The Lavaux Saint Jacques 2007 from Rousseau is a lovely slightly understated effort. The nose is offering fine cool red berry fruit – notes of raspberries, sous-bois and a discrete underlying earthy minerality. On the palate lovely openly knit fruit … finely focused by the quite delicate minerality. A lovely harmonious effort .. and not trying too hard.
(Drink from 2017) – Very Good+ (90p) – Tasted 10/07/2014
The Clos du Tart 2004 is approaching maturity. The nose is quite forward with notes of tar, matured red fruit, prune, asparagus and a eathy mineral hint. On the palate quite powerful with layers of matured fruit – a bit rustic and quite developed. A quite lovely and rather complex wine .. slight green note but not disturbingly “ladybuggy”!!. A nice matured wine.
(Drink From Now) – Very Good+ (91p) – Tasted 03/07/2014
The Bourgogne Blanc 2002 from Domaine Comte de Vogüé is showing very well now. The nose is bursting with layers of tightly knit yellow fruit – hints of apple, hazelnuts and refreshed by a citrus infused filigree minerality. On the palate surprisingly weighty and intense with a lovely nerve and focus. This bottle could improve with 5 years more in the cellar … but is showing beautifully now. Love the fruit intensity and the focusing minerality from the great Musigny terroir.
(Drink From Now) – Very Good+ – (88p) – Tasted 11/07/2014
The Chambolle-Musigny 2012 from Philippe Pacalet is showing the goods. The nose is forward with decadent red fruit – spiced with cinnamon, all spice and gooseberries … very expressive and organic. On the palate rich and lush for this level … still vibrant .. with a lovely Chambolle minerality underneath – quite mouthcoating and delightful. Adore the drinkability.
(Drink from 2020) – Very Good+ (90p) – Tasted 28/05/2014
The 2009 edition of the Chambolle Musigny 1er cru has entered a closed stage. The nose is currently offering warm fruit – notes of dried fruits, plum, cassis, liquorice and spiced with cinnamon, all spice and different Christmas scents. On the palate quite dense and intense fruit .. fine weight but not much minerality and transparency currently. It showed much better just after the release … but now it really needs 10 years or more to display its terroir and pinot character. Should have been decanted like the 2005 and 1999.
(Drink from 2025) – Very Good+ – (91p) – Tasted 01/04/2012
The Nuits-Saint-Georges 2012 from Pacalet is offering gorgeous drinkability even on a root evening. The nose is bursting with red fruit … strawberries, cherries … with a touch of red currant, cinnamon and a classic slightly rubust and edgy NSG minerality. On the palate fine focus and transparancy … the midpalate intensity is fine … as is the nerve and freshness. The expression of terroir and NSG typicity is improving year after year in Pacalets wines … a lovely Nuits-Saint-Georges.
(Drink from 2019) – Very Good+ (89 – 90p) – Tasted 06/06/2014
The 2012 Vosne village from Cathiard is a delightful pinot … built for pleasure. The nose is crammed with red and dark berry fruit, Vosne spices and a suitable touch of oak. On the palate lovely subtle fruit … juicy with a very nice energy. It’s pure and vibrant with a lovely understated balance … perhaps not as focused as the very best single terroir villages … but still with a very clear and transparent expression of the Vosne appellation. Summing up … just love this enjoyable wine.
(Drink From 2020) – Very Good+ – (90 – 91p) – Tasted 18/03/2014 – cask sample
Photo: Sebastian Cathiard at Grands Jours de Bourgogne
The Volnay Caillerets from Bouchard is one of my favorite reds from this big house. The 2012 edition is no exception …. a lovely Volnay in the making. The nose is crammed with red and dark berry fruit … fine depth and mineralic energy. On the palate rich and deep fruit … lovely concentration … fine transparancy and a powerful slightly edgy minerality. Its well balanced and focused with a quite lovely nerve and energy.
(Drink From 2022) – Very Good+ – (90p) – Tasted 01/05/2014
The Miex Chaveaux 2012 is a step up in weight and concentration. On the palate pure and rather intense white and yellow fruit … quite extrovert and openly knit. On the palate very good midpalate weight for this level …. lovely pure fruit … with a nice focusing .. slightly salty minerality. A lovely … somewhat voluptuous Meursault .. a charming effort.
(Drink From 2021) – Very Good+ – (89 – 90p) – Tasted 17/03/2014 – cask sample.
The Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes 2012 is a step up from the village wine. In the nose red and dark berry fruit – ripe and pure – spiced with Vosne minerality and a quite discrete impression of oak. On the palate silky transparent fruit – lightfooted but more weight that the village – with a lovely charming expression of fruit and terroir. Not a big 1er cru … but its delicate and refined. A lovely and charming little 1er Vosne ..
