Degustation

charles thomas vosne-romanée malconsorts 2001

By billn on February 10, 2009 #degustation

Charles Thomas Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsorts 2001Thomas-Moillard Profile
Charles Thomas Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsorts 2001

Very much a Jekyll and Hyde performance from this wine, and the Jekyll aspect means I can’t endorse it – but Mr Hyde…
2001 Charles Thomas, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsortstry to find this wine...
The replacement for my last TCA infected bottle. Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose is deep, slightly savoury, eventually full of beef stock though spicily wide – I have to say it’s far from pretty. In the mouth it’s much better; nicely fresh, intense, wide and flavourful – it’s really very good. There’s decently fine tannin and a nice flavour in the finish. The frankly off-putting nose eventually becomes more acceptable as the beef fades, adding focus with a nice red berry note – takes 2 hours. Day 2, top to bottom it’s a super wine, but most people don’t get to day 2, hence, I can’t be overly positive.
Rebuy – Maybe

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a day in the côtes & terres d’arômes 2007 volnay

By billn on February 07, 2009 #degustation#travel

Terres d'Arômes
Just back from a single day in the Côtes – leaving at 6:00am, returning at 10:30pm and including 5 hours driving – I slept well!

Last week I should have made two days of visits, but it wasn’t possible to re-arrange everything. Yesterday’s visits Roumier and de Vogüé made up for that though, as did my first meeting with Claire Forestier since early 2006. It seems Claire is working very hard on her new project ‘Terres d’Arômes’ – more of which in the Spring Burgundy Report. In the meantime here’s one from her inaugural 2007 vintage – it’s only been in bottle for a couple of weeks, but is apparently none-the-worse for it.

No photos to share – it was cloudy for most of the until late afternoon – when it started to rain like hell…
2007 Terres d’Arômes, Volnay 1er En Champanstry to find this wine...
The colour is medium, medium-plus cherry red with a faint purple rim. When first opened, there’s deep scent of faintly musky dark fruit, slowly the muskiness fades and the dark cherry moves to the fore, even accented by creaminess. More and more the nose fills and rounds out with higher tones – despite the dark fruit profile it’s a very elegant and lovely nose. In the mouth there’s very fine tannin that adds a little texture, fresh acidity and fruit that really imposes itself only from the mid-palate – but it widens nicely and has good depth.
Rebuy – Yes

Two stories in the papers in the last days to share with you:

  1. Jancis Robinson last weekend on 2007 burgundies, with a slight discussion bias to the ‘new’ négoce.
  2. Anthony Rose this weekend on 2007 burgundies, in particular extolling the virtues of the 2007 whites – of-course you heard that here months ago, didn’t you!
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2005 & 2006 giroud volnay taillepieds – side-by-side

By billn on February 05, 2009 #degustation

Camille Giroud, Volnay 1er Les Taillepieds
Camille Giroud, Volnay 1er Les Taillepieds

These vines typically cause all sorts of hard work when it comes to the annual harvest triage, but clearly the work and ‘dropped’ fruit are worth the effort.
2006 Camille Giroud, Volnay 1er Taillepiedstry to find this wine...
Medium, medium-plus color. Initially a tight nose; floral high-tones and a darker oak base but for quite some time there is little more – patience raises a faint caramel impression as the barrel notes subside. In the mouth this is a little plump and furry from the ripe tannins and slides into a very long finish but one that’s currently dominated by oak. The concentration seems ample from the tight red fruit and though the acidity seems very understated you don’t really miss it until, perhaps, the finish. As it slowly opens and ’rounds’ in the glass the apparent concentration is similar to the 2005 but the delivery differs; this is up-front concentration that fades through the mid-palate, whereas the 2005 builds into the mid-palate and currently shows more layers. Day 2 this shows a little more rustic and behind the delivery of (for instance) the Pavillon Santenots at the same stage.
Rebuy – Maybe
2005 Camille Giroud, Volnay 1er Taillepiedstry to find this wine...
The colour is only a little more intense. The nose, however, is much more open – at least at the top-end with red fruit liqueur – below is a begrudging concentration of tight red notes, but there are occasional flashes of brilliantly pure red cherry. In the mouth this is plush, rather than plump – the still understated yet better balancing acidity seems to make the difference – much finer tannin than the 2006 and super intensity with serveral dimensions in the mid-palate. This shows a similar length to the 2006 but the oak has faded and you have a largely fruit-driven impression. If the 2006 is a fine 1er, then this vintage is by comparison a grand cru – what a shame that when I bought the last bottles at the domaine, there were only 3…
A superb Volnay.
Rebuy – Yes

