Two from 2002 – first up – a little Romanée-Saint-Vivant:

The Domaine Charles Thomas (sometimes Thomas-Moillard) vines in RSV are now, of-course, exploited by Dujac – probably the style from here is now a little different!

This RSV is actually a big wine; clean and with good aromatic and flavour freshness, yet is dense and currently a little tight. The nose is clean and actually very pretty but you have to work to coax out the notes – that said it implies quite some mass – a silky mass too. The palate is similar; big, very silky and with a very impressive density and weight though nothing to tire the palate. It’s generally a tight but silky wine with lots of underlying material – modestly playing with the palate – I wish I had more of this than the ‘mountain of 1999’ that I have in storage – or maybe one day that will come round too… Still, this was a very enjoyable wine, indeed.

The Hudelot-Noellat Suchots, also 2002, has an exciting, open nose of sous-bois, spice and a modest fruit too – more engaging and exciting than the RSV, if ‘thinner.’ The palate comparison has a similar result – this is ‘thinner’ – but with energy and lots of engaging flavour – a super wine and easily the more interesting wine of these two, at least to drink today. In terms of apparent concentration, though, this pales when compared directly to the RSV – even a Charles Thomas RSV – the 1er vs grand cru levels are very obvious.

Two wines that were very much enjoyed and I would happily buy again – at the old prices!

A tasty set this weekend, and without being too flashy 😉

The 2011 Puligny from Au Pied de Mont Chauve (Picard) was right on the money, layered but fresh and intense – it drank perfectly over 2 days. The 2010 villages Nuits of Clavelier is tighter than it was 3 years ago, but then opens out very well in the finish – nicely complex and very testy – yum! The 1999 villages Nuits from Potel seems a wine for the ages – always open, always with a bubbling undertow of complexity – it’s currently terrific, but then it always has been! The Seppi Landmann riesling worked perfectly with fondue – what do you expect? 😉 Lastly there was the 2002 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Grands Charmes from Henri Latour – this smelled gorgeous and silky. The acidity is a little higher than the last two from Nuits, but not enough to complain about. Just a compelling ‘ordinary wine’ or at least if price is your only judge. Also yum!

Sunday a walk through the woods with coffee at the end…