Medium ruby-red. After a few young wines this comes with a real breath of interest, secondary, tertiary, a little volatility, and behind some baked raisin fruit. The acidity is almost good though shows slightly harsh in the finish. Apart from that harsh last flick from the acidity this has a nice texture, no tannin and an interesting depth to both the fruit and finish, unfortunately no mid-palate to speak of. Quite nice but drink-up time.
Medium, medium-plus red, still with a hint of cherry colour. The nose has just a trace of primary cherry over earthy and faintly ashy notes. The palate doesn’t have the most luxurious of textures but has a real Grand Cru depth and length to the finish. Certainly not a typical fruit-profile for a 1997 – there’s plenty of freshness. Acidity is okay but there is just a trace of oaky bitterness on the finish. No rush to drink and it’s a pretty good drop too.
Medium ruby red core just fading slightly to amber. Ash-notes overlay sweet, spicy and slightly plummy red fruit. There’s good texture that’s just a little creamy. The acidity is just a little harsh in the finish but the wine’s quite fat and the fruit has concentration and lasts very well though is quite cooked – reminds me more of Carneros than Gevrey…
I’ve had two bottles of this wine from one source before, and on both occasions there’s been a rather muddy, indeed soupy aspect to the wine – disappointing would be a fair descriptor – particularly when factoring in the price. This wine, direct from the domain, is completely different. For a start it’s much fresher and does without the cooked plummy-fruit aspects of the previous wines. There’s not the purity and focus of the ’93 village Chambolle but neither is this an archetypal 1997 as it still offers good freshness. It’s nice, complex and shows some density. It’s an interesting and good wine, but possibly the weakest of all these wines, at least in terms how they all perform within their respective categories.
A deeper yellow colour. The high-toned nose has hints of oak and is much more backward than a recent half bottle that showed lots of exotic fruit. The palate doesn’t have the kick or the complexity of 1995 that follows, still it is showing in a very young and backward way. This wine from the domain is quite backward compared to other examples – presumably from cooler storage.
Another pale-ish and and mature looking wine. Slight green and cedary notes overlay a sweet apple and raspberry pie. The texture is almost good despite a slightly rasping finish. Not an archetypal 1997, indeed a it’s maybe a little under ripe, but there’s a sweet and cedary finish. Quite drinkable but not on my purchase list.
I’m ashamed to say, that this is a wine I bought solely based on a Winespectator review – 93 points or something, however, it’s not all that bad! The colour is medium ruby red fading slightly to amber. The nose is a blast of creamy, toasty oak that fades slightly though never quite enough to show the fruit. Ripe fruit, some fat, creamy length and little in the way of tannin. The finish is reasonably long. This is a nice wine that needs a little longer to let the oak fade a little more, but is an excellent drink now if you like the style – me I’ll let the oak fade a little more.
One bottle per year since release and to-date plenty of disappointments – I think I’ve another 7 or 8 left. The first bottle lived up to the original Clive Coates review, all the others were dumb – most unlike the 1997 – perhaps with this wine we’ve turned the corner. Despite a slightly musty note (presumably cork derived but not counted as corked) on the nose and palate, at last we have a wine with personality! The colour is deep and shows little advancement. Powdery red fruit over a slightly ‘dirty’ background. The palate at last shows some interest with dense, even monolithic, red fruit that shows raspberry and strawberry notes. The acidity is good and the finish is also showing much better, slightly creamy extension. Still a year or two away from it’s drinking window, but I’m feeling much better about the original purchase…
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