I hardly remember when I bought this wine; it was from a (Swiss) auction lot that included 2 0r 3 of these and half a dozen 1980 Charlemagnes that fit for a friend’s birthyear. The 1980s not from a great year, but the bottles were all sound and had a certain, stony, mineral, Charlemagne style. A couple of the DF’s were also drunk – though I have no memory of them – good or bad.

Fast forward 15 (probably more!) years later, and this last 1979 still sat in the ‘wine fridge’ – it’s actually a normal fridge, full of wine, that happens to be in the cellar !! I mentioned the bottle to Christine Dubreuil-Fontaine and she said that she didn’t think she’d ever tasted the 1979. So lunch, cooked by Christine, was in order to drink this – and it turned out to be lovely!

The 2017 wasn’t opened, it was just on hand to compare the old and the new…

1979 Dubreuil-Fontaine, Corton-Charlemagne
The cork came out in a number of pieces, so the wine was decanted.
This had some depth of golden yell colour – but not orange, or worse-still, brown! What an inviting nose; energy, ripe citrus – a certain sucrosity and all those signs of age, such as lanolin, and white chocolate – yet, with a super clarity too. Here the ‘wool’ wasn’t pulled over the eyes. The palate, like the nose also showed enviable clarity for the age of the bottle. Super architecture and a wonderfully tasty finish. We were all left very happy !!
Rebuy – No Chance!!

2023 Alain Burguet, Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Favourites Vieilles-Vignes
Plenty of colour. Large, forward, slightly spiced ripeness – becoming finer and more direct with air. In the mouth – ooh !! That’s fluid and quite mineral – wonderfully balancing the concentration. Fresh, mobile flavour – what a lovely wine – the nose just getting better and better.
Rebuy – Yes

What a shame – a case shared with the late Marko de Morey – because this was completely corked…

Newer converts to Burgundy, or indeed Sylvain Pataille may, understandably, have a little confusion.

The Marsannay village appellation was created in 1987. The neighbouring village (to the south) of Couchey was included in the new Marsannay Villages appellation, To the north of Marsannay, only the vines in the south of the village of Chenôve were included. Le Chapitre was more northerly so kept a Bourgogne label – until that changed in 2019.

Sylvain has two parcels of vines in Chapitre, and to his credit, since the first of these that I tasted with him, he always maintained that it should be a Marsannay label, indeed, worthy of a Marsannay 1er cru label !

I hope that I’ve one more…

2013 Buisson-Charles, Meursault 1er Goutte d’Or
The domaine likes to think that this vintage has a similar style to 2024 so…
The colour now with a golden hue. The flavours have that cushion of maturity, delivering white chocolate, white flowers and waxy lanolin – still in the youth of that. Hmm – there’s richness to this wine with a cushion to the shape and a very silky texture. The finish almost surprises with a more linear, almost a tiny austerity – that’s superb today…
Rebuy – Yes

2017 A&P de Villaine, Santenay 1er Passetemps
Hmm – approachable, slightly cushioned, rounded aromas of red fruit – a hint of development but hardly. Large in the mouth – hmm, that’s got really really impressive volume – framed with a subtle tannin, more velvet than velour. Very slowly fading… Drinking beautifully from the very start…
Rebuy – Yes

For a short time, this was a contract wine at CdB – so not a domaine wine.

2009 Chandon de Briailles, Volnay 1er Les Caillerets
My first 2009 at home for a while. 2009 was a vintage that I bought, but more with hope in mind. The wines were a little warm and ripe vs my preferences – 2010 was next level, for example in clarity and energy – but as said, I had hope. How well founded was that?
Ooh – I clearly loved this wine 15 years ago, but today it s perfume is rather round and lacking aromatic precision vs what I expect from Caillerets. In the mouth it’s wine of impressive scale and not bad clarity/purity – but, for sure, this is a very ripe presentation of the fruit. The structure is very discrete and the flavours pack a punch. I’m finding the wine has a little impression of higher alcohol but the label disagrees. Give it 5 hours from opening and the glass is much more appealing – the flavours. The aromas still seem a little heavy-handed and generous. It took me 5 hours to want that second glass. Maybe another 10 years?
Rebuy – today No

2014 Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Feuselottes
A meaty, fresh and still perfumed nose, in fact a perfume that grows in the glass. Wide, energetic, a density that compares to the 2024s that we are tasting, but with just a small suggestion of extra angles to the shape. A more herbed accent to the finkshing flavours – but delicious flavours. A treat…
Rebuy – Yes

2014 Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, Ruchottes-Chambertin
A finer grain to this complexity of aroma. Much more direct with a wiry, lithe frame and an intensity of fruit in the middle, which is young but completely accessible. Extra broad finishing – such a large finish, with a suggestion of salinity that adds to the herbed complexity. More than a treat – a baby great wine !!
Rebuy – Yes

At the end of our tasting of 2024s last week, François served up this beauty. I thought it worthy of a mention.

No wonder François was looking pleased with himself 😉

2019 François Mikulski, Meursault Meix Chavaux
Ooh – what a growth of complex, developed aroma already – such a great nose for a villages. You’d have to wait another 5 or 6 years for this if it was sealed with DIAM – life is about the balance of probabilities, so (personally) I’d rather have 100% confidence in my stored wines and wait an extra few years for the age-related complexity to arrive – your choice may differ. Super scale, and of course, extra generosity to the flavour in this vintage, but what flavour… That’s a great villages…