2004 Michel Niellon, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Maltroie
Medium-pale yellow. The nose starts deep with plenty of fresh bread and sweet pear, slowly tightens and becomes higher toned. The palate is fat and full – almost grand cru ‘oily’ – with super acidity, and penetrating intensity that bursts with lime/citrus fruit. Considerable yet understated length that shows just a hint of cream. In one word; excellent.
Rebuy – Yes
I’ve wanted to open this mixed case for a while…
2003 Liger-Belair, Vosne-Romanée La Colombière
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. Deep red, sweet cherry mixed with sweet vanilla oak – the fruit is nicely delineated – provided you keep the temperature below 20°C. Full flavour, perfectly presented with a strong vanilla infused finish – very high quality villages but very, very 2003.
Rebuy – Yes
Apparently it’s true…
Given the glass of Dubeouf 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau I just had, perhaps they should speed up the process!
2002 Bouchard Père et Fils, Aloxe-Corton
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose starts very red, ripe and forward, slowly becoming more interesting – coffee and cinnamon edged. Fresh and sweet, the wine expands in the mouth – nicely lingering flavours. The tannin is very well covered. A very successful and super value wine – heartily recommended.
Rebuy – yes
These producers have invested in a very nice new ‘livery’ for their 2004’s – much more elegant than their niaive predecessors.
2004 F & D Clair, St.Aubin 1er Les Murgers des Dents de Chien
Medium yellow. The nose fresh, just a little savoury and spicy against that citrussy 2004 feel. Medium-intensity with very good acidity and a nice flow into the good finish. Again there’s a slightly savoury element to the palate too. Plenty of flesh here, rather than the taught, haughty aspect of many in 2004. Easy and tasty drinking – very good value at it’s pre-arrival price.
Rebuy – Yes
Tonight I deserve to eat and drink badly (actually I tend not to drink badly – I prefer to abstain!); I’m alone in a hotel and a colleague has given me the name of two good restaurants – the thing is (without a driver) I’m far too lazy to arrange taxis in each direction – that’s my main excuse, though the fact-is, I have more than enough work to do to fill each waking hour. So it’s time to take my ‘medicine’ and accept what the hotel is serving up!
My experience leads me to believe that hotels are (typically) worse than restaurants when it comes to wine. Middle-ranking restaurants often have wine sourced from one supplier – and usually very bad value wine at that. Hotels are even worse, even half-decent hotels typically keep wine-lists that appall. So tonight I shall spend in a Hotel Mercure (part of a very big chain), in that cultural hotspot – Zwolle! Who would have thought? Grand Cru Chablis from a good producer is a mere 25 Euro per bottle (I paid just 15 Euro for the half bottle!) and a very good village Vosne-Romanée (Bichot) is 32 Euro – seems rather churlish to say ‘they are only 2003’s’ – bravo Mercure, some merchants charge more!
2003 Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Grand Cru Bougros
Medium yellow. The cooler the wine, the more mineral the aspect, but at the correct temperature, aromatically this is a more about honey than rocks, with just a faint savoury edge. The palate is soft and supple – ripe obviously – good texture and a medium-plus length. The vintage is doing the talking here, so this is not a great Bougros, but it is a great value wine enjoyed in a restaurant.
Rebuy – Maybe
Just to keep you on your toes, I though I should try and slip through another Pommard. Very good it was too!
2003 Louis Boillot, Pommard 1er Les Croix Noires
Medium-plus cherry-red. The nose is wide, eventually high-toned, complex and interesting – provided you keep it cool, otherwise it (like many 2003’s) becomes quite diffuse. Very well textured – there’s a lot of tannin, but it’s very well done, and very well covered. There was obviously plenty of oak at release, but there has been a very quick take-up and this is rather well made and impressive – a modern vernacular for sure, but very well done. Impressive juice!
Rebuy – Yes
Seems ‘the pour’ is still in Burgundy – this time enjoying ‘lunch‘
The last time I had one of these was at least 3 or 4 years ago, and probably a 1996 – but I do remember liking the wine! In September I took a ‘flyer’ and managed to land a reasonably priced case at auction; here’s the chance to see what kind of mistake I made!
1998 Pierre Gelin, Fixin 1er Clos Napoleon
Medium ruby-red colour. The nose starts very subdued, only slowly starts to take on a more tertiary, slightly alcoholic edge – eventually becomes quite interesting. The palate is well textured with super acidity and impressive mid-palate concentration – if it had any astringent tannin in its youth then it’s already melted. It’s ready now and I’m sure it will hold for a few years more, it’s just a little Gevrey in style and very well priced.
Rebuy – Maybe
Seems I didn’t do too badly after-all!
2003 Domaine du Clos Frantin, Vosne-Romanée 1er Malconsorts
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. A deeply ripe red-fruit nose; it flirts with being porty but just-about avoids this tragedy – though I’m concerned that with time it might fall from the tightrope it currently walks. The palate is soft and concentrated with a burst of tannin in the mid-palate, the finish slowly fades. The concentration and extract are self-evident and are well-judged, but it’s hard to find the complexity given the density of its current demenour. Clean and well made, one more stays in the cellar to see how this develops – clearly a 2003.
Rebuy – Maybe
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