The cork comes out in one piece – no mean feet in these older Bourées – the bottle glass has a blue shade to it; clearly a bit unscientific but I’ve never yet had an off wine from a blue-shade bottle! Very good, relatively young colour. The nose? Well it’s rather particular; in-fact blind this is a 2004 with at least a 6/10 ‘score’ for pyrazines. Underneath is a pretty depth of still croquant, sugared strawberry fruit with the faintest suggestion of stems – as an occasional bottle, I’m quite happy to put this in my mouth! There is weight and sweetness to the red fruit with fine if understated acidity – overall a very smooth ride. There is some taste from the pyrazines – mainly in the mid palate before the flavour slowly decays in the finish. I have to say, pyrazines aside this is quite some wine – for those with low sensitivity I expect they would absolutely love this bottle – certainly I find it interesting and still drinkable: Indeed quite a remarkable bottle.
1978
1978 Bouchard Père et Fils Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles
Golden. No hint of oxidation on the nose; there is some impact but it’s a little foursquare, hints of lanolin escaping from the glass. In the mouth – now we’re talking – good acidity and a lithe impression of restrained power. Decent length too. Belying its 33 years – this is lovely old white burgundy.
1978 Royer-Lebon Henri Pommard Pezerolles
Bright medium. medium-plus red mahogany colour. The nose is very clean, showing both width and depth, initially a depth of prune overlaid with strawberry preserve and a hint of chocolate – a great start. Lovely in the mouth, just slightly plush but borne on a carpet of fine acidity that really slides you through a mid-palate ‘pop’ of red fruit before prolonging a finish whose final note is of a bitter chocolate. Tannin can be found, but only if you chew long enough. Despite its silken grace this is a wine of minerality that is far from decline – it might still improve!
1978 Moine-Hudelot Daniel Musigny
Medium mahogany colour. The nose is full but round, a deep core of baked fruit coated with herbs, the fruit just gets fresher and fresher, eventually having a distinct rose-petal aroma. Silky but still a lick of bitter tannin waits in the mid-palate. There’s a lot of fruit here and it’s a big wine in the mid-palate. Good finish. Rather primary to start with, but if you’d been told blind it was from the 90s you’d believe it. Not a life-changing Musigny, but impressive given no lack of power and such a youthful display and, okay, perhaps maybe just a little beguiling.
1978 Buisson-Charles Meursault Vieilles Vignes
Served blind. As we taste Patrick muses – it’s not a wine for an aperitif, it deserves to be enjoyed with food. Golden colour. There is baked bread – raisin bread – and a faintly smoky aroma. Soft with a very pretty texture and a brulée sweet bread flavour in the mid-palate. Not unbelievably long but apparently still quite young, virile and melting across the palate – it is a beautiful glass – bravo! (For the record I guessed something ‘mid-1980s’!)