bouchard père 1999 chambertin

By billn on October 30, 2007 #degustation

bouchard 1999 chambertin

An interesting counterpoint to the Faiveley – one might expect the Chambertin to need more time than a Corton, but producer style counts for much. Also opened and then poured 1 hour later:
1999 Bouchard Père et Fils, Chambertintry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose starts deep and wide – still primary – slowly providing a soft, savoury bacon-fat background. In the mouth this is intense, wide and mouth-filling. There is still plenty of tannin, faintly astringent and with a bitter chocolate edge that adds a little cream before going very long in the finish. There is a ton of structure here but it’s very well matched by the extract. Excellent, and wait a minute – hmm – I can still buy this cheaper than some ‘mid-range’ 2005 premiers…!
Rebuy – Yes

1999 clos des cortons faiveley

By billn on October 28, 2007 #degustation

clos des cortons faiveley

The first from a six-pack, opened one hour before pouring:
1999 Faiveley, Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveleytry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red. Faint higher tones over mineral coated pure red cherry that plums a good depth if not much width – give it another hour and there’s a lovely piercing red note. In the mouth it starts narrow, slowly widening as it heads for the mid-palate. The acidity is forward and more than just a little tart but the tannins are well hidden. Everything remains tight going into the finish but I have to say there is a sneaky extra dimension of creamy flavour that expands further in the finish – certainly the most compelling part. Time gives a little more fat and interestingly a little more astringency to ‘balance’. Okay now, but I won’t open another in the next 5 years…
Rebuy – Maybe

today’s papers and counterfeit bottles (again)…

By billn on October 27, 2007 #asides#other sites

Cheap red Burgundy can be one of the most unpleasant of wine experiences (especially in a rain-sodden or chilly vintage) so avoid anything under £6.

That’s a cheery thought – but read on. In my experience you can buy lovely bourgogne for under £6, but only direct from the domaine and only in ‘almost good’ or better vintages. If you don’t have the same buying chance, follow the advice of Rose!

Worried about the provenance of your new acquisition?

WineAuthentication.com exists because wine counterfeiting has become a greater and greater problem for buyers and sellers of wine.

And just in case you ever craved a ‘wet lipstick kiss’ from Ann Colgin…

jc belland 1996 santenay 1er comme

By billn on October 26, 2007 #degustation

The 1999 of this wine is drinking very well right now – so what about the 1996?
1996 Jean-Claude Belland, Santenay 1er La Commetry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose starts with a fine berry/raspberry note, set against a deeper brooding background – lovely – shame then that after 30 minutes you are left only with the brooding background! The palate itself is fresh and like very many of the lower appellation wines from this vintage, it is defined mainly by it’s acidity. Overall the tannin is hidden but the palate is linear and narrow, concentrated for all that but surprisingly primary. Length is almost good. Overall there is little here to suggest that it’s 11 years since the vintage. I wonder if/when it will ever open out – one more bottle remains – so I’ll give it one more chance, age 15, but I wouldn’t buy more.
Rebuy – No

2002 dugat-py gevrey coeur de roy

By billn on October 22, 2007 #degustation

dugat puy gevrey chambertin coeur du roy
Interesting to let this wine follow the Fourrier. I expected to enjoy the Fourrier more from a style perspective, and this was partly borne out – but the Dugat-Py is actually no muscle-bound monster, nor does it wear an impenetrable suit of oak, it merely lost out because it went through so many phases in the glass, not all of them enjoyable. Overall it impresses but is much more primary (but then it’s also younger) than the Fourrier which today I prefer for it’s elegant, layered complexity – but who is to say that that will not come(?) It’s an easier decision when you factor in the price and realise that you can have 5 bottles of Fourrier for every 2 of the Dugat-Py…

2002 Bernard Dugat-Py, Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur de Roytry to find this wine...
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. On opening, the nose was actually rather engaging – like the Fourrier only denser. After about 40 minutes it’s deeper-still, rather savoury and ungainly – which is a shame – fortunately after 90 minutes it freshens up a little to give a relatively diffuse black-shade fruit which is not great but is certainly better – the last drops in the glass give cause for optimism though. The palate has a smooth, understated entry, in fact it’s silky smooth, linear and with darker-shaded fruit. The finish is understated, and the length is the equal of the 99 Fourrier.
Rebuy – Yes

The last 3rd of the bottle was consumed on day 2: The nose has remained fresh, the palate has remained linear, silky and balanced. An excellent wine for sure.

fourrier 99 gevrey-chambertin

By billn on October 21, 2007 #degustation

fourrier gevrey chambertin
1999 Fourrier, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille-Vignetry to find this wine...
Medium ruby-red. A nose that starts deep and surprisingly oaky given that there’s normally a maximum of 20% in this cellar – but it’s short-lived before fading into redder, layered fruit overlaid by higher toned alcoholic aspects, maybe even an edge of coffee. In the mouth it starts impressively; it’s well balanced, and shows a lovely, succulent, creamy red fruit. Time increases the depth but eventually dulls the excitement just a hint. It’s intense in the mid-palate and you never really think of the tannin before it slowly fades in the finish – still with that creamy edge. Poised, elegant and a first-class villages.
Rebuy – Yes

98 daniel rion nuits les lavières

By billn on October 19, 2007 #degustation

1998 Daniel Rion, Nuits St.Georges Les Lavièrestry to find this wine...
Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose is deep with wider mineral notes, an edge of spice and just a little uncouth ‘lifted’ alcoholic top-notes. A little fat that overlays plenty of tannin – it’s quite fine though. Good depth and a good length. This is reminiscent more of 1997’s with a slight lack of freshness – though funnily most of Rion’s 97 are almost good. It’s okay but I wouldn’t buy more.
Rebuy – No

drc – 2000 – romanée st.vivant

By billn on October 16, 2007 #degustation

romanee conti vivantMy birthday – so I pulled out a ‘decent’ bottle that I hoped might have just a hint of ‘willingness’. Decanted mainly because of the sediment and drunk over the following 2-3 hours.
2000 DRC, Romanée St.Vivant try to find this wine...
Medium, medium-plus colour – just a very faint edge of amber at the rim. The nose is a sniffer’s delight – though the stems are very forward – they overlay a deep and primary red-fruit nose that’s edged with softness and a faint, savoury, musky note. The more it develops in the glass the more savoury it becomes; the last drops showing an extra fineness. In the mouth the wine is clearly grand cru in texture though the concentration is not so up-front, it rather develops on the tongue in an understated way. The tannins are well covered though I find the acidity is the least perfect aspect – not bad, but just a little bright – at this level I demand seamless. There is a subtle extra dimension in the mid-palate and into the finish – which is also very understated. Apart from the nose and the entry, everything about the wine is subtle and low-key – it holds the interest amply though, even the acidity seems well-judged at the death. Very fine now, if not quite mind-bending. I expect it will only get better for at least the next 10 years but it was very much enjoyed – to the last drop!
Rebuy – Yes (at release price, but not the current $500-900 retail!)

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