1998 Pierre Gelin, Fixin 1er Clos Napoleon
The last bottle of this was pretty good, so: A pale cork but it came out in one with a satisfying pop. Unfortunately, the cork with similar (aural) performance was the d’Angerville 99 Clos des Ducs over Christmas and that was wrecked by TCA. This smelled better than that – but not by much. In this case, it was very bretty – the wine seemed even worse than the cork. My head told me DNPIM – but I did – and I was wrong to do so…
Rebuy – No

2020 Château Thivin, Côte de Brouilly Clos Bertrand
A robust darker, statement cork – all good!
Deeply coloured. Deeply, darkly fruited too. The flavours have width over the plate the texture is silky but here is tons of balanced concentration. Frankly, and as (really!) good as it is, this needs time – right now it’s hard to drink two glasses in a row, such is the richness of the vintage.
Rebuy – Yes

1995 Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanée Les Bossières
We lost Jean Grivot this week – he was 95 years young. Here’s a wine whose cork snapped in 2 – you know it happens a lot chez-moi – but below the wine was good!
A deep colour though certainly starting to brown at the rim. A full nose, a complex nose – brown sugar, a little balsamic too, spice and perhaps some pine-forest – I could go on! Mouth-filling, still framed with some tannin – growing from the depth – some grain here but there’s nothing astringent. Dark flavours, complex, occasionally almost meaty. Really broad in the middle and finishing flavours – the brown sugar, the tannic grain and that slightly spiced balsamic flavour crowd the finish too. This is still a powerful wine – structurally younger than the flavours that it shares – but wasn’t 1995 always like that? Very drinkable at this stage on it’s journey, despite the large-scale impression that it brings.
Rebuy – Maybe

And one from last week that I didn’t post on:

2020 Richard Rottiers, Moulin à Vent Les Thorins
Just a couple of minutes of air is enough to remove a confused aromatic, replacing it with one of seamless attractive fruit – yes! In the mouth a lower level of concentration vs the Thivin but a wine that’s so much easier to drink because of that. Ultra delicious wine which is already in a really great (drinking) place.
Rebuy – Yes

Next week I start my 3-week tour of Chablis’ 2021 vintage with my first 18 visits. So, it’s time to start my preparation!

2019 Alain Geoffroy, Chablis 1er Beauroy
New label design! Cork sealed.
Plenty of colour. The nose is open with plenty of agrume action – a little pineapple for sure. In the mouth, like the nose, lots of volume – yet – despite lots of agrume energy and a nicely mouth-watering, almost creamy finish – I’m looking for a bit more incisive attack and precision to these flavours – good as they are. The finish is easy, suggesting minerality. A tasty wine that’s very, very easy to drink – I just wish that it was a bit more strict 😉
Rebuy – Maybe

Adequate wines, mainly, I could have chosen better – but the food was lovely… 🙂

Maison Henry, Crémant de Bourgogne
A producer near Chablis
Easy, pure delicious wine – exactly why I asked to buy some – lovely!
Rebuy – Yes

2012 Clotilde Davenne, Chablis 1er Montmains
Screw-cap!
There’s some aromatic development here – but airation cleans this up nicely – a nose of direction and minerality – not particularly of salinity. Direct and mineral in the mouth too – great texture and certainly plenty of concentration. The fruit slowly added some ripeness but this is a wine carved from rock – not the highest of energy but very impressive stuff. The last part of this bottle was even better on day 2 when it progressed from a ‘maybe’ to a ‘yes!’
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Marquis d’Angerville, Volnay 1er Clos des Ducs
This robust cork came out in one piece with a very satisfying ‘pop!’ But the cork didn’t smell very nice – a quick pour into a glass – awful, DNPIM! It was as corked as a very corked thing. Fortunately, I still had half an hour to prepare (temperature and opening) a replacement.
Rebuy – Not corked, obviously

2010 Nicolas Rossignol, Volnay 1er Les Caillerets
As always in this period for Nico – an unbranded cork.
A beautiful colour – not the pitch-dark of recent vintages but also not any over colours of age. A nose of decent width and still primary aromas – a nice invitation. In the mouth, this wine is broad over the palate and oh-so silky – just a beautiful texture. Red fruited but like the nose still a baby – the finish, today, a modest thing. Some fine parts to this wine but one that will be much more interesting in another 5+ years…
Rebuy – Maybe

PX from a 1927 Solera
Just a couple of glasses per year for me of this ‘engine oil’ – so lovely!