DINNER WITH ACHILLE MERLIER - Jade Palace, Forum Galleria, Singapore (18/2/2017)
WHITES
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1978 Chanson Père & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
A gently strong showing for a Folatieres at its age - this was a quietly pleasing wine. It had a lovely mature nose, with notes of honey and caramel, some dried yellow fruit and a touch of mineral, all this layered with a slight old Burg funk, showing in umami notes of soil and white meat. A very complex, inviting nose. After that, the palate actually held out a surprising amount of clarity and youthful energy. The fruit was not quite as lush as the nose promised, with fleshy yellow fruited tones up top on the attack leaning out quite a biton the mid palate, leaving little honey and caramel accents behind. These then trailed away with a nice fresh finish of citrus, kumquat acid and line of mineral. Not the strongest wine, but very commendable at its age, and still quite the charmer on the evening. (91 pts.) -
1999 Domaine Potinet-Ampeau Meursault 1er Cru Charmes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Maybe not the most elegant of expressions, but this was yummy in a proper old-school Meursault way. The nose intriguingly smelt much younger than you would expect from a wine almost 20 years old, with notes of ripe yellow fruit and sweet cream chased by a streak of chalky, saline, almost Chablis-like minerality, and a edge of something fresher, even greener. Decent enough, but nothing that really stood out to grab you. The palate was rather better than nose though It had a lovely fleshy depth, almost a touch on the plump side, with white fruit flavours traipsing into almost stone-fruited sweetness, with hint of florals and sweet cream at the side, before it finished with a little burst of spice. Very old-school Meursault, and quite classic Charmes in its plump generosity actually, but this was thankfully also undercut by a chalky minerality and an good sense of balance that always kept the wine decently cut and focused. All in all, a yummy wine to be enjoyed and not fussed over too much. Drinking well on the night too. (91 pts.)
OLD VILLAGE WINES
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1964 Aujoux et Cie Saint Georges Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Another expressive old charmer. Again, not the strongest wine, but still with enough in its tank to be enjoyable. It had a lovely nose though - a touch of sous bois and soil, some meatiness, but primarily, this was about sweet dried strawberries, almost candied in tone, seasoned with a hint of woody herb, and then some floral perfume chasing behind. Very attractive. The palate was very full and ripe for a village at this age, with an almost soupy texture of mature tannins and still decent acidity framing sweet dried strawberries, again some meatiness, and a dose of woody Chinese herbs, all this trailing away into a rather bittersweet finish. It was almost Barolo-like in its heft and weight I though, but just perhaps lacked a bit of clarity and cut, given how soft its tannins and acids were. Very satisfying nonetheless. -
1971 Moillard Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
Not undrinkable - but this was clearly tired. The nose was very tertiary - all funky notes of earth and soil and soy sauce dancing around some sweeter aromas of preserved fruit. The palate was thankfully just a bit better. Held up by decent enough acidity and the remnant of a once better tannic structure, it felt a little dark and murky, but had just enough energy to show notes of dark plums and berries, same luo han guo (aka monk fruit) and a flush of wood spice and bramble. This should have been drank up sometime back. (87 pts.)
A TRIO FROM GEVREY
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1996 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos du Fonteny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Pretty good. This had a very classic Gevrey nose, with notes of smoked bacon and soil, ripe red fruit with shades of blueberry territory, and then touches of spice, maybe just a sprinkle of dried flower petals. A nice, quite masculine nose. The palate was still marked by a rather firm structure, with fine tannins and a very decent acidity lending a slight rasp to the wine’s dark cherry and berry flavours. Not exactly refined, but certainly not rustic either - this came across as well-shaped and nicely packed, with a good sense of clarity and a not-overly-polished type of old-school charm. Decent finish too - with smoked spice and herbs alongside a touch of savoury meat, all riding off into the distance on a little bed of powdery tannins. Pretty good overall. Drinking nicely now, with some runway to go yet. (92 pts.) -
1995 Domaine Bruno Clair Chambertin-Clos de Bèze - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
