Just a ‘test’ to see how my 2006s are holding. My original note for this wine (below) is from October last year, so here is an 8/9 months-on update:

The wine needs at least 30 minutes to resemble the previous bottle, but slowly those lovely violet aromas come through. In the mouth it has another flavour component – that of licorice, the bitter edge to the tannin is already lost. Still open, and currently delivering even more pleasure than on release…

2006 des Varoilles, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoilles
A slight update to the label for this vintage. Only just a little more than medium colour. Wide, quite high-toned floral, violet aromatics, underneath a more cherry-type fruit. The palate is soft, slightly fat and shows good fruit that’s edged with a little bitter chocolate / coffee. A reasonable amount of decently grained tannin – perhaps not 100% ripe given a trace of bitterness, but tannin fades. Good acidity and a very nice burst of interest in the mid-palate. Drunk over 3 days it was just a little better each day and the only thing lost was that bitter edge to the tannin. A very nice 2006.
Rebuy – Yes

“Nowadays, all the corks are sold with a very thin silicone film. And when a cork is (as the one on the picture) full with encrusted grains, the silicone gets in. That is what you can see lightly white. This procedure (silicone) is necessery to use the corking machines just after bottling. Nearly nobody is still putting the corks by hand. You just need your hand to… uncork the bottle to drink it and hopefully to love it !”

2007 Chézeaux/Ponsot, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Charmes
Medium colour. The nose is intense red fruit, slightly dried and creamy cranberry in aspect. Lovely freshness, depth without overt concentration and impressive dimension(s) of fruit in the mid-palate. Even without real intensity I’m rather smitten – the complexity is enough! Nice length, the last few drops in the glass provide a gorgeous redcurrant aroma – really super!
Rebuy – Yes

2006 Lucie et Auguste Lignier, Morey St.Denis Vieilles Vignes
Medium, medium-plus colour. For over one hour there’s a slightly reductive, foisty cardboard behind the fruit – it’s not TCA and it’s not on the palate. Slowly the fruit comes to the fore and 99% covers the cardboard – and it’s lovely fruit – red-black and edged with a little toffee and old-vine cream. In the mouth it needs about 30 minutes to build to a decent level of concentration and nice texture, there’s also a good lick of ripe tannin in and around the mid-palate. Depth of fruit and a nice finish. One third of the bottle was saved for day 2 – and it turned out really well – no strange smells, just brilliant red berry fruit and creamy depth, really super. I blame some reduction for the initial aroma note, as the oxygenation certainly cured it!
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Domaine Vrignaud, Chablis 1er Fourchaume
Pale yellow. Faintly citrus over an even fainter sweet core of yellow fruit. Nice freshness that’s emphasised by the citrus acidity. Not a really concentrated nor intense effort but there is a hint of salty seashore in the mid-palate and the bottle was finished in double-quick time on a balmy evening. Despite the intensity being more on a par with a good villages wine, this is quite pretty and still seems good value.
Rebuy – Maybe

2007 Michel Bouzereau, Meursault Les Grands Charrons
Medium-pale yellow. The nose starts a little diffuse. In the mouth it’s very fresh but seems overly dilute – I think it’s too cold – let’s wait for the contents of the glass to warm a little. Warmer, the nose is a little tighter though offers slightly sherbert-style fruit aromas. In the mouth it’s gained a surprising amount of fat – this now almost good – slowly lingering in the finish. Quite pretty, fresh and clean – it’s tasty, but it says Meursault on the label and much as I enjoyed it, I’m torn as to whether I see that level of performance.
Rebuy – Maybe

I’ve had a good run of ‘upper-end’ bottles, so now it’s time to have a modest week or maybe even two! I’ve not had a wine from this domaine before, and the label is not that inviting – it reminds me of bottles on supermarket shelves, but let’s see…

2005 Maillard Père et Fils, Beaune
Medium-plus colour. The nose starts with sweet, toasty caramel oak and some associated savoury notes – over time it has a more floral, violets dimension. Sweet fruit with glinting acidity – it’s a nice balance – the tannin of the backbone has depth but is fine and ripe. Relatively linear in the mid-palate – I’m not sure if that’s because it’s tight or because I just finished a Griottes! Well-made and tasty wine.
Rebuy – Yes

Did I mention there was also a Griotte to open? – well, it’s so long since I opened the Fourrier! Now I should also correct myself; Esmonin was one of the rare bottlers to say ‘Griottes’ rather than Griotte!

An interesting trio these 99 Esmonins; the Mazy was smooth but full of concentration, power and not a little tension. The Ruchottes was equally smooth but of a lower order of concentration and showing a little oak – then there’s the Griottes which (frankly) far from met expectations; perhaps technically a less good wine than the Mazy, but from a character perspective, the best of the three – now you don’t often get to say that about Griotte(s)!

1999 Frédéric Esmonin, Griottes-Chambertin
Medium, medium-plus colour – still with a little cherry-red shimmer. The nose has a mineral, earthy edge before swirling releases dried currant fruits, finally lovely red berry fruit – even hints of raspberry – hmmm. Intense concentration abetted by perfect acidity. The tannin is is just a little more than ‘background’, and certainly has an astringent edge. I’m bowled over – a Griotte with real character and a little extra dimension in the mid-palate – a Gevrey dimension at that. Chalk and cheese versus the 02 Fourrier – today I’d much, much rather drink this. Character is king…
Rebuy – Yes