2009 Gilles Bouton, Blagny 1er Sous le Puits
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has a lot of sweet and easy 2009 about it, but eventually the cuvée’s dark herby aroma is present in the background. Rounder, sweet but with a good background of tannin and acidity, much more interesting than the simple start of the nose some minerality towards the finish too. A wine that really gains character in the glass.
Rebuy – Yes

2008 Gilles Bouton, Blagny 1er Sous le Puits
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is super, there’s the cuvée’s signature dark and slightly herby core, but above is a wonderful bloom of of high-toned violets an fresh black cherry. Seems rounder and more concentrated that the 09, just a litlle fat to the texture. A nice little extra dimension of fruit in the mid-palate. Lovely wine!
Rebuy – Yes

The last time out the oak was dominating, indeed spoiling this wine. Twenty months later and it’s turned the corner.

2007 Michele et Patrice Rion, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Charmes
Medium young red colour. Very pretty red fruit still has some vanilla padding but it’s now on an altogether manageable level; surprisingly I find the fruit very focused and interesting (given the vintage). Sweet fruit leads you into a round palate – acidity comes rushing through the mid-palate into the finish. Truth be told there’s still a hint too much oak in the mid palate and finish – it’s of a sweet vanilla-coconut complexion. That said, there is a really excellent length of flavour. A wine that’s heading in the right direction. I think it might be a knock-out when it reaches it’s tenth birthday!
Rebuy – Yes

2006 Gilles Bouton, Blagny 1er Sous le Puits
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose starts a little tight but shows a dark core of glossy fruit. Silky with a slowly building tannin – it remains subtle and has a bitter-chocolate edge. The dark fruit flavour grows in tandem and is really quite impressive in the mid-palate, it holds quite well too. Tight yet with clean lines and a decent depth of fruit. Very nice.
Rebuy – Yes

2007 Gilles Bouton, Blagny 1er Sous le Puits
Hmm, how very, very similar to the 2006. Not quite as tight, but a few redder fruit notes aside this could be the same wine. Medium, plus colour. Both dark fruits and red fruits on the nose – it’s quite deep but not wide. In the mouth the very same flavour perspective as the 2006; perhaps faintly less acidity but it’s marginal. Impressed.
Rebuy – Yes

2008 Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne-Romanée La Colombière
Medium colour. The nose for over two hours wears a background cloak of reduction yet the dark red fruit is easy to discern. Across the tongue it’s light and lithe with a fine layer of velvet tannin and an intensity that grows in the mid-palate. There is a little flavour of reduction too – even the last glass saved for day 2. I’m a little concerned by this reduction but frankly it did little to stop the wine being finished with great enjoyment.
Rebuy – Yes

2005 Vincent & Denis Berthaut, Fixin Les Cras
Medium-plus red, perhaps starting to lose some of the colour of youth. The nose is lovely; invitingly deep, dark fruit with a hint of mineral. Mouthfilling, with excellent acidity and still slightly sticky but smooth tannin. There’s plenty of flavour here and a mineral length too. Drinking very well right now – I’m tempted to try some of the other cuvées. Lovely.
Rebuy – Yes