We all thought this was a decently good wine when served blind, but it was certainly disappointing when revealed as a Clos de Beze, what more from a solid maker like Bruno Clair. In fact, the other Bruno Clair Gevrey paired with it (a humble 1996 1er Cru Fontenys) showed every bit as well. This certainly had a tighter nose, with tightly packed, subtle notes of sweet dark cherries and red berries along with lots of earth and meat and spice, and then a twist of something high-toned that I can only describe as spring onions and stalky flower. A very tightly wound-up bouquet though. Nice elements, and some depth, but needing time to unfold. There was definitely a sense of pedigree on the palate, but it was just not all that giving. There was a tight structure, with firm muscular tannins and a good seam of acidity at the fore, farming a nice depth of dark cherries and berries sprinkled with touches of spice and some woody accents, especially into the wine’s long, and commendably full finish. I thought this was very Bruno Clair in style. Not quite rustic, but not elegant either - like a gentleman farmer in character. Sinewy, muscular, but a touch lean. This was quite classic 1995 in that aspect, and augmented as it was by Bruno Clair’s spare style, you ended up with a wine that needs many years yet. I just wonder whether the fruit will outlast that spare, sinewy structure, or the other way around. This would be interesting to try say 2022 / 2023 onwards. (92 pts.) -
1966 Remoissenet Père et Fils Latricières-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Remoissenet has been notorious for topping up their bottles with younger vintages, and this suspiciously youthful bottle did not do much to dispel that impression. Still though, it was a very competent, and quite enjoyable Latricieres-Chambertin. The nose was quite attractive, with notes of Chinese herbal jelly and wood spice leading into a nicely perfumed core of dark cherry and plums, along with darkly floral violets. The palate was nicely resolved and quite delicious, with sweet strawberries robed in the velvety remains of what seemed like once-firm tannins and a nice
of fresh acidity. There was then a nice dash of spice, just before a slightly drying finish set in. Extremely youthful for a 1966, this was still very bright and succulent and impeccably balanced, and drinking very nicely on the night too. If anything, it lacked some of the complexity one would expect from a Grand Cru at this age, but hey - caveat emptor. (93 pts.)
AN ODD COUPLE
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2000 Georges Lignier et Fils Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
A singularly unspectacular Bonnes Mares. The pair of Grand Crus were disappointing tonight, and this perhaps more so than even the 1995 Bruno Clair Clos de Beze in an earlier flight. Not that there was anything wrong with this - it was pretty enjoyable actually - just that it seemed quite a ways short of Grand Cru quality. The nose was decent enough - quite savoury, with wafts of loamy earth and powdered wood spice, a bit of mushrooms, and then a rather meaty undertone, all drifting out of the glass alongside deep dark cherry and blueberry aromas. Quite a classic bouquet - I stuck my neck out to guess Bonnes Mares on that nose alone. Unfortunately, while the palate was pretty enjoyable, it was weak enough to make me change my guess. There was a nice clarity and freshness to its dark cherry flavours lined with a spine of mineral and wood spice, and then again those savoury notes picked up on the nose. However, this all thinned out a little past the mid-palate, to the point where it finished a bit lean. There was a nice amount of spice and mineral on the back-palate, but the fruit had receded so that what stood out was the wine’s sinewy, almost mouth-coating structure. All in all decent, but just a lacking a little bit of polish and charm. Strange for a vintage like 2000 actually, which has always struck me as being more full on charm, and maybe a little short on structure. (91 pts.) -
1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
This seemed just a bit corked, with some whiffs of cardboard, fish bone and ferrous metal coming up in an otherwise pretty nose of red cherries. the palate was actually still quite drinkable, with a surprisingly stern spine of fine tannins and bright, juicy good acidity running through nicely generous flavours of dried fruit, think cherries and raisins. Unfortunately, the finish ended up a little drying and less giving - one wonders whether it was the nature of the wine, or if the TCA had scalped the back-palate. NR (flawed)
1990
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1990 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
One of the better wines on the evening, this was drinking very nicely indeed. It had nicely savoury nose, full of earthy, damp soil and some meaty tomes running alongside dark cherry and spice aromas. The palate had an even more dark-fruited character to it - blackberry and plums I thought, liberally seasoned with a nice bit of spice towards a gently long finish with just a little bit of spritziness to it. Not the most complex of bottles, but this was very yummy - soft, juicy, resolved; with a very round and generous feel to it. This was a well-made wine from a nice vintage drinking quite at peak. (92 pts.) -
1990 Joseph Drouhin Morgon - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon
A really impressive Beaujolais at 27 years of age. This was easily the match for some of the old Cote de Beaune bottles on the table. The nose clearly was a change in gear though primarily because of a streak of Beaujolais’ greenness running though its notes of dark cherry edged with earth and meat. The palate had a really nice juicy clarity and balance to it, with dark cherries again, this time accompanied by a twang of Chinese herbs and some cherry skin tannins as the wine moved into a decent finish. Pretty enjoyable - this was a real surprise. (91 pts.)
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