I was surprised when I opened the 6-pack, because I thought I’d ordered this Chablis. It didn’t turn out too bad though!
2005 Joseph Drouhin, Domaine Vaudon Chablis
Pale lemon-yellow. The nose has some intensity; high tones over ripe, linear fruit – there’s no seashore but it’s nice enough. Versus the ripe, slightly sweet Drouhin bottling, that is amply balanced by lovely acidity, this is just a little more austere; again super acidity but this time a little more to the fore but the mid-palate intensity – to which the acidity contributes – is super. Reasonable length too. Painfully young, but like an itch you can’t stop scratching – and this type of itch is usually more expensive to scratch – this is already my third bottle and I can feel another order coming on…
Rebuy – Yes

1998 Antonin Guyon, Corton Clos du Roy
Medium ruby-red colour. The nose is wide and quite forward, some diffuse higher tones and faintly spiced red fruit. The palate is lithe and muscular, good acidity too complimenting tannin that’s forward, but ripe and well under control. There’s a small burst of intensity before the finish – which is not bad, but could be longer. Muscular, interesting and balanced – if not stunning.
Rebuy – Maybe

2006 Chablis Les Tisserandes
This is a cheap cuvée sold each year and bottled for the Co-op in Switzerland – I don’t know who by – almost always on a special offer and in this case for just under 10 Swiss francs – about £4 or €7. Each year I buy a bottle, but rarely more – in such a vintage as 2005 it was somehow watery and inconsequential – how could they have made a decent in in 2006? Don’t expect miracles at this price-point, but this is actually not bad. Medium pale green-yellow. A wide if faint, but interesting high-toned nose. Clean, well textured with a very nice crescendo of acidity coming into the mid-palate. Medium length. What helps this wine deliver is that acidity – it works rather well. If I have a party this is worth considering, though for my house wine I’d still rather pay the 50% extra and go for the Drouhin Chablis or the Jadot.
Rebuy – Maybe

Afterwards I drank a lovely 2001 Krossfelder (a Coop) Alsace Riesling that cost little more than this Tisserandes – it was intense, balanced and tasty – a far better wine.

1999 Nicolas Potel, Bourgogne Maison Dieu
Medium, medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose is deep, with dark oak coating more distant baked red cherry, topped by higher-toned alcoholic notes. Initially good acidity starts to turn a little bright in the mid-palate and even faintly bitter as it runs into the finish – but I’m being picky here. To focus purely on the acidity ignores reasonably well grained tannin and ripe, oak coated fruit. This remains an above average and quite young bourgogne that is pretty well balanced and still needs a couple more years in the cellar – I decided it would always retain its oaky base, but to prove me wrong, on day two the remnants were largely free of it and very nice.
Rebuy – Maybe

1995 Dujac, Clos de la Roche
The colour is starting to take on a shade of mahogany, not perfectly bright – but see through. Aromatically it’s about heavy stems over pretty red fruit – cherry, strawberry and raspberry – and a little ‘raised’ balsamic impression. The palate is well textured and apart from a little extra width and intensity in the mid-palate, the wine is about understated, balanced delivery. The finish is almost good – no more. I think my last bottle was 3-4 years ago, the colour is a little older and the tannin is softer. Certainly very good, but my expectation is for outstanding.
Rebuy – Maybe

I must have been having a bad day, or perhaps it was the phase of the moon but I liked all of these when I paid a visit in May. M&M certainly seem to be on a roll. It was only the other day that I thought about it from a new perspective; if you can find a retailer of the wines and (important!) you like the style, it’s like having your own ‘personal shopper’ tasting dozens and dozens of things that you don’t have the time/possibility to do. The team at M&M taste lots and lots of wine and try to buy the ones they like – if you like what they like – bingo! I seem to be nicely correlated to their whites, the downside of which is that it can get expensive – the prices are not bad – so you buy more…doh!
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Morgeot
Bottled at the end of February. The nose is high-toned and shows nice depth. This is quite big in the mouth, there’s plenty of fruit extract and just the right amount of acidity to whisk you into a good finish.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Meursault 1er Charmes
It’s a nicely characteristic nose, some high tones over roast nuts. The palate has a nice, lean minerality and very good acidity to match. Fast on its feet, this is lovely – nice finish too.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Puligny-Montrachet 1er, Champs-Gains
A waxy, dense and impressive nose. Lovely minerality and super acidity that pushes long into a creamy finish. There’s a great extra dimesion in the mid-palate too. Just so communicative today – very lovely.
Rebuy – Yes like a shot…
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Puligny-Montrachet 1er, Caillerets
The nose is not so deep as the Champs-Gains, a little tighter but with a clear extra width. The action here is on the palate; mouthfilling then rather hauntingly and understatedly long. This has tightened since last tasted, the waves of attack are on a lower level. Still very, very classy.
Rebuy – Yes and did
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Gevrey-Chambertin
The nose is floral, bright and ripe – given time it shows redder and redder. Clean and linear with tannin that shows itself quite late. This is a nice fresh villages and recommended.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Volnay 1er, Clos des Chênes
A mineral nose with an undercurrent of red cherry. Lovely, with slightly plush concentration. The tannins are a little grainy but ripe and well-managed. Intense with a lingering finish. Worthy of the label.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Pommard 1er, Clos Blanc
An impressively complex nose, interesting and high-toned. Ripe, intense and again ripe tannin. Plenty of red-fruited, dense concentration. Very good.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Corton-Bressandes
A lovely, understated though ripe and slightly musky nose. Densly concentrated, super acidity with a real extra dimension on the palate. Good length too. A real grand cru at a bargain price.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Clos de Vougeot
The nose is very understated – not giving much away. The palate has a narrow entry that suddenly and impressively widens – bathed in ripe, decently grained tannin. There are many worse Clos Vougeots, though this is clearly giving little away today.
Rebuy – Maybe

2001 Bouchard P&F, Beaune 1er du Château
Last tried almost 3 years ago and it was very ‘awkward’. Medium ruby-red colour. Softly sweet red nose – primary but pretty. Medium weight, nicely transparent and with good acidity. This is altogether quite a charmer today – shame I held of more purchases as it’s all gone now!
Rebuy – Yes