TNs: '17 Chateau de Beru Clos Beru, '99 Valbuena and '10 Pousse d'Or Bousse d'Or

  • 2017 Château de Beru Chablis Clos Beru - France, Burgundy, Chablis
    Surprisingly dark in colour for a young wine, together with some nutty notes I think it must be from oak use? Started off really flabby and disjointed, clearly a more powerful style of Chablis that will take time to integrate but at the same time I am not sure if this will age well. Think this is similar to Pattes Loup’s style that belongs to the newer school of Chablis, but Pattes Loup is better balanced. Shame because I liked the entry-level Côte aux Prêtres a lot more.
  • 1999 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5° - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
    Thought this was a Bordeaux. Nose confused me as it had a little sweetness but the palate was pretty much quintessential Bordeaux with secondary notes of tar and earth. The oak on this was well-integrated, compared to the 2012 that I tried last last year (and promptly sold my own bottle because of the obnoxious oak use). Good older Bordeaux is much more interesting and complex though, this just didn’t have a lot going on.
  • 2010 La Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse d’Or - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
    Opened at lunchtime for dinner. The opening pour was fun and playful with red juicy fruit but by dinnertime it turned darker and more serious. Usually I am not a fan of darker fruits in Burgundy but this was beautifully restrained, even though there was a mocha element, it still retained a wonderful tension and acidity that didn’t make the fruit seem over the top. Wish I have more 2010s.