Tasted in the Clos de Vougeot, during the Grands Jours de Bourgogne, 22 March 2016.
This is always a tasting to look forward to, the only problem is the queue to get into the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot, due to the big Vosne tasting at the same time – a tasting which I’d decided not to attend – but I still had to deal with the queue!
2006 Anne Gros
A nose that’s tending to but not quite achieving, floral top notes, a subtle deeper bass too – as you can see, interesting but not such an overt nose. Nice scale in the mouth – grand cru scale – staining flavour with very fine complexity. I am liking this very much! Sweet and long finishing. Easy to appreciate already! Sleek and medium bodied compared to the 05s that follow.
Here is are some more focused floral references. Large scaled, a hint more structured than the 06, really fabulous dimension of flavour here – this is simply excellent. There’s an undertow of tannic structure, but packed sufficiently to not spoil the fun. Simply top class! Great length, today on a slightly bitter oak tannin.
2005 Gros Frère et Soeur Musigni
Not so obviously pure as the Camuzet, but the nose has a certain, always impressive, vibration. Very wide, super concentration with fine texture – the more obviously tannic, great flavour too. In truth, rather rustic in comparison to the Camuzet. flavour packed, but less gorgeously flavoured…
2005 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils
A pretty nose hinting at flowers over a red base, but really rather discreet. The palate more than makes up for the nose – impressively mouth-filling with a great texture. A floral component to the fruit too. Less sleek than the Camuzet, less rustic than the Gros – super wine! Lovely flavours in the finish!
2005 Jacques Prieur
Deeply coloured. Deep, dark fruit, a certain aspect of maceration to it, high tones too but not yet overtly floral. Mouth-filling, massively concentrated wine – a base of lightly grained tannin – but plenty of it. Here the fruit does have some floral complexity. Really a wine that I’d wait longer for than the other 05s, given the overt structure and concentration. A long and very fine finish…. Though some coconut.
2004 Gerard Raphet
A clearly older colour than any of the 05s. Floral, complex, modest intensity nose, but really it’s very inviting. Supple, wide, complex, absolutely super, indeed à-point today. Very yum, though very much a modest 1er cru level vs the 05s… floral finishing with faint tannin. Yum!
2003 Bouchard Père et Fils
Rather powdery, indistinct nose – if I had the time, I’d leave it in the glass to see how it develops. A surprisingly direct, lithe, high-toned complexion in the mouth – really very lovely. Younger than the 04, for sure, but tasty wine with a lot of potential.
2003 Michel Gros
Deeper colour than the Bouchard. A certain freshness of aroma, though the fruit below is more roasted in character. Cool, direct, not unlike the Bouchard, very nice flavour complexity here. A baby and a very successful one – much more floral complexity to the fruit here. Super!
2002 Clos Frantin
Nice depth of fruit here, a little tight, but really very pretty indeed. Mouth-filling with finer energy than the 03s, seemingly more obvious tannin too! Lovely width of flavour in the mid-palate. Very tasty wine which from some aspects seems younger than the 03s… Super but to wait for.
Ooh, that’s beautifully floral – really gorgeous. In the mouth too, this is very fine – young wine, but with super flavour complexity. This is my favourite so far. Excellent! A great finish too. Just one problem – my discipline to wait.
2002 R. Dubois
Really rather deeply coloured. A certain freshness, but little else – it’s a tight nose. Large-scaled in the mouth. A fine growing, mouth-watering growth of flavour. Certainly grand cru, a wine of scale, but today little overt wine pleasure – also no defects – to wait for.
2001 Francois Gerbet
Quite pretty, with some lovely sweet top notes. Here is more structure and less sweetness – very large-scaled, but today at least I would say wait, because despite seemingly having everything it needs. The final result is not so appetising.
2001 Faiveley
A big, floral aromatic, less sweet than some – but inviting, all the same. Super energy, and dimension too. Still rather tannic, modestly grained but still astringent. Lots of potential here, but typically old-style Faiveley – wait until its 20 years old, preferably 25! Super, despite that.
2000 Mugneret-Gibourg
A wide-open, dirty, sous bois nose with a backing of sweetness – whatever that sounds like – it’s very inviting. Mouth-filling. Good sweetness of fruit, lots of flavour dimension. Less structured than all the previous wines. But very tasty – luncheon Clos de Vougeot!
Super colour. Nice wine – lovely floral complexity with a depth of dark fruit – super. Like it should be, large-scaled, a certain tannin, faintly drying, complex, baby , excellent Clos de Vougeot – close to the best, but not quite.
1999 Capitain Gagnerot
A little lighter colour. Wide but a little discreet aromas. A certain warmth to the flavour, but I have to say very good texture, plenty of tannin, still, complex, with high and low tones. More obviously drinkable than the Rion today, whilst still young. A faint chocolate in the finish – a first. Very good!
1996 Confuron-Cotetidot
Rather deeply coloured. Open, overt nose of a vegetal-led red fruit. Deep but less inviting than many. That vegetal element is here on the palate too, but less overt – still, there is super flavour dimension, and an impression that the tannin is coming together towards the first plateau of drinkability. I tasted the 93 2 years ago, and whilst this is good, it’s a long way behind that wine! A super finish that almost saves it though!
1990 Joseph Drouhin
Deep colour with plenty of age at the rim – looks great. Whilst rather discreet, it smells great too – a deep blood aspect to the fruit. Big, with sweet fruit, a tannin similar in style to the Cotetidot, entering a first plateau of drinkability. – lots of flavour complexity, dark flavour, not obviously fresh but with good complexity. A good 1990, but obviously a 1990 all the same….
A deep and bloody nose, of dark fruit, slowly adding some higher tones in the glass. Really nice shape and flavour dimension – the first with an edge of salinity too – this is excellent – if I’m picky (and sometimes I am) I’d like a little more freshness and energy – it’s not bad in those respects though, and overall it’s just a super wine!