It’s been a while since I introduced some real bottles to you – there have been many others of-course (below) – and, unfortunately, it will be short while before there will be more!

I now face two weeks of antibiotics due to tick-borne borreliosis – or Lyme disease. Fortunately, I don’t feel like I have any disease!

Amusingly, given that I spend so much time in the woods and hills on trails (jogging!) here was, it seems, a cat-borne tick to which I was introduced whilst sitting in the garden!

2016 Chablisienne / Château Grenouilles, Chablis-Grenouilles
A nose of waxy citrus – edged towards lemon – with an obvious mineral component too. In the mouth, we have a large-scale wine – generous to the point of rich – but silkily textured and sustaining a very long finish. I’d prefer less richness but it’s a very tasty wine all the same – as we could see by the lack of longevity for this (overly heavy!) bottle.
Rebuy – Maybe

2002 Nicolas Potel, Chambertin
Ah – remember the days? I tasted here pre-bottling and immediately placed an order: 6 Chambertin, 6 Malconsorts, 6 Petits Ponts, 6 Gaudichots and 12 Aloxe Boutières. Quite expensive I thought – at ~€1,500 – of course, that’s probably the price of just 3 Chambertin today! This, I think, the last of those 6. There may be a Gaudichots and a Malconsorts who survive – but probably not more…
Hmm – a nose to sink into – this Chambertin is ready! A round impression on the palate – depth and richness – quite a match with the Grenouilles! Tons of sweetness to this fruit and still framed with a tiny tannin – though most of the latter has clearly been transformed to sediment – or earth – as it’s quite granular. Such a delicious, wonderful smelling thing. A glass escaped outright (day 1) consumption to make it into day 2, where the aromas were less involving and more beefy – but the flavour retained its vigour and length. A super wine.
Rebuy – Yes

Some bottles of the last weeks where words escaped me 🙂

Yes, very late with this small note – but it was worthwhile and a nice addition to another ‘recent‘ 1984…

Dinner in Pommard – as befits the labels…

The 2007 Beaune was nicely structured – a rarity for 2007s – certainly 2007s in their youth. Here’s a 2007 that I could get better acquainted with – taught, good precision – all those things that are so-often lacking in the vintage. Then the 1993 Taillepieds – now we were talking! Smoky, almost a hint of tobacco and wonderfully chiselled wine – still with obvious minerality – not an easy, comfortable, wine – rather one that challenges you – it was super! Then came the last, blind wine. Complex, also structural – a certain austerity but personality too – I thought it clearly a wine of the 1980s – but when our hostess said the worst vintage that anyone could remember – I jumped in with 1984 – receiving much-misplaced adulation – but there really is only one 1984 – and this was the second more than good wine from that vintage that I’ve had in the last 6 months.

I know many in the wine business that maintain that they never tasted an even ‘good’ 1984 but here was a wine that would captivate a table of enthusiasts – despite being the least ‘delicious’ of this trio of bottles.

History in a bottle!

Actually, I haven’t written anything about last weekend’s wines – I’ll get back to you on those!

2014 Verret, Chablis 1er Beauroy l’Ame du domaine
Plenty of colour. The nose has a light caramel note but also a vibrating width of riper citrus – almost tending to pineapple. Hmm – a breadth of intensity here, starting direct before slowly melting and becoming juicier at the edges. The finish is more mineral – less powerful than the initial impact but sustains very good length. Actually, a little older than I was expecting – but deliciously so – I’d probably start drinking more off these now – if I had more!
Rebuy – Yes

2008 Comtes Lafon, Monthelie 1er Les Duresses
Medium-plus colour – not fading but there’s a hint of amber. Broad, fresh, red-fruited – another vibrant aromatic – and not yet leafy with age. Incisive, with plenty of width and even a little structural shape – with more intensity than the Chablis – but air helps this to become a silky wine, and any hint of austerity is quickly lost. Actually, the red fruit on the palate becomes ever-more supple. This is a classy 2008 – with intensity and vibrant acidity – but never to excess for this drinker. Great drinking right now – on day two, it was even better!
Rebuy – Yes

2021 Château Thivin, Côte de Brouilly La Chapelle
Starting airy this nose also shows a little gentian ‘perfume.’ Juicy, well-textured, wine – the gentian mingles with good fruit in the flavours – more overt than the nose. I ‘briskly’ aerated and the gentian was on a lower level – on day 2 it was no-longer visible. Great in parts…
Rebuy – No

Friday is the weekend – right?

