1999 not so good? Hmm, Bill – why don’t you try the 1998 and let us know what you think?

Well that’s a good idea – thanks – I will!

1998 Louis Jadot, Beaune 1er Les Grèves
Corked to bits! Bugger!
Rebuy – No

Okay, after yesterday’s disappointment, at least I can still smell and taste today – so why not another 99 Beaune? This is a négoce wine, and versus the usual quality of Jadot’s domaine offerings, it’s a bit of a disappointment too!

1999 Louis Jadot, Beaune 1er Les Grèves
The colour shows more age than yesterday’s Germain, it’s not as dark either. Likewise, the nose already has some development – mature leaf mixes with rather unripe and slightly ungainly green notes – but it’s not pyrazine – there’s a deep, slightly baked base of fruit but initially the herbs are dominant. In the mouth there’s a sweet core of fruit but as the wine expands – and expand it does – the leading edge of the acidity is harsh and leaves an aftertaste of sweet fruit buffered by slightly unripe tannin, Actually, another ten years and this unripe element will fade a little, but the baseline is, drinkable as it is, and as good a vintage as this is, that this is far from a Grèves to put on your shopping list…
Rebuy – No

Maybe the last bottle for a few days – an itchy throat and cough not yet marring the taste buds but it seems imminent!

1999 Château de Chorey (Germain), Beaune 1er Les Cras VV
I so wanted to say nice things about this wine, but in the end it disappoints – today at-least. The medium-plus glossy colour invites you: The nose starts spicy and a bit oaky. In the mouth this is lithe, muscled but supported still by barrel staves – it’s so clear in the texture. I wait for aeration – surely that will bring some balance(?) The nose with air develops a reasonably strong pyrazine note (3/10) to add to the dark red fruit and (probably oak) spice. This is clearly a concentrated wine, and one with a lovely acidity, but there is an astringency both to the tannin (oak tannin?) and the overall structure – a little bitterness in the finish too, and it’s far from moreish. I know it’s still something of a baby, but even with a pristine bottle, such as this, I’m not particularly unhappy that there are no more in the cellar, but I’m sad for Benoit too….
Rebuy – No

2003 Michel Juillot, Corton Perrières
Much deeper colour than the 1993, clearly much younger too – here’s a 2003 that’s holding up very well. The nose is deep and round – roast fruit too but that comes with the vintage territory – hints of herbs at its circumference. Weight, but there’s really a good acidic balance. I recently tried the ‘96 of this but this is wine has much better weight and for the vintage is clearly much more successful. I like this very much. Nice to have a few more in the cellar.
Rebuy – Yes

1993 André Nudant, Corton Bressandes
The colour shows some age but retains just a kernel of red. The nose is deep and leafy with a warm sweetness – mature and rather good. Lively balance comes from the acidity, good intensity too. There’s a hint of bitterness from faint tannin in the finish, but I’m rather enjoying this. Clean, relatively mature – lots to like.
Rebuy – Yes

Domaine des Chézeaux, by a big margin the largest owners of Griotte-Chambertin, have two metayeurs for their holdings (the two parcels were acquired at different times); Domaine René Leclerc and Domaine Ponsot. For a number of years there was confusion about who made the wine that was sold under the Chézeaux label; the first step to improving this was the addition of the metayeur’s name on the front label, the second was to goto just one wine – in this case they marketed only the Ponsot wine and passed a couple of barrels (ex Leclerc) off into the trade. Now for the 2010 vintage they have, once again, decided to sell both metayeurs’ versions. This is the essence of Burgundian complexity, all from one small 1.6 ha microcosm; a Leclerc label, a Ponsot label, this year two Chézeaux labels and some years, négoce labels too – all derived from one owner!

A Griotte-Chambertin aide memoire…

• Vintage 2001 and older – Chézeaux wine could be from either producer
• Vintage 2002, 2003 & now 2010 – name of the producer is found on the labels
• Vintage 2004 to 2009 – only the Ponsot wine under a Chézeaux label

And here are the two ‘Chézeaux’ from 2010, and clearly the moment you cut the foil, you will know which bottle you have. Here is the crux, the grapes come from the same vineyard, but there the similarity ends. Vines are cared for in different ways, yields are not the same, harvesting dates are different, macerations/extractions that differ, one wine made with new wood and sulfur, the other with low sufur and no new wood, bottling at different dates, and finally, sealed with cork by Leclerc and plastic (Ardea) by Ponsot. At least in their youth, I would be amazed if there is any similarity between the two – and clearly there isn’t…

2010 des Chézeaux (Leclerc), Griotte-Chambertin
The cork doesn’t smell all that great – not TCA, but strangely musty – fortunately the wine seems okay. Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is a fine advertisement for ‘Griotte’ with a very pretty core of shiny red fruit – more cranberry/redcurrant than cherry – relatively simple in its youthfulness, but lovely. A hint of cushioning to the texture and an understated lick of tannin too. The acidity, like the tannin, seems rather understated but bubbles through as the mid-palate intensity grows, and becomes more mouth-watering. Subtly long. This is a very pretty wine that is also very ‘young Griotte’ in terms of its beauty yet lack of complexity – a perfectly balanced wine to wait for.
Rebuy – Yes

2010 des Chézeaux (Ponsot), Griotte-Chambertin
Previously tasted from barrel. Medium-plus colour – certainly a shade darker than the Leclerc. The nose starts very shy, just a stewed fruit note. The aromas eventually widen a little but it’s far from compelling! In the mouth, however, this is very impressive indeed: A pure essence of intense fruit – it’s cordial-like. Like the nose there is the slightest suggestion of stewed fruit in the mid-palate but it quickly widens to cherry stones and a faint hint of cream that is very long. I preferred this wine from barrel, but Ponsot wines are made to be drunk from 20 years – let’s see! On day two, the nose is much more ‘up my strasse’ with a beam of pure fruit – the stewed aspects now departed.
Rebuy – Yes

Of the two, I think I’d rather drink the Leclerc today, and I should say there is much less rusticity here than there once was (since (son) François Leclerc has been given his head) but the greatest fun will be found in future comparisons!