A deep and rich ruby core that shades to pink at the edge. Baked red fruit nose with chocolate and eventually a little pipe tobacco. Reserved acidity for a ’96, some fat and velvetty tannins. Despite showing layers of complexity this is some way from maturity and worth holding onto.
Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain
1996 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Beaune Les Teurons
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is fresh, slightly minty but just a little jammy – raspberry jam. On the palate there’s classic 96 fruit/acidity balance, in this case relatively sweet fruit. Not the depth or concentration of the Castagnier Clos Saint Denis that preceded it but the length is comparable. Anyway, this was a beauty.
1998 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Beaune Les Cras Vieilles Vignes
Very deep colour, still with a cherry red rim. The nose has high toned slightly estery notes over an undertow of black skinned fruit. The fruit is also deeply black on the palate too. The acidity is very good and the drying tannins of the vintage are present, but with sufficiently intense fruit to act as a buffer. A big black wine of a Beaune that you might pick as from the Côte de Nuits. I’d leave it for another three years to tame the tannin some more.
1997 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Bourgogne Rouge
Medium-plus ruby red colour. The nose shows not so much in the way of fruit and an unattractive yeasty note. In contrast the palate is fat with very sweet fruit and mouth watering acidity and fading tannins. For my taste this is a little too much like fruit-juice, but in context a seven year-old wine for only €12 so more than decent value.
1996 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Beaune Les Cras Vieilles Vignes
Medium-plus ruby only fading very slightly at the rim. The nose starts with pronounced toasty oak, very quickly blowing off to reveal toasted bread and deep black cherry. In the mouth there’s nice volume, excellent acidity and beautifully controlled smooth tannins. Still a little one-dimensional, but a wine to savour for the next 15 years at least – excellent.
1996 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Beaune Les Cras Vieilles Vignes
Medium-plus ruby only fading very slightly at the rim. The nose starts with pronounced toasty oak; very quickly blowing off to reveal toasted bread and deep black cherry. In the mouth there’s nice volume, excellent acidity and beautifully controlled smooth tannins. Still a little one-dimensional, but a wine to savour for the next 15 years at least – excellent.
1995 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Beaune Vignes Franches
Deeply coloured, just a little lighter at the rim – still looks quite young. Nose is really lovely; there is still some oak but this is fading, leaving sweet alcoholic redcurrant, and a spicy leathery component. The palate is explosively jammy but not a negative sense. The acidty creeps up leaving your mouth watering, waiting for the next sip. The tannin is almost gone, the only minor criticism is that the finish whilst long, is not so involving as the palate. Very good.