I really don’t know too much about how the two brothers have variously split up what was once, one of the finest addresses in Puligny – It/they didn’t appear in my book for the simple reason that whatever had been newly set-up had no track record at all. But this wine is a very tasty start, hopefully there will be many more good bottles to follow…

2011 François Carillon, Puligny-Montrachet
Nutty, floral – very pretty aromas. In the mouth there’s a little oak as back-drop to lovely, insinuating acidity and pretty, pretty sweet fruit. Short and sweet – nice wine.
Rebuy – Yes

Friends over for the weekend, so an extra couple of bottles:
2011 Domaine Masse Père et Fils, Givry 1er Champ Lalot – am ashamed to say that we drink this quickly and easily – it really supports that process 😉 I noted no P, just a wine of balance and ease – pretty enough!

The 2005 Dubreuil-Fontaine, Volnay – my main question here, is – is the nose getting a bit volatile, or is it just a variation on the Volnay flower(?) Whatever, silky, sinuous, concentrated – without it ever taking its coat off and dancing. Über Kompetent wine…

The 1995 Daniel Rion, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaux Monts – right from opening, the nose was a lovely depth of spiced plums, the palate need time to out, however. initially a bit solid and uninteresting, about 20 minutes of air was enough to give width and interest – drinking quite well right now!

The Mountadam Red (1997) had a classic Australian essence of fruit nose (it’s a Cab/Merlot blend) but the palate was narrower and a little spirity – perhaps not quite the intensity of Port but a very similar palate sensation. A bottle that really wasn’t as tasty as it smelled…

It was nice to have the counterpoint of one last glass from the Gérard Mugneret, before diving into the 2004 Pascal Lachaux, Clos St.Denis – this CSD, from the start had borderline P to my taste – sometimes it’s there, sometimes not. This particular bottle was a little reduced and this reduction never blew off – it was on a modest level, but enough to mask any pyrazines. Interestingly for me was the clear extra width and depth and interest that this wine had over the 2010 villages Vosne despite coming from the weakest vintage in a long, long time – it really underlines that it’s hard to go wrong if you buy from good makers!

The 2002 Louis Jadot, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Petits Monts – was its usual sinewy, but silky self. It doesn’t quite have the padding of its youth but it is a wine that has always remained open and ‘giving’. Jacques Lardière once told me that he thought P-M ‘hardly a 1er Cru, or at least a very modest one’ – lucky then that this wine used to be had for a modest price 😉 Still, far from modest drinking – yum!

2011 Guy Amiot, Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles-Vignes
I can’t put my finger on why, but I’ve always loved this label – sometimes the wine is less interesting – but not today, just! The nose is wide and high-toned yet also understated and quite pretty. Slightly anonymous entry, but the flavour builds through the mid-palate. In the end, this is very nice, still showing a hint of oak in the finish for now.
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Alain Michelot, Nuits St.Georges 1er Les St.Georges
Herbs and warm plum fruit on the nose. Full and nicely round in the mouth, the acidity slowly developing through the core of the wine. Nice finishing flavour. Essentially ‘nice’ but not that special…
Rebuy – Maybe