It’s fair to say that the market has moved on significantly since I bought these bottles; they were expensive even back then, but now they’ve reached a level where I’ve no interest whatsoever to chase them – but that doesn’t mean that I’m not interested in those that still I own 😉 I feel pretty proud of myself that these have rested, undisturbed, for ten years; being buried deep in the cellar always helps of-course!

1995 Dujac, Clos de la Roche
My last bottle was opened about 10 years ago, and that was a little cloudy – but this isn’t – maybe it was a very fine tannin which has since flocculated and sunk. A very spongy cork breaks into many pieces – it doesn’t smell very nice either, but fortunately the wine below seems untainted. Medium, bright colour. The first aromas are pungent stems, but very quickly this note becomes more modest and the overall impression more balanced, a little mineral and nicely complex – it’s super. Wow – this is an explosion of intensity and minerality – almost electric – very long finishing flavours too. I can see (taste) something in the mid-palate that reminds me of the smell from the cork (aldehydic) but it’s on a very low-level and because I didn’t mention it, nobody else noticed it – or at least chose to comment. The tannin is still there in spades – should you choose to search it out – but the wine is very well-balanced and drinking beautifully today – beautifully.
Rebuy – Yes

I’m sure I’ve opened and enjoyed one of these already, but yesterday’s CdN Villages was so good, I thought it would be a good counter-point…

2010 David Clark, Côte de Nuits Villages
Medium, medium-pale colour. The nose has more impact and intensity than the wine from Livera, a relatively heavy perfume with some strawberry references but quite engaging. Silky, slightly padded, the flavours reflect the perfume of the nose with some higher toned fruit flavours in the mid-palate. Just a little harder, punchier flavour as you enter the impressive finish. Another super wine, but today, I have to say, just a little less moreish and dynamic than the wine from Livera. Both are benchmarks!
Rebuy – Yes

I’ve worked my way through a number of Livera’s 2010s, and frankly, they have all been outstanding – here’s another one for the pile.

2010 Philippe Livera (Domaine des Tilleuls), Côte de Nuits Villages
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has understated depth and a faint but fine red fruited top note. There’s no padding or any other extraneous make-up, just a frankly beguiling vivacity and a faintly, sweetly leaching acidity that delivers a wine with fine energy. Decently lingering flavour too. A wine that doesn’t crave your attention but makes its mark. Brilliant Côte de Nuits Villages.
Rebuy – Yes

I think I have a good idea what wine to compare this with tomorrow!

2002 des Varoilles, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoilles
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose starts with a hint of herb, a little leafy development, soil and some high-tones above – it leaves me with the expectation that the wine could be a little mouth-puckering. Actually, far from it; there is decent density and still good weight to the texture despite being in its ‘middle years’. The red fruit is ripe enough to offer a soothing sweet element that balances fine-grained tannins with a faint edge of bitterness. After 20 minutes the nose is rounding-out and augmented with a decent red fruit note, which now better reflects the flavours. This was very tasty as a baby and is still more than fit for purpose now – it should make a lovely bottle in 5+ years…
Rebuy – Yes

2005 Barthod, Bourgogne Rouge
Deeply coloured – and still young colour too. The nose shows a depth of very dark red fruit with a hint of musk – open, primary and rather attractive. Take a sip and you are met with much more power than any regional wine should offer; young fruit, almost liqueur in style, fine acidity and clearly plenty of submerged tannin. Chambolle in 2005 was for me a village where the basic communal wines were easily of 1er cru (also communal!) status – it seems their bourgognes also leaped a level. Painfully young, but totally exceptional for what it is…
Rebuy – Yes