This relatively unassuming label delivers everything that the Girardin label promised but absolutely failed to deliver. Clearly there is a vintage difference, but in the final analysis, this tastes like pinot noir, and a very good one too. Aromatically much more interesting than the Foillard of the day before, though the Morgon had the edge in the mouth. Overall the Morgon is a slightly better package for drinking today, but a dead heat from an interest perspective.
2005 Pierre Morey, Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose is deep and heavily scented, darkly fruited, edged with a little cream and with something just a little more floral above – very impressive. The palate is a little more linear than the nose, medium density with good dark fruit, slightly forward acidity and a nice extra dimension in the mid-palate. The reasonably grained tannin is in the background.
Rebuy – Yes

Need some 2006 bourgogne recommendations? Try these.

The packaging is great. The expectation it sets also; Pinot Noir Les Vieilles Vignes. The price is not exceptional for a bourgogne, in fact at 20 Swiss francs it’s far from cheap. Let’s be clear, this is a nice tasty wine but tastes like Beaujolais not pinot – and not a stunning Beaujolais – a top crus Beaujolais can be cheaper and certainly ‘better’. Incredibly disappointing, the laurels easily sit with the Beaujolais in this case.
2006 Vincent Girardin, Bourgogne Pinot Noir Les Vieilles Vignes
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose is fruity, a little gassy and smells like cheap Beaujolais. Sweetly ripe, quite well balanced with a small edge of dissolved gas. Good length. Tastes like Beaujolais. Rock-stable for 2 hours.
Rebuy – No

Clearly above I used the term ‘cheap beaujolais’ above as a negative, but that’s a) because cheap beaujolais is usually not so nice, and b) because I was expecting the Girardin wine to taste like pinot noir – come to think of it, not just pinot noir, but pinot noir vieilles vignes!

As a balm, here is a ‘real’ Beaujolais, admittedly costing 4 Swiss francs per bottle more, but it’s a great bottle and the additional investment is amply rewarded!

2005 Foillard, Morgon Cuvée Corcelette
The table-top is a mess; it looks great, but the red wax capsule is far from user friendly! Medium-plus cherry-red. Wide, faintly spicy, dark-skinned fruit. Quite big in the mouth and very smooth. The acidity creeps up on you because you’re initially engrossed by the sweet fruit, but it sweeps you into a good finish. There’s a fine intensity in the mid-palate. Super wine.
Rebuy – Yes

2006 Seguin-Manuel, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er, Les Lavières
Medium, medium-plus colour. Deep red and black-skinned cherries under faint wood spice, the last drops provide a lovely reccurrant note. Lithe, lovely acidity, ripe fruit and good good mid-palate flavour. The tannin is relatively background. Not the density of a Bouchard Père or Tollot-Beaut Lavières, but this is a lovely middle-weight.
Rebuy – Yes

For me the ‘average’ face of a mid-range 2003 is shown by the Beaune, and that’s the reason you don’t see many notes for 03’s on this page. The Pommard is altogether better, and comes close to being enjoyable!
2003 Albert Bichot, Beaune 1er Cru
Medium red, still some hints of cherry. High tones that are reasonably fresh. The tannin is a little drying and the acid is a little sharp – certainly far from seamless.. Not a great balance here.
Rebuy – No
2003 Albert Bichot, Pommard 1er Les Arvelets
Medium, medium-plus red – again with just a hint of cherry-red. The nose is deeper with a savoury, meaty aspect. The acidity is just a little prickly, but this fades with time. The tannins are ripe and there’s decent length and balance.
Rebuy – Maybe

2005 Bouchard Père, Monthélie 1er Clos des Champs Fulliot
A bright medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour. High tones over red berry notes. Mouth-filling with plenty of fine tannin and very good acidity. As the wine lingers in the glass the red berry note of the nose comes through on the palate too. Good intensity and length, it’s a good wine. The price is rather ambitious for the appellation – about 40 Swiss Francs – but the wine clearly has quality.
Rebuy – Yes