Again quite elegantly proportioned, though there’s clearly an extra structural buffer. I just love the additional clarity and precision on display here – lovely wine.
Comments for this entry
Regional
2009 Marchand Pascal Bourgogne Pinot Noir Avalon
Obviously bottled for some time! The nose seems rather mineral but with a clear waft of pinot perfume too. The flavours are wide, and, perhaps relatively light but everything is supported by an understated and supple tannin. The flavour slowly grows, filling all the nooks and crannies in your mouth. Very tasty wine!
2005 Naudin-Ferrand Henri Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
The label says ‘Orchis Mascula’ – not sure if that’s just a bit of decoration, or the name of the cuvée. Dark, slightly spicy aromas, hints of sweet smoke – almost certainly some stems – approaching a floral perfume. A nice width of flavour, then the acidity comes to the fore – but no problem – a hint of tannin too as you head into the finish. An hour later and it’s rounder, better balanced and quite tasty with a clear strawberry flavour. Good wine – a second bottle in the cellar should be quite interesting with a few more years…
2009 Gambal Alex Bourgogne Chardonnay
The nose is rather rich for the appellation, showing a little brioche and with a swirl some ripe fruit. More than a hint of minerality and with a nice initial acidity before filling out in a richer vernacular. It does taste very nice but from the mid-palate onwards I’d just like a hint more acidity. I have to say, the wine was easily despatched, and Alex was right it is very tasty, but based on the mid-palate and finish I would probably would look elsewhere when it comes to re-stocking the cellar – probably to the 2010 now the 2008s are exhausted!
2009 Ramonet Noel Bourgogne Pinot Noir
‘Nomacorked’. This has a fresh but forward nose of dark red fruit with a mint-leaf impression too – quite like the Potel but with more depth and balance. The flavour is also quite forward and friendly, the acidity giving the impression of sweet and sour in combination with the fruit. In the mouth the impression is of roundness, and I have to say it’s rather delicious too. Far from the concentration of the Camille-Giroud or the Pataille, but more effortlessly drinkable today.
2009 Giroud Camille Bourgogne Cuvée L
Medium-plus colour. Ooh, depth, silky fruit and hints of violets. The texture starts with silk but quickly changes as the ripe tannin shows its face. Plenty of fruit and some minerality in the mid-palate too. Very good length. Clearly this is significantly above the standard suggested by the label, but given the contents of the bottle that’s surely no surprise. Another ‘Bourgogne’ that begs time to mature…
2009 Pataille Sylvain Bourgogne Le Chapitre
Medium-plus colour. The nose is hard to love at the start – it seems more like cola than wine – with time the cola slowly transforms to a musky, smoky, creamy red-black, almost blue fruit. Good concentration, plenty of freshness too. This wine is almost textured from the tannin but there’s hardly any astringency. Surprisingly (after the nose) this is far from the easy and sweet vernacular of 2009, it is a serious wine and I wouldn’t touch another for at least three years.
2009 Potel Nicolas Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes
A little green mint-leaf twists through the red fruit – it’s not a particularly ripe nose, even before you factor-in the 2009 vintage, but there’s nothing off-putting. In the mouth there is lots that is unripe, sone greenness to the flavours and although there’s not a lot of tannin, it has some astringency attached. Drinkable, but a long way from interesting…