Darker colour. The young, dark fruit shows a mineral depth. Depth to the fruit on the palate too – actually it really penetrates – super dimensions of fruit! The structure is abundant but takes a backseat to the fireworks – excellent.
My last of these, the previous two were rather oxidised. Medium gold. The nose has hints of toffee – a sort of tarte tartin – lots of depth, and yes it’s just tending to oxidation, but to this minor extent I can live with it. Width, decent acidity and good intensity. The length has hints of oxidative notes that to a certain extent compromise the finish but there are also nice creamy hints with waxy lanolin. Drinkable.
The 2001 seems the more muscular and dense. The 2002 has a little more barrel vanilla and dimension in the mid-palate – it seems a little riper – perhaps that’s just the sweetness of the barrels(?) Both bottles were drunk over 3-4 days, left unstoppered in the refrigerator each night – the 2001 really did seem bullet-proof. Today I have a very slight preference for the 2001, tomorrow, who knows?
Medium ruby-red. The nose has hints of dark, spicy oak and turned earth – as the glass drains there are beautiful flashes of red berries. Perfect freshness and still grainy, though generally background tannins. The flavours make a broad panorama on the tongue and are a mix of red berries and more raisined, lingering notes. Very long. I had the 99 a few months ago, but this seems much better focused and ‘together’ if perhaps not quite as concentrated. A lovely bottle and far from a shame to enjoy now.
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.
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