Seemingly a week that’s dominated by world cup football – if I can ignore Wimbledon (poor Roger!) and the Tour de France! I’ll see if a double Ruchottes can occupy me…

2009 Ramonet, Chassage-Montrachet 1er Les Ruchottes
My run-in to the semi-final wine.
Despite a wet line of wine through the cork, this has a young, lemon yellow colour. The nose actually gets more and more reductive in the first minutes it’s open – a toasty reduction rather than fireworks – though slowly it begins to trend towards fireworks. In the mouth, fat as always (this vintage) but with an outstanding length of finish – all creamy noisette before a mineral line. The mid-palate flavour also has some minerality and even touch of tannin. Always an impressive 2009, but so far, not a particularly delicious one. In the flavour profile it reminds me a little of my 93 Meursault-Cras from Voillot – with a little less acidity and more fat – which implies it needs another 10 years and that strains my confidence due to ‘normal’ corks…
Rebuy – Maybe
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1999 Frederic Esmonin, Ruchottes-Chambertin
My semi-final wine…
The nose starts with a blast; deep, earthy – exciting! It’s almost a surprise that it tightens a little with air. Plenty of volume in the mouth, impressive intensity, still a suggestion of tannin – and that earthy, faintly bitter, finishing flavour that’s redolent of the first nose. A relative youngster this wine – the energy and flavour complexity making for a great ride. In this era I often found the Ruchottes chez Esmonin a little lacking – but this bottle, not a bit – excellent!
​Rebuy – Yes

A weekend of going further afield:

1998 Giuseppe Cortese, Rabaja Barbaresco
I think there was a smell of something unwelcome on the cork, but the wine seemed okay. Sweetly complex flavour offset by by an earthy nose – an odd nose. By the time I poured the second glass I was finally sure that there was some cork taint – a shame…

2015 Henry de Vézelay, Tastevinage Bourgogne Vézelay
A narrow but fresh and attractive nose. The palate, likewise is clean, easy, but very tasty. Neither a broad nor powerful wine but a very tasty wine with modest but ripe fruit – the bottle was finished in double-quick time – always the best judge!
Rebuy – Yes

2016 Blue Mountain, Gamay Noir
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
A delightful nose; cherry fruit that’s cushioned with very well judged oak – it’s really just the most modest of, but intriguing of, accents. The palate is modestly round with a slowly mouth-watering half cherry, half raspberry fruit – again cushioned by sweet oak – but this accent, like nose, is far from jarring. I’d wait for the oak to fade even more into the background, but this is simply an admirably delicious wine!
Rebuy – Yes

With the help of friends:

1996 Pierre Matrot, Meursault-Charmes
I had modest expectations – and they were met! The colour is certainly older but the the nose is not super-oxidative – not in the context of a 1996, anyway. Unfortunately the modest oxidation mixes with something musty from the cork – not TCA – but anyway musty. This nose is not a beautiful thing. In the mouth it’s classic 1996 – a citric line and certainly an old chardonnay that hints at a little finishing cream. Interesting, but hardly worth 1 star from 5…
Rebuy – No

2009 Vincent Dancer, Meursault-Perrières
Hmm, a nose that starts compact but very clean, slowly building an attractive floral side too. Starting direct and mineral – this is a beauty – only with time does the depth of texture and a modest richness grow in tandem with the warming in the glass. Delicious wine.
Rebuy – Yes

1997 Château de Chorey, Beaune 1er Vignes-Franches
A nose that starts a little rustic and animale but with energy and depth too. As it breathes it cleans-up and becomes ever-more engaging and inviting – super. The palate surprises after the sweetly invigorating nose – tighter, younger, slightly structural – but balanced and tasty too. A 97 that’s not yet fully ready, but it’s close. I have the impression that this may have been quite oaky when a youngster,. but today it’s in really great shape.
Rebuy – Yes

2006 Comte Liger-Belair, Echézeaux
The wine starts cold and tight, but soon lets loose a beautiful floral aroma as it warms – a deeper plum-red fruit in the middle – just getting better and better as it combines with the air, adding a modest but highly attractive musk-spice. This has never been a wine of impact and concentration – but it doesn’t need it! There is width, beautifully silky texture – cushioned yet fresh. A little background oak but also a gorgeous lingering flavour with a suggestion of minerality at its limit. Tannin is still present – but you will be forced to search for it. Essentially a wine that has been open and giving since the very beginning – never having closed – remaining a beautiful expression of the vineyard despite its relative youth. Bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, St.Aubin 1er En Remilly
Hmm, this is showing a very appealing, almost sugared ripe-yellow citrus aroma. Open and fresh with delicious layers of well-defined flavour. Simply an excellent and sweetly delicious wine. There is already great pleasure to be found here.
Rebuy – Yes

2014 Caroline Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Champs-Gain
A much narrower nose, reductive in a vibrant, mineral, way, rather than fireworks or lit matches. The palate is the same – a different style of more direct intensity than PY’s wine, but vibrantly mineral and interesting – yet also less delicious and approachable than the St.Aubin today. An impressive wine of line and mineral interest but definitely one that’s to wait for…
Rebuy – Yes