Jancis advises on 2006
Canada still discusses 2005
Finally in Napa you can learn about barrel-making. But only 3 barrels per 250 year-old tree!
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2005 remoissenet, beaune 1er marconnets
2005 Remoissenet, Beaune 1er Marconnets
A domaine wine here: A hint of sweetness, a dense soft-red fruit and an underscore of minerality on the compact but giving nose – slowly opens in the glass. Poise, concentration and a very nice kick in the mid-palate are the first impressions. Slowly you pick up on the velvety tannin and the persistence of the finish. Balanced, some fat and some of the coiled-spring energy of the vintage. This is (versus other 05’s) quite well priced. I think I shall buy a few more…
Rebuy – Yes
aubert de villaine in carneros
travelling, winespectator and finally tasting
I’m on the road for a few days, returning late on Friday – two nights sleep without needing recourse to pharmaceutical products to breathe through my nose mean that the end is in sight for my cold, and hence, my wine drinking moratorium – perhaps the first corks will be popped over this weekend – good timing considering I’m planning to be in the Côtes for two days next week!
I mentioned winespectator, and there are some interesting words here from Bruce Sanderson about his recent tasting chez Jadot…
thumbs up from burghound for 2006
Burghound is very bullish on 2006 – that will cheer up the merchants and producers!
“As Issue 29 will explain, the 2005s are even better than originally previewed and the 2006 is a very good to excellent vintage that is not far behind 2005 in quality. Details within!”
Many critics were cautious (some were dismissive) because they had 2005 stuck in their notebooks, but like I said, better than 2002 at quite a number of address in the Côte de Nuits. If you’re not subscribing, why not? (Avid, not affiliated!)
shrinking burgundy winestocks…
From the BIVB:
“The stocks of wine held by Burgundy wine growers are dwindling, as can be seen from the records published by the customs and excise authorities of volumes remaining in the cellars at domaines at the end of the last campaign, in July 2007: 1.31 million hectolitres – well below one year’s harvest worth in stock (approx. 1.5 million). The last time the level was so low was in July 2000. This is a significant 13% drop on the July 2006 figures and affects all categories of AOC, both whites and reds (-15% for reds and -12% for whites). There are several reasons underlying this change. Firstly, more stringent selection processes limited the volume of harvests in 2006 and 2007. In addition, worldwide consumption is increasing (cancelling out recent global overproduction), accompanied by a search for better quality, more structured sales organisation on the part of companies in the region, and the current fashion for varieties such as Chardonnay and especially Pinot Noir. All these factors have been favourable to the growth in exports of Burgundy wines.”
Website: www.bivb.com
Comment: I think that these results can largely be attributed to the demand for the 2005 vintage – it is telling that the last time stocks were so low was just after the acclaimed 1999 vintage; a high proportion of domaines have already sold their remaining stocks, which is quite unusual for many. Price seems hardly an issue so far, but it will be interesting to compare these results in 1 and 2 years time, where the subsequent vintages may require significantly more effort to generate demand.
on fire – not!
Back! and in rude health – well I’m still saying some rude words over my continued cold (now 8 weeks) but I have some visits planned in the Côtes for the end of the month so will surely be able to taste something by then(?)
Back from the Inferno and frankly I’m humbled. The top runners set off in the poor visibility afforded by low cloud and blitzed the course, averaging 75kph (46.5mph) for 9.5km (6 miles) including the uphill parts. For me it was a case of too much sicherheit not enough geschwindigkeit – safe rather than fast – my average speed was less than half theirs, and in sunshine too. I felt to be going fast; maybe next year the racing suit and those 2.2 metre skis – but then of-course I’d have to work out how to turn those giant planks of composite materials – a colleague makes the simple suggestion of preparation with alcohol. The weekend is, however, a great social event, attested to by all those who were dancing on the tables and bemoaning the closure of clubs at 5am following the race – some holzkopfs still wearing their skiboots…
About 1,800 people take part in the downhill race, yet the village never seems busy – maybe it’s because they are only in the clubs or measuring the temperature of the snow for the right wax treatment.
