I bought a bunch of the 1979 and wasn’t going to buy any 1980 (advice came that 79 was a good vintage, 80 not) but it turned out that a friend had 1980 as their birth-year. As we so often see, Burgundy is a wine that confounds – particularly as the wines age, and before the p.ox was invented, even more so for whites. The phrase was coined for reds, but it used to fit equally well to whites: “In a good vintage you should wait at least 10 years to drink the wines, in bad vintage you NEED to wait at least 10 years to drink.”

1980 Andre Nudant, Corton-Charlemagne
Golden. Old oak notes that bring to mind the 1979 but they blow off a little faster – the nose becomes almost indistinguishable from the 79. Just like the younger wine, this is also silky and shows a little fat to its texture. Where this differentiates itself is the lack of bitterness which delivers a better overall balance to the flavour. They were drunk a week apart, so it’s hard to be definitive, but this seems the better wine.
Rebuy – No Chance

2008 Bertrand Machard de Gramont, Nuits St.Georges Les Terrasses de Vallerots
Medium colour. Very pretty, transparent, crunchy red fruit aromas with just a suggestion of spice – very pretty indeed – almost a strong impression of biting into a nectarine! Plenty of acidity but with a balancing sweetness. This is an achingly pretty wine that I’d never guess Nuits blind. Super!
Rebuy – Yes

I tasted this and a white Grèves (2006) with Jacques Lardière back in January – and was smitten. I placed my order right afterwards! Jadot’s reputation for whites has suffered due to oxidation, but it won’t make a difference to me because all of these bottles will be drunk over the next 3 years…

2010 Louis Jadot (Gagey), Beaune 1er Bressandes Blanc
Medium-pale, lemon-yellow. The nose is full and round, padded with spicy bread and soft, sweet oak notes – eventually a little citrus fruit joins the party – it’s a pastry delight. In the mouth this is oh-so direct; mineral and with very good acidity – you might, with hindsight, say the nose is redolent of Beaune – but never the flavour! Time in the decanter reduced the aromatic impact of the oak, but only a little. The palate also padding out very slightly – a little velvet on the handcuffs… Seriously great wine, which I suspect will be even better in 6-12 months.
Rebuy – Yes

2009 Chandon de Briailles, Volnay 1er Caillerets
On first opening, this is a lithe, tight, linear and slightly glossy thing – supermodel proportions – though in a ‘look but don’t touch’ vernacular (typical for the genre!). Time in a decanter will help you get to know this supermodel; the sulking, pouting approach to communication is replaced by confidence and complexity – it’s simply super. Finally we have just a stunning array of precise berries on the nose, the occasional suggestion of a flower-petal and even some dried currants as bass notes. For a 2009 this is rather linear with a crystalline minerality – whatever else I’m drinking, I’m drawn back to this wine. Pop-and-pour and you will never the meet the personality behind the wine, but a little preparation will give you the chance to curl up with a supermodel!
Rebuy – Yes like a shot…

This Volnay was part of a contract of Chandon’s which unfortunately has now lapsed – so no more of this wine – that said, they might anyway have struggled to find enough grapes to fill a barrel in 2012!