I don’t think I’ve had a Billard-Gonnet before – it seems that that may have been a mistake. I also don’t know the vineyard – two mistakes already.

To avoid a third mistake and while it’s 30°C outside, this had another 20 minutes in the refrigerator before opening – it came from the 18°C cellar – which isn’t bad for mid-summer but needs an extra ‘foil’ to defend the heat. Anyway it was quite a lovely wine, which was bought locally for ~25 Euros…
2004 Billard-Gonnet, Pommard 1er Clos des Vergers
Rather deeply coloured. The nose starts tight, clean, slightly floral but gets progressively more impressive with red fruit that has a twist of blueberry in the mix – despite being primary it becomes very lovely – there is a hint of the vintage green somewhere but it’s on such a low level it is really additive. The palate is linear and intense, also very clean and mineral even. It’s just a little more unruly in the mid-palate but only because it’s so effusive. It’s a lower-case finish showing a slightly creamy undertone. This is very impressive for a 2004, I must look out for the 2005!
Rebuy – Yes

1976 Camille Giroud, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cazetiers
No Girouds for a while and then like buses, two come along almost together. This has an impressive, deep, sweet, caramel old wine nose; no funk, no nasties just ‘irony’ (not ironic) and interesting for sniff after sniff. Smooth on the palate, it expands very nicely as you move towards the finish. The tannins are very well managed unlike (still) some from ’76. Very alive, some elegance and quite some personality. Like many older Girouds, it doesn’t show quite the complexity you expect from the age – or the length, but despite not classing it as ‘great’, I would certainly class it as a lovely glass that was much appreciated.
Rebuy – Yes

2005 Camille Giroud, Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Medium plus colour. The nose is wide, ripe and softly red fruited. In the mouth you have to get past a little dissolved carbon dioxide – it’s the first time that David Croix hasn’t racked during elevage – frankly you need an hour after opening or a few minutes in a decanter. You return to find a really good depth and balance and an uncommon length for the label. The nose has now taken on an additional toffee dimension. I get the impression there is also a reasonable amount of village level material in this as it’s very good.
Rebuy – Yes

2001 Colin-Deleger, St.Aubin 1er Le Charmois
Medium-plus yellow.

Wide, just a little tight yet waxy with some pleasing depth and and a twist of citrus.

The palate is plush yet at the same time reasonably mineral; it expands and expands in the mouth with a waxy, concentrated texture and length that has a faint impression of coconut but for all that seems fine.

It’s not a cheap example of St.Aubin, but on this hot evening it’s certainly an impressive one; it’s open and very tasty. It actually followed a bottle of Jadot’s 2005 bourgogne chardonnay, and despite the quality of that wine, this is a major quality advancement.

Recommended.
Rebuy – Yes

1997 Champy, Beaune 1er Clos des Avaux
(Magnum) Deep and dark on the nose. Sweet and ripe fruit runs through the palate, no problem with the tannins but the acidity seems not all that well integrated. Overall this is not bad, indeed quite drinkable.
Rebuy – No
1997 Château de Chorey, Beaune 1er Les Cras
(Magnum) Medium-plus colour. On the nose you note the much fresher fruit than many. Lots of ripe concentration on the palate backed by forward but ripe tannin. Understated length too. This is very very good for the vintage.
Rebuy – Maybe
1997 Lucien Jacob, Beaune 1er Cent Vignes
A wide and interesting nose of red fruit that largely avoids roast notes. High-toned in the mouth, concentrated and somehow masculine. Plenty of ripe tannin and good depth. Also very good in this vintage
Rebuy – Maybe
1997 Michel Lafarge, Beaune 1er Grèves
An understated, tight nose. Sweet red strawberry fruit on the palate couples to understated tannins and reserves as yet untested. Understatedly impressive.
Rebuy – Yes
1997 Bouchard Père et Fils, Beaune 1er Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus
The nose is reasonably fresh and quite wide. In this company the palate is very fresh yet still appears balanced. The fruit is tight yet ripe, but is wrapped in fine tannin that adheres to your teeth – they seem ripe enough. This is the youngest wine I’ve yet come across in this series of ’97’s, I would not hesitate in saying leave these for another 5 years. Seems to have real potential.
Rebuy – Yes

