2005 Alex Gambal, St.Aubin 1er Les Murgers des Dents du Chien
Golden colour though no browning. A perfumed roasted lemon is my first impression, a little spiced too. Time adds faint lanolin to the nose. In the mouth to my surprise, is a lovely sweeping line of freshness – waxily-fine textured and mineral. Such a difference in the delivery of flavour versus the Chablis of last week. The finish mineral and has some caramel aspects – probably the barrels talking here. Concentrated but alive, beautifully proportioned and very long. A point! Opened on Friday, this was completely stable/robust, such that still delicious on Sunday – narrower, but not a suggestion of tiring in either flavours or aromas. Bravo – I hope it’s not my last!
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Bouchard Père et Fils, Chambertin
Not a wine you see very often – it’s a domaine wine – but with only 0.15 hectares, it’s not a wine that they tend to (need to) show in tastings. A couple of years ago the 1998 was brilliant! Here a poor start, but only because the cork breaks in half – the second part coming out in a thousand pieces! I asked Frédéric Weber if he could tell me a little more about the plot and he responded right away! “Yes, it’s a plot of 0.15ha in the upper part of the Chambertin (close to Les Latricières) I think it is a very nice situation particularly in the hot years because we are close to the forest and that permits us to keep freshness and a good balance, the soil is poor and very thin, the yield is low in average, in the best year I produce only 2 barrels. I like to vinify with whole clusters and a soft maceration to express the aromatics and elegance of Chambertin, we do not produce a deep Chambertin in this part.”
What a beautiful nose – not the pure and powerful that I remember from the 1998, rather a beautiful and elegant floral bouquet. Rather silky in the mouth, still a grain of ripe tannin if you search hard enough. Elegant and floral here too – slowly becoming a little more mineral and mouth-watering. Very long. Not a powerful wine but such a beautiful thing – I would say ready but hold for as long as you wish. None of the overt structure remains that you can still see in many of the higher 1999s
Rebuy – Yes

2014 Michet et Sylvain Tète – Clos du Fief, Juliénas Cuvée Prestige
I’m in Chablis today – the start of my 60(+) domaine tour of 2018s – but before I left Swaziland I decided yesterday evening to remember Georges Duboeuf with this very impressive Beaujolais – but I didn’t have any from him – sorry Georges! I decided not to go the dark and obvious route (2015,16,17,18) and didn’t directly find anything more complicated (2012, 2013) so here you go:
Medium-plus colour. A slightly round nose that hinted at a little reduction – but after 5 minutes this was singing – almost a floral/spice note to this nose that’s mirrored in the flavours. Elegant, complex and a delicious winner of a wine. Bravo to Georges!
Rebuy – Yes!

It was never really going to be possible to beat Friday’s wine on Saturday, was it? – Or was it!

1999 Frederic Esmionin, Mazy-Chambertin
Frederic always preferring the (Maz)’y’ to the (Maz)’is!’ I haven’t opened one of these for 10 years – perhaps now’s the time!
Hmm – now that’s an inviting nose. Only modest amplitude, but a nose with more maturity than the Potel Clos des Chênes and still ‘clean’ & fresh. In the mouth, less innate density than the Chênes, but here is a more open, almost sparkling, complexity – a little mid-palate oomph too – like all good Mazi should have. The middle and finish of this wine are really quite something – energetic and vibrantly intense. Never the same weight of impact of the Chênes but altogether more complex and welcoming – did I mention ‘easier to drink?’ Hmm, this moreish wine didn’t need two days to finish – though in this case, help came from someone else who tends to prefer whites. Less than a glass laid in wait for day two – cloudy with sediment – less good but no brett or unsavouriness. My best wine of 2020 – even after the brilliant Potel, though I think that the more concentrated Potel may have more longevity!
Rebuy – Oh Yes!

Did I mention how much I’m liking 1999s right now? 😉