1999

1999 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Combe aux Moines

By on April 30, 2009 #asides

I have to preface this note with the fact that the paint was worn from the end of the capsule, there were signs of seepage and the label was rather dirty – none of my other wines from storage have been in such condition. It’s a singleton, and hopefully (cosmetically at least) a one-off so maybe not representative. The colour is medium ruby-red. The nose starts with an impression of oak (despite Fourrier using very little), some sous-bois and a hint of brett – only the last drops in the glass show some very fine berry fruit. A forward personality in the mouth – good acidity and intensity without great weight. The flavours linger well, it’s smooth but the mid-palate is a little lumpy. My thoughts are mixed; this was certainly tasty, very tasty, but aromatically disappointing. If this bottle and that brett is representative, I’d be thinking of drinking a majority of bottles in the near future for their personality and keeping just a few back for longer term, I wouldn’t be buying more.

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1999 Bachelet Denis Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

By on April 30, 2009 #asides

Medium, medium-plus ruby-red colour. A gorgeous nose; creamy red fruit of lovely depth, just a little brown sugar rounding it out – seems very much a Bachelet (barrel) signature rather than ‘Gevrey’ (the ‘96 Charmes is very similar) time adds a little darker cherry. The texture is silky, there’s penetrating acidity without it being over the top, the mouth-watering flavours have very good dimension and a sugared impression that mirrors the aromas. Like the nose, there’s a very slow development of darker cherry flavours. Never more than medium-bodied, this is a super-elegant bottle – a shame that I only bought 6, way back when – an outstanding villages…

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1999 Esmonin Frédéric Mazy-Chambertin

By on April 30, 2009 #asides

Medium-plus colour, still with some last vestige of cherry-red. Right from pouring, cold – say 12°-ish – the nose was just a gorgeously smooth interpretation of macerating dark cherry – wow! The palate, however, was tight, linear, hinting towards tannin but delivering only a dark, faintly oaky but very long finish. As the contents of the glass slowly warm the nose adds a little coffee though slightly tightens, the flavours are expanding though, and with them, the tannin seems to be diminishing. Eventually a herbal complexity fills out the aromas. The palate becomes more intense and builds a sweetness – not a ripe vintage, confiture type of sweetness, rather an intensity of sweetness at the back of the palate. A very young, but very rewarding performance – I really wish I’d bought more, not just this wine, but Mazy (Mazis) in general.

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1999 Esmonin Frédéric Ruchottes-Chambertin

By on April 30, 2009 #asides

Medium, medium-plus colour – paler than the Mazy. The nose starts quite dark and oaky – some dark toast notes that take at least 30 minutes to lift. Redder, less dense fruit is the result, though the dark oak slowly turns to make a nice coffee ‘coating’. Nicely balanced concentration with background velvet tannin. Truth be told it has more of a 1er cru weight, the only distinct grand cru element is the mid-palate flavour – pretty red fruit with a distinct creamy edge and excellent length. Some distance behind the quality of the Mazy, and there are probably better premier crus, but they will cost more than this bottle – value has always been the watchword on the Esmonin GCs, and there is plenty of value in this bottle.

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1999 Barthod Ghislaine Bourgogne Rouge

By on March 31, 2009 #asides

A little deeper, medium ruby-red versus the Leroy, with a nose that is denser but at the same time less pretty – darker fruit that today is less successfully delineated. In the mouth there is also a little more density and certainly an extra dimension of flavour in the mid-palate. There is more ‘material’ in the glass and more secondary development than the Leroy, this wine had a significant advantage in purchase price too – it’s a really good regional wine – yet I would certainly go for the Leroy in preference today.

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1999 Mugnier J-F Chambolle-Musigny

By on March 31, 2009 #asides

From a half bottle. Medium ruby-red colour. The nose shows understated but heavily perfumed notes of dark flowers over tight red fruit notes. In the mouth it’s fresh and shows almost no tannin. Initially linear, it slowly unwinds in the mouth with decent intensity and a slowly growing width of flavours – it seems just a little fatter as it reaches room temperature and there’s quite a nice high toned ‘mouth perfume’. The flavours in the almost good finish are becoming just a little secondary. Clearly it’s a little tight showing not even close to the extra depth of flavour you currently find in a good 2005 villages Chambolle or even what it showed itself 5 or 6 years ago. Clean, pretty, slightly acid forward and easy drinking is the report today – not too much here to set the pulse racing. Return in another two or three years…

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1999 Château Chorey-les-Beaune - Germain Beaune Les Cras Vieilles Vignes

By on March 31, 2009 #asides

Medium-plus colour. Wide, a little herbal and mineral with a dark core of fruit. In your mouth there’s great fruit though it’s wrapped in plenty of structure – it’s relatively smooth but the tannin still needs a number of years. The depth is super and there is a mineral length. Don’t touch again for at least 5 years.

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1999 Drouhin Joseph Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru

By on March 31, 2009 #asides

Medium cherry-red colour. The nose is deep, just a little plummy at the base and higher-up has lovely red cherry fruit – it just misses a little higher perfume. A really lovely extra dimension of fruit flavour that becomes more intense in the mid-palate and is borne on excellent acidity, except that it has a slightly sharp edge. The tannin is an understated fine grain as you head into mineral finish. Tightens-up considerably in the glass after about 1 hour – it becomes only half the wine it was before, so pop, pour and drink, or leave in the cellar another 3-5 years. Not perfect, but very good.

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1999 Potel Nicolas Volnay En Chevret

By on March 31, 2009 #asides

Medium-plus colour. Deep dark, brambly fruit at the core, pepper at the top and just below there are hints of toffee and dark chocolate. In the mouth the acidity is faintly prickly which accentuates the tannin a little, but it’s padded with some fat and shows a little burst of red fruit in the mid-palate and more creamy edge in the finish. Every bottle from this case has so far had an unruly edge, but has been brim full of personality and complexity. Great fun still…

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