I have to say that this wine is even better now than when I first tasted it – or at least my memory of it! I suppose that means I’ll have to ensure I get my orders in for a mixed case each of 2007, 2008 & 2009…

2006 Louis Chenu, Savigny-lés-Beaune 1er Aux Clous
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. Lovely, soft red fruit with a depth that keeps pulling your nose to the glass. Slightly plump texture, wide and clean, pretty red fruit with a even a little more dimension in the mid-palate. ‘Just right’ acidity, some velvet tannin, if you search, and a good finish. Class in a glass, a very lovely bottle.
Rebuy – Yes

I thought I’d give the ‘bourgogne theme’ one more day…

1998 Gros Frère et Soeur, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose starts a complete jumble of dark wood, similarly dark fruit and some spice – fortunately it knits together rather well in only about 20 minutes; creamy spiced deep red plums and macerating cherry – not quite how I expect a bourgogne to smell, but it’s very, very nice, and frankly it gets better and better. Fresh and still quite astringent in its ‘attack’, yet the dark fruit mirrors the nose with some creamy packaging. Quite intense and, all-in-all, quite impressive in a burly Nuits sort of way. I was ready to dismiss it early-on, but clearly that would have been at my own loss! Definitely needs another 3 or-so years to mellow the astringent tannin – though it’s far from in the ascendant when taken with food – but it’s velvet tannin so ought to be worth waiting for.
Rebuy – Yes

Until I opened this bottle the concept of the green meanies (coccinelle, mirepoix, green, can’t smell anything or whatever suits you) was merely anecdotal to me in the context of white burgundy, and that despite such a luminary as Christophe Roumier telling me they were there for all to find. Anyway, until now I never noted it in whites, indeed I loved early-opened whites much more even than I did the reds…

2004 Françoise et Denis Clair, St.Aubin 1er Murgers Dents du Chien
Last tasted April 2007 it was quite okay, today there starts a hint of mirepoix but it’s wrapped in a little cream so it’s far from offensive, it’s there in the finish too. Right now it’s been open for 30 minutes and aromatically it’s much more pronounced yet somehow mollified by the lemon/cream that partly moves it towards a mushroom note. The finish is much stronger tasting, but the sweet/acid of this wine carries the flavour much better than a dry red would. I left half this bottle for day 2 – the aromas are now more about white burgundy than the ‘2004 character’, the flavour in the mid-palate is, however, a consistent theme.
Rebuy – No
So, a first time for me. It’s blindingly obvious to find, yet it seems to me that an 04 white can handle the character much better than an 04 red…

1995 Maison Leroy, Bourgogne
Medium ruby-red with and edge of salmon pink. Sweet raisin, slightly resinous aromas, eventually a beacon of pure, red berry fruit. In the mouth there’s a warm red fruit base and very good acidity – the texture is plusher than you’d expect for the label. There’s still some grain to the tannin and even a hint of astringency. The finish is medium at best, but overall this is a compelling wine that I’m convinced if served to you blind, you’d be guessing higher appellations. This wine starts with both aromas and flavours of maturity bvut they fade to more primary elements so I’ll try and leave my remaining bottle at least another 5 years.
Rebuy – Yes

2000 Hudelot-Noellat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaumonts
Medium ruby-red. The nose starts with musky, dark oak, a good thirty minutes is needed for most traces to fade leaving a nice, faintly spicy effect over red fruit – very pretty. Plenty of sweetness from red fruit that has a very nice depth. There’s still a lick of slightly astringent tannin and acidity that is balancing if ultimately slightly sharp. A nice wine that needs more time than many 2000s, but some way behind the Clavelier 00 Brulées of some weeks ago.
Rebuy – Maybe

2007 Daniel Rion, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaux Monts
Medium cherry-red. The nose starts with ultra-young barrel-type fruit aromas, Slowly it beds down to good red fruit with a very understated spice background and eventually lovely red berries. Fresh, slightly plump red fruit that finds an additional if understated mid-palate dimension, relatively fine tannin and a lingering finish. Not much power here, but fine and elegant. Very pretty.
Rebuy – Yes

We need more bourgogne – maybe one tomorrow too 😉

1999 Maison Nicolas Potel, Bourgogne Maison Dieu Vieilles Vignes
Medium, medium-plus colour. When first opened there’s a dark waft of oak supported by some bright cherry. Time in the glass makes the oak fade and the fruit come more to the fore, soft, sometimes powdery but very pretty red-cherry fruit. More than decent concentration for a regional, good acidity and balance. The tannin is mainly resolved though there’s still a little velvet-style texture. The finish is mouth-watering, sweet and red-coloured. The longer it was open, the better it tasted. Very nice indeed.
Rebuy – Yes