The 2011 Corton Charlie from Boillot is both gorgeous and impressive. The nose is open and expressive with lovely orchard fruits – notes of apple, pear, citrus – spiced with gun powder, a intense minerality and quite ample oak. On the palate very fine concentration and weight … it’s focused, pure and refined. Love the balance and the rewardingly rich fruit – it’s big and quite powerful but still delicate and focused with a long mineral infused finish. This seems to be a very fine vintage for Charlies … and Boillot certainly nailed this one – a beautiful wine.… Read the full article →
Very Fine (93 – 94)
The Corton Charlemagne 2012 from Domaine Dublere is a gorgeous effort. In the bouquet rich orchard fruits with notes of pear, pineapple and citrus – supported by a crisp and focused minerality. On the palate rich and almost opulent fruit – beautifully balanced by the powerful minerality and the very crisp acidity. Love the balance and the expressive fruit – it’s a quite charming and forward Charlie – but still very precise and focused with impressive length and intensity. A very fine wine in the making.… Read the full article →
The Clos de la Roche 1999 from Hubert Lignier is still very youthful and a real powerhouse. In the bouquet intense dark fruits, cherries, liquorice, oriental spices and a hint of sous-bois. On the palate quite dense and dark fruit, it’s rich but also quite rustic with abundant tannins … really need time to unfold. Love the weight and minerality … but it is a very muscular wine currently. A big but classic Clos de la Roche … old school Hubert Lignier at it’s best .… Read the full article →
The Chambolle 1er cru 1999 from Vogue is starting to show the full potential. Lovely complex nose, red and darker berries, sous-bois, mushrooms and a quite intense display of Chambolle terroir. On the palate approchable with a refined and quite rich fruit – very harmonius with a intense and firm mineralic backbone. Starting out slightly edgy in the finish … but after one hour in the glass it starts to resolve and show even more refinement and complexity. A very fine and gorgeous “junior” Musigny … need 5 to 8 years to unfold completely.… Read the full article →
The Vosne Les Petit Monts is always a very charming wine – and the 2012 is certainly no exception. In the floral bouquet – loads of refined sweet fruit with notes of forest berries, pomegranate, allspice and peony rose. On the palate lovely lush fruit – balanced by the refined minarality and a fresh acidity – very fine energy and nerve. I adore the expression of this wine … it’s sexy and charming with a lightfooted and refined complexity.
(Drink from 2025) – Very Fine (93 – 94p) – Tasted 13/09/2013 – from CASK
The Brulees is a very rare wine to taste. Liger-Belair only makes one cask from the 0,1157ha and the wine is not sold on the market – sadly. Les Brulees is slightly reduced at the moment but the quite floral nose is nevertheless showing very fine complex red fruit, spicy notes with a gorgeous hint of peony rose. On the palate it offers a wonderful tension between the rich fruit and the powerful minerality – intense but still quite lightfooted. It’s tightly knit with a lovely balance and nerve – a delightful wine.… Read the full article →
The 1998 Echezeaux from Emmanuel Rouget is a lovely and very charming effort for the vintage. In the nose semimatured red fruit – complex – with hints of allspice, cinnamon and violets. On the palate quite intense and juicy red fruit with a fine midpalate density. It’s perfectly balanced and showing a long and lovely mineral infused finish. A refined Echezeaux and a very fine 1998 … will improve with further cellaring but is truly lovely now.
(Drink from 2015) – Very Fine (93p) – Tasted 03/10/2013
The Bonnes Mares 2011 from Vogue is a well balanced effort. In the bouquet fine fruit – notes of blueberries, pomegranate and raspberries – darker than the other Vogue wines – with a deep eathy minerality. On the palate layers of rich almost dense fruit … perfectly balanced with a fine focus and length. Slightly more backward than the other 2011s from Vogue – but nevertheless a very fine Bonnes Mares.
(Drink from 2026) – Very Fine (93p) – Tasted 04/10/2013
The Amoureuses 2011 from Vogue is a gorgeous wine …. delicate, crisp and expressive. In the bouquet sweet and crisp jellied fruit – notes of pomegranate and red forest berries – supported by a intense but filligree minerality. On the palate layers of vibrant red fruit – quite lightfooted – but still very intense with a long mineralic finish. Love the mineralic tension and nerve in this wine. It’s very expressive and forward for a young Amourreuses from Vogue – a very charming wine – love af first sight.… Read the full article →
The Meursault Genevrieres 2011 from Henri Boillot is a very charming and expressive effort. The nose is bursting with fruit – notes of apple, pear and acacia with a finely tuned impression of oak and a lovely stony minerality. On the palate beautiful minerality and midpalate fruit – quite rich and filigree – with a good backbone of crisp acidity and minerality from the fine Genevrieres terroir. Adorable and quite refined … bravo!
