Maybe it was the lunchtime samosas but the first night it didn’t taste right. Here’s with the benefit of day two:
2005 Domaine Roulot, Bourgogne Blanc
Plenty of toasty bread and brioche on the nose. The palate is very much about a savoury intensity wrapped with excellent acidity. There’s little here for instant gratification, rather a linear, mineral wine constructed for the longer term. I have no issue with the style and the quality is undeniable, but find it out of place in a bourgogne – even an expensive one such as this. Bourgogne’s should be fun, this will require a few years of slumber to provide that.
Rebuy – Maybe

2005 Domaine Lignier-Michelot, Morey St.Denis Vieilles Vignes
Deep colour with a purple rim. The nose has vibrant dark-shaded fruit with a soft undertone of mocha/coffee – after twenty minutes the coffee’s gone. The concentrated fruit expands even further in the mid-palate. There’s plenty of tannin, and though it’s not the most sophisticated, it’s quite well textured and very well covered by the fruit concentration. The finish is long, giving a slow diminuendo. This is quite a villages wine but will require plenty of slumber – excellent.
Rebuy – Yes

This is another very nice 2005 bourgogne – though an expensive one – at this price I would question the value when great Savigny 1ers (for example) cost only 1 euro more. That said if you find good regionals for less than €12 you should buy deeply. But how do these 2005’s stack upto the impressive regionals from 2003? I may be no great fan of the vintage, but the bourgognes remain exceptional; I opened a Chanson 03 which is a decent example of the genre (though desperately simple compared to the Camille Giroud 2003) and it ‘wowed’ the crowds when compared to this Roulot which was a little austere by comparison. Just one more angle…
2005 Domaine Roulot, Bourgogne Rouge
Another 05 bourgogne that’s deeply coloured and quite purple. Close your eyes and the first sniffs could convince you that it’s white wine in your glass – lightly toasted bread and well mannered oak of some depth – you have to concentrate to spot the background black cherry. The palate is fresh, showing plenty of mouth-watering acidity, some astringent tannin and good length with a faint edge of bitterness. Lots of personality again and again recommended, but at €16.50 it certainly doesn’t show the value of the Lignier-Michelot – or if your prepared to wait, the Arlaud.
Rebuy – Yes

Of the three 2005 bourgognes of the last nights, I would place the fun and interesting Lignier-Michelot in first place, followed by the much more sophisticated Arlaud which is demoted because of it’s not very great aromatics – at least on day – I would still probably spend my money elsewhere. Last place goes to the (still very good) Roulot simply because it’s so expensive, but on the plus side, it also shows character.

This cost a little less than one Euro more than the Arlaud, and for its character alone if your drinking now, it’s worth it – but if I’m honest, the Arlaud has a little more sophisticated texture and is certainly longer finishing.
2005 Domaine Lignier-Michelot, Bourgogne
Medium-plus colour with plenty of purple. Very understated nose – very little to say for the first glass, but glass two shows black cherry and a lovely red berry note as it drains. The palate is quite full, nicely textured and has good acidity that rolls into the finish. There’s a nice little burst in the mid-palate before you feel the slight astringence of the tannin. Lots of character here and enjoyed from the start.
Rebuy – Yes

2005 Domaine Arlaud, Bourgogne La Roncevie
Medium-plus colour with more than a hint of purple at the rim. The nose is (for me) disappointingly more like Beaujolais than pinot – for 60 minutes it’s completely unchanging. If the aromatics don’t really impress, I have to say the palate is a little more interesting: A narrow, lithe entry, quite some depth and dimension plus there’s lovely acidity pushing the finish rather long – probably too long for gamay. Overall I’m a little disappointed – the wine ‘only’ costs around €12 but tastes like a (almost good) €10 Beaujolais – I think it’s sourced from Gevrey vines but I get little sense of pinot, never mind Gevrey. In the interests of fairness I left some for day 2; it smells more like pinot – still understated, but almost good – it’s well crafted and there are no hard edges. Perhaps then, it will be more interesting in 2-3 years.
Rebuy – Maybe

2000 des Chézeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin
Medium-pale ruby-red. The nose starts with a waft of sweet oak, 2 minutes later it’s gone, replaced by a forward and ripe mix of strawberry/raspberry against a developing, more tertiary background. Sweet and soft with a good intensity in the mid-palate, the slowly mouthwatering finish is not bad either. This is a medium-weight wine that’s relatively easy drinking and simple but very tasty – shows the friendly side of the vintage.
Rebuy – Yes

This wine has wonderful packaging – Faiveley (who currently make this wine) will certainly not achieve the same level of interest – I expect, however, that the contents will be significantly improved, even if you don’t like the Faively style!
1996 Jaboulet-Vercherre, Beaune 1er Clos de l’Ecu
Medium-pale ruby-red. The nose has a high-toned start with a little resinous/green background, slowly a little jammier depth comes through. The palate is a little thin, with tart acidity, mild tannin and a rather unripe finish – if you persevere, your palate adjusts a little and there is some apparent sweetness – but I wouldn’t recommend it. Is this the worst wine I’ve opened this year? – well there was that 96 Lamadon Echézeaux, but more on that another day – for now this has that dubious award.
Rebuy – No Way

2005 Jean-Claude Boisset, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er La Serpentière
Deeply coloured with a purple rim. Wide and high-toned aromatics on opening, very slowly deepens with black cherry and a snip of cream. Lithe entry, expanding in the mid palate with perfect acidity. The well-covered tannin is quite silky. Finally the nose is of redcurrant with a twist of tobacco – very nice. It’s young but a little easier to drink than the 05 Hautes Jarrons and certainly more elegant, but I just tend more towards the personality of the Hautes Jarrons – from 2012+
Rebuy – Yes

1996 Hospices de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cuvée Nicolas Rolin
A Chanson Père bottling. Medium-plus colour. The nose is deep and forward but throughout most of our time together it was always a little uncouth – there was finally a pretty red fruit note to save it. The palate is much better; density, very good acidity, background tannin and rather long – though like many from 96 the flavour profile is just a little metallic. Quite tasty but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy more.
Rebuy – No