I recommend anyone who goes to the region gets the train to their resort – the views (top) from the train on leaving Berne to your destination are fabulous.
training in the cold
I got back yesterday from Klosters where I was putting in a bit of ‘training’ (rather too-grand a word) for next weekend’s Inferno Rennen in Mürren. Starting just below the revolving restaurant on the Schilthorn – made famous by George Lazenby as 007 – it’s a 15km downhill ski race if enough snow permits. I did the race in 2006 and it took me 28 minutes – without a stop. The winner required only 15 minutes – but while they were all wearing spandex racing suits, my only decision was to race either with, or without my rucksack…! Actually I’m full of cold so training didn’t go all that well but I’m still confident for Saturday 😉
Talking of colds, I’m now into an unbelievable 7th week without any taste sensation due to a blocked nose, hence, the lack of notes on wines around here – I’m saving money though I suppose! Lucky it’s not my job then!!!
Anyway back to skiing; it snowed like hell last Saturday, so Sunday was picture perfect with blue sky and sunshine. Monday was unbelievable – I was almost alone on the slopes of Madrisa – the snow had that perfect creaking crunch until about 11:00am when the light became rather flat – but great piste conditions!
Anyway, if there are no more diary posts after Saturday, maybe I didn’t complete the course…
european fine wine magazine – a critique
Let me first say that issue number 1 of ‘European Fine Wine Magazine’ is quite a coffee-table magazine, the photography is really something – not just the composition but the saturated, slightly underexposed processing too – never-mind black and white, even in colour it looks almost Gothic! Whilst I’m far from an expert in this area, the photographer (Pekka Nuikki) seems to be carving-out his own genre. In the end though I must come clean – it’s not a magazine for me.
I am an egalitarian when it comes to wine; there was a time when even a modest pocket-book could accommodate an occasional bottle of the grandest of burgundian grand crus – Armand Rousseau’s Chambertin could be had for £60 throughout the 1996-1999 vintages – though unfortunately those times seem but a memory… Anyway back to my point; this publication has nothing to do with the egalitarian – adverts for Maybach, open-top Bentleys, yachts, power-boats, 8-page Dom Pérignon advertorials (the Pol Roger thing looks suspiciously advertorial-ish too) and €6,000 mobile phones etc., etc., accurately reflect the publisher’s target audience – this is the bling of wine-publishing. Articles covering Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bordeaux and ‘investing in wine’ hammer in another nail despite the next issue offering me an olive-branch in the form of a piece on Louis Jadot(!) The final nail is what I consider the inaccuracies in the investing in burgundy section; interesting that 1971 and 1962 are vintages that you should primarily invest in whites, that you should look out for de Vogüé’s Bonnes-Mares, Musigny Vieilles Vignes and apparently their Musigny too and that one of Rousseau’s ‘top three’ is his Charmes-Chambertin.
At least then, they have taken time to think about their audience: As this publication is only about conspicuous consumption, they have come up with a new wine-scoring system too: in with Robert Parker’s 100 points, but out with his methodology. The wine is scored only on how it tastes today, with no reference to future potential. I assume, then, that their scores on 2005 Bordeaux will all be around 75 to accurately reflect their current drinkability. Come to think of it, they will anyway only be drinking 1928, 1945 and 1961 Bordeaux – oh and 1962 Puligny-Montrachet of-course!
I’m surprised then, that I got my complimentary copy courtesy of ‘The World of Fine Wine‘; editor Neil Beckett extolling its virtues and urging a subscription. That magazine whilst positioned firmly in the ‘up-market’ is essentially a magazine of writing. The pretty bunny (sorry, hare) does little to disguise that this is only a vehicle for positioning ‘luxury brands’ like Petrus and Mouton. I shall not be investing, despite the often evocative and haunting images. Hopefully, though, this will bring Pekka Nuikki’s work to a deserved wider audience, despite his surreal website.
I rightly consider myself to be ‘too nice’ ever to be a real critic – but sometimes it just flows…