The shock!!!
It is fair to criticise how long it’s taken, but as they say ‘better late than never.’
I believe there’s a wider discussion of this subject in the magazine; unless you have a problem selling your white burgundy – and today it’s about managing expectations – this wider discussion in the ‘generalist’ wine press can only be helpful in finding a resolution(s) and better managing buyer’s expectations.
Interesting and well argued points from Mike; it’s also worth working your way through the comments too.
Mike has spent a few years in the ‘old world’ and it shows: It’s relatively rare to have somebody ‘US-based’ that can see the wider picture – the US market of middle-men and middle-middle-men is an island of profit potential that does service to neither the producer or buyer.
Of-course it is easy to make fun of the Bordeaux ‘circus’. I did it myself yesterday having seen the EP 2010 price of Le Petit Cheval; in due deference I opened my last bottle of the 1998, bought for about a fifth of the new offer price – it’s my last bottle, and clearly I won’t be re-stocking.
It was good by the way!
Well, I think I deserved it; forty domaines and almost 500 wines in the Spring Edition – in 24 hours over 8,000 visitors checked in to check it out – thanks to them! The summer issue will be a bit thinner on the wines tasted – but still over 300 I think, but will have more profiles.
Not many notes around here but that’s not the same thing as keeping up-to-date 😉 We had visitors for a week, in the process managing to get through four or five bottles of Gilles Bouton’s St.Aubins, a couple of bottles (each) of 97 Bouchard Père Le Corton and 02 Jadot Vosne Petits Monts. Then there was a 08 Dubreuil-Fontaine Beaune Montrevenots and 97 Daniel Rion Nuits Vignes Rondes both of which which frankly excelled – isn’t it great when somebody with no background in wine says “is it supposed to smell of shit?” Anthony would have been proud! Then there was a selection of 02 Alsace grand crus whose names slip my memory and the empty bottles have now been consigned.
Anyway, by way of escape on Monday while everyone was reading the spring edition, we chose to go somewhere cool; Kleine Scheidegg at 2061 metres – it was only 27°C there!
Some pics…
1996 Pierre-Ponnelle, Bonnes-Mares
Medium plus core of relatively young looking colour. The aromas are deep, a little raisined plus soil and a low level forest-floor note. Full, slightly fat, silky-smooth texture – roll the wine around in your mouth and you will eventually feel some tannin which delivers a lick of bitter-chocolate flavour in the finish – a hint of astringency too. The acidity starts in a very understated way, but peaks in the mid-palate, decaying in tandem with the high-toned flavour. On the first day this wine is certainly flirting with me, but behind the smile is a strict upbringing – I don’t expect a virtuoso performance before it’s twenty-one – but it has potential! Day two and this is very composed and chic; a strong mineral note reminds that it comes from the soil – despite being dressed by Chanel – super.
Rebuy – Yes
For comparison; the cork of Louis-Michel Liger-Belair’s 2008 next to the tiny cork of the ’85 Richebourg.
2008 Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château
Medium colour. The nose soars with a perfume that has roses and an impression of stems – I remember he said their were none – so I check again; “trust me!” he says. Oh well – it’s lovely anyway. Transparent, elegant, lithe and beautifully focused. I have an impression of the floral notes in the mouth too. There is no ‘oomph’ just understated intensity. Very lovely and hard to appreciate where all that new oak has gone!
Rebuy – Yes
Or this could be titled, how to avoid oxidation – and fail!
Although I intend to have some good drinking in my dotage, I generally drink more modest stuff at home; bourgognes, villages and premiers – perhaps only a grand cru once or twice a month. Actually half the wines I drink don’t feature in these pages because they are habitual house wines – whites in particular. Yet any excuse to make a change.
I finally finished this week a project that entailed 120 thousand words and visiting over 100 domaines since the end of July last year – but I can’t give any more details this year I think. Now I can concentrate on the Spring Report (oops…) and open a couple of bottles to celebrate. The first one is Leflaive’s 2005 Chevalier-Montrachet; I didn’t really plan to open one before 2020 but I’ve heard p.ox reports. The other has been in the cellar for three or four years, from only a single barrel of 1985 Richebourg from François Gros. Let’s see!
2005 Domaine Leflaive, Chevalier-Montrachet
Medium golden colour. The first notes on the nose were – ouch – of Jerez, I left the bottle for five or six hours. On returning there’s merely a suggestion of that oxidative note, more to the fore is dense core of aroma that smells of old oak and some suggestions of mature aromas. Full in the mouth, flavour growing in the mid-palate with cool acidity; the flavour is intense and very long, some creamy and toffee elements too – though it’s not particularly moreish. Day two it’s a little (not lots) better, still with a hint of oxidation. Day three there is none, perhaps the colour is also more yellow than gold. Now it has creamy depth with a hint of lanolin (normally I expect this on 15+ year-old wine). In the mouth it’s full and powerful a hint toffeed and still maybe not the greatest mid-palate flavour – but for the first time I’ve topped up my glass. So, this Chevalier is in an awful place right now. Accepted there were sherry aromas when opened, and even on day two. But no-one tasting this wine on day 3 would say it was premoxed, it has become cleaner every day; it was on the same level after 72 hours (open) as after 48 – just that rather frumpy presentation that many 05s show.
Rebuy – No (Probably! – anyway it’s too expensive now)
1985 François Gros, Richebourg
Bottle 78 of 320. The cork easily slides out in one piece – but what a disappointing looking thing – tiny compared to a villages cork from 08. Still, they say size isn’t everything! Medium colour – perfectly clear with just a hint of amber at the rim. Clean smelling, some dried leaves but no obvious fruit to start with, time adds some wet leaves and damp soil too. A narrow, soft and sweet entry but with good acidity and then suddenly there’s tannin in the mouth. Plenty of mid-palate flavour that seems to be molten essence of barrel and perhaps some minerality – much nicer than it sounds and is very complex and very long. The finishing flavours include in their complexity a hint of something volatile and also a hint of something oxidised. Far from seamless, but a wine that offers something new with every sniff and every taste. Lovely, but despite plenty of tannin, seems to be losing a little cohesion – if you have some of the the other 319 bottles I wouldn’t think that they will get better. On day two – despite overnighting in the fridge – too much oxidation for enjoyment.
Rebuy – No
So, the Chevalier improves just as the Richebourg fails – On one hand He gives and on the other He takes away. It wasn’t much of a ‘celebration’ really 😉
Some good quotes – particularly Lafon. You will remember I raved; the best cellar of the vintage…
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
Announced first (as far as I can tell) by Bruce Sanderson of the Wine Spectator; Maison Champy have added a 1.25 hectare slice of Volnay to their domaine.
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