five from beaune in 1997
1997 Champy, Beaune 1er Clos des Avaux (Magnum) Deep and dark on the nose. Sweet and ripe fruit runs through the palate, no problem with the tannins but the acidity seems not all that well integrated. Overall this is not bad, indeed quite drinkable. Rebuy –… Read More
The Spring 2007 Round-Up
This is hardly a real page – more of an index really – but there would have been far too much content for a single page given the (annually) wider coverage of new wines: 2004 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2005 Albert Bichot Portfolio – lookout for some Domaine… Read More
Round-up of wines tasted
No slurping or spitting! This is a compendium of wines that, in the main, were really drunk with food, friends and family. These wines were typically drunk at home, or at organised dinners between December 2006 and March 2007. Some wines drunk with their producers are included… Read More
The 2005’s of Nicolas Potel
Frankly I drink almost no Beaujolais – two months ago there was that glass of ‘nouveau’, okay, half a glass – well, almost half a glass… Putting aside the quality of the ‘nouveau’, it’s not for a lack of available quality that I don’t buy ‘Cru Beaujolais’, rather (for… Read More
Pommard: Village Profile
Pommard has an image problem. That’s a sad thing, though it seems that today’s growers have partly reaped what was sown by past generations; let’s be clear, little more than a generation ago a bottle labelled ‘Pommard’ was something of a lottery – not only from a quality perspective, but… Read More
musigny, richebourg or chambertin? #1
I decided it’s time to pull out a trio of long-term grand crus this week just to see what’s cooking in the cellar. One with relatively poor reviews, one that courts controversy and one that you hardly ever see. I think I’ll play a game with you again and… Read More
2005’s from nicolas potel pt.1
I always enjoy my visits chez Potel; the wines usually offer value, start with ‘good quality’ as a baseline, and occasional cuvées can be stunning. More importantly, because the house style is largely consistent and neutral (and you have a wide palate of cuvées), you can get a great feel… Read More
04 ancienne cuvée carnot
I bought a six-pack of this wine ‘en-primeur’ – without tasting – you can do that with a relative degree of confidence with some producers. From the first sniff I’m thinking: ‘maybe I didn’t buy enough…’ 2004 Bouchard Père et Fils, Volnay 1er Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot… Read More
pommard #11
Wine #11 of my pre-Christmas Pommards is the first that is not from a single lieu-dit. This vintage was a wide-ranging blend of Perrières, Levrière, Croix Blanche and en Chaffaud – just starts to give you some idea of the reach of the bigger négoce. 1999 Bouchard Père et Fils,… Read More