Holed up in rainy Bern until Friday, typing. But here a few images from (mainly) rainy Chablis last week:
I know that it’s only January, but it’s that time of year again – the Concours des Vins de Chablis.
The tastings were done this week and results published today, so if you’re looking for a great list of 2016 Chablis – before my Januuary Report (60 domaines visited this month) is published! – then here’s a great place to start 🙂
Save for a few short hours this week, there has been little sunshine – but lots of rain! This week, on a few nights I’ve got home quite late from visits, with the imperative of going straight out jogging before I sit down – otherwise it would be too late! But on two of the nights the rain was so hard that I had to resort to typing reports! Pff! Okay it’s nearly the weekend – and back home and for a week too – the first time I’ve had that luxury this year – only the small matter of 500 kilometres in the car now…
Have a good one!
Starting with a cutting reportage – but no hatchet job – I know producers that haven’t been paid for their wine:
After sub-optimal performances from last weekend’s wines, it was nice to get into a good groove this weekend:
1995 Domaine Parent, Pommard 1er Les Pezerolles
Rather lighter colour than, for whatever reason, I was expecting. Ooh – what a nose! A little sous-bois, and brooding, bloody fruit – what a charmer across the palate too. Just the tiniest hints of tannin, but this is really a resolved, mature, totally ready wine – delicious to boot – bravo! I have some memory of this being oaky – 15 years ago – there’s nothing here today that would back that up. Just one pour was left in the bottle overnight (in the fridge) and next day it really wasn’t as good – so the moral of the story is, it seems, to drink up! Two swallows don’t make a Spring, but that’s two 1995s that have been singing in last 3-4 weeks…
Rebuy – Yes
2007 Mugneret-Gibourg, Bourgogne
Back in 2012 this was relatively disappointing. By 2014 it was becoming more interesting. This bottle was absolutely singing!
The nose is purer, sweeter and darker fruited than any 2007 has a right to be – there’s a freshness to the aroma that is so inviting. Likewise in the mouth – more of the same. Fresh, a suggestion of cushioning to the dark fruit and a sweet purity that was never there before. What a result. And, having learned a lesson from the Pezerolles – 2 hours later it was all gone. Really a bravado performance for the combination of vintage and label!
Rebuy – Yes
Prehy, today…
No, not the crooning Scottish boy band – before Boy Bands were a ‘thing’ – but rather the weather.
December started in the vein of the winter of 2015/2016 – cold, frosty, there was even some snow. Since then there have been waves of wind, rain and warm-fronts. The weather has been much more typical of the run of recent vintages – rather too warm – typically 6-12°C with plenty of rain.
As far as the rain is concerned – despite the flooding of some small streets in Chablis and me having to negotiate the ragondins (coypu!) by night – this is probably a good thing given that the summers and autumns of the last couple of years have been very dry. The bad thing, of-course, is that the temperatures mean that the growth-cycle starts earlier – the Forsythia is in full bloom – there are bulbs pushing out from the soil – and we are only in mid-January. Not a great place to be in late April when, like the last two years, frost is a distinct possibility.
Still, the views between the squally rain-showers can be lovely – just like today…
A fuller week this week – 23 visits – one pic comes twice – the grid has to be equal (tsk!) – so that’s more than half of my 60 already done. Another full week comes next week – but first recuperation in Bern!
Practically I saw almost 2 hours of sunlight this week – that was on Tuesday morning. I also met a ‘ragondin’ that was as big as dog – in the flooded backstreets of Chablis!
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair 2016 EP/Pre-Arrivals
Prices arrived today from my Swiss merchant. The 2015 prices (from last January) are in brackets for comparison. This year it’s the case of the missing Richebourg, still no Beaujolais and the arrival of wines from Corton! :
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES La Charmotte 75cl 55.00* (49.50) (Swiss Francs)
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 75 cl 69.00 ( – )
VOSNE-ROMANEE Aux Réas 75cl 76.00 (69.50)
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES Les Saint-Georges 75cl 118.00 (109.00)
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES Les Saint-Georges 150cl 256.00 ( – )
CORTON CLOS DU ROI 75cl 159.00 ( – )
CLOS DE VOUGEOT 75cl 169.50 (158.00)
RICHEBOURG 75cl – (395.00)
CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE 75cl 198.00 ( – )
Call me an old fuddy-duddy – but I don’t understand current pricing – I see no value here.
*As always, these wines are without the 8% Swiss purchase tax, but include the cost of delivery…
The offer doesn’t differentiate, but I’m pretty sure that these are all red!
Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru 2010 75cl 79.00 *Swiss Francs
Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru 2011 75cl 69.50
Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru 2011 150cl 144.00
Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru 2012 75cl 79.00
Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru 2012 150cl 163.00
Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru 2015 75cl 84.00
*There is 8% Tax to add in Switzerland, but then these are delivered prices
Double the price of practically all other (none Drouhin) Beaune 1ers, but always a great wine. That said, I think I’d be more tempted if they were offering the white!
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