Good 94’s are hard to come by but I’ve never been disappointed by this cuvée – apart from one corked bottle. This Ponsot elevaged wine shows medium ruby-red colour and a lovely forward nose of sweet red cherry and faint sweat oak – eventually there’s a little strawberry confiture, finally a lovely pure red berry and a little mocha peeking out – there’s much more density than most 94’s show. The palate is well-textured with creamy flavour that clings to your mouth – it doesn’t have the length of a great year but it’s unmistakedly grand cru. The acidity is mouth-watering though could be a little smoother in the mid-palate, likewise the tannins are not perfect but their texture is not bad either. Coming close to, but not quite at maturity, this wine has very impressive fruit for the vintage, whereas the structure is just a little less sophisticated than normal. Still an easy 90pt wine and it provides a lot of love – that’s is quite a compliment for a 1994!
Griotte-Chambertin
1994 Chézeaux Griotte-Chambertin
1994 Drouhin Joseph Griotte-Chambertin
Mature looking medium ruby. The nose is wide if not deep with a lovely focused note of raisins and stewing griottes – not cooked though – quite lovely. The palate doesn’t have the depth of many here, but with food has more than enough fat, good acidity and tannins which could still run for a few more years. Yet another example of an excellent ‘off vintage’ wine from this climat. This was a super wine with food.
1994 Chézeaux Griotte-Chambertin
This was the first year for elevage of Griotte by René Leclerc. Medium-plus colour, fading to amber at the rim. The nose starts a little diffuse, With extra aeration the wine gives up a creamy red fruit compote set against a faintly earthy background. Silky texture with good acidity and fine mouth coating tannin. The concentration is still in the ascendant. Just starting to come into it’s drinking window. A lovely Griotte and another very fine 1994