The Corton-Charlemagne 2000 from Bonneau du Martray is approaching a mature state. The impression just after opening the bottle is quite advanced, with some fat buttery notes, but after some time in the glass the focus and freshness returns to the wine. The bouquet is quite expressive with mature yellow fruit, almonds and citrus infuzed minerality. on the palate rich and quite dense fruit – but after some time in the glass also a nice focusing acidity and minerality. A quite big and soft Charlie – and drinking well now.… Read the full article →
Bottle
The Echezeaux 2002 from Domaine de la Romanee Conti is a lovely effort. In the bouquet fine sweet red berry fruit – raspberries and cherries – spiced with hints of violets and peony rose. The palate show layers of juicy pinot fruit. It’s well focused, with a lovely semi organic style in the finish. It’s quite transparent – with a nice “view” to the terroir. A little more backward than the bottle I tasted a year earlier. Is drinking well now, but need 5+ years more to gain full complexity.… Read the full article →
The Nuits-Saint-Georges 2011 is a lovely combination of Pacalets organic style and the robust Nuits-Saint-Georges terroir. In the bouquet redberry fruit – rapsberries, blueberries – with a slight hint of liquorice. The palate is blessed with a rich red berry fruit – layers of strawberries, raspberries and pomegranate. The fruit is expressive and well balanced by the quite fresh acidity – nice hint of grape citrus and elderberries/elderflowers in the finish. It’s well structured by the quite powerful tannins – and I love the transparancy and the nice display of the underlying minerality.… Read the full article →
The Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 2000 is a very impressive effort for the vintage. The bouquet is very expressive with notes of red berry fruit, sous-bois and a fine Chambolle minerality. On the palate rich and quite lush red fruit – matured but still very fresh and vibrant. Quite intense and weighty for the vintage – with a good nerve and mineralic energy. The minerality is delicate but powerful – a classic Amoureuses. Lovely complexity now – but will improve with further cellaring – a truly beautiful 2000.… Read the full article →
The 2011 Pacalet Echezeaux is very forward and expressive. The bouquet is crammed with sweet organic red fruit – raspberries, pomegranate, strawberries with a hint of violets and horseradish. On the palate rich – almost opulent – sweet red fruit – balaced by surprisingly abundant tannins. It’s really extrovert … but also quite firmly structured by the tannins and the crisp aciity. More muscular than most other wines from Pacalet – will be very interesting to follow.
(Drink From 2022) – Very Fine (93p) – Tasted 23/04/2013
The Corton Le Rognet 2010 from Camille Giroud is a truly beautiful Corton. In the bouquet fine red berry fruit with notes of sweet strawberries, cherries, pomegranate and wild raspberries. The oak is present in the nose, but well integrated in the lovely cool red fruit. On the palate very fine concentration of cool ripe quite opulent fruit. It’s rich and charming on the midplate with a lovely balance. A very impressive and complex Corton … lovely pinot juice.
(Drink from 2025) – Very Fine 93p – Tasted 25/04/2013
The Chambertin Clos de Beze 2008 from Henri Roch is a organic beauty. The nose is exploding with red berry fruit and spices – notes of raspbarries, strawberries, cinnamon, gooseberries and all spice. On the palate rich organic red fruit – intense and foucused by the quite impressive expression of the Clos de Beze terroir and the lovely crisp 2008 acidity. Really love the combination of the acidity driven vintage and the rich organic style of Prieure-Roch. If you like the style then the Clos de Beze from Roch is most likely one of the very best low SO2 wines made in Burgundy.… Read the full article →
The 2002 Aux Boudots from Meo-Camuzet is somehow slightly disappointing. In the bouquet dark berry fruit, raspberries, liquorice and oak with the alcohol slightly forward in the nose. On the palate layers of quite dense and rather dark fruit – still quite restrained by the oak in this otherwise fruity vintage. It’s quite harmonius but still quite backward – and while the attractive sweet primary fruit has disappeard the oak and tannins are still very much present – was in my view better a few years back.… Read the full article →
The Clos de Vougeot 2011 from Bouchard is really showing well. In the bouquet layers of red berry fruit with a lovely spicyness – hints of violets, horseradish and chocolate. On the palate very harmonious with layers of quite intense fruit – a lovely mineralic tension – and a very nice acidity. It’s long and intense with very good midpalate weight. The oak is offering good support in the long and docused finish. A big wine but still quite lightfooted and refined for a Clos de Vougeot.… Read the full article →
The Savigny Les Lavieres 2011 from Bouchard is a nice terroir driven “entry” level Burgundy. The nose is quite complex with nice red berry fruit, hints of minerality and a touch of oak. On the palate good cool fruit, finely balanced by the quite crisp acidity and the nice minerality from the lovely Lavieres terroir. I like this Savigny with it’s terroir driven expression – it offers a good complexity and it’s long and quite powerful for this level.
