Plenty of oak-toast on the nose, augmented by a little reduction – slowly there’s a dark-ish red fruited dimension. Concentrated and quite lithe in the mouth, with good structure and length.
Santenay Clos des Tavannes
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.
2009 Gagnard Jean-Noël Santenay Clos des Tavannes
1976 Gagnard Jean-Noël Santenay Clos des Tavannes
There is still some strawberry on the nose – this remains clean and fresh with a little sous-bois – lovely. There is still plenty of grainy tannin but without astringency. Good mid-palate flavour with a little blood-orange and hints of chocolate. Really super and apparently with plenty of life ahead of it.