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alex gambal 2001 les murgers des dents de chien

By billn on February 02, 2009 #degustation

Alex Gambal Dents de ChienAlex Gambal Profile
Alex Gambal Dents de Chien

My cold seems to have abated and I only have to put up with a stupid cough. Unfortunately though, it meant I had to cancel 2 days of visits in the Côtes last week – still I shall be there this Friday as consolation…

I have a few of these still in the cellar, so concerns about the stability (or not) of white burgundy pushed me into taking a peek. It seems that I shouldn’t worry…

2001 Alex Gambal St.Aubin 1er, Les Murgers des Dents de Chientry to find this wine...
The colour raises suspicious eyebrows – medium golden – but despite slightly heavy fruit aromas at first, the nose is rather clean and there’s not a trace of oxidation. A little swirling reveals rather young, mainly pineapple, fruit – a good start then. Nice texture, acidity that unobtrusively shepherds you through to the finish and a little extra mid-palate dimension. In its current adolescence the amplitude of the peaks and troughs of this wine have been squeezed a little since it was bought, but that’s what you get when talking to adolescents! Drunk over 4 consecutive nights without a hint of oxidation, and confidence renewed, I’ll wait another 5 or 6 years before taking another look.
Rebuy – Yes

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06 domaine du pavillon volnay santenots

By billn on January 28, 2009 #degustation

Albert Bichot's Domaine du Pavillon Volnay 1er SantenotsAlbert Bichot Profile
Albert Bichot's Domaine du Pavillon Volnay 1er Santenots
My last bottle for a few days I suppose – I also just cancelled some lovely visits in the Côtes for the next two days – why? The blocked nose and the coughing; not what many vignerons want in their cellar and it’s clearly not a great introduction on your first visit!
This bottle tasted lovely on day one, on day 2 I’d already lost most of my taste…
2006 Domaine du Pavillon, Volnay 1er Santenotstry to find this wine...
Hmmm – interesting wine. On the first sniff there was a hint of unwelcome aldehyde, on the second it was already transformed to flower petals. Slowly the aromas took on density if not so much depth. The flavour reminded me very-much of recently drunk Santenots – but on checking I was surprised to see that my last two were both from 2005, not 2006. There is width, a smattering of faintly astringent tannin and then a lovely extra dimension of creamy red fruit in the mid-palate. Just ripe enough and nicely plump yet almost good enough acidity. This is a very lovely glass and though perhaps missing a comparative hint of intensity, can stand next a decent bottle from 2005. Based on the price I paid, and by recent standards this is a super value bottle.
Rebuy – Yes

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2 from giroud

By billn on January 21, 2009 #degustation

When typing up the notes from some domaine visits I made at the end of last year, I spied a couple of notes that slipped through the cracks of my (apparently not watertight) system. This was a ‘by chance’ tasting when I popped into Camille Giroud to say ‘hello’, only to find a group of winemakers and US ‘movers and shakers’ reaching the end of a spirited tour through the barrels. At first I declined a glass, but my resolve soon crumbled…
2004 Camille Giroud, Chambertintry to find this wine...
Deep, initially dominated by oaky notes though they quickly fade leaving a very tight aromatic profile – needs time in the glass. In the mouth it is dense, silky and with plenty of well covered structure. Sneakily long with an edge of barrel flavour. A wine that begs a few years in bottle, but seems to have good potential. The funny thing is that the majority of Giroud 04’s that I’ve tasted don’t have much 04 taint – the ladybirds were there, I photo’d them, maybe it’s not them – but who’s complaining this wine’s lovely.
Rebuy – Yes
1976 Camille Giroud, Clos St.Denistry to find this wine...
The nose starts like many old Girouds with that Italian ‘botti’ aroma, however, not much swirling is required to consign that to history as a frankly beautiful floral aroma fills the glass – spectacular. The taste is quite okay but cannot come close to the beauty of the nose; fat, mouth-filling, still some fine-grained tannin. No fireworks here – merely fine.
Rebuy – No Chance!

