Lovely dusty dark plum and cherry fruit, great density, spice, and finesse, tannins on the back end, super wine, still real young with upside. No tertiary aspects yet, layered fruit, has a positive evolution ahead of it.
Thanks Alan,
What’s your opinion on optimum maturity for this wine?,
I opened one a couple of years ago and it was real structured and real young, and only have a couple left
another decade.
Many thanks Alan
Just fwiw: a vintage for perfect drinking now is 1991 - the 1993 is still a bit young.
Even 2000 was not in perfect maturity recently.
1997 is also very good now.
I have had the '90 3 times in the past year, and all were very enjoyable, Drinking Very well with no sign of decline, but I would not venture to say how long it will stay in the shape its in. Drank one along side a '93 and it was very difficult to tell apart.
The 1990 is also in fine shape now, but in a blind tasting side by side I prefered the 1991 (very slightly).
The 1993 is slightly less dark and saturated and shows a bit drier tannins, less sweet, less fine - easier noticable, could do with another 5 years …
I see no reason why the 1990 shouldn´t stay on it´s plateau for another 5-8 years, maybe 10, if it´s a perfect bottle …
Gerhard,
have you had much experience with older Arnoux Chaumes?
Not Gerhard, but 98 Chaumes was a lovely dring, quite robust but with good persistence.
Thanks Kent, did you feel the robust nature of the wine might subside with more time in the cellar?
Absolutely, although as I recall the tannins were a little austere like many wines from the vintage. Wish I still had some.
98 was the first vintage Jon O at Ultimo “let” me buy some burgs mostly BR but he relented and sold me a mixed case of Arnoux, and some Grivot.
I had to promise on a stack of wine books that I would give these plenty of time in the cellar, and I have kept my word (mostly)
98 was the second Burgundy vintage that I bought any quantity …mainly Arnoux, Roumier, Faiveley, Geantet-Pansiot, d’Angerville… they certainly needed a few years.
Ultimo was a lovely shop but sometimes the pricing was on the high side.
Actually boughts some 98 Harmand-Geoffrey Mazis from Ultimo on closeout - think I still have a bottle or two left, now that was austere in its youth!
Had a bottle of the RSV late last year, absolutely singing.
Many '98’s are in a nice place now, almost makes me wish I had more!
99 was my first “big quantity” burgundy vintage (about 4 cases total), I was in my early twenties and it almost sent me bankrupt, of course the famous “frozen” container sale that year added about 5 cases to the total. So much has happened in my life since then and I am still waiting to drink these bloody wines
I wasnt allowed to buy RSV back then, I was low man on the totem, 3 bottles of Suchot in a mixed case was all I could get
had the 1998 last new year, really nice but could have used 5 years. if 1998 needs a decade, when will my 1999 be ready then?
Had a crack at 99 too…no regrets there !!! Missed out on the frozen sale but my good Friend Jeremy took advantage. Have had the pleasure of sampling a few and all have been in good condition. Probabaly the only time that Dugat-Py GCs have been affordable to mere mortals!!
Jon told me about the sale and I grabbed about 10 different 375ml GC bottles and went and sat at Balzac in Randwick and opened the lot and tried them with dinner so I could decide what to get any quantity of, I still have a couple of cases idling along in the cellar, 99% of the bottles consumed from that sale have been great, although Jon sort of limited me to Arnoux, groffier and Grivot. He wouldnt give me any of the real earth shakers that came in that shipment