Brilliant for the vintage

I’m not convinced…

2013 Arnaud Ente, Meursault
I tasted this blind. So fresh – both aromatically and in the mouth – like a spear of flavour. I decided it must be 2014 or 2017 from this profile, but there was also a twist of the spiced sun – could it be 2015? I’d already seen the big blue wax top so had Ente in mind, so really thought that he could produce a 15 like that – no I decided to stay with 2014 because I felt that there was a bit of age to this wine. It turned out to be 2013 – so young for that, but now that little extra ripeness makes sense even if it didn’t recall apricot – simply a great 2013!
Rebuy – Yes

2016 Georges Noellat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaux Monts
Also tasted blind. A silky nose – with a bit of drive – yet also relatively compact. The last drops in the glass showing a volatile balsamic note. In the mouth, this is like the nose – drive to the flavour, relatively narrow – very good texture but no finish to write home about, not much oak showing though. My guess was 2016 – for the combination of concentration and depth of young colour – Côte de Nuits, quite well made – but probably a Bourgogne given the short finish. I was quite shocked when revealed.
Rebuy – No

Despite the hype over this domaine, I’ve not visited Maxime Cheurlin very often at Georges Noellat, despite liking both him and his dog! The main reasons are; 1) I find the wines in elevage too oaky for my palate and 2) given the very long elevage, my normal tasting time simply doesn’t suit evaluating the wines at that time – gas, oak, reduction – you name it. For those reasons I never found a lot of interest in the wines, though bottled wines tasted with him have always been lovely – but this wasn’t and it certainly didn’t warrant the tariff. I offered two different (good!) winemakers the chance to taste the wine – both thought a little volatile, one opined a Bourgogne, the other ‘possibly’ villages – both, like me, got the vintage.

Roumier Bonnes-Mares

A quiet night out in Beaune:

2017 Jean Chartron, Bourgogne Chardonnay Clos de la Combe
A precise and perfect example of how good 2017 can be. A nose of fine and inviting limestone citrus. A palate of drive and energy – mineral but zero harshhness – salivating, mouth-watering for the next sip – the bottle was gone in short order. Simply excllent wine!
Rebuy – Yes

2014 Cécile Tremblay, Bourgogne La Croix Blanche
Plenty of colour. A wild nose – almost textured with whole-clusters and still some reduction. The palate is just the same – more rasping texture and an unswerving, never diminishing reduction – a wine that’s certainly showing some rusticity of texture today, too. This was essentially a wine that I enjoyed without ever admiring. My experience of such wines is that they will be super in 5 or 6 years but for now, perhaps, I’d look elsewhere.
Rebuy – Maybe

2000 G Roumier, Bonnes-Mares
Faintly animale, a nose with lively freshness, and a growing complexity of dried fruits – on one hand, a little tight but on the other, such an invitation to drink. Bright, pure, dynamic, vibrating with saline, complexly fruited flavour. This could be greater, but not massively – it’s still very much a baby. Great wine that you would never ‘pin’ as 2000, such is the clarity with which the flavour is delivered, but I’d wait 5 years for another – unless forced…
Rebuy – Yes