Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has a depth of dark red fruit with just a faint sweetness and eventually a characterful twist of tobacco. This is lovely; a depth of fresh dark fruit, just enough texture to give a slightly cushioned satin impression and tannins that are oh-so silky – one of Alexandrine Roy’s signatures I think. Long for a villages with just a hint of aniseed and blue fruit flavour. A wine that was very, very much appreciated.
2008
2008 Lignier Lucie et Auguste Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose shows lovely depth; just a hint of musk and dark red fruits. Fresh, but not overly so this trips over the tongue delivering excellent dark-shaded fruit and impressive complexity – just a hint tart in the finish but compellingly-so. Chew and you can find a little tannin that sticks to your mouth with a hint of astringency.
2008 Jadot Louis Pommard
This wine showed two personalities; day 1 it was a little non-descript on the nose; rounder and sweeter than the Guyon Chambolle but less impact or dimension – here was a club to the rapier of the Guyon. Day 2 and I’m much more impressed with this; the nose has opened with a slightly warm and sweet core but coupled to creamy flashes and top notes of violets – nice! There also seems a bit more depth to the palate, pretty, higher-toned red fruit and a slowly lingering finish on very good but not bright acidity. There is a hint of grain to the low-key tannin. If I’m totally honest, this cuvée can be a bit expensive, but here is a wine that rewards your investment – on day 2 anyway!
2008 Guyon Antonin Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras
Medium, medium-plus colour. Forward red fruit notes that have a hint of sour about them – they make me think of rhubarb – lucky I like rhubarb! In the mouth this is very smooth and it pulls you into the mid-palate with plenty of (equally smooth) acidity – but I expect this could become a bit screechy in 2-3 years as the sweet fat of the fruit shrinks. There is quite some intensity and even a little extra dimension in the mid-palate, though to be fair, it’s mainly acid-led intensity. The last flavours of the mid-palate have a little bitter-chocolate about them but I think they are mainly the result of a hint of toasty oak blended with a bit of borderline ripe fruit. I have to say that I’m enjoying this wine, but I really do think that the enjoyment could be transient – say 18-or-so months worth.
2008 Bachelet Jean-Claude Puligny-Montrachet
Medium yellow. The nose is fresh though with a ripe slab of yellow fruit at the centre-stage. In the mouth this has a slghtly oily, fat texture – absolutely not a negative with such a buffer of very good acidity. There is understated power and a very good energy, particularly I like the gooseberry flavoured finish. Fine Puligny villages.
2008 Barthod Ghislaine Chambolle-Musigny
2008 Lignier Lucie et Auguste Fixin Champs de Vosger
Medium yellow. The nose is faintly sweet with an undertow of flowers and maybe a hint of sulfur. In the mouth this has a lovely bubbling acidity – I remember the 07 being borderline tart – bright and pretty but with a nice sweetness and extra width of flavour in the mid-palate. Lingering on a mouth-watering note. Many Fixins seem to me rather too savoury in their youth and whilst interesting, I wouldn’t be filling my cellar with them. This one avoids that ‘trap’ and begs a top-up to the glass. Yum.
2008 Boisset Jean-Claude Côte de Nuits Villages Le Creux de Sobron
The name is clearly a mouthful – fortunately the wine is very good mouthful. Ripe but fresh fruit on the nose – quite forward. In the mouth this has plenty of energy and fine acidity which could turn a little mouth puckering in a couple of years, but today it is just joyous. There is a little mid-palate muscle and good intensity too. A line of mouth-watering flavour lingers in the finish. Yum – and an absolute bargain…
2008 Olivier Antoine et Rachel Santenay Les Coteaux Sous La Roche
Medium-pale. The nose is quite buscuity/toasty bread with an underlying sweetness. In the mouth there’s lovely acidity and sweetness though to start it seems there’s a bit of a hole in the middle – give it a few minutes and the intensity increases and it comes into a good place. Everybody wanted a top-up from this one!