Profile: Pascal Lachaux / Robert Arnoux

I’ve just realised that I’ve become boring and predictable.

Whilst today unpacking a few wines to drink over the next week or two, I quietly patted myself on the back for having a couple of Bèze (98 Jadot, 01 F.Esmonin), a Chambertin (01 F.Esmonin), Fourrier’s top two from 02 and an 05 Goulots to spice things up – then maybe a wave of F.Esmonin ’99 grand crus could follow. This evening, as I collected the following Lavaux from the queue of bottles waiting their turn, I realised that apart from a ’97 Vosne, I was somehow stuck in Gevrey terroir – horreur! Pride was replaced with the the realisation of how boring I’ve become.

I actually open wines from the Côte de Beaune too, red and white – I even (shock) drink regionals – the thing is, once I’ve posted a note here, that’s typically it – I may drink multiple bottles of Bichot’s Pavillon, Santenots (for instance), but unless there is some change in the wine or a problem – you would never know. It seems that I buy and drink many more wines from the Côte de Beaune than I actually write about – I’ll have to think about that.

Nothing will change in the next 2-3 weeks, but I’ve shown myself the yellow card – I was so pleased about the line-up too – I suppose none of you want to hear about them… (haha)

2003 Pascal Lachaux, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Medium-plus colour, still with a cherry-red hint. The nose has a slightly savoury, spicy width and deep, dark-skinned cherry fruit, seems reasonably fresh for the vintage. In the mouth, this is quite full and shows a very good dark-fruit dimension in the mid-palate, though the acidity is only apparent by the slowly mouth-watering, cream-edged finish. Very smooth tannin underlines the quality of the wine-making, the main nod to the vintage being an edge of warmth to the finish. Today it just begs a little spark of energy to make it more characterful – and indeed to inveigle me into pouring another glass – that may simply the how many 03’s now show themselves, I’m afraid that I don’t open enough to know. Anyway, given that it’s a beautifully crafted wine of significant dimension, I can’t ‘not recommend’ it just because I’m not a great fan of the vintage! I re-visited the wine on day two – the nose is finer and shows more clarity, whilst the palate is just a little more supple and less ‘monolithic’ – certainly more interesting, I drank 2 glasses!
Rebuy – Yes

The new dog will be here in a week – a couple of better pictures than my first attempt, but don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a long-running wineanorakesque series with videos. Though I must talk to my wife about the ‘Mr T’ style regalia …

A label that states Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots Appellation Contrôlée – like the Leroy here, you are supposed to know that it’s a premier cru, there is no mention on the label.

Anyway were are in a black hole of labels here; André Cathiard, Sylvain Cathiard, Cathiard-Molinier. To the best of my digging so far, André is the father of Sylvain and grandfather of Sebastian who now works with his dad. Concurrent with the labels of André Cathiard (and even Sylvain some years) you could find the labels of Cathiard-Molinier – which were otherwise identical and for the same appellations. I still see the C-M wines in lists from vintages post 2000. I can only assume that for various tax reasons (and maybe for sharing the proceeds with the extended family) these continue as separate legal entities – If you know better then please let me (us all) know.

1989 André Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots
This wine retains a very healthy and quite deep (medium-plus) ruby-red colour at the core. The nose has some high woody notes – but relatively elegant wood – a darker more mineral core and fruit with a little raisined aspect. Impressive intensity is the opening gambit, again with clean, though slightly raisiny fruit – plenty of sweetness too. The acidity has a slightly harsh leading edge, but this is quickly broached to leave a complex, tasty melange of flavours that include a mineral – almost coal – type flavour. Long finishing too. Still grainy tannins that could do with resolving. Full marks for personality and complexity, some demerit for a hint of rusticity – but it’s actually still a young wine. I’m won over by its character and complexity – I drank rather more of it than I normally do in one evening – it’s a really engaging bottle.
Rebuy – Yes

Here are a couple of other label examples:

A new member to the family this weekend; Elsa the 14 week-old Rhodesian Ridgeback – that’s as big a photo as I can ‘do’ as I’m useless at getting images from a phone-camera! We’ve had a ridgeback before that almost made it to 15 years of age, 6-8 months old was the only problem time; when she was teething she virtually ate the kitchen, and I don’t mean food! Elsa’s currently in the UK but should be in Switzerland in another 10-14 days – time to find a 6-8 month-old ridgeback-size cage!

Anyway, onto wine. I celebrated the new arrival in the family with another bottle from the 1995 vintage. This was bought about 8 years ago, before the producer got a lot of limelight and his prices tripled. I opened it in the cellar (14°C) and left it there for 2 hours before bringing it upstairs and pouring. The first two mouthfulls seemed a little simple, but the wine was only limbering up:

1995 Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsorts
Medium, medium-plus ruby-red colour – no obvious signs of age here. The creamy-fruit nose reminds me a lot of the Bachelet ’99’ Gevrey VV from last week; there’s just a little more depth and a ‘harder’ red berry core – it’s very nice indeed, though not the usual Malconsorts spice. In the mouth there is plenty of understated concentration and similarly understated tannins though those tannins seem to keep you under surveillance the whole time the wine is in your mouth. I’d suggest another year or two in the cellar. Cooly confident fruit that has more than one dimension and lingers well on smooth acidity. After 3 hours there’s a hint of spice aroma – but the bottle is almost gone…
Rebuy – Yes

After a 1995 that needed to work on its charm, here’s one that did exactly that – it took about an hour:
1995 Jean Grivot, Nuits St.Georges Les Lavières
The colour has quite some garnet maturity, but it’s bright and appealing. The nose starts a little meaty, but with about 45 minutes of aeration it centres itself on slightly spicy red-skinned plum – but not in any way heavy. Likewise the palate is quite stodgy for about 1 hour, but little-by-little it becomes fresher, helped by penetrating but smooth acidity that amplifies high toned dark red fruits on the palate. It seems to slowly sweeten, the tannin is background but encases everything in a very thin astringent coating – actually quite a nice effect. Slowly lingering with a trace of warmth. I slowly warmed to this, it was quite aloof and even unknit when opened, but was worth the wait.
Rebuy – Yes

From one Pommard to another – less love from this bottle though:
1995 J-M Boillot, Pommard 1er Jarollières
There’s some age in the colour, but the core is still a nice red. The nose is meaty, only a little leafy and eventually gives a very pretty redcurrant note. There’s a lift to the acidity, it’s even a little raw to start with, but it’s moderated with aeration. The concentration/intensity is reasonably good and whilst the tannin is well in the background it still manages to add a note of hardness. The overall impression today is a sweet/sour stance though the acidity provides a decently mouthwatering finish, yet is a long way from seamless. The jury’s out on this one – I’d leave it in the cellar another 3+ years as a starting point…
Rebuy – No

What a transformation by this wine! Okay it was only an en-primeur ‘sample’, but back in early 2003 this had great fruit and a wall of ripe tannin that could almost have fit to a Richebourg – it had so much personality that I simply couldn’t refuse to make an order – it’s amazingly different today:
2001 de Courcel, Pommard 1er Grand Clos des Épenots
Medium, medium-plus ruby-red colour at the core, just fading to salmon at the rim. The nose is a sweet mix of tea, coffee, forest floor and dark plum fruit. Immediate impact in the mouth, but then it smoothly melts across the palate without apparent tannin (how did that happen?) – at the start you have to look very hard to dig out the tannin, though slowly it starts to exert a little grip with faint fut finely grained astringency. The acid balance is lovely and a bitter mocha note follows long into the finish. It’s a wine of real character, young, but with more than a nod to some semi-mature flavours. A really personable individual..
Rebuy – Yes