Medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose retains a consistently understated mix of the mineral, plus dark, deep red fruit. In the mouth it’s a powerful blend of intense fruit that peaks in the mid-palate, decaying with a creamy edge, and showing just enough tannin to poke it’s faint astringency through the blanket of fruit extract – slightly exacerbated by hint of carbon dioxide. The finish is very understated, but lingering and entirely made up of non-barrel elements – you can’t say that for many. Not the ultimate in smooth sophistication that many 2005’s can display, but at a good price, this would be an easy rebuy recommendation. Built with the long-term in mind, but today (at least) relatively approachable.
Thomas-Moillard
2005 Thomas-Moillard Volnay Clos des Chênes
A domaine wine whose back-label proclaims the grapes to be ‘biologique’ and that all operations were done according to the lunar calendar. Medium-plus colour. Brooding aromatics but there are glimpses of very fine fruit that slowly turns redder in the glass. Concentrated, lots of very fine tannin that’s largely submerged under fruit – and what fruit it is – intense and edged with cream – it lingers very well too. It doesn’t merit the tag ‘elegant’, rather ‘muscular’ would be better and I think that maybe 2005 is a little early to be influenced by Bernard Zito and Pascal Marchand, but it is a definite rebuy.
1977 Thomas-Moillard Beaune Les Grèves
1998 Thomas-Moillard Nuits St.Georges Clos du Thorey
1983 Thomas-Moillard Volnay Clos des Chênes
2005 Thomas-Moillard Beaune Les Grèves
Following the vineyards sale, there is just over one hectare remaining. Soft and sweetish red and black notes on the nose. The palate is fresh and lithe with understated complexity – not the über concentration of many from this vintage, but it’s very tasty and I expect it will be a good value bottle.
2005 Thomas-Moillard Volnay Clos des Chênes
This is from relatively young vines. A very pleasant and softly perfumed nose with faint caramel. In the mouth this shows plenty of structure and good acidity – there is quite some furry tannin too. This is subtly long despite the structure slightly dominating right now.
This is from relatively young vines. A very pleasant and softly perfumed nose with faint caramel. In the mouth this shows plenty of structure and good acidity – there is quite some furry tannin too. This is subtly long despite the structure slightly dominating right now.
2005 Thomas-Moillard Pommard Epenots
1998 Thomas-Moillard Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts
A rather unnattractively muddy, if deep mahogany red colour. The nose is high-toned but the fruit seems a little cooked in profile, wide but unappealing in a stewed tea kind of way. The tannin rather sticks out and I suppose that this was one of those hideously astringent 98’s in it’s first couple of years, but the tannins have moderated – if only a little. The acidity is quite clean and good and eventually you find the one redeeming feature of the wine; nice fruit in the finish with a creamy edge and an understated length. Only two more lie in the cellar, fortunately, and I expect that in the normal Thomas-Moillard style they won’t be close to mature for at least another 10 years. I think they will always be rather uncouth and lacking style. Shame, as the starting material hints of much more potential. It’s very rare that I ‘waste’ wine, but this bottle was poured down the sink on day 2…