This showed a little more density and concentration than Bertagna’s 1985 ‘Le Cras’ but was seemingly a little less fine. After 20 minutes in the glass there was a very occasional whiff of something like cork taint. I’m not the most sensitive to TCA, often tasting it before smelling it. This Perrières remained tasty, quite drinkable and nicely in it’s maturity pahase/plateau – but always with a nagging doubt…
Bertagna
1985 Bertagna Vougeot Les Cras
Medium colour. The nose is edged with a little mushroom but swirl and you fall headlong into a depth of sweet, blood-red fruit – lovely! In the mouth this doesn’t have quite the same fat as either Gevrey, but it has for my taste a nicer balance; the acidity is a little more to the fore, there is a slightly more mineral stance and the mid-palate has a lovely growth of still lacy fruit flavour. More complex and finer if less impact than either Gevrey – but impact isn’t everything – I might look at food to tone-down the Gevreys, I’m savouring this on its own.
1985 Bertagna Vougeot Les Cras
Medium colour. The nose is edged with a little mushroom but swirl and you fall headlong into a depth of sweet, blood-red fruit – lovely! In the mouth this doesn’t have quite the same fat as either Gevrey, but it has for my taste a nicer balance; the acidity is a little more to the fore, there is a slightly more mineral stance and the mid-palate has a lovely growth of still lacy fruit flavour. More complex and finer if less impact than either Gevrey – but impact isn’t everything – I might look at food to tone-down the Gevreys but I’m savouring this on its own – delicious!
2005 Bertagna Vougeot Clos de la Perrière
Deep cherry-red colour. The nose opens with fine, high-toned, red and black berry notes over a deeper, brooding core of fruit – eventually there’s a lovely pure redcurrant note in the emptying glass. In the mouth the acidity starts just a shade bright on the tongue though it contributes to a good, slowly lingering finish. Perhaps it was me, but 30 minutes in the acidity seemed okay. Tight, linear fruit with buried soft tannin and an understated, almost ethereal extra dimension of fruit on the mid-palate that follows also into the finish. Very excellent but other bottles should be left for at least 10 years.
2001 Bertagna Chambolle-Musigny Les Plantes
Medium ruby-red colour. The nose is quite creamy with toffee-edged understated red fruit and wider higher tones. The palate is rather fine but rather slender; it’s very well textured with faintly grained tannin and really good length. I think it needs a little extra density for stardom, but this is a lovely subtle and complex wine.