I must have been having a bad day, or perhaps it was the phase of the moon but I liked all of these when I paid a visit in May. M&M certainly seem to be on a roll. It was only the other day that I thought about it from a new perspective; if you can find a retailer of the wines and (important!) you like the style, it’s like having your own ‘personal shopper’ tasting dozens and dozens of things that you don’t have the time/possibility to do. The team at M&M taste lots and lots of wine and try to buy the ones they like – if you like what they like – bingo! I seem to be nicely correlated to their whites, the downside of which is that it can get expensive – the prices are not bad – so you buy more…doh!
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Morgeot
Bottled at the end of February. The nose is high-toned and shows nice depth. This is quite big in the mouth, there’s plenty of fruit extract and just the right amount of acidity to whisk you into a good finish.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Meursault 1er Charmes
It’s a nicely characteristic nose, some high tones over roast nuts. The palate has a nice, lean minerality and very good acidity to match. Fast on its feet, this is lovely – nice finish too.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Puligny-Montrachet 1er, Champs-Gains
A waxy, dense and impressive nose. Lovely minerality and super acidity that pushes long into a creamy finish. There’s a great extra dimesion in the mid-palate too. Just so communicative today – very lovely.
Rebuy – Yes like a shot…
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Puligny-Montrachet 1er, Caillerets
The nose is not so deep as the Champs-Gains, a little tighter but with a clear extra width. The action here is on the palate; mouthfilling then rather hauntingly and understatedly long. This has tightened since last tasted, the waves of attack are on a lower level. Still very, very classy.
Rebuy – Yes and did
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Gevrey-Chambertin
The nose is floral, bright and ripe – given time it shows redder and redder. Clean and linear with tannin that shows itself quite late. This is a nice fresh villages and recommended.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Volnay 1er, Clos des Chênes
A mineral nose with an undercurrent of red cherry. Lovely, with slightly plush concentration. The tannins are a little grainy but ripe and well-managed. Intense with a lingering finish. Worthy of the label.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Pommard 1er, Clos Blanc
An impressively complex nose, interesting and high-toned. Ripe, intense and again ripe tannin. Plenty of red-fruited, dense concentration. Very good.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Corton-Bressandes
A lovely, understated though ripe and slightly musky nose. Densly concentrated, super acidity with a real extra dimension on the palate. Good length too. A real grand cru at a bargain price.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Mischief & Mayhem, Clos de Vougeot
The nose is very understated – not giving much away. The palate has a narrow entry that suddenly and impressively widens – bathed in ripe, decently grained tannin. There are many worse Clos Vougeots, though this is clearly giving little away today.
Rebuy – Maybe

2001 Bouchard P&F, Beaune 1er du Château
Last tried almost 3 years ago and it was very ‘awkward’. Medium ruby-red colour. Softly sweet red nose – primary but pretty. Medium weight, nicely transparent and with good acidity. This is altogether quite a charmer today – shame I held of more purchases as it’s all gone now!
Rebuy – Yes

1998 H&G Remoriquet, Nuits St.Georges 1er Les St.Georges
Medium-plus ruby/mahogany colour. The nose is heavily scented; deep, dense and dank, with wet wood and aged vanilla-cream cherry. Concentrated and rather well textured for a top Nuits from a vintage that enjoys more than a hint of tannin – there’s very little astringency. The acidity remains fresh and mouthwatering though with just a little bitterness at the end. The length is very-good rather than great. Overall, this is impressively open for what is a relative youngster though it’s certainly brawny rather than elegant – but isn’t that the epitomy of a good Nuits? Oh and at ~£20 in the sale – a bargain! For drinking now and over the next 10+ years.
Rebuy – Yes

By the way, did I mention that it rained when we got back from the UK? Here’s the ‘middle bridge’ in Basel, lunchtime yesterday…

2004 Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne-Romanée La Colombière
Medium, Medium-pale colour. Aromatically more impressive than you expect from the colour, deep with a faint edge of coffee – only turning redder and finer with a little tobacco and spice as you slowly drain the glass – no green notes. Light but intense in the mouth – it’s the slightly bright acidity that adds to the apparent intensity. Red berry fruit that slowly fades, good, understated velvet tannins. It’s precocious though quite well balanced, I’d be tempted to drink this younger rather than older. Tasty.
Rebuy – Maybe