I needed to ‘get my hand in’ after a few wine-less days. What better than a long chat with a bunch of wine-centric people(?)

My recollections, 24 hours later…

2002 Raveneaux, Chablis 1er Vaillons
A relatively deep gold though there’s nothing amiss on the nose; which is a little dense but like the skin of an onion keeps shedding a new layer of interest. The palate starts a little monolithic and misses some excitement, yet in the mid-palate a line of super-smooth acidity ushers you into a more interesting mid-palate and finish. I kept coming back to this and each time it was more engaging…
Rebuy – Yes

2004 JF Mugnier, Nuits 1er Clos de la Maréchale
The colour is starting to show some age. The aromas are a poster-child for the vintage, I can taste it too. Not for me.
Rebuy – No

2000 Armand Rousseau, Clos de la Roche
The aromas initially mix a little mineral and green – not so engaging. The palate is a world different; sweet, complex, fresh enough and like the Raveneaux, quite engaging. The nose very slowly improves, losing the strident edge and taking on a little sweetly smoky bacon-fat aromas.
Rebuy – Yes

Many thanks to the provider of the bottles…

David Croix told me his 2008s were like monks – totally silent when opened in the morning before singing later in the day. I think I know what he means, only this monk seemed to be en grève…

2008 des Croix, Beaune 1er Les Grèves
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose shows a faint savoury edge but little else for at least an hour, swirl madly a there’s dark but tight core of fruit with faint oak seasoning. Given plenty of time (2+hours) the nose shows a little inky depth before sticking with a glossy dark red/black fruit personality, only the last drops have a pure redcurrant essence. The palate starts just a little tart, but within 30 minutes it’s opened a little addng both texture and sweetness of fruit – from the start it is intense but it’s a linear intensity. For the life of the bottle it never quite fulfils it’s potential – the acidity remains just-about in balance (sorbet-like), and despite its intensity the wine offers only a very linear experience – even on day two. Everything seems in place, but I don’t know how long we might have to wait to see a ‘wow’.
Rebuy – Maybe

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!