Degustation

1999 clos des cortons faiveley

By billn on October 28, 2007 #degustation

clos des cortons faiveley

The first from a six-pack, opened one hour before pouring:
1999 Faiveley, Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveleytry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red. Faint higher tones over mineral coated pure red cherry that plums a good depth if not much width – give it another hour and there’s a lovely piercing red note. In the mouth it starts narrow, slowly widening as it heads for the mid-palate. The acidity is forward and more than just a little tart but the tannins are well hidden. Everything remains tight going into the finish but I have to say there is a sneaky extra dimension of creamy flavour that expands further in the finish – certainly the most compelling part. Time gives a little more fat and interestingly a little more astringency to ‘balance’. Okay now, but I won’t open another in the next 5 years…
Rebuy – Maybe

jc belland 1996 santenay 1er comme

By billn on October 26, 2007 #degustation

The 1999 of this wine is drinking very well right now – so what about the 1996?
1996 Jean-Claude Belland, Santenay 1er La Commetry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose starts with a fine berry/raspberry note, set against a deeper brooding background – lovely – shame then that after 30 minutes you are left only with the brooding background! The palate itself is fresh and like very many of the lower appellation wines from this vintage, it is defined mainly by it’s acidity. Overall the tannin is hidden but the palate is linear and narrow, concentrated for all that but surprisingly primary. Length is almost good. Overall there is little here to suggest that it’s 11 years since the vintage. I wonder if/when it will ever open out – one more bottle remains – so I’ll give it one more chance, age 15, but I wouldn’t buy more.
Rebuy – No

2002 dugat-py gevrey coeur de roy

By billn on October 22, 2007 #degustation

dugat puy gevrey chambertin coeur du roy
Interesting to let this wine follow the Fourrier. I expected to enjoy the Fourrier more from a style perspective, and this was partly borne out – but the Dugat-Py is actually no muscle-bound monster, nor does it wear an impenetrable suit of oak, it merely lost out because it went through so many phases in the glass, not all of them enjoyable. Overall it impresses but is much more primary (but then it’s also younger) than the Fourrier which today I prefer for it’s elegant, layered complexity – but who is to say that that will not come(?) It’s an easier decision when you factor in the price and realise that you can have 5 bottles of Fourrier for every 2 of the Dugat-Py…

2002 Bernard Dugat-Py, Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur de Roytry to find this wine...
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. On opening, the nose was actually rather engaging – like the Fourrier only denser. After about 40 minutes it’s deeper-still, rather savoury and ungainly – which is a shame – fortunately after 90 minutes it freshens up a little to give a relatively diffuse black-shade fruit which is not great but is certainly better – the last drops in the glass give cause for optimism though. The palate has a smooth, understated entry, in fact it’s silky smooth, linear and with darker-shaded fruit. The finish is understated, and the length is the equal of the 99 Fourrier.
Rebuy – Yes

The last 3rd of the bottle was consumed on day 2: The nose has remained fresh, the palate has remained linear, silky and balanced. An excellent wine for sure.

fourrier 99 gevrey-chambertin

By billn on October 21, 2007 #degustation

fourrier gevrey chambertin
1999 Fourrier, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille-Vignetry to find this wine...
Medium ruby-red. A nose that starts deep and surprisingly oaky given that there’s normally a maximum of 20% in this cellar – but it’s short-lived before fading into redder, layered fruit overlaid by higher toned alcoholic aspects, maybe even an edge of coffee. In the mouth it starts impressively; it’s well balanced, and shows a lovely, succulent, creamy red fruit. Time increases the depth but eventually dulls the excitement just a hint. It’s intense in the mid-palate and you never really think of the tannin before it slowly fades in the finish – still with that creamy edge. Poised, elegant and a first-class villages.
Rebuy – Yes