(Drink From 2020) – Very Fine (93p) – Tasted 16/08/2013
The Romanee-Saint-Vivant 2011 is a refined effort from Remi Poisot. In the nose delicate nuances of red berry fruit and Vosne spices. On the palate layers of pure cool red berry fruit – with a nice transparancy and balance. It’s quite lightfooted but with a fine expression of terroir in the long and focused finish. A wine of finesse and refinement – rather than power and intensity … a very fine RSV in the making.
(Drink from 2022) – Very Fine (93 – 94p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 from CASK
The 2004 Corton Charlie from Bonneau du Martray is a lovely and harmonious effort. In the nose lovely quite matured notes – hazelnuts and Belle de Boskoop apple – yellow fruits with a hint of acacia and a citrus infused chalky minerality. On the palate rich, deep and focused fruit, with a lovely delicacy for the 2004 vintage. It’s long and intense with a beautiful mineralic backbone. A very enjoyable Charlie in the making – lovely now … but will be even better after a couple of years more in the cellar.… Read the full article →
The Chambolle La Combe d’Orveaux is from a small vineyard just above the Musigny vineyard. This may be a 1er cru but one sense the intense power and depth of the neighbouring grand cru. The bouquet offer red berry fruit – Chambolle style – with a stony but very refined minerality. On the palate rich and complex pinot fruit supported by the very intense minerality of this fine terroir. The finish is long and persistant with a vibrant almost grand cru like intensity.… Read the full article →
The Echezeaux 2012 from Pacalet is another succes in this vintage. The bouquet offer lovely quite expressive organic red berry fruit – with lovely spicy notes of violets, white peppar and peony rose. On the palate layers of quite dense and focused red fruit – with a slightly darker expression than the two Gevrey grand crus. It’s balanced, focused and quite tightly knit – with a fine freshness and minerality. A fine Echezeaux in the making – is it matching the beautiful 2010?… Read the full article →
The Pacalet Charmes 2012 is both a intense and charming wine in the making. The bouquet is bursting with nuances of energetic red berry fruit – spiced with allspice and cinnamon. On the palate layers of delicate and intense red berry fruit with elements of sweet red coulis fruit. It’s balanced and refined – it’s quite dense for a Pacalet wine – but still fresh and vibrant. The fine display of terroir in the long finish offer adds focus and nerve.… Read the full article →
The Laveaux St. Jacques 2012 is a further notch up in quality. The nose is very expressive with layers of energetic red fruit – notes of strawberries, pomegranate and raspberries – spiced with allspice and pepper. The palate offer a lovely core of ripe and pure coulis fruit – adding another dimension to the mulitible layers of energetic red fruit. The finish is long with a refined display of terroir – giving a zen-like balance to the wine. A beauty!
(Drink from 2022) – Very Fine (92 – 94p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 from CASK
The Corton Charlie 2011 from Pacalet is a very refined and hamonious effort. The bouquet offer delicate and ripe fruit – with notes of melon, pear and some fine floral elements – spiced with a delicate citrus infused stony minerality. On the palate very intense and balanced fruit … focused towards the long and mineralic finish. This wine is about beautiful balance rather than brute power. A very harmonious and refined Charlie … very impressive.
(Drink From 2021) – Very Fine (93p) – Tasted 07/06/2013
The 2011 Pacalet Ruchotte Chambertin is a lovely expression of the 2011 vintage. At the moment slightly reduced and backward in the bouquet – but with notes of cherries, strawberries and pomegranate – spiced with white peppar and a hint of cinnamon. On the palate layers of pure and ripe red fruit – a lovely juicy midpalate intensity with a abundancy of refined fruit. The underlying minerality and the finely grained tannins focuses the long and delicately mineralic finish. This is a truly lovely effort from this magificent vineyard ….… Read the full article →
The 2004 Meursault Charmes from Comte Lafon is lovely textbook Meursault. In the bouquet fine ripe yellow fruit, almonds, white peach and citrus. On the palate very focused with a fine acidity and minerality balanced by a quite intense fruit. It’s densely flavoured – but still with a nice vibrant freshness, fine length and complexity. Quite backward compared to the bottle I tasted a year earlier – drinking well now – but this perfectly stored example will improve with 5 years more in the cellar.… Read the full article →
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 →