Sylvain’s first vintage with this wine – it’s a great start – yet it was still surprising for me that the 2007 Rion was better in almost every dimension; though I suppose Vosne was the apogee of the 07 vintage – a very (upside) surprising win that Beaux-Monts. Yet this is a very serious wine – worth a significant premium over the Boutton Chassagne villages, and one I’d be happy to fill the cellar with.

2008 Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Les Longeroies
Medium-plus, purple-rimmed colour. The nose is a mix of very dark red, almost black cherry and beautiful aromas of violet flowers. In the mouth there are polished, intense dark fruit flavours supported by a lovely acidity. Tannin has a slight grain if you search for it but you need a concious effort to find it. Slowly lingering finish. A beautiful Villages wine.
Rebuy – Yes

2009 Gilles Bouton, Chassagne-Montrachet Les Voillenots Dessous
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has depth plus a range of top-notes taht immediately have me thinking of Chassagne; dark red fruit of some clarity augmented with Chassagne herbs. In the mouth this starts short of a little sweetness and showing ahint of astringency. Aeration opens it up with a little more sweetness, less astringency and and interesting depth. Before aeration I might have guessed a bourgogne, given time this was an interesting village and not one you might expect comes from the easy-drinking 09 vintage. I really enjoy the last half of this bottle and must remember to open the next one an hour earlier!
Rebuy – Yes

I waited before returning. But this is really starting to sing now…

2007 Daniel Rion, Vosne-Romanée 1er Beaux-Monts
Medium colour. A nose to wallow in; faintly spicy with dark plummy fruit and flashes of clean red fruit. In the mouth there is now a nice balance, understated acidity and a good core of dark stony fruit. Slowly finishing, this is now a very tasty wine.
Rebuy – Yes

Bingo – super wine, stunning price.

2009 Gilles Bouton, St.Aubin 1er En Remilly
Medium, lemon yellow. This has a depth of aroma matched by fine high-tones – it’s rather pretty. Width, depth and roundness of texture are obvious, coupled to fine acidity. Currently this is, by far, the most impressive and intense of these St.Aubins – lovely wine – I will have to buy (even) more!
Rebuy – Yes

I’ve bought a stash of these well priced wines, some interesting reds too. Hopefully I’m drinking them in some sort of hierarchical order as this is a step up from the Chatenière of the weekend. I don’t get the impression that the quality is at the same level as Gambal’s Dents du Chien, but this has a different price-point and in that respect is a real bargain.

2009 Gilles Bouton, St.Aubin 1er Murgers des Dents du Chien
Medium, lemon yellow. There is much depth to the nose and some toasted bread aspects too – this is a very good start. More depth and a little more tension after the Chatenière. I’d still like a little more zip, but this is a classier delivery. Nice wine, exceptionally priced.
Rebuy – Yes

Hmm – when was the last time that I drank such a lovely young wine? Clearly there’s a bit of slightly intrusive coconut oak in the background but mixed with a musky stemmy aroma – yum, yum, yum, yum – and a from baby Corton too! What a shame that there are (were!) only 300 bottles 🙁

2008 Pascal Marchand, Corton
Medium colour. The nose delivers spades of interest; high-toned dark, minerally fruit over a slightly diffuse but engaging core – I can’t help sniffing – a slightly musky and stemmy impression also adds value to set against some barrel vanilla and coconut (100% oak as only 1 barrel!). In the mouth there’s enough fat to easily balance the lovely acidity, and the flavour slowly builds to a crescendo in the mid-palate – there is perhaps a hint of CO₂ that turns up the volume of the fireworks, but fireworks there are, and it seems very well judged. The flavours are dark red, almost blue-skinned fruit and they last incredibly well – even for a Grand Cru – admittedly there’s some of that coconut thing going on again in the finish, but this delivers oodles of precocious loveliness. Super – drink it over the next 12 months to enjoy this performance or wait at least fifteen years for harmony and something of the real Corton
Rebuy – Yes – like a shot

2009 Gilles Bouton, St.Aubin 1er La Chatenière
Medium, medium-pale lemon yellow. A very pretty, slightly waxy aroma with a equally pretty sweet yellow fruit with just the occasional sensation of sulfur. Across the tongue there is a mineral flavour and just enough acidity. There’s not the greatest of intensity and frankly I’d like a hint more acidity, but it’s quite well balanced and finishes very nicely. No fireworks, rather understated competence. This is the price of many a bourgogne so hard to complain. In the end this and one other bottle from the case were about the same – all the others were much finer.
Rebuy – Maybe (most other bottles I’d rebuy instantly)

I should note that this has been in bottle for only a few weeks – hopefully bottle two will be a tighter affair.