Friday night with some of the Commanderie de Calgary saw 2x 2015 whites and a 2014 red. My short recollections are that we started with a Lamy St.Aubin 1er Clos de la Chatenière which was taut and fine – very lovely wine. The second was Alex Gambal’s St.Aubin 1er Mugers des Dents du Chien which was softer and much more open – tasty but definitely lacking the tension of the Lamy – villages level by comparison. The 2014 red was Tollot-Beaut’s Aloxe-Corton – a wine that was modest in almost all directions yet, again, tasty enough.

Then kicking off with two from Beaujolais:
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2014 Lafarge-Vial, Fleurie Clos Vernay
The nose is a little narrow and showing plenty of herb and pyrazine. The palate is, likewise, quite pinched and a little meagre today – this wine has really shrunk in size in the last couple of years – I’d say don’t touch one for at least another three years – now, clearly, isn’t the time. I checked, and the pyrazine is consistent.
Rebuy – No

2011 Julien Sunier, Régnié
More volume and width of aroma – darker fruited, with that slight lactic impression that low sulfur wines exhibit. In the mouth there’s much more volume and complexity of flavour – layered in delivery – with great length too. This is still a young wine but much more open, concentrated and ‘giving’ today. Everyone’s favourite from these two. Yum!
Rebuy – Yes

2015 Trimbach, Riesling
It seemed a good idea for our Thai red curry!
A narrow but deep and fresh nose. The palate is direct and much more acid-driven than I anticipated in this warm vintage. Fresh, but incisive, not sharp. A great choice for our dish and the whole bottle was finished. Excellent!
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Michele et Patrice Rion, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Charmes
Today this is one of the best addresses in Burgundy, and largely because the use of oak is much more sympathetic today than it once was…
A little vanilla on the nose – even at 10 years old. Very slowly the nose widens with a diffuse but quite appealing red berry-fruit. Plenty of volume in the mouth and the sweet, roundness and complexity of vanilla-tinged fruit. It’s delicious, but whilst I’ll happily eat a whole tub of vanilla ice-cream – without outside assistance(!) – you already know that I’m less of a fan of finding it in my wine – at least when I’m expecting some maturity. Very tasty but… On day two, the last third was virtually vanilla-free – maybe there is still some hope (for me)…
Rebuy – Maybe

I got home from Beaujolais late on Thursday. On Friday we went to meet with friends who stay in Mürren for a few days each year. I havent skied for nearly 3 years, and given Friday’s rain at 1,600 meters, not to mention the slushy snow and poor visibility, Friday definitely wasn’t going to be my much anticipated return! Still, it’s always good to meet up with friends, and the first wine, the Santenay, we drank in the resort on together on Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday we were at home, as usual, before I left, once-more, for Beaujolais early on Monday morning.

2010 Capuano-Ferreri, Santenay 1er La Comme
I’ve never come across this producer before.
A rather round nose, edged with a little vanilla. Similar in the mouth, glossy, a little fat to the texture – some sweetness of fruit. The flavours are a little oaked here too. A round wine, nothing exceptional or worth a search – but quite okay.
Rebuy – No

2016 Marcel Lapierre, Morgon Cuvée MMXVI
This is the cuvée without sulfur – you can have with or without…
Ooh – what a deep and interesting nose – wide too, practically cushioned, textured dark fruit. This is really a mouth-filler, round and powerful with beautiful texture. Melting, mouth-watering, approachable flavour – simply a wow wine. Bravo.
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Chézeaux/Ponsot, Griotte-Chambertin
The last vintage with cork seals.
A hint of toasty reduction and lots of sous-bois, dried leaves and even a hint of mushroom. All those things visible on the palate too – but frankly, despite a little attractive sweetness of flavour, this wine is a pale shadow of the Lapierre which it follows – now that’s a turn-up! This wine needs at least 2 hours of aeration, after which the nose is open, supple and sweetly fruited. Likewise the palate fills out, adds depth of flavour – there’s lots of sweet fruit now – and frankly the last two glasses are absolutely delicious. Not better than the Lapierre, but really super wine all the same.
Rebuy – Yes

2008 David Clark, Côte de Nuits Villages
Perhaps a bottle too far – but we needed another glass. Like how the Griotte started after the Lapierre, this was a pale shadow of the last glass of the Griotte (as it should be!). The nose had good volume and shape, though its sweetness was certainly augmented by a little barrel vanilla. In the mouth, relatively modest but clean (apart from the oak) and sweet flavours. Probably better than the Santenay, but whilst still young, it was well behind in third place from these last three bottles.
Rebuy – Maybe