The nose is mineral and understated – yet there is quite some depth. In the mouth, this has a nice racy stance with good texture and a nice depth of flavour that slowly expands before decaying in the finish. This wine has much to commend it – it is neither simple nor ‘fruity’, but it is engaging.
This was drunk in the evening in the company of other producer’s wines. Understated aromatics of herb and soil – interesting and not without depth. In the mouth this is quite linear but with good acidity – nothing tart about any of the 08 Camus range – quite long and interesting too. In the mid-palate there is no sparkle but there is a hint of muscle.
Medium colour, again with plenty of browning. The nose starts in a very tight way; some savoury notes but little else to latch onto. Very slowly a raspberry perfume with clear stem references begins to evolve. The first mouthful is of a perfectly balanced, if rather thin, wine. There is a little rasp from what remains of the tannin – it’s a nice touch of character. There is eventually an interesting extra dimension, and some intensity, in the mid-palate – this is not a food wine, it’s flavours are engulfed by just about anything. Without food there’s just enough sweetness, but overall, it’s hardly worth the effort. After the 66 Pommard of last week, this is something of a let-down.
Medium plus core of relatively young looking colour. The aromas are deep, a little raisined plus soil and a low level forest-floor note. Full, slightly fat, silky-smooth texture – roll the wine around in your mouth and you will eventually feel some tannin which delivers a lick of bitter-chocolate flavour in the finish – a hint of astringency too. The acidity starts in a very understated way, but peaks in the mid-palate, decaying in tandem with the high-toned flavour. On the first day this wine is certainly flirting with me, but behind the smile is a strict upbringing – I don’t expect a virtuoso performance before it’s twenty-one – but it has potential! Day two and this is very composed and chic; a strong mineral note reminds that it comes from the soil – despite being dressed by Chanel – super.
Medium golden colour. The first notes on the nose were – ouch – of Jerez, I left the bottle for five or six hours. On returning there’s merely a suggestion of that oxidative note, more to the fore is dense core of aroma that smells of old oak and some suggestions of mature aromas. Full in the mouth, flavour growing in the mid-palate with cool acidity; the flavour is intense and very long, some creamy and toffee elements too – though it’s not particularly moreish. Day two it’s a little (not lots) better, still with a hint of oxidation. Day three there is none, perhaps the colour is also more yellow than gold. Now it has creamy depth with a hint of lanolin (normally I expect this on 15+ year-old wine). In the mouth it’s full and powerful a hint toffeed and still maybe not the greatest mid-palate flavour – but for the first time I’ve topped up my glass. So, this Chevalier is in an awful place right now. Accepted there were sherry aromas when opened, and even on day two. But no-one tasting this wine on day 3 would say it was premoxed, it has become cleaner every day; it was on the same level after 72 hours (open) as after 48 – just that rather frumpy presentation that many 05s show.
Bottle 79 of 320. The cork easily slides out in one piece – but what a disappointing looking thing – tiny compared to a villages cork from 08. Still, they say size isn’t everything! Medium colour – perfectly clear with just a hint of amber at the rim. Clean smelling, some dried leaves but no obvious fruit to start with, time adds some wet leaves and damp soil too. A narrow, soft and sweet entry but with good acidity and then suddenly there’s tannin in the mouth. Plenty of mid-palate flavour that seems to be molten essence of barrel and perhaps some minerality – much nicer than it sounds and is very complex and very long. The finishing flavours include in their complexity a hint of something volatile and also a hint of something oxidised. Far from seamless, but a wine that offers something new with every sniff and every taste. Lovely, but despite plenty of tannin, seems to be losing a little cohesion – if you have some of the the other 319 bottles I wouldn’t think that they will get better. On day two – despite overnighting in the fridge – too much oxidation for enjoyment.
Medium colour. The nose delivers spades of interest; high-toned dark, minerally fruit over a slightly diffuse but engaging core – I can’t help sniffing – a slightly musky and stemmy impression also adds value to set against some barrel vanilla and coconut (100% oak as only 1 barrel!). In the mouth there’s enough fat to easily balance the lovely acidity, and the flavour slowly builds to a crescendo in the mid-palate – there is perhaps a hint of CO2 that turns up the volume of the fireworks, but fireworks there are, and it seems very well judged. The flavours are dark red, almost blue-skinned fruit and they last incredibly well – even for a Grand Cru – admittedly there’s some of that coconut thing going on again in the finish, but this delivers oodles of precocious loveliness. Super – drink it over the next 12 months to enjoy this performance or wait at least fifteen years for harmony and something of the real Corton
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