(Drink from 2020) – Very Good+ – (89 – 90p) – Tasted 18/03/2014 – cask sample
The 2007 version of the Chambolle 1er cru is a delicate and understated effort. In the nose pure and quite airy red berry fruit and a discrete minerality. On the palate quite light-footed with pure fruit and a nice length … it has a lovely balance and a lovely harmonious impression of Musigny minerality in the finish. Will no doubt offer a refined and delicate experience when it matures.
(Drink from 2018) – Very Good+ – (91p) – Tasted 01/04/2014
The Derriere Chez Edouard 2012 is slightly more weighty and forward than Les Frionnes. The nose offering pure fruit .. notes of pear, white flowers and some delicate hints of peach … spiced with some citrus notes and a delicate minerality. On the palate nice weight and midpalate fruit – very delicate and harmonious with a nice focusing minerality and zappy acidity. A delightful wine.
(Drink From 2019) – Very Good+ – (90p) – Tasted 17/03/2014 at the domaine.
The Vosne Romanee 2010 village from Sylvain Cathiard is a truly delightful wine … and still quite accessible. The bouquet is crammed with layers of refined fruit – notes of red berries, violets, peony rose and a discrete minerality. The palate is offering a rich, pure and silky display of cool pinot fruit. It’s very refined and harmonious with it’s finely grained tannins and sophisticated fruit – but not quite as focused as some of the single vineyard village wines. A beautiful and refined village – just love the delicate Vosne expression in this wine. Very impressive indeed.
(Drink from 2023) – Very Good+ 90p – Tasted 04/04/2014
The Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques 1999 is starting to show some matured notes. In the bouquet red and dark berry fruit … raspberries with hints of sweeter red fruits, sous-bois, spiced with hints of gun powder and oak. On the palate quite muscular with a core of raspberry fruit, it’s still quite tight but starting to show some complexity. The finish is long with a quite strong impression of earthy minerality and oak. Perhaps a bit to extracted … and it certainly needs time to unfold … but will most likely never be a real charmer.
(Drink From 2018) – Very Good+ (91p) – Tasted 28/02/2014
The 2011 Vosne Village from Cathiard is a very delightful wine. The nose is forward and charming with layers of red and dark berry fruit spiced with violets and hints of liqourice. On the palate rich and silky with discrete support from the finely grained tannins. Not focused like the best single terroir village wines, but I really love the delicate pure fruit, the delightful balance and effortless charm – Build for pleasure!
(Drink From 2020) – Very Good+ (89p) – Tasted 26/02/2014
Photo by Frederik Kreutzer
The 2011 Columbiere is quite forward offering a lovely fruity bouquet with red and dark berry fruit. It’s showing a nice complexity with Vosne spices and a nice minerality followed by a quite discrete impression of oak. On the palate lovely fruit – quite expressive and airy – nicely focused by the minerality and the new oak. Quite rich for the level but with a nice transparancy and a crisp acidity in the finish. A beautifully balanced Vosne village.
(Drink from 2019) – Very Good+ (89p) – Tasted 24/01/2014
The Clos de la Bussiere 2011 from Roumier is showing very well. In the nose crisp and quite delicate red and dark berry fruit, with a earthy minerality, a slight floral tone and a initial touch of oak. On the palate focused, crisp and harmanious – the tannins are finely grained and refined and offer fine support. It’s a very elegant and delicate Bussiere … but still a quite substantial wine with very good weight and power. Very impressive for the vintage.
(Drink from 2023) – Very Good+ (90p)- Tasted 05/02/2014
The “R” Meursault village 2010 from Jean-Marc Roulot is a truly gorgeous effort. The bouquet is very expressive with crisp orchard fruits and a beautiful citrus driven minerality. It’s perhaps a bit more openly knit than the domaine Meursaults from Roulot … but very charming and forward. On the palate lovely quite openly knit fruit … very good weight and length for this level … and very focused by the excellent acidity and a fine minerality. A very impressive and lovely village Meursault.
(Drink From 2020) – Very Good+ (91p) – Tasted 07/02/2014
The Nuits-Saint-Georges premier cru “Chateau Gris” has a interesting minerality. It’s made from a monopole vineyard located just south of the village – at the top of the slope. The Chateau Gris monopole is a part of the climate Les Crots – and the Chateau Gris estate itself is located in this vineyard. In the nose raspberries and red currant spiced with a nice slightly chalky minerality. On the palate quite rich and broad with a lovely energy and minerality from the limestone soil. It’s quite long and intense with a lovely cool airy style and an interesting minerality. Very interesting terroir – should not be overlooked.
(Drink from 2023) – Very Good+ (89 – 91p) – Tasted 13/09/2013 cask sample.
The Laveaux Saint Jacques 2011 from Rousseau is energetic and still very tightly knit. In the bouquet fine red berry fruit quite floral with a nice earthy minerality. On the palate medium weight and quite tight – with good energy and length. It’s pure and balanced but not showing much depth at the moment. Need at least 5 years to unfold and preferebly 10 years to show the full potential.
(Drink From 2022) – Very Good+ (90p) – Tasted 25/01/2014