2010 François Mikulski, Volnay 1er Santenots du Milieu
Wow – the 2010s just keep giving! Apart from the occasional over-oaked wine they are just so consistently good.
There are few high or floral tones here but that’s compensated by aromas that are round, deep and attractive – ripe red fruit but from a different context versus 18, 19, 20 – and the like. There’s volume but still fluidity to this wine – which reminds me of the 2019s – but like the nose, it’s a different style of ripeness here – though still with fine textural depth plus such an impressive depth of flavour. The finishing bitters have all but left the stage. This is such a beautiful wine. I’m ashamed not to be finishing the bottle tonight – but my doctor will (probably!) commend me for drinking only 2/3rds of the bottle! Simply beautiful tonight.
Rebuy – Yes

If it’s the only wine I drink this weekend – I would be more than happy!

2021 Domaine Chevallier, Chablis
There’s no markings – other than domaine markings – but this looks like a Nomacorc – hopefully the second generation…
Here’s a super and quite broad freshness of citrus and salinity – starting riper but opening more and more ith air – what more could I ask? Like the nose a wine of width and a small cushion that adds generosity. The finishing flavours, like the nose, with an accent of salinity and just the faintest lick of phenolics – a little tannin. No pretensions, just a very good villages Chasblis.
Rebuy – Yes

2005 des Croix, Bourgogne
David Croix’s firts vintage with his new domaine. This Bourgogne massively outperformed even this great vintage – helped not just by his winemaking but also by the fact that it contained plenty of villages Beaune and Savigny. It went through a phase where it was a little too fruity – almost cordial in style – but it seems that was a phase. Now it’s all working out fine…
Still deeply coloured. The nose still has plenty of creamy oak framing the fruit – but now it’s starting to show the first suggestion of a little maturity. Supple with a texture of velour – just a tiny, tiny grain of completely ripe tannin supports the flavours. Not a high-strung or structured wine but rather one that is round, ripe and very well shaped – a wine of generosity – shape and flavour – yet never fat or heavy. The label indicates 12.5% alcohol – I might have guessed more – but it drinks very well – a little too well, the bottle is emptying fast! Approaching 20 years old this wine is just about ready!
Rebuy – Yes

2017 Agnès & Jean Foillard, Morgon Côte du Py
A strong cork – unlike the one of the de Croix which fell into multiple pieces.
This is dark-red fruit territory with the classical, seemingly lactic background Foillard flavours – but open, clean and very attractive. The des Croix is fuller and very delicious whilst this has a bit more fresh energy – and is also very delicious! The texture is of velour – very modest and ripe tannin supports the flavour – but from the middle to finishing flavours this has a little more open style and energy – withe extra – but attractive – finishing bitters – no surprise on the bitters as this is a baby vs the de Croix. This is very attractive wine right now…
Rebuy – Yes

2020 Domaine Alain Gautheron, Chablis 1er Homme Mort
Here’s a cuvée that developed some green notes – but my nose is seemingly not on green form today as I can’t smell it – but I know that it’s still there – because my better half can still smell it!
Today this has such a lovely nose – vibrating with energy and cool, clean aromas. In the mouth it’s equally vibrant and quite mouth-filling too – impressive complex wine. Delicious.
Rebuy – Maybe

