What a beautiful night on Saturday in Luzerne!

Great company and food, excellent wines – all blind – sat outside in the shadow of Pilatus.

To start, two whites: The first was ripe and had both depth and concentration – a little fat to the texture too. The second was simply beautiful; a deeper shade but still lemon yellow, beautifully floral and with a grace, balance and depth that could only be grand cru – I would guess a good 2006 grand cru. A lesson – expect the unexpected! The identity of the first wine was Dauvisat’s 2002 Cablis 1er Vaillons, we were all shocked by the second wine, because it was a 2003, yet such a wonderful 2003 from Chassagne’s Blanchot Dessus, admittedly sitting in the shadow of the grand crus – what a wine from Jean-Noel Gagnard!

The reds were to come thick and fast. First a 95 Chapelle from Damoy which wowed with its depth, still some structure, yet with none of the steminess of the 96. Next a 98 Latricières from Remy which was more mineral, still showing a lick of tannin and had a nose that became ever-more ethereal. Next up was a wine that showed a lot of leafiness and undergrowth on the nose and had an extra sweetness to the palate – it looked a little brown on pouring but much redder in the glass. My guess was a 92, but it was the 1990 Echézeaux from Cacheaux. Clearly the next wine had a much younger colour, but a beautiful nose that melded fruit and flower, beautiful texture and concentration, just a beautiful wine. The nose reminded me of great Volnay Caillerets or Beaune Vignes-Franches – I opted for a 2009 of the latter, but was anyway in the wrong Côte; it was Bénigne Joliet’s 2009 Fixin Clos de la Perrière – I can only say well-done Bénigne! Next was a wine that had an aromatic familiarity, but it took a little while to crystallise in my (tiring!) mind – but it was a low level of pyrazine, say P2 – but what a generally lovely wine that also showed nice fruit on the nose, and had super poise and complexity in the mouth. Given the colour it was clear that this must be a 2011, not a 2004 – it turned-out that this was a wine that trumped many better-known producers in a recent blind tasting of Echézeaux, the 2011 from Capitain-Gagnerot. Once again, chapeau! Our last red was complete and virile, a wine of energy and distinction too – given the ever-present structure, I guessed a 1999, but I had little more input at this stage of the evening! The wine was a great testament to Philippe Engel, it was the Engel 1993 Vosne Brûlées.

With the cheese we returned to a white wine; it seemed a little subdued – or was that me? 🙂 – but my neighbour was convinced it was a 2006 and I could find no reason to argue! He was right it was Vincent Dancer’s Chassagne 1er Tête du Clos, a mellow wine that perfectly suited the hour…

Back on message! Unlike my lust for Grand Cru Chablis, which I just love as a baby or 10 years old, it seems that these 1ers just got better with youth – of-course another 4 bottles, probably provide a different result!

2009 J Moreau, Chablis 1er Vaillons
Medium golden colour. The aromas are clean and pretty with high citrus tones and a more concentrated but understated core – pretty enough. In the mouth this is very good – better than average acidity for the vintage and the flavour seems to wash over my tongue in waves, and culminates in a nice intense mid-palate before slowly fading over rocks it seems – like a wave travelling away from you. Just a very nice wine.
Rebuy – Yes

2010 Long-Depaquit, Chablis 1er Vaillons
Pale lemon yellow. The nose starts unimpressively with a forward slug of sweet oak, but I think I’m being fooled and it’s mainly something reductive that doesn’t hang around for long – afterwards it’s pure seashore – the only wine with that impression. The seashore also fades – perhaps that’s reduction too – leaving a pretty floral note and good though understated fruit, I think it’s lovely now. In the mouth this is unctuous yet mineral; the acidity whilst understated never gives the impression of being insufficient. Just a very lovely wine for now – but decant for best effect!
Rebuy – Yes

It’s true, I took a short red break from my 4 Vaillons – the next two are (of-course) still on their way!

