2006 Rossignol-Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Cherbaudes
Here the nose is fresh and clean – a mineral dimension too. In the mouth this is sleek and also rather mineral. It’s a direct wine, but one of fine energy and dimension with very understated tannin and super balance. Very athletic in shape…
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Nicolas Potel, Nuits St.Georges
Quite deep coloured. A gorgeous nose of deeply pretty and fruit – you keep wanting to take another sniff. Much rounder and more textured in the mouth versus the Cherbaudes – balanced and with a faint undertow of tannin. Aromatically gorgeous, the flavours still seemingly quite young – but very approachable and enjoyable…
Rebuy – Yes

Two short notes, just to remind myself what these tasted like on Saturday evening…

2012 Le Grappin, Beaune 1er Les Grèves Blanc
Round, comely aromas, reasonably fresh and very inviting. In the mouth this has a lovely balance and a faint richness. Good density and concentration. Tasty wine – don’t let it get too warm in the glass or becomes less fine. Very enjoyable wine!
Rebuy – Yes

2012 Louis Latour, Beaune 1er Les Grèves Blanc
A very different nose that’s a little fresher, more direct and more floral too. In the mouth it’s a similar story: It’s direct and fresh but with a lovely intensity. Less rich than the previous wine, but that’s no negative. Just a faint oaky vanilla component to the flavour – but it’s a baby. Lovely…
Rebuy – Yes

I visited Amélie Berthaut in Fixin today and tasted her very lovely 2013s. I mentioned that I’d some 92s from the domaine that I bought at auction and they tasted rather good. At the end of our tasting she disappeared into the cellar and came back with a tissue-wrapped bottle – “You did say 1982 didn’t you?” she inquired. “Oh well, I’ve got this now!” Wax topped, labelled and with only about 1cm of level-loss, this most perfect of provenance wines looked as good as any 30+ year-old wine could. We had a quick taste and Amélie wasn’t impressed – I said it would almost certainly improve with air, so she said “Take it with you and let me know…” Well, it seemed rude not to!

1982 Vincent et Denis Berthaut, Fixin
Opened ~18h15 – almost no colour on pouring, but it looks fine in the glass. The nose starts a little cheesy but it’s rounder and riper in the mouth than I expected. Driven back to the apartment and put in the fridge at about 19h15 without the cork. Removed at 22h00 and poured at 22h30: The wine’s still cold but the cheesiness of earlier is gone, to be replaced by slightly blurred red fruit and something more ‘brown!’ It’s not super-inviting, but still, no Epoisses! In the mouth it’s a lovely bright attack but the acidity has a slightly balsamic/metallic impression/flavour. Take a chance and swallow and there’s good intensity to the slightly sweet finish. Wait one more hour with the wine in the glass and the nose is a little bit cleaner and has more depth – the brown note is now almost brown sugar. In the mouth the acidity still has a sharp-ish edge but is clearly a little more drinkable – twist my arm, and I might even say tasty! This is a bottle that’s ‘hanging on,’ one that was almost certainly better 10 years ago, maybe 15 – but the next bottle may be gorgeous, who knows…
Rebuy – No Chance!