I was very sorry yesterday, to hear that Jean Gros, the great patriarch of Vosne-Romanée, had died.
I can recall drinking no-more than half a dozen wines that he produced, but they remain twinkling stars in my memory. RIP…
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a couple of bottles – tasty bottles…
A couple of delicious, very, very different wines this week:
1992 Comtes Lafon, Monthelie 1er Les Duresses
A mature but warm looking colour. Sweet, plum-style fruit on the nose and a clear attractive maturity. In the mouth this was simply a very charming, sweet-fruited wine. Not super energetic, nor super complex but really wonderfully charming. I have to assume that this is at its peak – but 2 or 3 more bottles lie in the cellar, and I’m in no rush…
Rebuy – Yes
2008 Pascal Marchand, Corton
This was very oaky when young, but to my palate attractively so, rather than garishly or unpleasantly so – of-course that was clearly a matter of taste. Today there is still a hint of coconut, but the oak is significantly less full-power today. In tandem the creamy, luxurious texture has thinned, this wine is a little more sleek and slender but still deliciously transparent and intense. Still a real honey!
Rebuy – Yes
week 15’s new producers…
a storm in morgon – worse in pouilly
Mid-afternoon yesterday (Wednesday) the skies considerably darkened in Morgon. Thunder, lightening, a little rain and a lot of wind. But It was less ‘fun’ in Pouilly as you can see from the images below, images of vines near Solutre, sent to me by a producer. Many young, opening, buds were damaged or completely removed.
It’s very early in the growing season for this kind of weather, normally the hail only arrives from May onwards. Hopefully there were enough buds on those vines, and/or it was early enough to make little difference, but clearly many were sacrificed…
a màv tuesday…
Nice weather in the Beaujolais yesterday – except in the late afternoon, and seemingly only in the heights of Moulin-à-Vent – and what vent! There was also the thunder and lightening though fortunately only modest rain.
Given the number of desolate, ‘herbicided’ vineyards, it was really nice to see one magnificent steed at work in MàV – and the domaine? It turned out to be that of ‘Mâconnasian’ Olivier Merlin.
In MàV yesterday, I tasted some great stuff, and some really pretty nasty stuff…
them thar hills…
Only a crop from a pic taken with my phone!
I thought the view of the distant mountains quite good on Sunday, but above was a spectacular display of alps this morning from my room in Beaujolais. Below are some pics I took on Sunday, mainly during a 90 minute walk up and then back down the hill of (the Chapel of) La Madone from the centre of Fleurie. 19°C and beautiful wandering weather…
can you ever have too much volnay?
Can you ever have too much Volnay? For subscribers, the wines of 29 domaines in the village: https://t.co/X9MvV4LfcNpic.twitter.com/dtCK84Oviy
— 🅱️ill nanson (@billnanson) April 8, 2016
The new report, now online for all you subscribers…
jefford on clos de tart…
A thoughtful and in-depth article on the Clos de Tart by Andrew Jefford – it only took him 6 months since his tasting in September to publish it – but a welcome addition, nonetheless 😉
http://www.decanter.com/jefford-monday-tasting-history-297081/
lafarge-vial – beaujolais…
Frederic and Chantal Lafarge – Chantal was a Vial – have a new(ish!) small domaine of 4-hectares in the Beaujolais. They have vines in Fleurie and Chiroubles, and quite old vines too. The vines were already, ‘very well cared for, mainly organic’ but, as you would expect, they immediately set out on a biodynamic course.
Frederic describes the vinification as de-stemming, concrete tanks, and older barrels. The first vintage being 2014. I thought I’d give you my first ‘Beaujolais Report’ here 😉
2014 Chiroubles
From 45 year old vines. 1 year elevage, no new oak, some larger barrels, one racking in April, bottling in October.
Perfumed wine, of modest gamay impression. Round, nicely textured, an almost creamy aspect to the flavour. Good length too. Very tasty wine.
2014 Fleurie ‘Bel Air’
45 and 65 year old vines, Bel-Air is the lieu-dit.
A little more aromatic scale, some flowers. Supple, a hint of tannin but a layered delivery of flavour too – fine length too. This is excellent!
2014 Fleurie ‘Clos Vernay’
A Clos of 1.3 hectares, near the border with Moulin-à-Vent – near Bouchard’s Château Poncier. 40-45 year old vines here.
A pyrazine element to the nose. In the mouth this is supple and nicely textured. Also a similar pyrazine component in the flavours – minerality or bugs? – yet still very tasty, and obviously very young, wine.