2010 Gérard Boulay Sancerre Monts Damnés - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (10/2/2018)
I’ll bet I have a previous note on this, but haven’t looked. Not quite sure what to make of this bottle. Color is good, medium-light hay, not getting much on the nose, definitely nothing Sauvignon-Blan-ish, but nothing objectionable; palate is pleasant enough, some nice non-descript fruit, good acidity, bit of a tart edge overall. Like I said, pleasant enough, but unremarkable. I need to remember to drink my SBs younger. (87 pts.)
Alan,
I’m not sure I’d agree. I had a stunning '07 Boulay Beaujeu last year.
Cheers,
Warren
Thanks for the note. I have a few of the 2010 La Cote on the way. While I haven’t had it personally, I’ve read that Monts Damnes is considered perhaps Boulay’s weakest cuvee (relatively speaking). Would you call this over the hill, or just boring?
Warren, every bottle’s it own thing, of course. I had posted a previous note on this back in 2013, and didn’t rave about that one either, so I think, as David says, this is probably just a weaker wine, without the stuffing and depth to last a long time. But who knows, maybe it turns into something great in another decade?
Not over the hill, I don’t get the sense of anything oxidized or overly aged. It has strong acidity, quite a lasting sense of austerity minutes after the finish. This is a wine for people who have been naughty and need to be punished.
Made my morning!
I had a bottle of this in August and still thought that it was too young. But 2010 was a high acid vintage in Sancerre, so I guess it’s possible that the wines will never come into a decent balance.