2004

2004 Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin

By billn on October 18, 2010

Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose starts with plenty of mushroom rather than the customary reduction, actually with swirling the reduction does make an appearance – a wine that needs a little air. Air dissolves the mushrooms and delivers a lovely pure red berry note, though this is also a transition to deeper, slightly darker red fruit aromas – rather primary though, as is the Griotte fashon. The well-padded palate starts quite silky though there is some bitterness to the finish, that said it’s in a bitter-chocolate style which is far from problematic. Like a number of 04s the acidity is a little elevated but that’s its position on the aging curve, nothing more. There is an interesting and very slowly emerging stony flavour in the finish. None of the disappointingly monolithic Clos St.Jacques proportions here. A very good wine that drinks quite well considering its age. Not a trace of the vintage malaise either.

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2004 Chandon de Briailles Corton Blanc

By billn on September 30, 2010

The nose starts deep and powerful – needs a little air – slowly it widens taking on higher tones, there is no trace of the vintage character. Wide, almost soft, and very complex. The flavours keep growing even after you spit. Quite an epic finish – bravo!

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2004 Engel René Grands-Echézeaux

By billn on September 21, 2010

Medium ruby-red – I caught myself admiring the late-evening sun as it beautifully reflected through the glass. The nose is not immune to the vintage character; it starts at an encouragingly low level but disappointingly blooms in the glass – maybe to a 6/10 level. Below the mirepoix is a creamy, faintly lactic depth – and depth this wine certainly has. Wide in the mouth, the acidity has a slightly jarring, sharp leading edge – give it an hour of aeration and this mainly but not completely tones down. The texture is very fine and the width and depth are high-class indeed. The length, despite its persistence, currently holds onto some of that character. Today this isn’t a fitting tribute to Philippe, so take any of 99-2003 to toast him – they are all drinking well. I hope that my other bottles of this will come good in another 10 years or so…

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2004 Chandon de Briailles Corton Blanc

By billn on April 23, 2010

Deeper aromas than the 2007 – more mineral and rocky in aspect. Fresh with a very good texture, the flavour insinuates itself into your gums – penetrating so as to linger. Again this is really good.

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2004 Giroud Camille Chambertin

By on March 31, 2009 #asides

Deep, initially dominated by oaky notes though they quickly fade leaving a very tight aromatic profile – needs time in the glass. In the mouth it is dense, silky and with plenty of well covered structure. Sneakily long with an edge of barrel flavour. A wine that begs a few years in bottle, but seems to have good potential. The funny thing is that the majority of Giroud 04’s that I’ve tasted don’t have much 04 taint – the ladybirds were there, I photo’d them, maybe it’s not them – but who’s complaining this wine’s lovely.

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2004 Lachaux Pascal Clos St.Denis

By on November 30, 2008 #asides

A little more than medium colour. The nose starts deep and oaky, slowly the aromas widen to a panorama of creamy oak, understated cedar and eventually red berry fruit. In the mouth there’s sweet fruit, background ripe tannin and nicely lingering acidity – very well balanced – maybe the finish could be a little longer. This is very moreish and is drinking very well at the moment.

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2004 Giroud Camille Chapelle-Chambertin

By on October 31, 2007 #asides

A medium cherry-red colour. The nose whilst showing lots of herbal, spice and floral elements has none of the ‘2004 cedar’ – very interesting. The palate is lithe and quite linear, a touch austere even, but great fruit, a sneaky extra dimension on the mid-palate and a very, very impressive, if understated finish keep you coming back for more. It clearly needs time but I expect it should repay the wait – say from 2015…

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2004 Potel Nicolas Clos de la Roche

By on July 31, 2007 #asides

Medium-plus cherry-red colour. The instant aromatic impact comes from red fruit notes before a stronger, mineral/cedar element takes over. The less wine you have in your glass, the more wonderful it smells, lovely red fruits. The palate is very well filled with concentrated fruit and quite some intensity in the mid-palate. The tannin is not badly textured though there’s a short-lived trace of bitterness – but it comes at the same time as the earthy, dark oak appears on the finish so that bitterness seems to be more wood-based. That length is certainly grand cru without being too showy, though there’s a subtle creamy undertow there somewhere. Overall it shows good ripeness, and nice balance – if the cedar element becomes more subtle this will be lovely, but right now it remains – for me – a questionmark.

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2004 Chézeaux Griotte-Chambertin

By on July 31, 2007 #asides

The nose starts high-toned with a backdrop of vintage 2004 cedar. Slowly the cedar recedes giving space for a much more mineral aspect than is usual for this vineyard and certainly less alluring. The palate is silky with fresh acidity and super intensity, but unusually the length is again very mineral. It’s actually quite super, but I’d never pick it as Griotte. Day 2 the nose is transformed to the classic soft, but deep red cherry, perhaps including also a shade of raspberry and importantly the cedar is totally vanished – that’s very promising. The palate gains a little more depth and the finish remains unchanged – mineral but very long. This could become a super wine – but wait for 2015 as a minimum – I think it will need it as it was even slightly better on day 3!

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