Week 43, 2022 – already! And you can see that my cold has improved – right? 🙂

2017 Domaine Verret, Bourgogne Côte d’Auxerre Les Gaudiers
Young colour. A nose that is incisive to start but still shows plenty of creamy oak in the background. Just as incisive in the mouth – this has a great structural shape, intensity and concentration of lemon-citrus fruit – but again a lot of creamy, almost vanilla oak which seems to add excessive sweetness. A wine that’s seriously great in parts but, too much, resembles a lemon pie with too much creamy vanilla – in my glass, anyway – normally, I don’t decline lemon pie!
Rebuy – No

2019 Berthaut-Gerbet, Vosne-Romanée
Such depth of colour! This nose is deeply, darkly, red-fruited, but with such fine purity to that fruit. Supple, perhaps with a couple of millimetres of cushion to the silky flavours. Sweetly ripe but not in the ‘make-up’ style of the Verret. Very modest bitters in this finish but no overt tannin – just a silky texture. A wine that adds dimensions as it warms and takes in air in your glass. Far too easy to drink for such a baby and just beautifully proportioned.
Rebuy – Yes

Disappointingly, I’m at home this week*: A cold that developed over the weekend has left me coughing like a horse – not a good look while trying to taste wines retailing for $1,000 a bottle – even when triple-negative tested! Only about 15 domaine visits to be rescheduled – I think I’ll probably be fit (and presentable!) to taste again by Friday.

But before I started losing any of my senses, there were two nice bottles at the weekend:

2016 Château Bonnet, Juliénas
Broad and exciting aromas – faintly with some development but that characteristic oxidative note of gamay/Beaujolais – like Marsala – is hardly yet evident. Broad, great energy and long finishing make this wine completely delicious. Despite not being anywhere like fully mature I’d still say à point!
Rebuy – Yes

2018 Maison Harbour, Santenay 1er Les Gravières Blanc
Hmm – here’s a generous, clean and attractive nose – a fine invitation. Mouth-filling, structural but also generously flavoured – there’s so much packed into this wine. Long, energetic and concentrated – large-scaled but never wearing. The second completely delicious wine of the weekend!
Rebuy – Yes

*Still, it means that I’m catching up on writing visit reports – 5 done today!