1998 denis mortet gevrey-chambertin

By billn on February 27, 2009 #degustation

1998 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin
1998 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin

I’ve opened one of these almost every year since release – it’s rare that I buy a 12-bottle case, but occasionally ‘research’ is important! Frankly, due to the oak treatment this has been a roller-coaster ride. Last year I didn’t think so highly of the wine, the year before, perhaps, being it’s peak – yet this year it’s on decent form again.
1998 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertintry to find this wine...
The colour is quite deep, but showing plenty of age with a little mahogany cast. The nose is complex with high and low tones; ash, coconut, deeper faintly reductive notes and some sweetness of fruit at its core. Excellent acidity though with a late metallic impression. Decent length, resolved tannin and some reasonable sweet fruit. Interesting and more balanced than the the last time out, less marked by the oak, though the base is still obvious.
Rebuy – Maybe

It seems I’ve been rather tardy in keeping you abreast of Burgundy ‘chatter’ on the interweb, so here’s a list of recent reads:

  • Red Burgundies at BB&R
  • Medieval chunks of iron-work from David Clark
  • Burgundy’s ‘best’ from Eric Asimov
  • Finally, Alix de Montille, courtesy of Bert

2x charles thomas vosne-romanée 1er malconsorts

By billn on February 25, 2009 #degustation

Charles Thomas Vosne-Romanée 1er Les MalconsortsDomaine Thomas-Moillard Profile
Charles Thomas Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsorts

Ha! Someone, probably me, had put these two bottles out of sight in the cellar – perhaps with the aim of prolonging their stay – but that was thwarted! Frankly both are rather tight so that today their delivery of drinking ‘pleasure’ is curtailed, yet both are well put together, have decent concentration and no real faults. If you see them at a good price you should definitely try them – the €50 asked by the domaine is borderline high for today’s quality – but if I was to position some of the ‘producers’, I would put Bichot/Clos Frantin, Potel and also the occasional Remoriquet higher for absolute performance – I don’t know the Lamarche or Hudelot-Noellat versions. The lighter, stemmier Bourée bottling is a very nice one but a completely different style. So watch out for the 06’s and particularly beyond as they will have received the Pascal Marchand / Bernard Zito treatment!

Anyway – I never seem to have an easy ride with these Charles Thomas wines; there was the corked then strangely smelly 2001 (my last 1998 was put down the drain) and here the capsule seemed tightly glued down, though there was no wine discolouration of the cork below. That was just the start, neither waiter’s friend nor Screwpull would dislodge the cork, only the ‘ah-so’ saved the day – and that from a young wine direct from the producer.
2002 Charles Thomas, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsortstry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose had a little bottle-stink, but that was gone in a couple of minutes. There’s a little of that beefy aroma that I disliked on day 1 of the 2001, but it’s better balanced with sweet, spicy red fruit, eventually nice creamy-edged redcurrant for the last drops in the glass. It’s a little tight and acid-forward, though the impression is of a wine that expands into an intense mid-palate. The tannin comes quite late to the scene and has a little rasp – though it’s understated. Tight and young but a bottle that looks like it has a decent future. Worth buying a couple.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Charles Thomas, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsortstry to find this wine...
Medium, medium-plus colour. A nose that remains compact over the three hours the wine lasts; complex, creamy fruit with a nice acidic redcurrant lift. Like a many, many 05’s it’s now acid-forward in stance, though the tannin remains completely submerged. The fruit is completely primary and in the redcurrant, raspberry area rather than cherry or darker fruit. Clean and understatedly long. I already see some transition from the older vintages.
Rebuy – Yes

offer of the day – jadot 2007…

By billn on February 24, 2009 #the market

DOMAINE LOUIS JADOT 2007
VINS BLANCS
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 75cl 124.00 Swiss francs
CHEVALIER-MONTRACHET Les Demoiselles 75cl 329.00
MONTRACHET 75cl 399.50

VINS ROUGES
BEAUNE Les Theurons 75cl 38.00
VOSNE-ROMANEE Les Beaux-Monts 75cl 85.00
VOSNE-ROMANEE Les Suchots 75cl 89.00
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY Les Baudes 75cl 79.50
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY Les Amoureuses 75cl 199.50
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN Clos Saint-Jacques 75cl 109.00
CLOS DE VOUGEOT 75cl 119.50
ECHEZEAUX 75cl 139.00
CHAMBERTIN Clos de Bèze 75cl 246.00

Frankly an amazing price for the Amoureuses relative to the Clos St.Jacques. Overall, I would say these prices are disconnected to the general market and will be very difficult to sell – the Charlemagne is about 12% higher than Bonneau du Martray and many cuvées are significantly more expensive – 40% or more – than Faiveley’s 07’s. I’d be tempted by a Beaune and perhaps a CSJ but that’s as much enthusiasm as I can muster…

jean-claude bessin chablis vieilles vignes 2005

By billn on February 23, 2009 #degustation

Jean-Claude Bessin Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2005
Jean-Claude Bessin Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2005

