Hmm. A bottle of this drunk during the 2012 harvest was just a beautiful bottle of wine – I had to have some. Yet here is a bottle that really didn’t light many fires to start with – the pistachios that I took some solace in, also didn’t taste all that good. Maybe my palate was having a root day…

2001 Camille-Giroud, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsorts
Deep colour. Aromatically – oh yes, I’m interested! Decaying leaves, sweetened at their edges with just the last vestige of a dark rasping textured fruit but a rather herbal note too, that said, the last drops leave a gorgeous acid-cherry impression. Wide, fleet of foot with very good acidity. The flavour starts with just a little metallic taste but there’s a peak of impressive, intense flavour in the mid-palate – the wine seems impressive and disappointing in equal measure because the whole impression is a little (only a little) astringent. Day two and either it, or me, is in more harmony; there’s just a measure of sweetness that buffers that astringency – there was never any doubt about the weight and clarity of flavour. I’m still not as bowled over as I was with bottle number 1, but I’d happily drink my day 2 impression of this wine, anytime.
Rebuy – Maybe

I bought a mixed six-pack of Lachaux’s innaugural (I think) négoce offering. Now this is opened, a solitary Griotte-Chambertin remains since I made a gift of the Chambertin (now you know what sort of gift I expect from you 😉 ) Having enjoyed the NZ style in the last weeks, I thought I would dovetail back into burgundy with something quite ripe – but even here, the accent is very different.

2003 Pascal Lachaux, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Deep colour. Deep and dark, slightly stewed fruit – not in a bad way, rather a way that is hinting of a little aromatic development. Time in the glass brings out a lovely violet aromatic. Concentrated, with decent-enough acidity and even a mineral component. The fruit has a hind of cordial ripeness to it, but this character is rather modest next to the dark, charcoal style oak flavour that abuts it, which also seems to correspond to a salty mid-palate impression. In its vintage context, this is nice enough wine – and very immature wine at that. The mid-palate becomes ever-more succulent with air – good wine. Day two, it was a little spicy and pruney – best on day one.
Rebuy – Yes

Did I mention holiday snaps?

NZ is the reason that the panorama function on my camera was invented: