Again there’s a creamy edge to the aroma of red fruit. More extract here with finely grained tannin. The flavour builds a little in the mid-palate then holds a linear course into the finish. The flavour is a little stony in the finish.
The fruit has a darker complexion, initially less open but finely detailed – finally there is a more red fruit too. Lots of extract, not super-sweet for an 09, again with plenty of fine-grained tannin. This wine seems a little looser knit than the Estournelles but the supporting intensity is good, as is the length. Needs some time for focus I think.
Medium-plus colour. The nose starts like coal with a thin red-fruit coating – in the glass the fruit becomes ever stronger and the coal, fainter – really, really pretty. There’s not the punch and concentration of the ’99, but the flavour and density are really super. Good balance and a velvet texture, the acidity sucks you into a good, mouth-watering finish. Intense, slightly earthy, red-fruited velvet – super.
Medium, medium-plus relatively young colour. The nose starts wide but diffuse, slowly focusing to give a really impressive red cherry note. To start with the major impression in the mouth was the tart fruit/acid balance, this was moderated by food and seemed okay later – perhaps that was just me – the acidity remains ‘intense’ though is buffered by quality red fruit. Very little tannin and a finish that lingers as long as the mouth-watering acidity supports it – which is quite a while. Intense without obvious density, primary in both aroma and flavour – but engaging enough. Very young, it’s rather good, though it’s not ‘great’. Reminds me of many a ’96, with more primary fruit.
A medium-plus, young, ruby-red colour. The nose is a beauty; superb depth, remnants of dark oak, wide notes of turned soil, baked bread and a slightly peppery dark fruit. Slowly but surely a soft red fruit note builds in the glass, the last drops showing a super-precise and penetrating redcurrant perfume. In the mouth this is full, velvety and still shows quite some oak flavour. There’s a little high-toned ‘mouth perfume’ and a very long bitter chocolate and oak finish. To dwell on the oak would be to ignore waves of fruit flavour that wash across the mid-palate, not to mention another burst of flavour before moving into the finish. Clearly a very young wine, but it just oozes class; that it was bought en-primeur for less than most premier crus of 2005-2007 makes me love it all the more. Really, really super.
Medium, medium-plus colour – certainly paler than the Bèze. The nose starts with coffee/caramel oak and sweetly browning sugar – slowly it develops a very pretty red berry note. In the mouth there’s good intensity that is driven by great acidity – the acidity also helps push a very good length. Quite linear and not overtly powerful. The nose gets better and better – it becomes a gorgeous and complex melange of candied and jellied red fruits. It doesn’t appear to be a ‘great’ Chambertin as today I miss a punch and complexity in the mid-palate, but it’s a very lovely wine and certainly has the balance to age very well.
Medium-plus colour, still with some last vestige of cherry-red. Right from pouring, cold – say 12°-ish – the nose was just a gorgeously smooth interpretation of macerating dark cherry – wow! The palate, however, was tight, linear, hinting towards tannin but delivering only a dark, faintly oaky but very long finish. As the contents of the glass slowly warm the nose adds a little coffee though slightly tightens, the flavours are expanding though, and with them, the tannin seems to be diminishing. Eventually a herbal complexity fills out the aromas. The palate becomes more intense and builds a sweetness – not a ripe vintage, confiture type of sweetness, rather an intensity of sweetness at the back of the palate. A very young, but very rewarding performance – I really wish I’d bought more, not just this wine, but Mazy (Mazis) in general.
Medium, medium-plus colour – paler than the Mazy. The nose starts quite dark and oaky – some dark toast notes that take at least 30 minutes to lift. Redder, less dense fruit is the result, though the dark oak slowly turns to make a nice coffee ‘coating’. Nicely balanced concentration with background velvet tannin. Truth be told it has more of a 1er cru weight, the only distinct grand cru element is the mid-palate flavour – pretty red fruit with a distinct creamy edge and excellent length. Some distance behind the quality of the Mazy, and there are probably better premier crus, but they will cost more than this bottle – value has always been the watchword on the Esmonin GCs, and there is plenty of value in this bottle.
Medium, medium-plus colour – still with a little cherry-red shimmer. The nose has a mineral, earthy edge before swirling releases dried currant fruits, finally lovely red berry fruit – even hints of raspberry – hmmm. Intense concentration abetted by perfect acidity. The tannin is is just a little more than ‘background’, and certainly has an astringent edge. I’m bowled over – a Griotte with real character and a little extra dimension in the mid-palate – a Gevrey dimension at that. Chalk and cheese versus the 02 Fourrier – today I’d much, much rather drink this. Character is king…
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