Hospices de Nuits Cuvée Saint Laurent
The wine is clear and bright – a good start. The nose is also rather good, there’s a little (not too much) mature leaf and a fainter undertow of ripe fruit – the last drops in the glass are that lovely acid red-cherry. Fine balancing acidity and still some tannin – the flavour is a little subdued before a nice and rather tasty lift in the mid-palate. Decent finishing. I wonder if that rather anonymous opening flavour is down to filtration? Whatever, it is clean and very, very drinkable – a good result
Nuits St.Georges Les Corvées Pagets
1983 Ponnelle Pierre Nuits St.Georges Les Corvées Pagets
Some signs of seepage above the cork, but it comes out without major headaches and the wine seems fresh enough. Dark, fresh aromas of berries and bramble – it’s certainly at the darker end of the fruit-colour spectrum but there’s nothing cooked about it and there is no sense of decay – it’s very nice indeed. The palate is a bit of a surprise as there is a dryness from still obvious tannin – this must have been an absolute brute in its youth! Good acidity and likewise there’s energy too – the juxtaposition with the nose is that you expect more sweetness on the palate than this wine is prepared to give. Without sight of the vintage I’d have ventured to suggest leaving it in the cellar another 5 years or so – in some respects it reminds me of some 95s I’ve tasted!
1998 Arnoux Robert Nuits St.Georges Les Corvées Pagets
1993 Arnoux Robert Nuits St.Georges Les Corvées Pagets
There’s a dense core of fruit that’s a more roast expression than for 98. Sweeter and more intense palate, even the mid-palate has more intensity – though less fireworks. Better length, and that green note is there again – it’s more easily identifiable this time as fresh mint. Interesting, vs the 1998 this has more of everything – except charm! No worry about waiting another 5 or so years to see if it mellows, but drinking today I prefer the 1998.