2013 Arnaud Ente, Meursault
I tasted this blind. So fresh – both aromatically and in the mouth – like a spear of flavour. I decided it must be 2014 or 2017 from this profile, but there was also a twist of the spiced sun – could it be 2015? I’d already seen the big blue wax top so had Ente in mind, so really thought that he could produce a 15 like that – no I decided to stay with 2014 because I felt that there was a bit of age to this wine. It turned out to be 2013 – so young for that, but now that little extra ripeness makes sense even if it didn’t recall apricot – simply a great 2013!
Rebuy – Yes
2016 Georges Noellat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaux Monts
Also tasted blind. A silky nose – with a bit of drive – yet also relatively compact. The last drops in the glass showing a volatile balsamic note. In the mouth, this is like the nose – drive to the flavour, relatively narrow – very good texture but no finish to write home about, not much oak showing though. My guess was 2016 – for the combination of concentration and depth of young colour – Côte de Nuits, quite well made – but probably a Bourgogne given the short finish. I was quite shocked when revealed.
Rebuy – No
Despite the hype over this domaine, I’ve not visited Maxime Cheurlin very often at Georges Noellat, despite liking both him and his dog! The main reasons are; 1) I find the wines in elevage too oaky for my palate and 2) given the very long elevage, my normal tasting time simply doesn’t suit evaluating the wines at that time – gas, oak, reduction – you name it. For those reasons I never found a lot of interest in the wines, though bottled wines tasted with him have always been lovely – but this wasn’t and it certainly didn’t warrant the tariff. I offered two different (good!) winemakers the chance to taste the wine – both thought a little volatile, one opined a Bourgogne, the other ‘possibly’ villages – both, like me, got the vintage.