A hint of reduction fades to offer a super display of flowers. Round, full and super-silky without every becoming heavy.
2008
2008 Dubreuil-Fontaine Pommard Epenots
Medium, medium plus colour. The nose starts dense and unyielding; I had to wait about 2 hours before enjoyment set in, that enjoyment in the form of joyous red cherry, accented with raisins and violet flowers – yum. Very understated tannin but smooth of texture and then a super growth of concentration and intensity in the mid-palate – yet just a hint lean. This is a very good wine, but I thought the bottle I tasted at the domaine better.
2008 Gagnard Jean-Noël Santenay Clos des Tavannes
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has a cool yet welcoming range of fruit aromas, perhaps topped with faint violets. Very good flavour that seems quite wide and, with it, a very good persistence. The balance here is just about perfect (for me), tannins only showing themselves if you chew. Lovely wine. As a direct comparison, and as drinkable as this wine is, it falls short of the intensity of the Montrevenots earlier in the week, by comparison seeming more dilute – that doesn’t mean that I like it any less – the aromas improve all the time and are quite a match for the Beaune.
2008 Dubreuil-Fontaine Beaune Montrevenots
Medium colour. The nose starts tight but over twenty minutes opens to show pungent raspberry and beautifully detailed redcurrants; swirl and an impression of licorice raises itself from the depths. There’s no getting away from a certain freshness that this wine delivers, but it’s not just acidity; it seems to be coupled with a sorbet-like impression of red fruits. Little obvious tannin but a mouth-watering finish. At it’s best over the summer before the ‘padding’ fades? Let’s see! After one hour the raspberry and (now) strawberry aromas are thing to behold!
2008 Gagnard Jean-Noël Chassagne-Montrachet Blanchot Dessus
Medium lemon yellow. The nose is clean and gives-up a line of bright, ripe yellow fruit; like the Caillerets accented with faint creamy vanilla – though perhaps with less to hold the attention and saying little to me of Chassagne. Slightly fat texture but with very good acidity bubbling below – it’s certainly richer than the Caillerets but not in a negative sense. I find this tighter than my recollection though there’s a concentrated block of good flavour and intensity in the mid-palate – the flavour lasts long too. Very nice wine indeed but, today at least, it can’t match that precocious Caillerets (of which I think I need more!).
2008 Jouan Henri Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echézeaux
Medium colour. First there’s a hint of musky vanilla going on; as the vanilla fades to the background there a more higher-toned, almost floral aroma; finally there is a beautifully precise red berry note – who needs to drink? Clean, with a slighly cushioned texture, fine acity that enables a long line into the finish. You’ve got to search hard to find the tannin. Fresh but not overly so, this is a perfectly fresh berry for plucking right now if you so feel. Lovely, lovely wine.