2016 M&C Lapierre, Morgon
The no-sulfur version. And here was a test for it: Opened by Mathieu Lapierre on Thursday afternoon, direct from his cold cellar at the domaine. But then the rest of Thursday and for most of Friday the bottle (stoppered only with its original cork) lay in the back of my car before arriving home in Switzerland. The first 2 glasses were taken on Friday evening – the wine then glass-stoppered in my Fridge until Sunday evening (we were at friends for dinner on Saturday) when I drank the last two glasses.
This was very stable from first to last. A broad nose, finely red fruited with a little vibration of energy, these aromas become ever-more direct and impressive. A juicy wine, still with some modest tannin and fine waves of finishing flavour. This was delicious and ultra-impressively stable for a no-sulfur wine!
Rebuy – Yes

Week(-end) 8 2023:

Ah, my memory is going – it must be my age!

I found this 2009 in the cellar (and there’s more!) and thought to myself ‘well, I have 2008 and 2010 but I don’t remember having any 2009.‘ Fortunately the search function of this site has a much better memory than I!

2009 wasn’t my favourite vintage to start – it was just sooo ripe. Given that almost every vintage since 2015 has been equally, or more, ripe – perhaps I’m more tolerant – despite my old age!

2009 Camille Giroud, Bourgogne Cuvée L
A beautiful, darker, Trescases cork – robust and with hardly 1mm of wine ingress – the end so darkly painted by this wine.
Medium-plus colour. The nose is now a little smoky – it gives the impression of oak – but swirling releases redder fruit and perhaps something floral too – these aromas are concentrated and, of course, ripe – but never too ripe. Broad over the palate, the merest ripple of tannin in support. A luxurious depth of flavour and texture – obviously not really ‘Bourgogne.’ Holding well in the finish too. This wine is crystal clear/clean, aromatic and with such generosity of top-class flavour. It’s absolutely drinkable yet still a baby. Bravo! – It must have been very well triaged 😉
Rebuy – Yes

2019 Raphaël Chopin, Beaujolais-Lantignié Blanc Theia
Lemon yellow. An easy nose, attractive depth and some interest – that’s a nice start. A supple width of sweet flavour then a wave with saline accents before a more mineral finish – slowly mouth-watering. I’d guess blind that it was a Beaujolais from the rigour of this finishing minerality but it’s not too strong and this is a very good BJVB!
Rebuy – No

1999 Jean-Marc Pavelot, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Dominode
Not only this bottle, I seem to have an unopened 6-pack too – so no excuse for not opening one! Only 20 years older than the white!
This still has deep colour – and not too much browning either. The first impression from this nose is of soil and blood – with plenty of air it takes on a more attractive and fruity (red) impression but remains a slightly young (but clean!) aromatic. In the mouth I like the shape – there’s the cool, still austere, impression given by most Savigny of this era – but this is structurally very fine and, like the nose, it’s very clean – there’s no bret. Even on day two – no degradation – a clean and very impressive wine – I just wish that it was more delicious – but it seems very youthful!
Rebuy – Maybe

2020 Château de la Terrière, Brouilly Tradition
Open, airy – lovely dark-red fruit – slowly becoming floral too. Extra juicy – ooh that’s a super wine – the energy visible in all directions, visibly making the finish longer and more dynamic. What a wine!
Rebuy – Yes

2015 des Chézeaux/Berthaut-Gerbet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cazetiers
For a warm vintage, this colour is not so deep – medium-plus. A broad and aromatic nose – a hint of the spice of the vintage but not too much – seemingly silky and slowly adding depth with more air. Large-scale in the mouth – easy over the palate but there’s some structure here too – the flavour becoming more and more intense. 2015 is a long way from my favourite vintage but here’s a wine with energy and a really nice, sinewy, shape. Longer in the glass and it seems ever-more delicious. Modest finishing bitters and just a faint wash of tannin showing through those bitters. Super-long. I have at least one more but based on this – for drinking in another 10 years. It’s more than excellent for the vintage – it’s also very tasty!
Rebuy – Yes