Medium, medium-plus colour. Just like the 2008 of this wine there’s a hint of musky vanilla to go with a lovely red fruit. Initially there is fat and a lovely balancing acidity – nothing of the harshness of many from the vintage – quite some intensity of red, slightly sweet raspberry fruit too. I’m very impressed by how sophisticated this is. Day two and it’s still a little musky, but the vanilla is gone, it’s also starting to show something more common with other 95s; whilst there’s no rustic or harsh tannin, the intensity of the mid-palate flavour is just hinting at the stridency of others from this vintage. All I can say id drink-up and be impressed; frankly it won’t put many tasters off on day two either. I’m happy that 11 remain in the cellar; a majority of which I’ll probably drink over the next five years, but just a few will be worth trying past their 30th birthdays…
Dubreuil-Fontaine
1995 Dubreuil-Fontaine Pernand Vergelesses Ile des Vergelesses Blanc
Medium, medium-plus colur. There’s a hint of musky vanilla to go with deep red, powdery fruit. Lithe, intense, good acidity too. The distinguishing factor of this wine is the impressive length of flavour, there may be a hint of coconut oak too but not enough to spoil the effect. The last drops offer fabulous archetypal 2008 pure fruits – yum!
2008 Dubreuil-Fontaine Pommard Epenots
Medium, medium plus colour. The nose starts dense and unyielding; I had to wait about 2 hours before enjoyment set in, that enjoyment in the form of joyous red cherry, accented with raisins and violet flowers – yum. Very understated tannin but smooth of texture and then a super growth of concentration and intensity in the mid-palate – yet just a hint lean. This is a very good wine, but I thought the bottle I tasted at the domaine better.
2008 Dubreuil-Fontaine Beaune Montrevenots
Medium colour. The nose starts tight but over twenty minutes opens to show pungent raspberry and beautifully detailed redcurrants; swirl and an impression of licorice raises itself from the depths. There’s no getting away from a certain freshness that this wine delivers, but it’s not just acidity; it seems to be coupled with a sorbet-like impression of red fruits. Little obvious tannin but a mouth-watering finish. At it’s best over the summer before the ‘padding’ fades? Let’s see! After one hour the raspberry and (now) strawberry aromas are thing to behold!
2008 Dubreuil-Fontaine Pernand-Vergelesses Clos Berthet
2007 Dubreuil-Fontaine Pernand Vergelesses Ile des Vergelesses
A complex nose, a little floral, more depth than the Beaune and with a musky ring around the fruit – lots of character here. Full and round, the tannin has a little more volume but is quite fine leaving a faint astringency. A caramel note suffuses the finish. Just so much to enjoy here – more for my cellar.