Great, good or bad – I feel I’d be wasting this bottle by putting it in a blind line-up…

Referencing this recent post – there was a comment (and linked study) from reader, Siddharth Dasgupta – particularly relevant to the potential for inbuilt bias whilst tasting.

It’s something that you have to be aware of and I know I do sometimes find myself making apologies for small issues – relevant at the time of tasting – but perhaps not relevant in the context of an anticipated maturity window for wines of known (higher) potential at maturity – blind tasting is largely in the moment. So a few thoughts on my perspective:

Blind tasting has its place and it’s a great place for grounding – indeed challenging – your expectations but from my perspective, the whole idea of Burgundian hierarchies and appellations and climate and lieux-dits – not to mention the vintage effect – makes for the extra anticipation of drinking a Chambolle – or a Musigny! It is exactly this anticipation and how the wine compares to the construct that I have prepared in my mind for the wine and the vintage that is the most fascinating to me.

Of course, I may be more inclined to forgive some aspects of an expensive wine due to the reasoning cited above or I may be in another camp – one that will be less tolerant of issues – particularly outright faults – but it’s exactly this construct that can also highlight, indeed emphasise, my disappointments. Renown and your personal expectations can be a double-edged sword – and a sharp one at that!

Maybe my fortunate position as not just(!) a taster of thousands of wines per year – I like drinking them too! – gives me a different perspective to that of the average drinker – I’ve already tasted at more than 370 domaines since the 2022 harvest. But for me there’s even more pleasure and interest in comparing a wine with my expectations than the discovery of something blind – but both are important – it’s simply a question of the ratio of one to another.

Or how about coupling the two? – what about 20x Echézeaux from a single vintage? – That sounds good to me!

Feel free to ask – I may have some memory 😉

No ‘big guns’ but still some nice recent bottles to have graced my glass…

The levelling, or should that be the humbling, of blind tasting. Actually, no shame here, I simply (erroneously) assumed that all the wines were Burgundian!

I was just told they were 2021s, maybe with a 2020 and from village to GC level. My instant blind reactions:
1 bland nose, austere palate
2 nose only a bit better but with super middle and finishing flavour
3 similar to previous but with more intensity to the fine finish
4 paler, slightly bland perhaps as its oak is a bit more visible
5 aha – here’s the GC – the first with a quality and clarity to the nose and more depth of flavour with a superior finish
6 darker still – pungent but pyrazine green nose. In the mouth powerful, clearly the 2020 but too green for me – no!

You could say that I was surprised when the bottles were revealed as there were some wines not living up to their reputations. But mainly I was surprised because all – apart from the last – could have been 2021 burgundies!

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!