(Drink from 2018) – Good 85p – Tasted 01/05/2013.… Read the full article →
The Bourgogne Réserve from Bouchard deserves a mention – as it’s a nice generic white Burgundy. I like the style of Bouchards whites, and even the entry level white shares some of the style found in the more expensive wines. The nose offer notes of pear, lemongrass and citrus with a (very slight) hint of minerality. On the palate very pure fruit – good balance, freshness and energy – the 2011 vintage aure is lovely for the whites. Not a big and complex wine – but nevertheless a pleasure.… Read the full article →
The Vosne Romanee Gaudichots is fulfilling the fine promise it showed from cask. Made from very old wines – planted in 1930 – on the vineyard located just next to the mighty La Tache. In the bouquet very intense Vosne spices – notes of peony rose and violets, a lovely deep red berry fruit and a quite intense minerality . On the palate layers of lovely pinot fruit – pure and with fine depth. The mineralic backbone of this wine is impressive – and the finish is very foxused and persistent.… Read the full article →
The Meursault Genevrieres 2011 from Bouchard is a very rich and quite exotic wine. In the bouquet exotic orchard fruits with notes of apricot, white peach, acacia and a fine citrus infused stony minerality. On the palate very rich and intense with a quite abundant fruit and a strong mineralic backbone from the fine terroir. It’s very long with a good balance between the rich fruit and the acidity in the mineral driven finish. The fruit is very ripe but matched quite well by the fresh and vibrant acidity.… Read the full article →
The Chevalier-Montrachet 2011 from Bouchard is very refined and showing beautifully. The bouquet offer pure and cool orchard fruits – with notes of white peach, melon and pear – hints of acacia flower, petrolium, citrus and a filligree stony minerality. On the palate very intense with a very long mineralic finish – the fruit is crystal clear and supported very well by the multible layers of complex minerality. The acidity is vibrant and the tension and nerve is indeed impressive. A very elegant Chevalier-Montrachet in the making.… Read the full article →
The Mazis-Chambertin 2010 from Dupont-Tisserandot is a truly beautiful and great wine. It’s beginning to close down – but the bouquet is still bursting with intense cool red fruit – razzberries, pomegranate – spiced with white peppar, liqourice and layers of deep earthy minerality. On the palate rich and very intense fruit – quite muscular – with a strong framework of acidity, finely grained tannins and a quite intense minerality. It’s big but still transparent and quite lightfooted – the finish is long, intense and firmly focused – true grand cru stuff.… Read the full article →
It seems like I have underestimated the Gevrey Chambertin VV from Dupont-Tisserandot when I tasted it from cask back in October 2012. This is a gorgeous village – the bouquet is crammed with cool red fruit – cherries, pomegranate with hints of ruhbarb and gooseberries – and a lovely earthy minerality. On the palate beautiful rich and quite intense fruit – 50+ year old vines – a lovely backbone of acidity and ripe tannins. It’s long and quite complex for this level – a classic Gevrey in the best sense of the word – very harmonious and balanced.… Read the full article →
The Gevrey Chambertin 1er cru from Mugneret-Gibourg is made from the young vines in Ruchottes Chambertin. It’s slightly closed now – but still offering a charming display of terroir and cool 2010 fruit. In the bouquet dark berry fruit with notes of red and dark cherries and liquorice. On the palate lovely intense fruit with good midpalete weight supported by finely grained tannins. It’s very balanced and transparent offering a good look at the charming minerality of the Ruchottes terroir. It’s a lovely 1er cru but is lacking the depth and minerality of the Ruchottes made from old vines.… Read the full article →
The Corton-Charlemagne 2011 from Bouchard is a gorgeous and classic Charlie. The bouquet is crystaline in it’s purity … with pure ripe and fresh orchard fruits, citrus notes and a powerful but filligree minerality. On the palate very fresh and crisp fruit, a very vibrant acidity and a powerful mineralic backbone. There is real power and poise here – very intense with great length and mineralic weight. A very balanced and harmonious Chalie – refined with a lovely mineralic tension. Truly impressive effort from Bouchard – really enjoyed this wine.… Read the full article →
The Colombiere 2011 is showing well from bottle. The nose is offering pure red berry fruit with a lovely Vosne spicyness – notes of violets and peony rose. On the palate lovely quite silky and very harmonious fruit – with a nice tension from the underlying minerality. It’s very focused for a village wine, with a well defined terroir expression. Love the balance and the drinkability of this wine – what can I say? – Cheers!
(Drink from 2019) – Very Good 89p – Tasted 18/03/2013.… Read the full article →
The Clos du Chateau 2011 is a quite adorable Vosne village. The nose is offering delicate red berry fruit with loads of stony minerality and Vosne spices – hints of violets and peony rose. On the palate lovely harmonious fruit – refined and focused for this level – and all is focused by the excellent minerality from this fine lieu-dit terroir. It’s not a dense wine like the 2009, but more a wine of finesse and poise. Need some time to integrate the oak fully – a lovely terroir driven Vosne village.… Read the full article →