1998

1998 Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin Clos du Meix des Ouches

By on October 31, 2004 #asides

Despite having more to offer than meets the eye, this wine visually disappoints. The colour is a medium-pale, ruby-amber – it could be a weak looking 1985. The nose blows off a few slightly cooked and woodland notes to reveal a still, quite primary red fruity base. The fruit could be more concentrated on the entry, but there is a kick in the tail – a surprisingly intense mid-palate – then a medium, not so exciting finish. Improves quite a bit overnight but frankly I don’t know what to make of this wine. If I had a few in the cellar I think I’d drink all bar a couple and check them out for academic interest in a few years.

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1998 Thomas-Moillard Romanée Saint-Vivant

By on October 31, 2004 #asides

From the get-go, this is a more interesting wine than the Bonnes-Mares. More of everything vs how the Bonnes-Mares started. There’s a really cracking creamy depth to the fruit (I waited for 90 minutes in a decanter) that sustains an excellent finish, the tannins are softer but still large-scale. Today I marginally prefer the peaking Bonnes-Mares, as by the last sip it outstrips this RSV – looks like an interesting match-up over the next few years – I’ll have another look in 4 or 5 years.

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1998 Arnoux Robert Vosne-Romanée

By on October 31, 2004 #asides

Given the block-buster reputation of this domaine’s V-R Suchots I was mildly surprised by this village wine. Medium but young colour. The wine really sings on the nose with beautiful red-cherry pie and a very interesting but slightly tighter depth. The palate is sweet, medium bodied and very elegant. Good acidity pushes the finish longer and longer. The tannins are there and in the slightly dry ’98 vernacular, well behaved but perhaps begging a little more fruit concentration. Elegant to start with, but the tannin does start to get in the way without food, very good with though.

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1998 Thomas-Moillard Bonnes-Mares

By on October 31, 2004 #asides

Quite deep colour. Nose is quite wide but not so deep it really needs time to extend itself. Likewise this was a little disappointing on the palate when first opened – more a village standard. It was really about 90 minutes before this wine was singing, and I really liked the tune, both nose and palate expanded in all directions. There’s plenty of tannin, but not particularly astringent and has the fruit to match. Long in the finish – I was disappointed at the start, but sorry to see this finished. If you go for it, take 2 hours in a decanter, it’s young but it’s also very, very promising.

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1998 Boillot Jean-Marc Givry Clos de la Brulée

By on October 31, 2004 #asides

Pale lemon yellow. The nose starts with a waft of wood to be replaced by a little spent-match and a trace of honey. The palate has piercing acidity with just enough (even for my acid loving palate) sweet fruit to act as a foil. The fruit style is very agrumes with grapefruit in the ascendant. Medium-plus length, a lovely refreshing drink for the summer terrace and one that exceeded my expectation.

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1998 Gambal Alex Echézeaux

By on October 31, 2004 #asides

A developed, medium ruby red. The nose has a lovely dried red fruit and raisin aspect – just a little coffee and smokey ash too. The palate unfortunately is a bit of a let-down: The fruit is nice enough – as is the texture – but from the mid-palate onwards this is a little bitter, weedy (for a Grand Cru) and woody. In fact the wood note hovers perilously close to taint, but we had two bottles with consistent notes. A shame, as I know the 1999 is a very nice wine. A friend had Alex’s ’98 V-R Suchots and it showed far better than this. Not worth the entrance price.

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1998 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Beaune Les Cras Vieilles Vignes

By on June 30, 2004 #asides

Very deep colour, still with a cherry red rim. The nose has high toned slightly estery notes over an undertow of black skinned fruit. The fruit is also deeply black on the palate too. The acidity is very good and the drying tannins of the vintage are present, but with sufficiently intense fruit to act as a buffer. A big black wine of a Beaune that you might pick as from the Côte de Nuits. I’d leave it for another three years to tame the tannin some more.

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1998 Boillot Jean-Marc Beaune Montrevenots

By on June 30, 2004 #asides

A premier cru you don’t see so often, it lies above Cols des Mouches and borders Pommard’s (villages)Le Bas de Saussilles. Deep cherry red. Lovely nose of red and black fruit, nice purity too. The palate shows deep black fruit, good acidity and tannins that start quite drying – good texture despite the astringency. After two hours in a decanter there’s balance and tons of interest – the tannins don’t seem so bad now – maybe they’ve dissolved the inside of my mouth! Has pure fruit and excellent density that should easily outlast the tannin, more a Pommard than a Beaune.

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1998 Potel Nicolas Nuits St.Georges Vaucrains

By on June 30, 2004 #asides

More a tasting note about the manifestation of cork taint, medium, medium-plus ruby red and no fading. The nose is subdued with just a trace of blue skinned fruit, no taint and a slightly green, minty rather than leafy note. In the mouth there’s definitely a little taint on the finish – which is a shame as this is a very smooth wine. After 10 minutes it’s there on the nose too – still faint. Obviously this wine is close to my detection (or should that be toleration) limit as a small amount left in a glass for 30+ minutes actually tastes quite nice…

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