2005 Jean-Claude Bessin, Chablis Vielles Vignestry to find this wine...
Pale yellow-green colour. The nose is fresh with sea-shells and an undertow of ripe melon-style fruit. Reasonably fresh and certainly intense in the slightly ‘padded’ mid-palate. Despite the padding it could only come from Chablis due to the mineral core that goes through the center. Pretty good acidity and a good length. Frankly, blind you would say a decent 1er cru or even an ‘average’ grand cru, such is the concentration from those old vines. Very impressive stuff and on another planet to ‘basic’ Chablis from the likes of Fevre.
Rebuy – Yes

jean-philippe fichet 2005 bourgogne rouge

By billn on February 22, 2009 #degustation

Jean-Philippe Fichet 2005 Bourgogne Rouge
Jean-Philippe Fichet 2005 Bourgogne Rouge

2005 Jean-Philippe Fichet, Bourgogne Rougetry to find this wine...
Medium, medium-plus colour – actually a very bright red. Wide and round, quite fresh aromas with sweet fruit and bouquet-garni too. Today the acidity is bright, providing a slight metallic edge to the flavour, but it also pushes the mouth-watering flavours much longer. The texture is smooth and though the concentration is not amazing in the context of 2005 it is way above average in the context of regionals from other vintages. I’m not overly concerned by the bright acidity as many wines from 05 are starting to show in that way, a super bourgogne.
Rebuy – Yes

2006 bouchard père et fils beaune 1er du château

By billn on February 21, 2009 #degustation

Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er du Château
Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er du Château
I sometimes have problems to appreciate this cuvée when released – for example I found the 2001 angular and lacking balance – I wouldn’t have recommended it, yet a few years later it was super – so, assuming it wasn’t an errant bottle, I was wrong. Here again, early on with the 2006 I can’t recommend it, though I suppose BPetF deserve some credit; at it’s price-point they lavish a lot of oak on the wine and despite that being the dominant flavour and aroma today, clearly it will improve with time. The thing is, at this price-point, bottles tend to be drunk young – so that means disappointment if today is anything to go by…
2006 Bouchard Père et Fils, Beaune 1er du Châteautry to find this wine...
A bright and pretty medium cherry-red colour. The nose is a broad and forward blend of sweet toasty elements, some coffee even something faintly resembling fruit. Obvious, but quite well textured and slightly astringent tannin. Good intensity that grows and grows before peaking in the mid-palate. Helped by perfect acidity there is a very good length – but that length is mainly oak derived and relatively bitter – much more than a bitter chocolate effect. I’m sure this will be nicer, and perhaps even ‘worthy’ in a couple of years, but frankly today the forward oak left me with little to enjoy.
Rebuy – No

two weekend bourgognes; leroy & barthod

By billn on February 20, 2009 #degustation

leroy bourgogne

Two more weekend wines that offer very high quality at their respective levels:
1996 Maison Leroy, Bourgogne Rougetry to find this wine...
Limpid, medium, medium pale ruby red – looks lovely in the glass. The nose is restrained yet finely transparent with clean strawberry, raspberry and cherry impressions. In the mouth it’s a delightful combination of lightness yet intensity, transparency and freshness. Frankly this wine excels, drinking very well now despite still being far from mature. Filigree burgundy that’s more about impression than weight.
Rebuy – Yes
1999 Ghislaine Barthod, Bourgogne Rougetry to find this wine...
A little deeper, medium ruby-red versus the Leroy, with a nose that is denser but at the same time less pretty – darker fruit that today is less sucessfully delineated. In the mouth there is also a little more density and certainly an extra dimension of flavour in the mid-palate. There is more ‘material’ in the glass and more secondary development than the Leroy, this wine had a significant advantage in purchase price too – it’s a really good regional wine – yet I would certainly go for the Leroy in preference today.
Rebuy – Yes

offer of the day – bonneau du martray 2007…

By billn on February 19, 2009 #the market

CORTON CHARLEMAGNE BONNEAU DU MARTRAY

CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2001 75cl 105.00 Swiss francs

CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 75cl 119.00
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 150cl 243.00

CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2007 37,5cl 56.50
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2007 75cl 109.00
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2007 150cl 223.00

I’m always looking for value – it comes from being a Yorkshireman – perhaps particularly so in the current economic climate; so whilst these wines are definitely not in the cheap category, they are often one of the top 10 wines of the appellation and are available in quantity. Even 5 years ago these wines were selling for over 100 francs a bottle compared to the current ‘wish’ of nearer 150 francs for a Henri Boillot. Whilst I haven’t tasted the 2007, from a pure price/expectation perspective, I see value here.

a stroke of luck…

By billn on February 18, 2009 #degustation

[No photos – to protect the innocent!]
I was in London last Friday and it didn’t start all that well; a planned lunch with Neal Martin (he of the dark-side) and Linden Wilkie (The Fine Wine Experience) went awol – Neal (suffering jet-lag) and Linden (just suffering) both assumed the other had told me the venue, I just assumed that their joint suffering meant that lunch would be a solo affair. While checking out new running shoes at the Nike Shop and checking email at the Apple Shop I was in contact with one of the guys at Berry Bros & Rudd about collecting some wines from my storage account. The conversation basically went – “so you’re in London today” – “yes” – “we’re having lunch with some nice bottles, do you want to come?” – “hmm, I think I can make that!” So there I was in the amusing situation of having to ‘buy a bottle’ to bring to BB&R for lunch!

