Yes I know it’s (yet) another Vosne, but my 1999 Pavelot Dominode was corked – honest – at least this is a good bottle 😉

1995 René Engel, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Brulees
Medium rusty-red colour, more rust than red at the edges. Forward aromas of part fresh, part baked red fruits over a sterner and much more mineral depth – a raspberry jelly aroma is one of the last from the glass. Impact in the mouth – this isn’t a wine that widens across the palate, it starts at full width. Velvet tannin that is faintly edged with astringency and a fresh burst of dimension across the mid-palate. The mineral aroma is also reflected in the flavours. A success! The fruit flavours remain relatively primary, take that together with the slight astringency and I would guesstimate that this is at least 5 or 6 years from being ‘mature’
Rebuy – Yes

Interesting eh? A premier cru that needs 20 years to be mature, yet most publications tell us to drink in the first 5 years…

I realised that I have become rather predictable after tidying in the cellar this weekend – I started to dig out bottles that needed revisiting, only to realise that almost every second bottle came from Vosne-Romanée. I had a similar feeling last year when most came from Gevrey…

I suppose that I have at least made a token move south in the Côte d’Or, but maybe I need to to make a late new year resolution – only to buy wines from south of Vosne for the rest of 2010! I certainly don’t have enough Nuits, Ladoix, Aloxe, Pernand, Beaune………

2005 d’Ardhuy, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Chaumes
Deeply coloured. The nose has dark, brambly fruit and plenty of spicy, herbal aspects. In the mouth the acidity has become a little forward though far from overwhelming. A lovely borderline ripe flavour that has a hint of mint to go with its piercingly long finish – there’s added depth through the mid-palate. Rather smooth, this is very good now – even if it’s on its ‘sleeptime downslope’. Very-much enjoyed.
Rebuy – Yes

2001 Chandon de Briailles, Corton Maréchaudes
Medium, medium-pale. The nose is oh-so scented, an obvious note of stems is intertwined with floral aspects over warm, red fruit – raspberry. Smooth and balanced, with an almost ethereal melting flavour impression. Like the nose it’s a warm red ‘comforting wine’ impression. It’s very ‘giving’ but that’s far from the same thing as ‘mature’ – tasty now but will live and growfor many years in the cellar…
Rebuy – Yes

2006 David Clark, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains
Deep colour – plenty of purple too. The nose shows lots of reduction – about 90 minutes is needed for it to fade though it is never completely gone – deep brambly fruit and a herbal top-note. Linear entry and rather fine tannin – good balancing acidity that amplifies and widens the flavours across the mid-palate – it finishes really impressively. This is a relatively big wine – much more so than the domaine’s 2006 Morey St.Denis for instance. Well-done!
Rebuy – Yes