To develop a thirst for the Chablis I set myself a task on Saturday – to run from Lauterbrunnen up to Mürren, have lunch then do 4-5 hours of walking. The run didn’t go quite to plan; a couple of times I needed a 2 minute walk ‘recovery’, and by the time I got to Winteregg I was ‘done-in’ so took lunch there and changed into my boots. Actually I felt ashamed whilst walking from Winteregg to Mürren as it’s virtually flat – I could have run another 15 minutes – no problem, oh-well, maybe next time…

First, an ice-cream stop in Mürren – which is as gorgeously pretty in the summer as it is in the winter – before walking up the Palace Run to the Almendhübel and then onto Suppenalp for an ‘ice-coffee’. Back down into Mürren then the walk to Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Lauterbrunnen – about 4 hours I suppose. I admit to napping on the train home! I’ll also admit to quite some muscle pain on Sunday too!

2010 Antonin Guyon, Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras
Spicy oak and a little vanilla which really needs over an hour to become background elements. In the mouth this is sweet, fresh and has a lovely cut and clarity – it drinks very easily. The nose is a bit commercial which is a shame as Chambolle shouldn’t need all that make-up – but make-up or not, a very pretty wine.
Rebuy – Yes

A sunny day in Mürren:

2007 Bouchard Père et Fils, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots
Well, what a gorgeous welcome this wine offered! Medium-plus coloured with a depth of faint spice and warm fruit – ‘drink me’ the label could have said! Round, sweet and supple with a fine supporting acidity. The texture has just a hint of cushioning and there’s certainly a bit of 1er cru dimension in the mid-palate. The finish becomes stricter and more stony – good, I don’t want everything too welcoming and friendly. A 2007 that will amply repay opening right away. Drink Me indeed!
Rebuy – Yes

I only started with three of these, and last year I opened two, within a few weeks of each other, and both were corked. I came across this lonesome bottle the other day and thought to myself – ‘what’s the point of it taking up space if it’s also going to be corked(?)’ Of-course the wine gods play tricks on you, don’t they…

2003 Fourrier, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Combe aux Moines
The tell-tale small bubbles of CO₂ in the neck, as the cork slid out, told me that this would need a shake or decanting, but of more immediate concern, how did the cork smell? Hmm… it smelled of sweet fruit – excellent, we are in business! The first pour was indeed a bit like cola and smelled a little reduced too, so time for the ceremonial half-dozen shakes! I came back 20 minutes later to find a more than interesting wine. The colour is still more than medium and whilst there are no-longer the purples of youth, there is no amber either. The reduction has now left, and the nose seems to have the first hints of leafy development, though this moves into the background as a warm, but polished, dark cherry note comes to the fore with a faint whiff of prune too. There is lovely acidity here which helps wrap the silky wine around your tongue. The mid-palate is sweet and has good density of fruit, the finish is modest but interesting. As time wears on, the wine becomes fatter and the fruit begins to reflect the prunes of the nose. It is a tasty, and easy drink, but I have a preference for prunes on a plate not in my glass – drink it faster than me and you may not notice!
Rebuy – Maybe

I’m off the whites for a bit – after 34,35,37,28,26°C during the last working week, we are now dumped back into 15-17°C – something to warm my heart is required…

2005 Bertagna, Chambolle-Musigny Le Village
Medium-plus colour. The nose is concentrated essence of dark cherry with hints of cherry stone too – it needs no time to warm-up in the glass, staying very primary over the 30 or-so hours it was consumed. In the mouth this is concentrated and smooth, initially part of the flavour components had a volatile impression but it was soon gone – that’s the thing with volatility I guess 😉 Wide, plenty of impact – super acidity balances the impressive concentration and finely textured (lurking) tannin too. I thought this brilliant on release – but much from Chambolle was in this vintage – and I’m still not disappointed to have bought the bottles.
Rebuy – Yes

Not sure How I ended up with this one – part of a mixed ‘summer’ case I think. Turns out to be quite nice:

2010 Alain & Isabelle Hasard, Mercurey Champs de l’Abbaye Les Marcoeurs
Deeper and more intense colour after the Duband wine. Likewise, the nose seems deep, and the dark cherry notes give a polished impression. In the mouth, this really is quite silky and competent, yet, it never really fires the imagination like the Duband did – it just lacks some defining character – it is simply a silky, pretty wine, and perhaps a slightly riper wine than the Duband. I note that it also costs about 25% more so I would say offers less value too. All that said, it remains a good wine.
Rebuy – Yes