I have always enjoyed the Jayer-Gilles wines – perhaps it’s time I knuckled-down and investigated further.

This is frankly a benchmark Bourgogne that would give many villages wines pause for thought – but for a Bourgogne, it is simply too expensive, at least 50% too expensive; I would personally rather spend 33 Swiss francs on a good villages wine – but if I can find it at a normal price…

2009 Jayer-Gilles, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
High toned aromas and no obvious oak – very good width too – this is very nice. Very fine, quite narrow but mated to a fine acidity and intensity. I like the fruit very much and it has interesting, rather than heavy-handed, oak accents. Neither a super-ripe nor a fluffy textured 09, simply a stunning Bourgogne – excellent.
Rebuy – Yes

2009 Verget, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Champs Gains
This has a forward nose with a few herbs and decent, high-toned fruit. There’s plenty of flavour and a really good intensity too. I’d just like a little more acidity to provide focus, without this it’s a bit too expensive – both 2008 and 2010 villages will offer more value.
Rebuy – No

A wine of consolation this – I just (with sadness) turned down an invitation to the Paulée de Meursault on the 21st November – well I am already there three days next week and two days the week after…

Anyway, the Antonin Guyon was not so bad – so let’s try something a little more ‘middle of the road‘…

2008 Louis Jadot, Pommard
This wine showed two personalities; day 1 it was a little non-descript on the nose; rounder and sweeter than the Guyon Chambolle but less impact or dimension – here was a club to the rapier of the Guyon. Day 2 and I’m much more impressed with this; the nose has opened with a slightly warm and sweet core but coupled to creamy flashes and top notes of violets – nice! There also seems a bit more depth to the palate, pretty, higher-toned red fruit and a slowly lingering finish on very good but not bright acidity. There is a hint of grain to the low-key tannin. If I’m totally honest, this cuvée can be a bit expensive, but here is a wine that rewards your investment – on day 2 anyway!
Rebuy – Yes

Ooh – it seems like ages since I had a 2008 – it must be over a week, maybe even two! Let’s put that right.

Here’s a Chambolle Les Cras, but this ‘domaine’ wine is actually a villages Les Cras, in this case from Antonin Guyon.

2008 Antonin Guyon, Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras
Medium, medium-plus colour. Forward red fruit notes that have a hint of sour about them – they make me think of rhubarb – lucky I like rhubarb! In the mouth this is very smooth and it pulls you into the mid-palate with plenty of (equally smooth) acidity – but I expect this could become a bit screechy in 2-3 years as the sweet fat of the fruit shrinks. There is quite some intensity and even a little extra dimension in the mid-palate, though to be fair, it’s mainly acid-led intensity. The last flavours of the mid-palate have a little bitter-chocolate about them but I think they are mainly the result of a hint of toasty oak blended with a bit of borderline ripe fruit. I have to say that I’m enjoying this wine, but I really do think that the enjoyment could be transient – say 18-or-so months worth.
Rebuy – Maybe

Well the last ’83 was super so why not try another. Blind, there is nothing here that may have led you to assume that this was the grand cru of the pair…

1983 Pierre Bourée, Charmes-Chambertin
Medium colour, again with plenty of browning. The nose starts in a very tight way; some savoury notes but little else to latch onto. Very slowly a raspberry perfume with clear stem references begins to evolve. The first mouthful is of a perfectly balanced, if rather thin, wine. There is a little rasp from what remains of the tannin – it’s a nice touch of character. There is eventually an interesting extra dimension, and some intensity, in the mid-palate – this is not a food wine, it’s flavours are engulfed by just about anything. Without food there’s just enough sweetness, but overall, it’s hardly worth the effort. After the 66 Pommard of last week, this is something of a let-down.
Rebuy – No

1983 is regarded as a tannic vintage – perhaps like 1998? – whatever, let’s double-up and try a Nuits. After this performance, I see a second 83 on the horizon…

1983 Robert Arnoux, Nuits St.Georges
Medium colour, quite some browning. The nose is clean to start and all about soil, soil and more soil – with time we have a deep sweetness and a subtle undertow of musk. A little tannin bubbles below the surface and the flavour grows and grows in the mid-palate – really good intensity and plenty of sweetness too. I think this has a really good mid-palate complexity and with just a hint of creaminess too. Slowly lingering on beautifully judged acidity – medium-plus length – tons of enjoyment here; this is the archetypal melting old burgundy with tons of sediment at the end – completely yum!
Rebuy – Yes

This brightened up an interminable night of TV – David Attenborough’s new series being a tad too late for me – all I am left to view is cooking, dancing and the buying and re-selling of old tat; which could be the basic template for every night’s TV these days…

2009 Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Les Longeroies
Medium-plus colour. The nose has an intensity that majors on a fine and clear raspberry note. In the mouth this reminds me of a 2008 with a sweet-and-sour approach; fine sweet fruit with a powerful acidity that offers impressive balance. There is a nod to the vintage with a modest mid-palate padding that also shows a hint of cream to the flavour. Like the 09 Ladoix 1er of Ravaut, this has nothing of the facile nature of many 09s – very impressive wine, and one that is worth a special search. It may ‘only’ be a villages wine, but it will amply reward 15 years in the cellar, yet, I have the impression it will never be other than generous despite its coiled intensity. Certainly worthy of a 1er cru label. Yum.
Rebuy – Yes