Medium cherry-red colour. The nose is high-toned and slightly estery, though there’s still reasonable red fruit in the background. Nice density and useful acidity too but not quite the buffering sweet fruit of 18 months ago. Still, the texture is almost good and there’s a little cream on the surprisingly long finish. This was a fantastic little wine on release but the joie de vivre is now gone so I suggest letting them lay down for another few years.
Only 40% of the normal crop from this vineyard despite being planted in the north-south orientation, hence, affording some protection from the direct 2003 sun. Jumps out of the glass, amazing nose, it’s pure, fresh blueberry. Mouthfilling with, by a significant margin, quite best fruit I’ve ever seen in a Monthélie! Grainy tannins and an unexpected freshness. Bravo, I expect this wine will be a steal!
Medium-plus cherry-red. The nose has really impressive black-shaded depth with a twist of oak, tightening with time and slowly taking on an unusual spicy, creamy, fresh-ginger note – if you wait an hour or so the nose has a much more classic profile. In the mouth there’s concentrated ripe fruit. This wine has a very round and balanced personality with acidity and tannin that you hardly notice. Really a very sophisticated wine and one I’ll be please to cellar.
The nose starts with an off-putting cheesy/metallic note, swirling gets rid of this to reveal a mix of red and black shaded fruit that becomes more complex and pure by the minute – Bouchard own vines in 21 of the 44 Beaune Crus, most are represented in this wine. Fat but fleet of foot the fruit flavours are shaded towards black and backed up by velvetty tannin and nicely balancing acidity. This is usually a reliable wine but is really quite something in 2003.
Bargain alert!!! Medium-plus cherry red colour. The nose is a forward and interesting fruit mix that is very dark red, but not quite black, something slightly herbal in the background. The palate is big, sweet forward red-shaded fruit. There’s very good freshness and a long, acidity inspired finish. The tannins are well hidden too. This was very ripe, but not over-ripe and finished way too fast. This would be a fabulous quality house wine.
The colour is not fading a jot. The nose has a wide layer of high-toned fruit that covers a few bready notes and a tight core of fruit that bodes well for the future. The fruit is a little riper and plumper than the 2001 but the tannins are a little less fine. This is super wine and has the same personality as the 2001, but it’s dressed in jeans whereas the 2001 is dressed for dinner. The nose just grows and grows so decant if you’re going to drink now.
This is a vineyard from the northern side of Beaune, according to Philippe often quite smokey in presentation – like Volnay Caillerets. Very forward fruit and quite high-toned for a 2003. The palate has a very ripe coulis of fruit, good tannins but not quite so sophisticated as the ’03 Clos de la Mousse that preceded it. A good, mouthwatering and very long finish – just a little raisin fruit on the end.
Medium lemon yellow. The nose is fresher than the Charmes, perhaps a little sweet lime, but there’s faint butter and a brooding, creamy base below. The palate is concentrated without being over-fat, it’s perfectly balanced with the acidity too. There’s a seamless ride from first impression, to mid-palate, to the achingly long, creamy finish. The wine hasn’t the impressive minerality of the best Perrières I’ve tasted (Roulot’s 2000) but this is a very convincing effort and one-third of the price – I’ve already added a half-dozen to the cellar.
This is always a warmer vineyard than the ones that surround it, hence, it’s often a rush to pick – 2 days later and it can be a very different wine. Philippe believes that this is potentially one of their best vineyard sites. A quite lovely nose, round with a sweet core of fruit. Mouth-staining, concentrated fruit flavours that follow through very well into the mid-palate. Tannins are dry but well managed – in a word gorgeous.
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