2007 L&A Lignier, Bourgogne Aligoté
Medium-pale greeny-yellow. The nose has impact and depth – super – savoury undertones and a dried pineapple. The first sips make me think to grapefruit, mainly because it seems under-sugared – slowly either it mellows or I become less sensitive – I expect it is the latter! Lovely freshness with a hint of peach and a good texture too. The finish is understated but retains some sneaky flavour. I enjoyed this in a slightly masochistic way and perhaps a year or two will allow this to mellow a little.
Rebuy – Maybe

1990 Tortochot, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos des Corvées
Medium colour – and quite a remarkable colour at that – you might think it cam from a 2001 or 2002, not a 20 year wine. The fruit aromas have sweetness, concentration and a bloody depth. A texture that just about avoids fatness but delivers in its stead a velvet impression from fading tannins – were they a bit astringent in their youth? – I expect so. Very well balanced, though it is a wine whose whole personality is about up-front impact, the finish being medium at best despite the quality of what went before, and showing some nice dried cranberry/currant. Yet for a 20 year-old villages wine I revert to my earlier adjective – remarkable. Can you expect more form such a cuvée at this age? – I’ll decide after I’ve opened the ’85…
Rebuy – Yes

One of the more interesting things about writing on one subject for a number of years is that you slowly get to know more and more people. Friday evening I was very happy to finally take up the invitation of meeting a Swiss correspondent (of some years) and his wife plus an equally ‘focused’ friend.

With homemade faire we managed to get through 2008 villages St.Aubin from Thomas Morey, 1999 Bernard Morey (Thomas’s dad) 1er Puligny Les Truffière, 1996 Serveau Morey 1er Les Sorbets and as a coup de grace 1982 Sérafin Charmes-Chambertin. Lots of fun I have to say. Quickly from memory I would say 1-tight, 2-linear, young, reasonably concentrated, 3-slow to open, elegant more and more detailed as you waited, 4-extra fat, interest and mid-plate complexity and you would never guess the age – I might expect a few guesses around 88 but probably younger – this was a proper tour of interesting Burgundy. As far as I’m concerned, ‘interesting’ always wins…

Switzerland has never really had the consistent merchant activity of some other countries so real enthusiasts got in their cars and made the trip to the Côtes – my host blames Becky Wasserman! – in 1974 or ’75 he read an article in the International Herald Tribune that she’d written, an article that made him decide on a trip to Burgundy, something he’s done at least once per year ever-since. Actually he is sad that during a recent clean-up he threw away an example of those less touristic and ‘informed’ days, an old price-list from Domaine Cathiard in Vosne, a price-list from 1976 – Romanée St.Vivant was just 15 francs per bottle – he bought a mix of bottles, about 100 in total! This type of purchasing went on for years, not just knowing the father, the mother (who usually took the money!) and son, but often having lunches together on their annual visits and following the generation changes and wines they made.

There was no room in this for a list of critical scores – from what I could tell, the wines from this cellar did not lack for that!

The last of my quartet from 1986. I was surprised by the cleanliness and decent condition of the first three, can this really make 4 in a row? It seems so.

So what have I learned about the vintage from this small sample? There’s impact, there’s a weight of concentration and I expect that there was some very astringent tannin during the early years. Perhaps these wines are a little too monolithic, certainly there is no delicacy though the acidity is up to the job. All were drinkable and far from fading, and whilst the Clos de Vougeot will take the aromatic plaudits, this Bonnes-Mares is the most complete wine. I’d say that the wines are like 1992 with more concentration.

1986 Fougeray de Beauclair, Bonnes-Mares
The nose doesn’t offer the instant ‘to die for’ gratification of the Cotetidot 86 Clos de Vougeot, but it also far from disappointing; there’s a savoury, slightly saline impression that I assume has its roots in oak – although it’s a little tight, it’s also quite inviting. Given time the nose develops a more earthy depth. Silky, with grand-cru fat, this shows a little of that saline element in the flavour too, coupled to slightly oaky bitterness. The mid-palate just bursts forward with minerality and a selection of dried fruits; sweet currant and fig flavours stain your palate, eventually gaining a faint creaminess. The first of these 86s where I’m not delaying the next pour!
Rebuy – Yes

2008 des Croix, Corton-Charlemagne
Medium yellow. The nose starts with a width of Charlemagne herbs, slowly but surely taking on a warmer, slightly heady orchard blossom aroma. Start drinking when it’s too cold and this is certainly not a Charlemagne of instant impact, rather it builds both concentration and intensity in the mouth. In the mid-palate there is GC extract and intensity that fades on beautiful acidity. Silky understatement but considerable length, no extraneous inputs, just pure wine. Yum!
Rebuy – Yes