You could call the seals to the right the good, the bad and the ugly – but those names don’t tally with the physical appearances:

The clean-cut Nomacorc is the villain of the bunch – the first incarnation of this cane-sugar development was an utter disaster for all the wines I bought that were sealed with it – this Alsace grand cru is, I hope, the last Nomacorc in my cellar to be completely oxidised – far, far worse and much more consistently oxidised than with cork. Everyone tells me that the latest development of Nomacorc is working well – which I can accept – but I won’t forget all the bottles I poured away. The semi-rubble of the Pommard Epenots still did a proper job for 30 years so complaints. As for the Brocard DIAM – the Gautheron wears DIAM too – nothing to complain about, as usual…

So you already know that the Seppi Landmann Alsace Grand Cru was irretrievably oxidised and you’ve already seen a note for the Pommard. The 2019 Gautheron Chablis Emeraude remains consistent with previous notes and was delicious. The 2018 Brocard Chablis Boissinneuse is starting to come good – I initially found it a little too easy and insufficiently taut – I think it’s going to come around fine – assuming I have sufficient patience!

So, to the two Beaujolais:

2019 Frederic Berne, Régnié Aux Bruyères
The first vintage of this wine chez Frederic…
There’s a little more fruity oomph about this nose than I saw at the domaine but still the pretty dark fruits are in play. Good initial impact and a sophisticated delivery of texture and flavour. I see a little less energy here than I remember but, all the same, it’s a completely delicious wine – yum!
Rebuy – Yes

2019 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie Clos de la Roilette
The classic cuvée of this domaine…
Instantly attractive nose. The impact and silk of the last wine with just a little more energetic zip. Mineral, mouth-watering depth of very fine fruit – yes, Fleurie fruit – this is already showing better than when I bought a six-pack at the start of the year. Bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

1992 Vaudoisey-Creusefond, Pommard 1er Les Epenots
This cork required some dexterity – one major piece but with multiple fissures and plenty of smaller parts – only one larger one dropped into the wine and it was easy to ‘fish’ out…
Medium colour and obviously a wine with some age to that colour. The nose has a little mustiness to start but that fades with air – there’s still fruit here – even a little strawberry! In the mouth, this starts direct and mineral – structural – but I keep my concentration on the sweetness of the unfolding flavours – again a little strawberry-tinged now graphite minerality and an appealing width of ‘sweet but not too sweet.’ The finish starts better than the start but the start keeps getting better – as Donald Rumsfeld might have said! Thats a lovely wine, still vigorous and one that slowly transitions from subtle to ever-more impressive with air. Lovely!
Rebuy – Yes!

2019 Jean-Claude Lapalu, Alma Mater
JC’s amphora cuvée – he’s been playing with these containers since 2009. All is gamay from Brouilly or Cote de Brouilly – or both – and it’s labelled as Vin de France. This wine also nbeeded some dexterity on opening – this time it was the modest disc of red wax over the cork that fractures into hundreds of pieces!
The nose starts a little dissociated but in only 5 minutes we have beautiful purity of fruit – the aromas redolent of the best of pinot with fruit and flowers – but the flavour is not that of pinot. Vibrantly pure, still framed with a modest texture of tannin but almost juicy finishing too. That’s a beauty!
Rebuy – Yes in a shot!

2007 L&A Lignier, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées
This colour starting to add a little browner cast to the rim. The nose starts with a little white mushroom which fades to show that slightly sauvage Gevrey feeling, still with some faint barrel cream showing through – there’s a lot to find in here – eventually a balsamic/red-cherry fruit – lovely. Compared to more recent vintages there’s an off-ripe leading edge to the generous fruit and, here, is a more overt slug of creaminess from the oak. The finish is narrow but has fine length – minerally accented. The mid-palate oak is a little excessive for me but otherwise, this is a wine where I’m finding a lot to like.
Rebuy – Maybe