Fruit aromas that give a serious and very fine impression, eventually pretty red fruits. Really super-fine tannin that clings to your mouth helping the flavour linger for just that bit longer. More power, but today a little less dimension than the Suchots – will be very good though.
Warm and sweet are main thoughts as you bring your nose to this, very pretty if not stunningly effusive. In the mouth it’s sweet and intense – tannic still – and has nice complexity. I don’t find the ‘cut’ and excitement that was evident in the Engel Brûlées, so would much rather drink that today but this is clearly no slouch.
Medium, medium-plus colour. High-toned, little obvious oak, clear, jellified red and black fruits. This has a lovely silky texture. Behind is understated acidity and a nice length. Far from the depth and complexity of the 2004 and just a hint less ripe. At a decent price it’s a nice buy and a very elegant version of Nuits.
Bright, shiny, medium, medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose starts with quite a waft of spicy, toasty oak but fortunately this hangs around for only 10 minutes or-so. The end result is wide, with higher tones and mainly red fruits that have just an edge of black about them. There is good concentration with even an extra kick in the mid-palate – it’s all coupled with good, smooth texture too. Excellent acidity and long finishing – very successful and better than many a 1er cru.
A deep ruby-red core right to the rim. The nose is a bit of a give-away; once the prominent dark oak fades – 5 minutes – you are left with a wide and spicy vista over deeper sweet and dark oak. It takes rather a long time – over 1 hour – before striking yet still spice-edged cherry fruit is revealed. After the last wine this is sleeker and certainly more polished yet is equally concentrated. The acidity is just a little brighter but the velvet tannins and the finish are certainly more oak driven and just show a little bitterness because of that – it’s long though. Complex and compelling, though this wine is the only one of these five to show a strong winemaker’s signature with its modern oak-driven style.
Medium, medium-plus ruby red colour. The nose starts with heavy, sweet oak that totally obscures any fruit. The palate is jam packed and quite well textured, but my first impression is the creamy coconut on a finish who’s duration is frankly amazing for a 1er cru, it’s even like toffee after (over) a minute. The overall stance of this wine is medium-weight and it really has first-class balance – though I couldn’t find anything to indicate the village, let alone the vineyard for the first hour it was in my glass. The most telling comment came from my wife – and she wasn’t tasting (yet) – “what’s wrong, why are you pulling a face – is it corked?” – I didn’t know I was being watched! Two hours(!) in there’s a finer red fruit note just starting to appear above the sweet, soft base. Unlike some very expensive names in 2001, this wine has very ripe, if understated tannin and is excuisitely made, but particular in style. Going forward from here is quite simple; if you want a very high quality wine to luxuriate in, drink this wine right away. If, however, you want to drink a very high quality wine that reflects its origin, then don’t even think of opening one of these before 2012 – or you will be disappointed – in fact, make that 2015!
From the ‘Quartier des Marei Haut’. Some freshness on the nose, sweet, ripe fruit – but not overly so. Fresh palate with dense but beautifully textured tannins and plenty of fruit extract to balance them. Like almost all 2003’s this is very ripe, but still manages to offer a ‘classicly’ balanced wine. Very good.
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