weekend wines – week 16 2019

Update 25.4.2019(22.4.2019)billn

A super-successful, eclectic, bunch of wines this weekend…

2017 Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Blanc Chardonnay Rose
I’d already tasted one with him last week, but as I was leaving his cellar Sylvain thrust this unlabeled bottle into my hands – and why not! ‘Chardonnay rose’ is a mutation of chardonnay that seems to be found only in Marsannay. Sylvain Pataille noted that he had these pink grapes amongst the usual yellow-green as far back as 2002, and since then he’s decided not just to propagate this mutation, he’s also planted them at high density – 2014 was his first vintage for this cuvée.
A little roundness and silky texture to this wine – freshness and purity that not everyone manages to achieve with whites in this village – there differentiator, I think, versus ‘normal’ chardonnay, is that there is a more overt floral flavour-aroma – or as Burghound used to say ‘inner mouth perfume.’ Very easy – and delicious – wine to drink without ever seeming to be outstanding in a particular direction…
Rebuy – Yes

2005 Dubreuil-Fontaine, Volnay
As I tell you every time, there’s a lot of 1er cru juice in this wine, and as I also tell you every time – this is one of those very, very tight 2005s – since the beginning – except…
What’s this? A much more open nose than I remember ever from this cuvée. In the mouth it has the silky directness that I’ve come to expect – and almost appreciate – but for the first time, this wine is starting to widen over the palate, flavour that’s beginning to melt, offering mouth-watering deliciousness – if still in a direct form. The fruit is that supposedly classic but actually quite rare thing in Burgundy – strawberry – actually a lovely airy flavour. Easily the best outing for this wine – it’s only taken about 13 years since bottling – so far!
Rebuy – Yes

2013 Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne-Romanée Clos du Colombière
Modestly coloured. The nose and palate are very airy and have slight firework reduction – just like all the 2012s did. This is always the lighter, more airy of the Louis-Michel’s Vosnes. Open, tasty, only very slowly losing that vibration of reduction. Importantly, it’s very delicious wine – but don’t come here for impact or concentration.
Rebuy – Yes

2015 JC Bessin, Chablis 1er Fourchaume La Pièce au Comte
Of all this weekend’s wines, this takes the crown. A wine that’s intense, sparkling with personality and just so pure and complex – the vintage adding a hint of charm that’s probably still missing in the domaine’s 2014. Long, saline – but a wine that sparkles with complexity – bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

2017 Alice et Olivier de Moor, Bourgogne Chitry
I’m ashamed to say, that we drank this rather quickly – so a proper tasting note is out of the question 2 days later – but the lasting impression was of a sweetly mineral wine of fine texture – delicious wine!
Rebuy – Yes

I live at 580m in Switzerland, so unsurprisingly, my vines are a week or-so behind those of the Côtes – but they are coming on:
 

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There is one response to “weekend wines – week 16 2019”

  1. ilbe27th April 2019 at 12:39 pmPermalinkReply

    Any idea where Dubreuil-Fontaine’s prices are nowadays? I’ve visited the winery thrice and the first time in 2013 the wines had great value written all over them but then the prices had certainly increased on both visits 2 and 3. I wonder if this was just due to the sizes of the vintages or whether they had come to stay (or worse, the hike still continuing further).

    • billn27th April 2019 at 3:52 pmPermalinkReply

      Hi Ilbe
      It’s a rare domaine that actually reducing prices – I haven’t actually noted where prices are right now – but as already noted, it’s a rare domaine…
      Even if prices are stable, they are still, low-middle of the pack, in pricing vs many more expensive and inferior wines…
      Bestest!

      • ilbe28th April 2019 at 5:20 amPermalinkReply

        True, true. For sure the two 1er Cru whites felt underpriced at 19 € and 21 € a bottle respectively when I first visited, as was the Corton-Bressandes at 41 €.

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