (that vintage was problematic, though I managed to get a couple), but since then, and despite buying the wine since ’99 I’ve been shut out through merchants. I will have to live with the modest few cases or-so of assorted Griottes in the cellar I suppose…
This is a classic example of Griotte, and I think there are many parallels between this and Les Amoureuses; it shows grand cru concentration and power, though it is still very approachable – yet, what it offers in style, it so often misses in intellect – this is an ‘easy’ and currently one-dimensional wine. Clearly it will get better and better with age, but by comparison, at this age I would already expect to see much more character in its next-door neighbour, Chapelle-Chambertin. Maybe I am personally becoming more mature, but with more producers and a lower average price in Chapelle, maybe it’s time for me to dispense with the pretty Griotte face and buy more from ‘next door’ – wines I have more chance to converse with!
If you wish to open one of Fourrier’s ‘top 2’ from this vintage, open and decant the Clos St.Jacques – for the moment at least, it offers far more interest.
2002 Fourrier, Griotte-Chambertin
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose opens with wide and forward and very, very young grapey fruit – it’s like a genie escaping from the bottle, but escape it does and what you are left with is a dense core of red fruit. The aromas remain solid and one-dimensional for the next 2 hours – no 02 CSJ sytyle reduction here. The palate is fatter and more concentrated than the CSJ and the balance is very good – the tannin is there only if you search it out. Like the nose, there is concentration but no complexity – it’s big and rounded and soft and somehow comforting, but it’s monosyllabic – typical young Griotte I suppose. Remaining bottles should wait at least until their 12th birthday I think, though 15+ is likely to be better. Rebuy – Yes
1998 Confuron-Cotetidot Clos de Vougeot
Medium pale ruby, just touched with garnet. Medium tapering rim, clear at the very edge. Paler than I expected from a “modern” producer in a robust vintage. Nose is robust and earthy, and also high-toned, with some sweet red cherry fruit sandwiched in the middle. It comes across as sappy and loose-knit, but quite oaky. Not really attractive – a touch of the beauty salon about it, but slipping behind the front. Mouth entry is also loose-knit, even dilute, and smoky. Mid-palate shows dark earthy tones and a little tannic grip. But those tannins – while not too big – turn bitter on the finish. There is so little delight here I wonder whether it is closed, but I suspect not and decide not to list it on this showing. Just about nice enough to suggest drinking up if you have it (though you may prefer to hold and hope), but not a buy if you don’t ! Rebuy – No
I just wanted to share with you a short note on contributions to these diary pages. 
