my christmas magnum opus

3.1.2019billn

Of-course with a little help from my friends…

You already met the 1981 Nuits, earlier in my posts, so:

2010 Alain Geoffroy, Chablis 1er Beauroy
Light, very young colour. The nose is pure, saline, seashore – perfect. Nice zing and intensity – pure and delicious flavour – the finish a little short/inconsequential – but a prefect condition, perfect quaffer that everyone loved – easy!
Rebuy – Maybe

2010 Camille Giroud, Corton-Charlemagne
My 2017s in 75cl all died more than 3-4 years ago, but this is pristine in magnum format.
Certainly a darker colour, still a suggestion of oak but a powerful lychee-style tropicality, yet rippling muscle, and fine energetic drive to the concentrated flavour. Honestly, this is such a baby – a delicious baby – but maybe drunk 5-10 years too soon. Hard to tell with some of these wines – eh?
Rebuy – Yes

1998 Faiveley, Corton, Clos des Cortons Faiveley
I thought that Erwan Faiveley was having some fun when he described this cuvée as ‘approachable’ – I thought to myself ‘approachable in what – a full hazard suit?’ but this frightening combination of cuvée and vintage is indeed quite drinkable – but it’s still 10 years too early in this format!
A nose of cool fruit, blood, a certain celery-style herb – but very clean – there’s no brett or anything like that. In the mouth medium bodied but with a good intensity – very young, practically primary flavour but zero astringent and I must say, a nice texture. Baby wine – it drank well over nearly 3 days, but like a ‘too young’ wine.
Rebuy – Yes

2006 Alex Gambal, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Amoureuses
I have some of this in magnums from 2006 and 2005 – it’s still too early to prise a 2005 from the cellar I think…
Medium-plus colour. The nose has an easy quality to it – appealing, but far from the invitation of an Amoureuses. Tasty wine, of good shape, modest intensity and even quite good complexity. Simply a good wine. I was expecting more – luckily the premium for this label was very little in those days. Tasty but not special.
Rebuy – No

2013 Nathalie & Gilles Fevre, Chablis Les Preuses
I decided too early to open any of 2012, 2014, 2015 or 2016 but maybe 2013 would be worth it! Loved the silver-coloured wax capsule.
Hmm – a big aromatic here, a little apricot and lychee, but also a saline suggestion too. In the mouth, big energetic wine with plenty of sucrosity – it’s completely delicious – though you may be hard pressed to spot it as a Chablis – blind. But loved by all.
Rebuy – Maybe

2008 Camille Giroud, Bourgogne Pinot Noir – Cuvée L
L for lees – the blending of the remaining lees at bottling for all this producer’s wines – bourgogne, villages, 1ers and grands crus – then left a number of months more to (best as possible) settle. Clearly this needed more than the 5 days I gave it – it was never clean and bright!
Fresh – open, younger but complex nose. Open, good intensity – fresh-flavoured – actually very delicious in an open and easy style. Not perfect clarity, but a shape, a definition, that reminded me a little of Cortons. Very open, very tasty – I guess I’m lucky to be the only person with magnums 🙂
Rebuy – Yes
 

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There is one response to “my christmas magnum opus”

  1. ilbe5th January 2019 at 8:20 amPermalinkReply

    Very cool notes, thanks! I’ve only had a Nathalie & Gilles Fevre wine once but also found it unusually ripe-fruited/fruit-forward for a Chablis. A house signature, I suppose?

    • billn7th January 2019 at 6:33 pmPermalinkReply

      Hi ilbe,
      I don’t think it’s a particular house style – though it’s certainly a bit of a vintage style with 2013s – there was botrytis at the harvest so lots of ripe and apricot aromas and flavours in that vintage…

      • ilbe13th January 2019 at 9:27 amPermalinkReply

        Ah, figures. I guess I’ve just been lucky then with the (admittedly small sample size) 2013s I’ve had thus far. Can’t recall such ripeness or in-your-face fruit with Raveneau, Tribut or Pico at least, even if the wines have not exactly been lean or especially steely.

        • billn13th January 2019 at 11:12 amPermalink

          Aha – well particularly with Tribut – overt ripeness would be a rare thing indeed! Much less so the other two 🙂

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