[Pommard-free posting!] Here in two bottles you can see the two faces of the 2004 vintage in the Côte de Nuits. It’s a rather extreme difference given that the bottles come from the same cellar, and slightly disappointng given that I still have 5 of each in my cellar, but I’m in no rush and perhaps there be some slow improvement!
2004 M & P Rion, Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Argillières
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose has a pure and bright red-fruit core but has a rather green-pea malolactic style edge – though of quite some depth. The palate has medium depth, good tart acidity and a creamy, deep oaky, though with a rather dry tannic depth – but seems to need an extra dose of ripeness…
Rebuy – No

This Nuits is like chalk and cheese vs the 2003 that in the summer I disliked so much for it’s very ripe fruit, oak and vanilla-laden style. Perhaps I should open another bottle of that and make the perfect blend with this 2004…
2004 M & P Rion, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Charmes
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose is quintessential Chambolle – or at least many peoples’ expectation – soft, sweet red fruit with the faintest savoury edge; it’s very pretty. Versus the domaine’s 04 Argillières there is more depth, intensity and extra ripeness. The tannins are fully covered. The acidity still has a little tartness, but this also helps hold the fresh flavours of the mouth-watering finish. The oak has much better integration here – lovely wine.
Rebuy – Yes

Don’t worry – something without a pommard label will be appearing here soon!
1995 de Montille, Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens
Medium colour with just a hint of amber. This is a sniffer’s wine, subtle and complex – only slowly widening and becoming softer. This is also rather understated in the mouth; it has good freshness, nice transparency – again a subtle complexity – but you have to work hard to find all these elements. Long with a faint diminuendo. You would easily lose this in a large tasting.
Rebuy – Yes

A very ‘competent’ wine that needs a little more ‘soul’:
1996 Comte Armand, Pommard 1er Clos des Epenots
Medium-plus colour. A wild and impressive nose at the start; oak, a little blood, interesting width, but slowly the oak becomes a little more dominant and the joy fades. Much more subtle entry than the Lejeune Rugiens, a little more tannin but it’s also more linear and focused. Equally potent in the mid-palate and more obvious length – though some of that is, for sure, oak. More depth, but today also less interest than the Lejeune.
Rebuy – Maybe

I didn’t have much luck wiith the first two villages wines I tasted here and here but here is a very nice wine…
2001 Ponsot, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Charmes
Medium cherry-red. The nose is transparent, almost crystaline red fruit of some sweetness that takes about 1 hour from opening to crescendo. Good freshness, lovely intense mid-palate with mouthwatering acidity and a very good length. This has real balance to go with a good, slowly fading length. This was a quickly vanishing bottle.
Rebuy – Yes

unlucky 13 – at least for my taste – I said two similar wines, different producers but similar result. Just see if you can swallow this:
1999 Dominique Laurent, Pommard 1er La Refène
Deep ruby-red, this looks like a 2003. Unusual high-toned, estery aromatics. In the mouth this is much fresher than the Ambroise with a really strong floral dimension to the fruit – hard to believe that this is the same appellation as the other wines. I find it as impressive as I found it off-putting; To be honest I couldn’t drink this as the ‘gag-mechanism’ started working because I found it ‘too chemical’ – to be fair some people really liked this – not rated.
Rebuy – No

Enjoyment tinged with disappointment: Two top wines, if I hadn’t seen the labels I would have enjoyed them very much, but I did – one in retrospect was disappointing:
1999 Clos de Tart
Medium, medium-plus ruby-red core edging to a salmon pink. A nose of minerals edged with soft red fruit and the faintest trace of vanilla. The palate is wide but not fat, plenty of dry and grainy tannin and a real impression of expansion. Very long – again in a mineral rather than fruity sense. A young and impressive wine of quite some potential. Rebuy – Yes
2000 Domaine Leflaive, Chevalier-Montrachet
Not so much full-on oak on the nose as many grand crus from Leflaive, but plenty of toasty bread, tight fruit and eventually higher alcoholic notes. In the mouth my first impression is disappointment; soft, rather unfocused but good acidity. The wine then wakes a little with an impressive burst of complexity on the mid-palate that holds into a long – if rather oak driven – finish. It’s long and has some undoubted complexity but maybe I’ve caught it on a bad day as there’s no real focus or spark. Rebuy – Maybe
Maybe – because it’s a very good wine, but if this bottle is representative, then it’s not as good as it should be!