Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose opens with wide and forward and very, very young grapey fruit – it’s like a genie escaping from the bottle, but escape it does and what you are left with is a dense core of red fruit. The aromas remain solid and one-dimensional for the next 2 hours – no 02 CSJ sytyle reduction here. The palate is fatter and more concentrated than the CSJ and the balance is very good – the tannin is there only if you search it out. Like the nose, there is concentration but no complexity – it’s big and rounded and soft and somehow comforting, but it’s monosyllabic – typical young Griotte I suppose. Remaining bottles should wait at least until their 12th birthday I think, though 15+ is likely to be better.
Fourrier
2005 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Les Goulots
Medium, medium-plus colour – not that deeply coloured for a 1er cru from this vintage. The nose starts with a characteristic note that makes you think of oak, but as I’ve slowly learned with Fourrier’s wines, it’s more about reduction, as it fades, in this case, in about 30 minutes without decanting. Slightly heavy and powdery fruit morphs to beautiful red berry notes over cherry – primary but very, very pretty – more time will give a pretty creme-brulee background. In the mouth this is soft and rather silky – you will only find the tannin with serious rolling around the mouth. There is decent density of dark fruit that slowly melts and becomes redder as the nose also develops. It’s slowly lingering on slightly emphasised acidity. Versus the impact of virtually every 2005 villages and higher Gevrey tasted in 2008, this is more mellow and understated – what a difference a year makes – there’s a little iron and minerals, but in particular this misses out on the ‘I’ word – impact. The style of Fourrier still makes this eminently drinkable, but I expect it was all the more impressive 12 months ago. Time for a long sleep…
2006 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
2006 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Les Goulots
2001 Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin
After the Clos St.Jacques the aromatics are of deeper, tighter but also softer red fruit. The palate is more concentrated but significantly simpler, though covers the faintly astringent tannin very well. A smoothly long finish. At this stage it is deceptively simple and ‘cute’ after the CSJ – but such is Griotte. Still a lovely wine.
2001 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.Jacques
A lovely fine and elegant nose of quite some complexity – red fruits and earth. The palate is long, faintly mineral and very wide in the mid-palate and into the finish. Perhaps a little unruly – let’s say over-exuberant as it finishes but much complexity here too. An impressive and characterful wine.
2005 Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is deeply fruited and mixed with toffee notes. Forward acidity defines the palate – not unbalanced, but it’s different to all the other wines, quite primary in presentation. Decently covered tannin and resounding finish of red berries that gives an excellent final impression.
1999 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Medium ruby-red. A nose that starts deep and surprisingly oaky given that there’s normally a maximum of 20% in this cellar – but it’s short-lived before fading into redder, layered fruit overlaid by higher toned alcoholic aspects, maybe even an edge of coffee. In the mouth it starts impressively; it’s well balanced, and shows a lovely, succulent, creamy red fruit. Time increases the depth but eventually dulls the excitement just a hint. It’s intense in the mid-palate and you never really think of the tannin before it slowly fades in the finish – still with that creamy edge. Poised, elegant and a first-class villages.
2004 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.Jacques
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose starts wide and creamy – I though a little lactic too but this was transient – quickly taking on a forward cream coverd red cherry aspect and eventually coffee notes too. Understated, concentrated and tons of mid-palate dimension – many of these wines are one-dimensional in comparision. The fruit is so well done that it completely buries any necessity to discuss acidity or tannin. The creamy finish is understated but very long. Really top-class wine.