2022 Jolly, Chablis 1er Fourchaume – Homme Mort
From the part nearest Maligny and opposite the pump for the ‘aspersion.’
An attractive nose – some generosity but also an obvious salinity. That generosity is visible in this delicious width of flavour – but never tumbling into richness. Just such an easy wine to drink despite it’s impressive concentration. Lovely!
Rebuy – Yes

2021 Julien Brocard, Chablis La Boissonneuse
Magnum. Here in 1998 were the domaine’s first tests in biodynamics
Clearly also a hint more generous than when first tasted – aromatically and from a flavour perspective – but here is more zing than the Homme Mort – if a little less concentration – but still with fine impact. Subtly, this is even more delicious. This is a great villages !!
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Mugnier, Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos de la Maréchale
The cork breaks in two, but the last part comes out easily enough with an ‘Ah-So.’
A round but attractive nose, more than subtly smoky. Wide over the palate with decently juicy, smoky (oaky) flavours too, and still a small line of finishing bitters that bookend the transparent red fruit. There’s fine depth of flavour here from a wine that’s showing rather young – it’s more of a very good wine than an outstanding one. I have a couple more and would think that 5 more years should be adequate. Only to note that on day two, the last of this was subtly bretty…
Rebuy – Maybe

2024 Hamelin, Chablis 1er Beauroy
From the Côte de Savant – planted in 1985 & 1987.
Very open aromatics – perfumed, with a small richness of citrus fruit. I remember this as more incisive at the domaine, but the richness of the nose is also bringing some generosity to the flavour. Yet, here is still a wine of salinity and energy – it’s also quite delicious !!
Rebuy – Yes

2024 J&J Archambaud, Vosne-Romanée
A domaine that I visited for the first time last week. 3 parcels assembled – Communes, Chalandins and Au Dessous de la Rivière – the oldest vines coming from the 1930s, Chalandins has the youngest vines, and these date from the 1990s…
Fine aromatic scale and lots of width to this aroma – stylishly spiced. A wine that’s fluid but also delivers impressive concentration – even ignoring that this is from 2024! Modest but attractive bitters in the finish and excellent texture too. An excellent villages !!
Rebuy – Yes

2023 Roland Lavantureux, Chablis Vau Renard
Plenty of colour. Depth and ripeness of atoms – I’m not sure that I’d say Chablis, blind. In the mouth though, there’s minerality to balanc the generosity and plenty of salinity too – yes it’s a wine of Chablis, but a generous one…
Rebuy – No

2005 Michel Lafarge, Beaune 1er Grèves
Plenty of colour. The nose is An attractive blend of depth and freshness. Mouth-filling and very wide – framed with slightly drying, young, tannin – but grainless. Finishing flavours with plent of bitters and salinity. What a young wine! I shall continue to enjoy it, whilst mentally noting ‘not for 5 more years’ for the next bottle!
Rebuy – Maybe

The tasting room at Henri Gouges was showing a new vintage this week – so why not? 😊

Mainly 2022s, except for the Les St.Georges…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Chênes Carteaux
Top of the hill above Les St.Georges etcetera…
Plenty of colour but still transparent. Really open, rounded with a ripe fruit – a little cherry in style but an accent of florals and some herb in that style too. Lovely in the mouth – quite silky and fluid too. The last flavours have plenty of length and a modest touch of bitters. This is already very attractively drinkable.

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos des Porrets St.Georges
Still a little extra colour. An extra herb – but bouquet-garni – and with a larger scale to this nose, more cherry-stone than cherry, with a small strawberry lift – that’s a great invitation. Extra width, extra flavour energy and complexity too – a big step up in flavour energy here – what an excellent and surprisingly approachable wine. More chalky tannic dryness right at the end – much extra personality after the Chênes. What a simply excellent wine…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Pruliers
More powder, high-toned and a little more austere – with air, the aromas are going much deeper. Hmm, the most fluid, and also a little more juicy – some citrus-style bitters – this is more obviously a baby, but I could still drink it. Lovely concentration despite the fluidity. You could carafe and enjoy today, but here I’d wait another 2-3 years…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Vaucrains
Another aromatic with excellent scale – powdery, stony fruit here. Hmm, but this is rather an elegant Vaucrains – lots of tannin but also of velour – wow – the first time I tasted a young Vaucrains that’s so approachable – it might be silly to say ‘ready’ – but I would drink this today and certainly ahead of the Pruliers. What an excellent wine…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er La Perrière (Blanc)
A generous width of fine citrus, though not overly ripe citrus. A juicy, mouth-watering, palate-cleansing delicious wine. This 22 is still showing some of the textural padding and flavours of the barrel – but it’s delicious with a last twist of tannic dryness on the tongue – chalkiness, as there’s no grain…

Trapet Gevrey 1er Capita

Château de Fleys, Mont de Milieu

2017 Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Capita
A blend of three 1ers. Not made every year…
An enveloping cushion of fruit and still some vanilla aroma. Like the nose, supple and cushioned – great texture and a slowly mouthwatering stony last flavour. Holding very long. A young wine, and I’d like the vanilla to fade more, but this is still completely delicious…
Rebuy – Yes

2022 Château de Fleys, Mont de Milieu
I was a little late in discovering the wines of this domaine, but here is a fine example of what I’ve been missing! Not all is planted at this time, but this domaine has over 5 hectares in this appellation – I assume that they are the largest owner of Mont de Milieu…
A forward and attractive yellow citrus, ripe but still fresh. Beautiful entry, super-mineral, but also with a width to that stony minerality. A modest ripeness – of the right bank and/or the vintage – but nothing out of place. What a classy Chablis.
Rebuy – Yes

2023 Roc des Boutrires, Pouilly-Fuissé
An attractively pale colour. Cushioned fresh citrus – richer at the core. Hmm, a generous wine – it coats the palate with flavour. It could be more incisive, but this flavour is good. Slowly fading. A good wine, but not a wine to search out.
Rebuy – No

2022 Beaujolais Villages Aux Gauthiers
My last bottle. Vines near the Col des Truges – a shame that this exploitation is no more…
Still great, young colour. An inviting dark fruit, and I like this energy too. Tasty, young and juicy. Holding well. There’s a small deposit in the bottle – maybe the last of the tannins – as I didn’t find any in the wine. Delicious !!
Rebuy – Yes