I don’t consider myself to be an ultra-classicist, actually I really don’t know what to call myself, but (not so) secretly I’d prefer my whites to be sealed with DIAM these days – not having personally experienced a bad bottle. The producers will tell you that the best corks produce the best bottles, but frankly that’s fine for them to say, if they are opening dozens of bottles each day – but most consumers have perhaps one chance per week to open something good. I understand that screw-caps can also be good, but it’s not often I get the evidence in my hand – like today.

I know it’s personally galling for the winemaker that the market for wines sealed like this consists of just a few countries – the rest have no interest. In my conversations with him he says that he’s still never experienced a ‘tired‘ bottle sealed in this way by him.

2007 JC Boisset, Savigny-lès-Beaune
A simple villages, if from a great year. At about nine years-old this tastes more like 4 or 5 – apparently this is the most permeable membrane for the Stelvin Luxe seal of that (2008) time. Frankly you won’t taste better Savigny blanc, villages Savigny blanc at that!
Still a medium lemon yellow, with just the merest suggestion of gold. A little cushioning and flowers on the nose. Fine acidity and cushioned texture – less direct (acidity) than most villages wines in this vintage. The intensity comes to a fine point just before you swallow. Just a super wine, perfectly aging – yum!
Rebuy – Yes

Two lovely mid-week wines, both eminently ‘recommendable’ but the Gueguen comes first on a scale of absolute deliciousness!

2014 Gueguen, Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Chardonnay
A pale lemon-yellow colour. It’s a fresh nose, and honestly, if I told you it was a nice crisp Chablis with a hint of salinity and some citrus fruit – you would believe me. Bright, pretty citrus, mouth-watering with that sweetness and (in this case a modest) minerality that I associate with Chablis. Modest in length but so über-tasty. Deliciously perfect Summer wine – really!
Rebuy – Yes

2006 Albert Bichot, Beaune 1er Champimonts
Cold from the fridge, there’s more than a suggestion of vanilla to these aromatics, but as it warms, those barrel notes disappear completely – what remains is a lovely, dark, sour-cherry impression, padded with faint violet notes – nice! This rolls over the tongue in fine fashion – like the nose, the fruit offers an attractive sour-cherry character, freshness and a nicely delivered acidity that welds flavour to your gums in the finish. Really tasty and really attractive wine as it comes to its 10th birthday – no rush either, this is still a baby! Excellent.
Rebuy – Yes

2010 François Mikulski, Meursault 1er Caillerets
I was quite surprised when I opened this, there was a toasty oak note on the nose – it was on the palate too. I went back to check my note from the domaine, there was no oaky reference – though the wine was tight. On the positive side it had lovely energy and indeed vivacity coupled to fine fruit. Day 2 after spending the night in the fridge – almost zero oak – and what a gorgeous nose! Fresh, mouth-watering flavour and a fine weight of mid-palate concentration. The wine lingers, indeed almost dances, on a fine, mouth-watering note. A very fine pinot indeed – I have no reference points for it, but it brought far more enjoyment on day two. I would say decant a couple of hours before drinking if you want to open today. Yum!
Rebuy – Yes

2012 Camille Giroud, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
This is a cuvée that I love – I think I have a few bottles from every vintage since 2005, but judging by this performance it is a cuvée that shines with a little bottle age – or more age than I gave this, anyway. This is a fresh wine with good intensity – a young wine – but a wine with remarkably little to discuss – it’s tasty but just a little anonymous today. I need to pull an older one out of the cellar. There are no faults, but today, this is simply ‘okay.’
Rebuy – Maybe

1985 Pontbriand, Gevrey-Chambertin
Hmm – this smells rather good – a melange of maturity and sweet fruits. In the mouth too, perhaps with a hint of spice, this is caressing and very tasty. A contemplative wine – but that’s how the ’85 vintage usually is. Tasty with good complexity – very good!
Rebuy – Yes

1991 Savour Club, Chapelle-Chambertin
I somehow ended up with 7 or 8 of these. The first two were off-the-scale fabulous, the third was corked. This wine is very fine, and in pretty much every dimension it’s fine, but it rarely touches the concept of ‘fabulous.’ Easily the tastiest of these three wines, mind. Bottle variation or just going downhill since last tasted over 5 years ago? Maybe I should open another to see!
Rebuy – Yes