For those that are interested, the Spring 2008 Burgundy-Report is available here
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Entries from 2008
alex gambal 2005 chambolle 1er charmes
Did I ever say I loved Chambolle Charmes (Ponsot, Clerget etc., etc.)
2005 Alex Gambal, Chambolle 1er Les Charmes
Deep cherry-red colour. The nose is a lovely layered effort with faintly perfumed top-notes and a soft core of dark fruit. In the mouth there is well submerged structure but it’s under lovely concentrated and relatively deep fruit that widens in the mid-palate before impressively lingering in the finish. Plenty of dry extract here that will reward patience.
Rebuy – Yes
an evening aside
2005 ecard savigny 1er les jarrons
2005 Maurice Ecard, Savigny 1er Les Jarrons
Medium red. Wide, slightly creamy, smooth red fruit dominates the nose. Smooth entry that runs swiftly into an intense mid-palate where the acidity starts to flow and augments a long finish. The mid-palate has some impressive complexity and weight of fruit. This wine delivers impressive concentration and complexity without obvious extraction and tannin. It clearly needs some slumber in the cellar but I’m pleased that I have some bottles waiting.
Rebuy – Yes
a brace of bachelet côte de nuits villages…
Domaine Denis Bachelet have updated their labels for 2005 and very nice they are too – also new and just off the picture is a tiny neck ‘lozenge’ for the vintage. I already noted in the last entry that the 2004 was problematic to start with, so I gave it a day-2 chance…
2004 Bachelet, Côtes de Nuits Villages
Medium-plus colour. The nose is pungent with cedary green odours, a significant swirl is required to release a faint sweet red note. Overnighting makes little difference to the aroma profile. The palate is supple, well textured and has a ripe complexion, but the cedar is very forward here too. Excellent for CdNV length, slightly creamy – but too pungent, even on day two.
Rebuy – No
2005 Bachelet, Côtes de Nuits Villages
Maybe a shade paler than the 2004, but there is still quite deeply coloured core. The nose is wide, with high-toned black berry-notes and a softer underbelly that hints at, but never really shows its cream. Mouth-filling, with almost covered, velvet tannin. Lots of primary fruit extract and a good expansion in the mid-palate. This is seriously lovely – with emphasis on the serious. I’ll have to check the price – and availability…
Rebuy – Yes
bachelet is not immune (2004 and all that…)
4 whites while skiing…
A lovely weekend that started with a four hour drive – it should be less than three – through rain, snow and holiday traffic to arrive at Klosters. The snow was still coming down when we went to bed, four white burgundies behind us:
2004 Alex Gambal, St.Aubin 1er Murgers des Dents de Chien
Medium yellow. Nose starts with savoury oak which slowly fades to nice brioche – wide and interesting – it’s a good start. Soft and smooth texture, widening on the palate. It’s a little mineral and has super balance. Could perhaps benefit from an extra depth, but maybe it’s just tightness that I perceive. Very nice length and the nose remains interesting throughout.
Rebuy – yes
2005 Alex Gambal, St.Aubin 1er Murgers des Dents de Chien
Slightly deeper colour versus the 2004. The nose is less wide, but deeper with more fruit and fainter brioche. More width and density, plenty of acidity but it’s just a little prickly. More oaky dimension on the mid-palate and more faintly lingering. There is more material here but today it’s a less seamless package than the 2004. Still great value.
Rebuy – yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Meursault 1er Les Peruzots
Medium yellow. The nose shows nice floral tones over the faint brioche. The palate shows well-textured concentration with the acidity just bubbling away under the surface before breaking through into the mid-palate. An interesting extra edge of flavour before (very) slowly fading into the finish. A fine example.
Rebuy – yes
2004 Philippe Chavy, Puligny-Montrachet Rue Rousseau
Medium-plus yellow. High-toned green and yellow fruit and, for the first 15 minutes some oak. High-toned ripe fruit on the palate, slightly estery. Very bright in the mid-palate and quite wide too before fading into the finish. This has a rather full and round fruit profile, which is not my favourite style – just seems to lack for elegance. Good wine if you like the style, but doesn’t say ‘Puligny’ to me though.
Rebuy – Maybe
Early next morning (despite the wine!) the snow had stopped and we headed hopefully for the slopes, maybe the skies would clear… We chose the Rhinerhorn on the other side of Davos for the expected mix of piste, off-piste (not me – I don’t need ‘beeps’ and ABS rucksacks for thrills!) and quiet slopes – everything was delivered in perfect blue ski!
Day two saw the weather close in, so forget skiing, we made a two and a half hour walk through deep snow and steep slopes to a restaurant where lunch took over 3 hours (apparently Prince Charles and entourage may make it there this week) – we decided to cancel our evening restaurant reservation and watched Jack Nicholson instead on DVD.
So only one day skiing, but it was a good one. It’s interesting to note that while Switzerland spends billions of francs so that tourist traffic may by-pass (via bridges and tunnels) assorted towns, many of the interconnected network of ‘hills’ which those ski-tourists come for, make do with antiquated t-bars and chair-lifts whilst local gemeindes (councils) argue over 2 million here or there to make refurbishments – comic! Another snippet of gossip; apparently (Sir) Norman Foster is planning a second gherkin for the slopes above Davos – some locals are outraged – but frankly Davos can only be improved by such a construction, it is far from a pretty village, rather one long road with assorted (sometimes nice) buildings on either side – apart from the WEF, I hear that Davos is losing most of it’s cachet (i.e. high-roller tourists) to St.Moritz…
more travel – this time paid
Days of meetings and customer visits whilst avoiding tidal waves of reorganisations back at home – all will come to roost eventually. I spent yesterday evening with a glass (or 2) of chardonnay in a pub while watching football – I don’t drink beer, but white wine by the glass in a pub is usually fit for purpose, red not so often!
I’ll take a few interesting bottles to our friend’s place for the Easter weekend and maybe even write a note about them sometime early next week – I might even ski…
Have a nice Easter…
already writing a list to santa?
You know you wants it! [Gollum]
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