Only as I was about to make my entrance at BB&R did I finally get a call from the dynamic (suffering) duo – we got together for about 10 minutes, but clearly: they needed food, didn’t have an invite from BB&R and also didn’t have the pre-requisite for attempting to gate-crash – a bottle each. We quickly dismissed the short-term option of turning up with bottles of Justerini, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose ‘own-label’ Pauillacs and the duo set off for the nearest Japanese restaurant, alternately cursing me, BB&R and each-other – or not! It was anyway good to see them.

Having decided against a bottle of Fortnum & Mason ‘own label’ Bordeaux I had instead plumped for a 2005 single vineyard Au Bon Climat, Pinot Noir. To be honest I forget the name of the vineyard, but I do remember the ‘statement’ bottle that probably still weighed 1 kilo after being drained! (Amusing story on heavy bottles later) Aromatically, it was very nice indeed, though I found the silky but dense palate missing the energy of the burgundies on the table – even the 2003! – a little more acidity might have done the trick, but fortunately it was very tasty none-the-less. Lucky too – it was imported by Morris & Verdin – so if we hadn’t liked it, we would have been able to blame Jasper!

Not knowing what to expect, and dressed in ‘civvies’, I found the tables in the cellars of St.James immaculately presented and set for a rather grander lunch than I had expected, likewise a large collection of (mainly) men in suits who had also brought bottles along. Apparently this is a dinner that BB&R have been running for a while – a mini Paulée – where a mix of customers and staff bring bottles of their own for testing. The ‘suit’ sat next to me was initially coy about revealing that he was a banker from XXX, but we got on like a house on fire – he even recounted to me the PR disaster overseen by senior management, paraphrasing: ‘everyone knew we had an awful year so no-one expected a bonus – all of a sudden it is announced that everyone will get their bonus – clearly a surprise but welcome none-the-less by those who had made all their targets. Of-course outrage poured forth in the media, the end result being bonuses (which nobody expected) were publicly canceled. Pretty-much annoying everyone in the whole country!’ Hmm, I guess that’s why they are ‘senior’ management.

The food was top-notch, if a little cool (temperature-wise) but that was probably due to me talking and sniffing too much. The first glass was a corked Meursault and the next 3 all had a little musty note to start with, so I was beginning to suspect dirty glasses – though I’d be surprised at this address – anyway the rest were okay. I had to leave before the cheese course and presumably missed the pre-war Musigny’s etc., but here are the only 3 notes in my book:
1996 Chandon des Brailles, Corton Bressandestry to find this wine...
The nose initially has a musty background though that aspect slowly fades to primary and nicely transparent red fruit, slowly it deepens and has a more obvious cherry aspect – very young aromatics though. Fresh, slightly forward acidity. Smooth, yet still with an undercurrent of velvety tannin. Nicely intense and even mineral fruit that slowly fades in the finish. Relatively open yet obviously painfully young – probably at least 5 years away from even some secondary development – very nice wine.
Rebuy – Yes
1996 Jean Grivot, Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Boudotstry to find this wine...
I havented tasted one for a while, but I have a quite a few Grivot Nuits from this vintage – the Roncières in particular has been very nice. My first Grivot Boudots from ’96: A little darker in colour than the Corton. The darker fruit also shows a hint of mustiness and is also a little more muscular. The delivery on the palate is similar to the Corton, intense, some tannin though the fruit is darker and a shade metallic tasting. Almost good, and of-course very young.
Rebuy – Maybe
2003 Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanéetry to find this wine...
Frankly, I’ve no experience of recent Grivots, so this will be interesting: Deep colour. Dense but not at all clunky red fruit – a little tight but nothing ungainly – slowly building some higher tones, rounding out to be quite lithe and not a bit jammy – a good 2003 nose. Mouth-filling though also a little mouth-puckering from the tannin, yet the acidity is not bad. Just a little mouth-watering which combined with the tannin that clings to your gums makes this quite long – incredibly young though. Not a bit of roasted fruit and showing enough energy on the palate. Clearly this needs lots of cellar time but it’s a very successful wine for the vintage – well done Etienne!
Rebuy – Yes
PS – I forgot the story about the BB&R ‘executive’ who after a tasting, slapped a cork in one of the remaining heavy bottles to enjoy at leisure, at home – only to pull the cork at home and find said heavy ‘statement’ bottle was completely empty! Of-course I’m sober darling was probably the basis of the next hour’s conversation…

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