A wine which easily amplifies the point; don’t worry about the prices of the ‘top’ wines in 2005 – you can fill your cellar with wines like these and drink happily for the next 15 years – no problem!
2005 Gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Ladoix Les Carrières
Deep cherry red colour. A deep and dark nose; it’s a mix of red and and black fruits and a very subtle undertone of oak. Mouth-filling, soft-textured – density without inappropriateness and ripe primary fruit. The acidity brings a ‘just right’ balance. Tannins are not too unruly though you will have to search hard for them and there’s an additional faint black olive element that seems wood derived. Tasted blind you might guess a 2004 grand cru from the concentration but alas never the finish – merely a solid medium length. Tremendous value at €12 and highly recommended.
Rebuy – Yes

1997 Champy, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
(Magnum) Medium colour. The nose shows quite some oak overlaying roasted fruits. The palate is incredibly unruly but also quite fun – oak, astringent tannin and that same roasted fruit – you could never use the term ‘balanced’.
Rebuy – No
1997 Simon Bize, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Marconnets
(Magnum) Medium-plus colour. The nose is understated – actually quite tight. The palate is equally tight, the only forward aspect is the grainy astringency of the tannin, the fruit gives little away, though it’s ripe enough and shows no roast characteristics. In this format I wouldn’t be rushing to drink bottles, but I wouldn’t be searching them out either.
Rebuy – No
1997 Chandon de Brailles, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Lavières
(Magnum) This smells a little older than its years, but I have to say it smells wonderful – just wide, understated complexity. The palate doesn’t quite live up to the early billing as the main component is astringent grainy tannin. That the nose is so far ahead of the palate is a little worrysome and would dissuade me from looking for bottles, but if you have some, keep them locked for now.
Rebuy – No
1997 Jean-Marc Pavelot, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Aux Gravains
(Magnum) A deep, dank, underbrush nose with ripe fruit to match. Sweet, with high-toned fruit in the mouth and still some tannin too – though less astringent than the preceding wines. This is very good, but really does require another 3 or so years in the cellar – in this format anyway.
Rebuy – Maybe
1997 Bruno Clair, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Dominodes
Wide, sweet and interesting aromatics – some dried fruits in the background. Plenty of grainy tannin, but it’s ripe tannin – nice density and the fruit is pleasant enough. This is also very good and like the Pavelot also requires another 3 or 4 years in the cellar.
Rebuy – Maybe

At the recent Beaune tasting of 1997’s a number of people pointed to the quality of this wine – but those were the same people who downed the magnum before I could get a sample! Anyway given some of the illustrious names that made those comments I ‘bit’ on a case from a local merchant – that’s more bottles than my preference (at least 6 more!) but they don’t split cases – anyway at ~25% of the (ridiculous) price of the 2005 it turns out to be a bit of a ‘snip’! Come to think of it, if Sylvain did such a good job with his 97’s, I have a lovely warm feeling inside about that day in the future when I break open my six-pack of his 1999 Romanée Saint-Vivant…
1997 Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne 1er Aux Malconsorts
Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose is deep and dense with an edge of maturity, cocoa and undergrowth too – actually it reminds me of the 97 La Tâche – cool! – very Vosne. The cocoa/chocolate is apparent on the palate too, set against some fat and a lovely penetrating and slowly lingering central line of flavour. Of-course the acidity is on a relatively low level but, hence, provides no awkward shape to the wine. The tannin is velvetty and has just a trace of bitterness, but in a pleasing bitter chocolate style. The length is very impressive – maybe it was worth buying a full 12 after-all! The balance makes this quite precocious, so for drinking from now and over the next 10+ years.
Rebuy – Yes although I already have enough now!

2005 F&D Clair, Santenay
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose starts like cherryade and whilst it becomes a little finer, on day one it never loses the intense cherry although in the background there’s an additional mineral edge. Day two it’s much more interesting with a red berry note behind the cherry – very nice. The main impression on the palate is a rather forward acidity – it’s clean and lingering but certainly pronounced – for all that it has quite some intensity. Day two it’s a little rounder. It’s nice enough wine, and without some of the extra ripeness of many from this vintage. It’s not very expensive yet becomes ever-more serious if you give it enough time. In 2005 there’s a lot of competition at the lower price points, this is good but doesn’t excel.
Rebuy – Maybe