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06 chablis moutonne long-depaquit + girardin 03 charlemagne

By billn on January 19, 2009 #degustation

Chablis Grand Cru Moutonne, Long-Depaquit
Chablis Grand Cru Moutonne, Long-Depaquit
2006 Long-Depaquit, Chablis Moutonnetry to find this wine...
More of a tasting recollection as I’ve slept since drinking it! Medium-pale gold. The nose is classic seashore with a hint of savoury that could be an accent from a little barrel ferment. In the mouth there’s none of that blousy thing going on that some 2006’s show: it’s linear, mineral and rather savoury and also a beautiful wine with or without food – it was followed by a Girardin 2003 Corton-Charlemagne that was clearly more gregarious; richer and showing an extra dimesion in the mid-plate (good wine) yet was less successful during dinner – perhaps and hint more of acidity could have helped the Corton. I can currently buy the Moutonne at 60% the cost of the Fevre Le Clos, and about the price of a good maker’s village Puligny – a very nice and good value bottle.
Rebuy – Yes
So, for the record:
2003 Vincent Girardin, Corton-Charlemagnetry to find this wine...
Deeper yellow. The nose is dense and more obviously displays ripe fruit. In the mouth it’s well textured, even slightly oily, and suddenly widens to great effect in the mid-palate. A perfect wine for sipping alone – it just needs a little extra acidity to lift it to the next level – but finishes well.
Rebuy – Maybe

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thomas-moillard 2005 pommard 1er épenots

By billn on January 16, 2009 #degustation

Thomas-Moillard Pommard-Épenots
Thomas-Moillard Pommard-Épenots
2005 Thomas-Moillard, Pommard-Épenotstry to find this wine...
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose retains a consistently understated mix of the mineral, plus dark, deep red fruit. In the mouth it’s a powerful blend of intense fruit that peaks in the mid-palate, decaying with a creamy edge, and showing just enough tannin to poke it’s faint astringency through the blanket of fruit extract – slightly exacerbated by hint of carbon dioxide. The finish is very understated, but lingering and entirely made up of non-barrel elements – you can’t say that for many. Not the ultimate in smooth sophistication that many 2005’s can display, but at a good price, this would be an easy rebuy recommendation. Built with the long-term in mind, but today (at least) relatively approachable.
Rebuy – Yes

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alex gambal 2006 chambolle 1er les amoureuses

By billn on January 15, 2009 #degustation

Alex Gambal's 2006 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses
Alex Gambal's 2006 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses

2006 Alex Gambal, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Amoureusestry to find this wine...
Started high-toned and diffuse – ouch, what’s happened here? – but 10 minutes in and the glass brings an ever-widening and ever-deepening palate of notes; deep, full, lightly sugar-coated cherries, swirling releases higher tones too – that’s more like it! In the mouth the first sip is also a little disconcerting, but following the path set by the nose, it fills out very nicely indeed – a broad range of flavours that amply fill the mouth. The fruit has none of the slightly distracting savoury element found in the Chambolle Charmes, but seems just a hint less ripe (no issue, just an observation), like-wise the tannin is finer, but clings a little harder to your gums as you exit the mid-palate for the finish – it just about falls short of being called astringent – how about astringent-ish(?) Very long, though just now, much of that length is barrel flavour. A very different kettle of fish to the 2005 which was a fulsome and brazen ‘drink me now’ type of wine – this one should be allowed to slumber – if I had any more ‘bottles’ I’d make another test in about 2016, but I don’t, so the magnums will have to wait until 2020!
Rebuy – Yes

In my original tasting notes, I said you may have to buy both this and the Chambolle Charmes – I’m glad I did!

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