After the Corton, here the nose is more obviously complex – a clear Vosne vernacular – but for all that it’s less precise and focused than the Corton – but with width and depth, a wine of scale. In the moth it’s rounder, more visible tannin than the Corton but like all these wines the structure shows restraint even though there’s a faint hint of ‘grab’. Super.
The nose here gives the impression of a bit more muscle and in shape shows more width than depth. Clearly another level of structure on the palate, but those tannins are polished and the flavour is more overtly mineral than fruity. Impressive stuff – the last drops in the glass now show a super-classy red berry note. Despite the polish, proper CV!
Magnum. A good medium-plus colour. The aromas have some mature leaf and a depth of brown-sugared fruit – rather nice, whatever it sounds like! Rather anonymous entry but then there’s a nice acidity and all of a sudden an impressive expansion of flavour that slows into the finish – it could even be a grand cru! Tannin seems an after-thought, the finish being rather sweet. Can I honestly say this is Corton? Nope, but I can say it is tasty mature wine with no faults – this is (was) a hit!
Medium colour. The nose offers occasional floral flashes, there is little on show here, perhaps just a little warm brown sugar. Sweetness of fruit and just a faint sour edge to good acidity. There’s a nice core of flavour, still with a faint rasp of tannin and quite some complexity – like a creamy cinnamon flavour but it’s all in the mid-palate and finish. This, grand cru or not, is a wine of subtle complexity rather than intensity and/or concentration. There should be no rush to drink this, but this is hardly even a middle-weight of a wine – that said, it was lovely!
Ten minutes are needed for the nose to open, but when it does…
Stunning, sweet-inflected red blood, faint smoke and precise layers of fruit – glorious stuff. The palate is very fine, showing ripe fruit and nice acidity – just a little minerality too. I still expect more oomph from a Grand Cru – the intensity and concentration is more that of a villages – churlish to complain (perhaps) as this is both complex and compelling. Just beautiful wine. This time around, none was left to oxidise overnight!
The colour’s quite dark. Aromatically this is rather monolithic for quite some hours – only on day two do you have more of a Vosne impression, but there is still a solid core of dark, almost roast, licorice-laced fruit. There’s good acidity and balance – just a little lithe in shape and it’s also sneakily, mouth-wateringly long. Whilst it’s not very tannic, there’s the clear impression that everything that could have been extracted, was extracted. Drinkable but despite that, a mile away from drinking ‘nicely’. Wait at least 10 years…
The second bottle from this ‘cache’. The nose is completely lovely; a reasonabe depth but sweet and understatedly creamy. The fruit doesn’t (at least to start with) show any of the roasted character I noted with bottle 1. Silky and clean, the last impression is a little astringency though not much obvious tannin to support that. Mineral and with good acidity – the mouthwatering flavour lasts long in the mouth but always majoring on the mineral. Not super-intense, but certainly enjoyable.
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is at first reticent but the array of pretty red and black fruits is certainly enticing. Eventually there’s a more savoury soil note which isn’t so nice – I hope that’s just a phase. Silky entry, with good freshness. There is a wiry strength to this, linear until the flavours grow in the mid-palate then decay in a subtle but long finish. Overall this has quite a mineral personality and largely submerged tannins – but it’s certainly less involving than the 2008 was at this time last year. A good wine but with a question-mark over the aromatics…(?)
Deep golden hue. The nose started as an old (but correct) white does; interesting, a little diffuse but nuts an d a faint impression there may be some oxidation. In minutes it comes together, delivers more focus and adds a little caramel, some struck-match too. In the mouth, this is less sweet than the nose suggests – you even have the impression that there is a hint of tannic astringency. Quite long flavours and even a little more flavour development in the mid-palate. Certainly this is interesting and even a little rewarding but it will never be cosseting, nor ever was (probably) ‘great’.
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