The nose is relatively tight; very understated high toned flowers, perhaps pear-drops. This is surprisingly fresh and mineral for a 2009 – too much so? – certainly it’s a little austere. The flavour does expand in the mid-palate, and it’s clearly quite fresh but I’m not entirely convinced this is a great wine for the price – this is relatively expensive for a villages. The last part of the mid-palate and finish has plenty of extract and flavour – I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt but I’d only buy at a much better price.
Villages
2009 Mischief and Mayhem Saint-Romain
Elevage was 50% in stainless-steel and 50% 2 year-old barrels. Bottled in September 2010. A whiff of toast and perhaps a reductive note too – but below is a nice mineral impression which adds ripe lemon if you swirl. This is lithe, fresh and nicely intense – another St.Romain winner from this producer – this will be a lovely summer wine, but certainly more than a quaffer.
2009 Mischief and Mayhem Meursault
There’s a nice concentration to the aromas, ripe yellow fruit that’s framed with a hint of spice – 20% new oak here. Fuller than the St.Romain, this is quite concentrated, even a little rich but there is lovely expansion in the mid-palate and it seems completely balanced. A good wine that speaks of Meursault – what more could you ask?
2009 Mischief and Mayhem Nuits St.Georges
2000 Buisson-Charles Meursault Les Tessons
2010 Roy Marc Marsannay Champs Perdrix
1999 Buisson-Charles Meursault Les Tessons
2009 Roy Marc Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur
More density on the nose versus the 2010s – I won’t go as far as to say clumsy by comparison but clearly there is not the same deft focus. Another very silky wine, whose concentration slowly grows into an understated whole. Very good wine and far from the facile impression that some 09s currently present…
2008 Lignier Lucie et Auguste Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose shows lovely depth; just a hint of musk and dark red fruits. Fresh, but not overly so this trips over the tongue delivering excellent dark-shaded fruit and impressive complexity – just a hint tart in the finish but compellingly-so. Chew and you can find a little tannin that sticks to your mouth with a hint of astringency.