Much of red Blagny has been replanted with chardonnay and in so doing becomes either Puligny or Meursault 1er cru – in the case of this wine a Puligny 1er – a wine that can sell at nearly twice the price of the red, not to mention be cropped at higher yield – so that’s a double win for the white! Blagny still has some fans, such as Benjamin Leroux, who is doing his bit to hold onto the label – there are not many – here’s another from Gilles Bouton:
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2006 Gilles Bouton, Blagny 1er Sous le Puits
Medium, medium-plus colour, starting to show a little age. The nose, likewise, has the first hints of a sweet caramel maturity and that comes through on the palate too. It’s a nice and fresh width of flavour over the palate too – slowly melting red-fruited flavour over the tongue. The first hints of maturity but still a young wine – a tasty though not particularly distinguished wine.
Rebuy – Maybe

A wide selection this weekend.

NV Louis Bouillot, Crémant Rosé
I don’t like oxidised styles of fizz – whatever their (sometimes) high cost. THis wasn’t like that – clear fruited and delicious – it was drunk quite quickly!
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Camille Giroud Corton Le Rognet
Deep colour. Ooh what an inviting nose, accents of mature notes and still a little oak. Really mouth-filling volume but composed and very silky wine with plenty of sweet fruit. Powerful but with a caress – still modestly oaked in the finish. Such a super wine – this young Corton is already open and delicious.
Rebuy – Yes

The other Le Charlemagne – just what you’d expect really from 80% Grenache and 20% Carignan! – One reasonable sized glass per night is quite enough!

After sub-optimal performances from last weekend’s wines, it was nice to get into a good groove this weekend:

1995 Domaine Parent, Pommard 1er Les Pezerolles
Rather lighter colour than, for whatever reason, I was expecting. Ooh – what a nose! A little sous-bois, and brooding, bloody fruit – what a charmer across the palate too. Just the tiniest hints of tannin, but this is really a resolved, mature, totally ready wine – delicious to boot – bravo! I have some memory of this being oaky – 15 years ago – there’s nothing here today that would back that up. Just one pour was left in the bottle overnight (in the fridge) and next day it really wasn’t as good – so the moral of the story is, it seems, to drink up! Two swallows don’t make a Spring, but that’s two 1995s that have been singing in last 3-4 weeks…
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Mugneret-Gibourg, Bourgogne
Back in 2012 this was relatively disappointing. By 2014 it was becoming more interesting. This bottle was absolutely singing!
The nose is purer, sweeter and darker fruited than any 2007 has a right to be – there’s a freshness to the aroma that is so inviting. Likewise in the mouth – more of the same. Fresh, a suggestion of cushioning to the dark fruit and a sweet purity that was never there before. What a result. And, having learned a lesson from the Pezerolles – 2 hours later it was all gone. Really a bravado performance for the combination of vintage and label!
Rebuy – Yes