2012 Alex Gambal, Meursault Clos du Cromin
This wine has always had ample width and weight – almost old-style Meursault from both the aromas and impression across the tongue – but there’s really plenty of energy to keep pace. That said, it’s a bottle that I prefer to drink a glass of, before moving onto a red – it stays open 3 days, and it’s just as good at the end as the start. Good wine.
Rebuy – Yes

2010 Domaine Ramonet, Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Oh how pleased I am! I bought both the 2009 and 2010 on release. The 09 was lovely but the 10 was hard and a bit acidic. about 3 years down the line and this has really settled into it’s stride. The aromas are precise, fresh and inviting, and in the mouth it’s still fresh but now mouth-wateringly-so and very tasty too. Indeed Yum!
Rebuy – Yes

Okay, I realise that was just a bit clickbaity, but I really did open one – if only the Bourgogne Rouge – fortunately it was drinking very well indeed 😉

Since Allen Meadows scored this domaine’s 2005s, they basically departed the world’s list of ‘available’ wines – at least for mere mortal pricing. My recent cellar move was allowed me discover lots of interesting bottles, so here was the tester.

2005 Ponsot, Bourgogne Cuvée du Pinson
According to the label there were just 1704 bottles of this domaine wine produced, (plus magnum+jeroboams? – probably not…) and it reached a mere 12.6% alcohol – according to the label anyway. The temperature ‘spot’ on my label remains pristine and white – though don’t take that as a guarantee of anything in particular as the earlier implementations are notoriously unreliable.
A good, not too young colour that you can easily see through – no opaque monster. Hmm – nice – the nose is clearly ripe but also freshly direct like fresh cranberry juice. In the mouth too, this is certainly not in the top league of powerful, extracted 2005 bourgognes, rather it is a wine of nice intensity, really excellent balance and an uncommonly silky texture. Very yum drinking now, and really no rush at all to consume. Excellent Bourgogne if not a ‘special’ wine in the context of the vintage!
Rebuy – Yes (if ever seen)

I’m really at a loss with these half bottles – luckily I have less and less of them…

Way-back-when, when the 1999s were released I was fortunate enough to buy Mugnier’s Musigny, Amoureuses and villages Chambolle. I didn’t have much of the villages, but it tasted great, so I jumped in and bought a dozen halves too – just as well, I thought, as those 75cls are long-gone.

I drank an early Musigny at it was brilliant (note that I’m very happy to have drunk that young bottle, despite Frederic deciding it’s not up to us when to drink them). I’ve had a couple of Amoureuses too – the last 2 years ago – and, likewise, it was brilliant – perhaps even more brilliant, certainly aromatically. But! I’ve ‘tested’ these villages halves every 2-3 years, and frankly they have never been that great, i.e. consistently not great – I think I now have 3 or 4 left. This week’s bottle seems to offer a modest but not classically Chambolle aroma, but the finishing flavours are frankly bitter and not that much fun. I don’t, however, see any obvious faults, just a not very tasty, 15 year-old villages, from a renowned producer. I questioned my timing in previous years, but at some stage that becomes a false crutch.

Good storage, good looking condition, consistently poor results versus the excellent ‘other’ Mugnier 99s from the same source in my cellar.

I remain bemused …

2000 Vougeraie, Clos de Vougeot
A big round, faintly developed nose of leaves with a sweeter, complex depth – a great start. Versus the last time I opened one of these, the overall impression is a little more direct and less padded, yet still with just a hint of Clos de Vougeot strictness. I’m liking this, yet without the total love of previous bottles. A phase or this bottle? One never knows, but all the same, a more than adequately satisfying wine, even one with such an ‘important’ label.
Rebuy – Yes