98 daniel rion nuits les lavières

By billn on October 19, 2007 #degustation

1998 Daniel Rion, Nuits St.Georges Les Lavièrestry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose is deep with wider mineral notes, an edge of spice and just a little uncouth ‘lifted’ alcoholic top-notes. A little fat that overlays plenty of tannin – it’s quite fine though. Good depth and a good length. This is reminiscent more of 1997’s with a slight lack of freshness – though funnily most of Rion’s 97 are almost good. It’s okay but I wouldn’t buy more.
Rebuy – No

drc – 2000 – romanée st.vivant

By billn on October 16, 2007 #degustation

romanee conti vivantMy birthday – so I pulled out a ‘decent’ bottle that I hoped might have just a hint of ‘willingness’. Decanted mainly because of the sediment and drunk over the following 2-3 hours.
2000 DRC, Romanée St.Vivant try to find this wine...
Medium, medium-plus colour – just a very faint edge of amber at the rim. The nose is a sniffer’s delight – though the stems are very forward – they overlay a deep and primary red-fruit nose that’s edged with softness and a faint, savoury, musky note. The more it develops in the glass the more savoury it becomes; the last drops showing an extra fineness. In the mouth the wine is clearly grand cru in texture though the concentration is not so up-front, it rather develops on the tongue in an understated way. The tannins are well covered though I find the acidity is the least perfect aspect – not bad, but just a little bright – at this level I demand seamless. There is a subtle extra dimension in the mid-palate and into the finish – which is also very understated. Apart from the nose and the entry, everything about the wine is subtle and low-key – it holds the interest amply though, even the acidity seems well-judged at the death. Very fine now, if not quite mind-bending. I expect it will only get better for at least the next 10 years but it was very much enjoyed – to the last drop!
Rebuy – Yes (at release price, but not the current $500-900 retail!)

2005 dubreuil-fontaine, corton-perrières

By billn on October 15, 2007 #degustation

corton perrieres dubreuil fontaine

Bought, it now seems, for a ‘song’ at en-primeur time at a mere 39 Swiss francs per…
2005 Dubreuil-Fontaine, Corton-Perrières try to find this wine...
Limpid medium, medium-plus cherry red. The nose starts tight and unyielding. It slowly releases mocha/espresso high-notes and even over 2 hours remains stable without ever revealing more than a glimpse of fruit. The palate is lithe and athletic but with unforgiving concentration – there is much depth but this is clearly not a wine for today. The tannins are very well covered and the length is also quite espresso without ever becoming overly oaky. Not really all that closed, but an impressive and muscular wine that needs at least 5-10 years in the cellar. I think it will reward that wait
Rebuy – Yes

2005 nuits 1er clos st.marc – bp&f

By billn on September 28, 2007 #degustation

I’m starting with a cold. Today it’s only a sore throat but it might be my last bottle for a few days if it spreads to my nose.

Context notwithstanding, this is a wine I’ve been looking forward to open, particularly after tasting the 2006 with Patrice Rion. Here is the last of the run of Bouchard Clos St.Marc cuvées, the 1998 was stunning on it’s last outing – I’m just sad that there’s only one more of those 1998’s in the cellar. This bottle is expensive – 70 Swiss francs – it’s not particularly great value at that, but there is certainly quality and it’s hardly one of those shy, retiring 2005’s right now…
2005 Bouchard Père et Fils, Nuits St.Georges 1er Cru Clos St.Marc try to find this wine...
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose starts with a forward blast of oaky and mineral tones. Time in the glass gives red fruit and a coffee, mocha-tinged almost texturally furry nose – it just shades more blue with time, and it never stops improving. The palate is muscular though the tannin is buried by the concentration, but what is discernable is finely textured. Excellent acidity with good dimension in the mid-palate. The finish has decent length but is currently one-dimensional. It’s an excellent Nuits – no question, approaching grand cru – though it’s definitely 2nd class in terms value versus the previous Daniel Rion.
Rebuy – Yes

full-on 05, daniel rion vosne 1er beaux-monts

By billn on September 26, 2007 #degustation#other sites

After three 2005’s tinged with a measure of disappointment, normal service is resumed.
2005 Daniel Rion, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux-Montstry to find this wine...
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. Initially a nose of deep, soft and sweet medium-toast oak and a little peppery dark fruit, time bestows more caramel and red fruit. Mouthfilling and concentrated yet remaining athletic rather than fat, the tannins are buried beneath the fruit. The mid-palate is expanded in the mouth by lush acidity. Finally it’s a very low-key, but long finish. Here is a 2005 that is not yet guarding its wares. An out-and-out bargain at the en-primeur purchase price of 43 Swiss francs per, that’s 26 Euros. Who says there is no value in Burgundy?
Rebuy – Yes

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