A lovely weekend that started with a four hour drive – it should be less than three – through rain, snow and holiday traffic to arrive at Klosters. The snow was still coming down when we went to bed, four white burgundies behind us:
2004 Alex Gambal, St.Aubin 1er Murgers des Dents de Chien
Medium yellow. Nose starts with savoury oak which slowly fades to nice brioche – wide and interesting – it’s a good start. Soft and smooth texture, widening on the palate. It’s a little mineral and has super balance. Could perhaps benefit from an extra depth, but maybe it’s just tightness that I perceive. Very nice length and the nose remains interesting throughout.
Rebuy – yes
2005 Alex Gambal, St.Aubin 1er Murgers des Dents de Chien
Slightly deeper colour versus the 2004. The nose is less wide, but deeper with more fruit and fainter brioche. More width and density, plenty of acidity but it’s just a little prickly. More oaky dimension on the mid-palate and more faintly lingering. There is more material here but today it’s a less seamless package than the 2004. Still great value.
Rebuy – yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Meursault 1er Les Peruzots
Medium yellow. The nose shows nice floral tones over the faint brioche. The palate shows well-textured concentration with the acidity just bubbling away under the surface before breaking through into the mid-palate. An interesting extra edge of flavour before (very) slowly fading into the finish. A fine example.
Rebuy – yes
2004 Philippe Chavy, Puligny-Montrachet Rue Rousseau
Medium-plus yellow. High-toned green and yellow fruit and, for the first 15 minutes some oak. High-toned ripe fruit on the palate, slightly estery. Very bright in the mid-palate and quite wide too before fading into the finish. This has a rather full and round fruit profile, which is not my favourite style – just seems to lack for elegance. Good wine if you like the style, but doesn’t say ‘Puligny’ to me though.
Rebuy – Maybe
Early next morning (despite the wine!) the snow had stopped and we headed hopefully for the slopes, maybe the skies would clear… We chose the Rhinerhorn on the other side of Davos for the expected mix of piste, off-piste (not me – I don’t need ‘beeps’ and ABS rucksacks for thrills!) and quiet slopes – everything was delivered in perfect blue ski!
Day two saw the weather close in, so forget skiing, we made a two and a half hour walk through deep snow and steep slopes to a restaurant where lunch took over 3 hours (apparently Prince Charles and entourage may make it there this week) – we decided to cancel our evening restaurant reservation and watched Jack Nicholson instead on DVD.
So only one day skiing, but it was a good one. It’s interesting to note that while Switzerland spends billions of francs so that tourist traffic may by-pass (via bridges and tunnels) assorted towns, many of the interconnected network of ‘hills’ which those ski-tourists come for, make do with antiquated t-bars and chair-lifts whilst local gemeindes (councils) argue over 2 million here or there to make refurbishments – comic! Another snippet of gossip; apparently (Sir) Norman Foster is planning a second gherkin for the slopes above Davos – some locals are outraged – but frankly Davos can only be improved by such a construction, it is far from a pretty village, rather one long road with assorted (sometimes nice) buildings on either side – apart from the WEF, I hear that Davos is losing most of it’s cachet (i.e. high-roller tourists) to St.Moritz…
Days of meetings and customer visits whilst avoiding tidal waves of reorganisations back at home – all will come to roost eventually. I spent yesterday evening with a glass (or 2) of chardonnay in a pub while watching football – I don’t drink beer, but white wine by the glass in a pub is usually fit for purpose, red not so often! 
