2005 d’Ardhuy, Pommard 1er Fremiers
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose is pregnant with dark oak and soft spice, quite sweet but avoiding toast and only hinting at vanilla – all this covering black cherry and berry notes. The palate is concentrated without fat, intense in the mid-palate, and with acidity that pushes the finish quite some way. The fruit has dark oaky elements for the first minutes, but the tannins are completely buried. I’d leave this a couple of years to lessen the oak-derived aromas, but it is a medium-weight, complex and rather cultured Pommard.
Rebuy – Yes

Guess why I bought this – correct – because I’d never heard of the 1er cru and thought ‘let’s have a look’. Even after I found out it was red, I still thought ‘why not?’ 😉

2004 Louis Carillon et Fils, St.Aubin 1er Les Pitangerets
Medium ruby red, already a little development at the rim. The nose starts a little like roast red tarts with an overlay of herbal, slightly cedarish notes. In the mouth there’s nice enough texture but the tannins coupled with the acidity will certainly make your mouth pucker – it’s an interesting contrast to the ripe fruit. A nice middle-weight wine with food, but more challenging without. I’m not unhappy to have drunk my first Pitangerets, though I’m not straining at the leash for the next, at least not from 2004…
Rebuy – No

Note the subtle change to Domaine Georges Mugneret – no more the Dr. Georges.

There was a a big dose of the ’04 greenery’ in this first wine 14 months ago – even seeping into the flavours. I can see a considerable improvement now, so the remaining 4 bottles can safely rest for a few years. The 2004 is the riper and friendlier, but the 2005 is the better wine – or will be eventually. I look forward to comparing it to the very good 2002 in another 8+ years!

2004 Georges Mugneret, Gevrey-Chambertin
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose starts with a waft of dark oak that is slowly replaced by cedar. It’s a short peak of green that slowly, but never completely subsides, filling out with soft, ripe and creamy fruits with fainter brûlée. The palate is well-textured, ripe and sweet. Initially the acidity is a little prickly – carbon dioxide probably as it fades and smooths. The finish is a very good one, again edged with cream. The green element has faded to the extent that it is no longer part of the flavour profile. I’m more confident now for the future – perhaps the next in 3 or 4 years…
Rebuy – Maybe
2005 Georges Mugneret, Gevrey-Chambertin
Deeper colour than the 2004. The nose more reticent but is deeper and with darker black-shaded fruits against a faintly sweet spicy gingerbread background. Starts narrow but really widens on the palate with inky, palate staining concentration. It’s rather mineral but very impressive – the structure is completely buried. An absolute home-run for this wine in 2005 – and it will need at least 10 years in the cellar – did I leave it too late for more bottles?
Rebuy – Yes
Yep – another 3 bottles for the cellar – it’s an expensive ‘villages’ so I was ‘modest’…

2005 Albert Bichot, Grands-Echézeaux
I drank this (the vines of and tended by Philippe Engel) out of sequence as I really wanted the comparison with the Griotte. The vanilla-style sweet oak is still too much to the fore, this is a wall of almost overpowering aromas – it’s certainly not shy. The palate is balanced, initially with a hint of carbon dioxide and incredibly wide and long – by far the most impressive wine of the night in this respect. This wine needs at least 2 years to lose the facile, sweet oak – but afterwards, it will be a stunner!
Rebuy – Yes

2004 Jacky Truchot, Chambolle 1er Les Sentiers
Medium colour. Lots of dirty, toasty oak and burnt match to start with – and he hardly uses any new oak! – eventually a little raspberry peeks through. Lots of ripe and sweet fruit on the palate, and just a little tannin. The acidity starts a little prickly (carbon dioxide?) but softens in the finish. I quite liked this in the end, but the initial aromatics were hardly attractive.
Rebuy – Maybe

2005 Antonin Guyon, Volnay 1er Clos des Chênes
The nose starts tight, a wider alcoholic tone over a tight kernel of fruit – opens beautifully in the glass with lovely fruit. The palate is quite fresh and linear but provides a super burst of fruit in the mid-palate that slowly lingers in the finish. Far from the best Volnay in 2005, but it’s very, very lovely.
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Véronique Drouhin, Vosne 1er Petits Monts
An understated nose that slowly builds power in the glass – exotic hardwoods and faint chocolate mix to give a very complex impression. The palate is relatively tight, the faintly astringent tannin being well covered by the understated fruit – the length of finish is rather more distinguished. Despite the tight presentation there is good focus here – better than the last bottle.
Rebuy – Yes

