This Mugneret-Gibourg was just an unbelievably sumptuous, delicious wine when young – I drank more than half a case in the first year without any pangs of regret. The wine then slowly began a diet, getting thinner and thinner – the last time I tried it – 3 or 4 years ago – it was rather meager. The Bichot 2001 was so good a few days ago that I was reminded to return to this – and this may indeed be my last bottle. It turns out that it was quite a good idea to enjoy these Vosnes when they were young.

2001 Mugneret-Gibourg, Vosne-Romanée
It has a medium-plus colour – a little age, but not too much. The nose is pinched – there is that faint Vosne-spice, and being courteous, I’ll say an implied depth of aroma. Essentially there’s not much here to see – or, rather, smell. In the mouth I have the impression of a hint of fat to the texture, but only a hint. The wine is rather acid-forward still with a very faint rasp of tannin – the two in combination are hardly delicious. The high-point – if I can call it that – is that there are still some nice layers of finishing flavour, if of rather modest intensity. I would say that today this is no better than a half-decent Bourgogne.
Rebuy – No

And just to test that suggestion….

2001 Ghislaine Barthod, Bourgogne Rouge
Still a pretty red colour, but the depth of colour is less than that of the Vosne. Here the nose is also a little tight, but there is both pretty red fruit and a modest and attractive floral too – age may have added a faint meatiness to depth of the fruit – but only that. In the mouth this has very good volume, plenty of acidity too – but it’s well-balanced compared to the ‘extra acid’ of the MG. I like the energy here and the mouth-watering way the flavour spills over into the finish – faintly floral, faintly tannic too. Tasty wine that’s the more attractive of the two today.
Rebuy – Yes

2015 Château Thivin, Côte de Brouilly Clos Bertrand
A good, deep 2015 colour – though still transparent. Ooh… That’s a deep and ripe dark-red fruit – lots of freshness though. Oof! It’s really the same on the palate too; a super line of fresh, ripe, red-fruited flavour of width and dimension. Tons of complexity and simply brilliant, fresh, presentation. Personality personified – bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Jean-Marc Pavelot, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er La Dominode
This wine is still a very darkly coloured thing – just a little browner at the rim today. The nose really pulls you in with its mix of dark depth and freshness – accented with some sous bois complexity – simply great. In the mouth there is a ton of freshness and still plenty of structural tannin. This is still a young wine – at least 5 years from maturity I would think, and after the Thivin, clearly a lower order of sweetness. The flavour is complex and fun though – it’s just very young and less overtly delicious than the last wine – you will just have to keep patient!
Rebuy – Yes