It’s been a big month catching up with friends for a meal and a few wines.
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1972 Lycée Viticole Beaune 1er Cru Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (12/22/2013)
A Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin bottling that is drinking beautifully. It pours out the colour of and smells like autumnal leaves. There is a hint of brown sugar sweetness to the aroma along with some smokiness that to me indicates stem inclusion. It is sweet, plump and generous in the mouth with some savoury, earthy nuance. It grows in the glass and it is only towards the back half of the bottle that the vintage’s acidity becomes noticeable. -
2011 Domaine Jacques Carillon Puligny-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet (12/22/2013)
This is good but not at the level of the brilliant 2010. It smells of white peach and the green stem of an Arum lily. It is compact and lean in the mouth with plenty of flora, a big squeeze of lemon juice and minerally cut to the finish. -
2011 Domaine du Vissoux / Pierre-Marie Chermette Fleurie Poncié - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (12/20/2013)
Quite green and stalky on the nose with tree sap smells, a touch of pepper and some sandalwood. There is sweet berry and cherry fruits in the mouth countering the cooler elements. it finishes just a tad short. -
2009 Domaine Prieuré Roch Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (12/19/2013)
Beautifully perfumed nose of ripe cherries and sappy/floral lift from the whole bunch. It has plenty of flesh in the mouth and is silky of texture. There’s plenty of savoury nuance and decent grip to the finish. -
2010 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cote de Bouguerots - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (12/19/2013)
Tight, powerful and youthfull. Full of geological matter with a faint suggestion of white flowers. Linear with a big puff of chalk on the finish. Maybe not as much cut as the 08 but so much mineral. Top stuff! -
1981 Misserey Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (12/14/2013)
Smells of beef stock gently simmering. There’s also plenty of sappy lift to the aroma. It is like vinous silk in the mouth with all structural elements gently folded into this most delicious of liquids. It is full but not forceful and finishes leaving an ethereal perfume wafting around the gums. -
1995 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (12/14/2013)
Hasn’t budged much over the past couple of years. Plenty of cedar and cassis to the nose. It is dense and chewy in the mouth with good depth of flavour. Tannins still hold a strong grip over the fruit and there is some flora and sweet tobacco flavours left in the mouth once the wine is swallowed. -
2005 Jim Barry Shiraz The Armagh - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (12/14/2013)
This is a big, dense fruity dry red without hitting ‘oozemonster’ territory. It has a heart of ripe blueberry fruit. Spicy oak is used judiciously and it is polished and glossy against the gums. There’s a hint of mint and earth adding complexity. Extremely youthful wine that needs a decade or two of slumber. -
2011 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru (12/14/2013)
This is rich, heady style of Meursault. It has some buttered toast and almond cream notes coupled with sappy orchard fruits. There is a scent of white flowers also. It is rich and creamy in the mouth with good volume and a big lick of ‘Perrieres’ minerality to the finish. -
1990 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Vintage - France, Champagne (12/13/2013)
Some baker’s yeast and truffle on the nose. It is crammed with citrus fruits and has some toasty development flavours. There is good complexity and the Champagne is giving a lot right now. It still possesses and strong citric/ mineral spine and has plenty left in the tank. Served from magnum. -
1991 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (12/13/2013)
From magnum this looked good. It was just a little wooly on the nose and had some toasty development. The white peach fruit was generous in the mouth and there’s good volume and richness. It lacks the piercing line of the great BdM’s but is delicious right now none the less. -
1994 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (12/13/2013)
From magnum this looks supremely youthful. It is a little cheesy to begin with but breathes up to show bright, sweet cassis fruit coupled with some cedar, flora and tobacco. It is generous in the mouth with good flesh. It finishes with relatively sweet tannins. -
1995 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne (12/13/2013)
From magnum this is drinking beautifully right now. It has plenty of brioche and notes of honey, guava, rockmelon and pure white peach. It is intense, full and creamy with fine bead and a big lick of minerality drying off the long finish. -
2000 Penfolds Shiraz RWT - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (12/13/2013)
Forward, generous and ready to rock. Has sweet blueberry and currant fruit. The oak has a little vanilla to it and there’s a hint of earthy development. It is full, sweet and accessible with decent length.
Posted from CellarTracker
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1990 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (12/13/2013)
From magnum this thing is fresh and tight. There’s a touch of cedar and some tobacco leaf. The sweet berry fruit is intense and concentrated. It has good depth of flavour and finishes with chewy tannins. Length of flavour is admirable and from this format one feels it is a decade or two from its apogee. -
1967 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (12/13/2013)
The first smell is pipe tobacco. It then ignites and a puff of smoke invades the nostrils. There’s some freshly polished leather and a little tar as well. in the mouth it strikes a perfect balance between sweet and savoury. Tannins have softened and it is quite full and round with structure that is in the background and supportive. Quite a complete luncheon claret that is fresh as a trout from magnum yet fully resolved.
Posted from CellarTracker
Merry Christmas
Jeremy