2018 Vocoret, Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Despite the 2018 vintage, here’s a wine that could only come from Chablis – fresh and inviting aromas. Plenty of mouth-filling presence, lovely citrus energy too. A year on since last tasted, this wine is now in a very good place. Easy but delicious drinking.
Rebuy – Yes

2019 Alain Gautheron, Chablis Emeraude
Thats got a lovely citrus-fresh aroma – perhaps a blend of yellow and green – a lovely invitation. Wide, just a little cushion between it and incisive. But there’s a lovely, almost zesty, orange-flesh freshness here too. That’s completely delicious – and a good job too – I bought a dozen – remember buying wines in 12s?
Rebuy – Yes

2019 Lauren & Remi Dufaitre, Brouilly
This nose starts a bit diffuse and unattractive – far from the performance on the palate which was just so moreishly delicious – fortunately, air brings big aromatic improvements. The nose goes deeper and darker, almost wrapping itself around your senses. Plenty of freshness but concentrated and textured too – ooh – that’s lovely. Simply delicious – no wonder that I, with some help, almost finished the bottle on the first day – next time I will. Bravo wine on day one, still very, very good on day two…
Rebuy – Yes

2013 François Gaunoux, Volnay 1er Clos des Chênes
A nice cushion to this red-fruited nose. Silky, direct, a little mineral too. The flavour widening – here just a touch of more herby flavour – not an easy year in 2013 – but the flavours broaden out in fine fashion in the finish – a cherry-stone impression here. Long too. Refreshing and very tasty wine.
Rebuy – Maybe

2013 Clotilde Davenne, Bourgogne Aligoté Vieilles-Vignes
A steely, slightly smoky, reductive nose. In the mouth this is briskly fresh, showing a hint of the aromatic reduction – though less than the nose – and plenty of mineral and citrus complexity. The reduction sticks around for about 20 minutes before fading into the background. Still very young, highly attractive wine that’s better to decant – Yum!
Rebuy – Yes

2010 Famille Barbet, St.Amour Clos des Billards
A reserve caveau label – usually the best of wines – let’s see…
The colour is modest and showing some age but there’s no browning. All the time that it’s open, this is a timid nose, that’s not to say that it’s not a very fine nose – it is, fine red fruit clarity and complexity – but never full-power and no gamay-marsala ageing characteristics. Mouth-filling and wide, delicate, elegant, pure – I could go on in this vein. Don’t drink this in a crowd or you will miss most of what’s going on – you might even call it characterless – and I would understand. Ultra-pure, complex, delicious – and I do love it – but versus everything that’s been made in Beaujolais since 2015 – half a wine!
Rebuy – Maybe…

2019 Alain Geoffroy, Chablis
An attractive aroma with some freshness. I like the shape and energy, there’s good texture too. Persistence in the finish – a tasty wine – and with a Chablis style to it too. Very good.
Rebuy – Maybe

2019 Château de Rougeon, Aligoté L’integral
A forward nose, strongly herbed and shows an older, apple-style, fruit. This is a wine made without sulfur and with skin maceration too. Do I want a second glass – unfortunately not – not a wine to my taste though I’m a big fan of some aligoté with ‘only’ no added sulfur…
Rebuy – No

2020 St.Cyr, Beaujolais Nouveau French Kis Kanon
Almost Beaujolais ‘Oldeau’ – and not actually allowed to be sold with this label now (after a certain amount of time) – though the same wine could now be sold as ‘Beaujolais’…
A bright cherry-red colour. A sweetly cordial fruit – hardly medium-weight flavours, some might not say ‘serious‘ but fun and very tasty wine. Isn’t that the plan?
Rebuy – Yes

1992 V&D Berthaut, Fixin Les Clos
Of course, today’s domaine Berthaut-Gerbet. Hard-wax-topped – the wax in-tact. A decently robust cork too – I had anyway decided to start with the ah-so and it came out easily in one piece.
Ooh – now that’s a nose! Deep, faintly smoky – I would guess with whole-clusters – and sweet too – it’s a really great invitation for a wine of such age, no deviations or distractions – aromas that embrace. Bright – fresh – good attack and than slow-moving fresh waves of smoky, layered, sweet flavour – no exact primary fruit but a last impression of heavy strawberry with such a clean but long finish. A little iron in the flavours if, not quite, blood. Really at its apogee – in my experience, it’s rare for a 30-year-old, of any level of the appellations, to come so perfectly together as this has – but you’ve got to win sometimes 🙂
Bravissimo!
Rebuy? – No Chance!

A fine and varied selection this weekend…

2017 Agnes et Didier Dauvissat, Chablis 1er Beauroy Elevé en fût de chêne
Plenty of depth to this yellow-coloured wine. A width of sweetness – more creme-patissière than the seashore but very inviting all the same. Incisive, super attack, wide, clean, very mineral – more-so than almost all 18s and indeed most 19s can muster. Such a waterfall of deliciously mouthwatering flavour – yes! Bravo, delicious, proper Chablis, just missing a bit of aromatic salinity today, that’s doubtless due to the elevage, but the wood has already 99% been shed by the palate…
Rebuy – Yes

2019 Château Thivin, Côte de Brouilly Les Sept Vignes
Bought as part of a mixed 12 at the domaine after tasting last month…
A round, cushioned and forward nose with a fine depth of fruit. Mouth-filling freshness with great texture. There’s such a lovely energy to this deliciously mouth-watering fruit. Thivinb’s entry wine for their range of Côte de Brouilly – and already a great wine. Bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

1996 Jean Grivot, Nuits St.Georges 1er Roncières
From a half bottle – a robust cork that smells sweet and clean.
Ooh – there’s a depth of aroma – squeaky-clean, almost textured dark fruit and minerals – that’s very impressive for an old half-bottle – full of iron and blood – completely typical for Grivot’s Nuits with age! In the mouth – clearly the acidity of the vintage – but not a bit sharp as there’s plenty of flavour concentration to offer balance. Such a concentration of middle and finishing flavours – like the nose, darkly fruited and very mineral. Not a wine with overt maturity – no sous-bois or dried leaf characters. Paint me impressed – I have some full-size bottles of this (or maybe they are 95s…) if so, and as much as I’m enjoying this powerful, if far from elegant wine, they deserve more patience! A brute that I can appreciate.
Rebuy – Yes