2006 des Varoilles, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoilles
A slight update to the label for this vintage. Only just a little more than medium colour. Wide, quite high-toned floral, violet aromatics, underneath a more cherry-type fruit. The palate is soft, slightly fat and shows good fruit that’s edged with a little bitter chocolate / coffee. A reasonable amount of decently grained tannin – perhaps not 100% ripe given a trace of bitterness, but tannin fades. Good acidity and a very nice burst of interest in the mid-palate. Drunk over 3 days it was just a little better each day and the only thing lost was that bitter edge to the tannin. A very nice 2006.
Rebuy – Yes

Drunk at lunch and dinner last week during the harvest in Beaune:
2006 Catherine et Claude Maréchal, Bourgogne Aligoté
Apparently made in a ‘hyperoxigenated’ way. Medium yellow. The first aromas are high-toned over a base of fruit that reminds me of pinot blanc. In the mouth it starts a little spritzy but slowly became softer in the glass. Blind, I didn’t guess aligoté. Reasonably long, relatively light bodied but with good balance.
Rebuy – Maybe
2006 Camille Giroud, Corton Chaumes
2 barrels, one new, made with 50% whole clusters from 90 year-old vines – sadly now ripped out and planted with chardonnay which may take the (more commercially attractive) Corton-Charlemagne appellation. Medium, medium-pale colour. The nose starts tight, slowly opening with red and blue-skinned fruit and an undertow of subtle stems – goes from strength to strength in the glass. In the mouth it starts with a little gas. It’s a narrow entry that suddenly widens into a very complex mid-palate and plenty of length – though much of that is still contributed to by the oak. A super ‘sniffer’s’ wine that kept improving in the glass. A super mid-term wine.
Rebuy – Yes
1998 Casanuova delle Cerbaie, Brunello di Montalcino
A deep and dark core of fruit on the nose, slowly you also get pretty red fruit and a hint of anise. Mouth-filling, plenty of tannin, but after the tannin hurdle it slides slowly into a nice finish. Very young wine…
Rebuy – Maybe
The bottle of Griotte from last week had some strange taint from the cork, this cork also had a similar smell though on a lower order – fortunately I couldn’t detect it in the wine. That said, I expected this wine to be a little better so maybe it was still influencing(?)
2006 Chézeaux/Ponsot, Clos St.Denis (Tres) Vieilles Vignes
Medium, medium-plus colour. A wide nose of delicate red and black berries, some high-toned alcoholic notes and a little dried cranberry. The palate needed time in the glass – a little prickly – becoming ever-smoother and and longer, showing the silkiest of tannins. I have to say that it impressed but didn’t ‘wow’ – normally I am wowed by this cuvée.
Rebuy – Yes

The accumulated wealth of (conventional) wisdom says that this is a dumb thing to do, but given the two remarkably open Faiveley’s in this tasting, I thought I’d give this bottle a try. Note that this is a négoce wine, not domaine.
2005 Joseph Faiveley, Volnay 1er Santenots
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose is not exactly effusive, but it has quite some depth of dark dried fruits and a more herbal top note. Very good texture then quickly a grainy tannin builds and the acidity seems just an afterthought – yet perfectly draws you into the finish. The mid-palate flavour and finish are cracking – intense and very long – chocolate and a little strawberry shaded oak tannin is the diminuendo. Not as typically brutal as the Lafon version, nor indeed what you might expect from Faiveley, but a super wine.
Rebuy – Yes

2004 Nicolas Potel, Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes
A good, medium, medium-plus colour. The nose alas is a mix of cedary green and mushroom, there’s a pretty red fruit trying to peek through but frankly it’s drowned. In the mouth it’s nicely concentrated with good fat and a lovely red fruit base. The acidity is good but slides you into a finish where the green raises its head again. Such a shame.
Rebuy – No