2001 Fourrier, Gevrey 1er Clos St.Jacques
A lovely fine and elegant nose of quite some complexity – red fruits and earth. The palate is long, faintly mineral and very wide in the mid-palate and into the finish. Perhaps a little unruly – let’s say over-exuberant as it finishes but much complexity here too. An impressive and characterful wine.
Rebuy – Yes

2001 Fourrier, Griotte-Chambertin
After the Clos St.Jacques the aromatics are of deeper, tighter but also softer red fruit. The palate is more concentrated but significantly simpler, though covers the faintly astringent tannin very well. A smoothly long finish. At this stage it is deceptively simple and ‘cute’ after the CSJ – but such is Griotte. Still a lovely wine.
Rebuy – Yes

1993 Esmonin Père et Fils, Gevrey 1er Clos St.Jacques
Medium colour. The nose is rather mature and quite ripe with an undertow of undergrowth and eventually chocolate. After the last 1993 this is fuller and riper with apparently lower acidity. There is a medium-plus length of finish and very understated structure. I would characterise this as a very friendly and ‘cosy’ wine – particularly for a 93 – one to curl up with. Possibly not a wine for the ages but it’s coming into a nice drinking window now.
Rebuy – Yes

1993 Dujac, Gevrey 1er Combottes
Corked – damn, I was really looking forward to this comparison!

1998 Jean Chauvenet, Nuits St.Georges
A relatively narrow and slightly volatile nose – some, though marginal, improvement in the glass. Plenty of minerality and well-managed tannins in the mouth. After the last wines this was found significantly wanting, but even in isolation I think there is a lack of personality here.
Rebuy – No

Drunk in the comfy surroundings and simple but delicious food of ‘Hilliards‘ in London:
2001 Coche-Dury, Auxey-Duresses
Medium-pale colour with a hint of amber at the rim. The nose is soft, with a suggestion of undergrowth and pretty violets. The palate is mineral yet soft, not so deep but a fine width and a savoury finish. An altogether lovely aperitif if you can get a good price.
Rebuy – Yes
2004 Chevillon-Chezeaux, Nuits 1er Les Bousselots (Blanc)
Medium yellow. The nose starts with a forward brioche note before fading into a good if simple ripe fruit effect. There is some fat, but this wine is defined by a lovely spine of acidity – it starts just a little prickly but quickly smooths. Unlike many heavy and ponderous whites from the Côte de Nuits, I find this fresh and engaging.
Rebuy – Yes
1991 Armand Rousseau, Gevrey 1er Clos St.Jacques
A lovely, bright medium ruby-red colour. Undergrowth and maturing red fruits are the main aromas to start, but slowly the undergrowth fades to reveal a lovely redcurrant note. Nice texture – very smooth. I find just a tough of harshness to the acidity that’s mirrored in the finish, but this slowly improves if never completely fades. There is a nicely understated length here and I would say this is pretty much ready to go. Very nice, but far from the quality of the Chambertin and Bèze at this address in 1991, in terms of a rebuy, I would expect prices to be too high for the reward – but you never know.
Rebuy – Maybe
1983 Clair-Daü, Gevrey 1er Estournelles St.Jacques
Deep, dark and powerful aromas with a hint of volatility that eventually settle into a mature red-fruit vein. There is a lovely core of fresh flavour here, it’s robust and will never be a charmer but there is personality galore and it’s surprisingly clean and tasty.
Rebuy – Yes
1993 Jean Chauvenet, Nuits 1er Les Vaucrains
A medium-plus, young looking colour. Earthy, deep aromas with a mix of black and red fruit coupled to something a little more mature and savoury. In the mouth there is a mix of richness and freshness coupled to astringent tannins that probably ripe enough and certainly on the wane. Still a young showing and very impressive too.
Rebuy – Yes