Louis Max 2012

30.6.2014billn

DSC036762012s Tasted with Philippe Bardet and Éric de la Broise in Nuits St.Georges, 03 April, 2014.

I don’t know what type of day or phase of the moon it was, but the contents of this cellar were singing the day that I visited…!

Philippe on yields: 2012 yields were 50% of 2009. They were even less in 2013; for instance Mercury was less than 50% in 2013.

Philippe on 2012 prices:“More or less, the average is +20% – actually 10-30%! The drivers are higher demand, less wine and much higher grower pricing.” Interestingly, Philippe also notes that “New consumers seem not to be quite so vintage focused. This isn’t a reflection of lack of knowledge, rather the wish to learn, and just know the wines.”

2012 Chorey-lès-Beaune
A deep nose of round fruit. Round in the mouth too with good concentration and really super fruit. There’s plenty of acidity here, plenty of focus too. Fresh but really super-engaging!
2012 Pommard
There’s more aromatic ‘lift’. Slightly sweeter fruit, but the same focus and energy. Concentrated yet very elegant. Really lovely – the last drops in the glass smell gorgeous!

2012 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Fourneau
Here there’s a faint oak-spice, eventually something floral too. Again elegance coupled to energy and focus – quite long too. I’m very impressed by these wines so far.

2012 Beaune 1er Cent Vignes
Another with quite a forward, concentrated aromatic but one that’s also detailed. Here is a little more tannin and again ample concentration. The constituent parts seem not particularly ‘together’ today, but the aroma is very fine.

2012 Aloxe-Corton
Higher-toned, brighter red fruit – lovely personality. Not super-concentrated like some here, but with a fine lingering finish. Tasty wine.

2012 Ladoix
High-toned red fruit with violets. Complex and energetic yet with finesse. Not a particularly long finish but airy and super-elegant.

2012 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Vaucrains
Full, round, fresh and faintly spiced. Faint CO2 (only finished malo in Sept.) Lots of width and very long. Excellent.

2012 Nuits St.Georges 1er Damodes
This is the only vineyard in the cellar tha had the same yields – 2011, 2012, 2013…
A deeper and more concentrated nose. Again some CO2. Round, concentrated and, there’s no denying, Vosne-like. Dark fruit in the finish and it’s very long. Again, super!

2012 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots
A silky nose – faintly spiced – the last droops in glass smell gorgeous. Full and very interesting in the mouth – lots of complexity and super mid-palate flavour-intensity. Lovely, lovely finish.

2012 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Craipillots
Deep, darkly fruited and showing a little pepper (new barrel). This is concentrated and more obviously (oak) structured. Really great mid-palate and finishing intensity. I’m very impressed.

2012 Charmes-Chambertin
Wide, focused ripe fruit on the nose. Full, multi-dimensional. Just Super.

2012 Corton-Perrières
Starts faintly animale before lovely fruit takes up the baton. Round yet structured. There’s lots of energy and dimension here. Super fruit intensity, and it seems also length!

2012 Clos de Vougeot
Tighter but still a rather concentrated aromatic – more obviously floral than the Corton. A little CO2, intense, mouth-watering fruit flavour leaches from your gums and tongue. Clearly structured but not in a fearsome way. Good wine.

2012 Echézeaux
Lovely deep fruit with flowers too – really super. Density and a little spice. It seems intense enough but then there’s an addition twist of the volume button in the mid-palate. Slowly lingering. I find this really super.

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

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