First…in addition to leftover wines from Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day I added 1994 Laurent Bonnes Mares and 1995 Pride Reserve Claret and an Australian tawny that cost less than $30.
1994 Laurent Bonnes Mares: A year ago at Thanksgiving I opened a 1994 Jadot Bonnes Mares with some other wines, all bigger. The JBM was very very gentle. Ten years ago I would have hated it. Last year it was a level above the other wines for me; once I taste a clear, balanced, gentle Burgundy, my palate sets to that and I want nothing else that evening. Here, Laurent, same vintage and vineyard. Much bigger than the Jadot but not a big wine, and not at all oaky, and only a very tiny bit drying, sort of medium, fully expressed in a younger way. With regard to less heralded vintages in general, I’ve had just about 100 percent good experiences with 1983 (thank you someone… was it Levenberg? Xmas Eve 1983 Drouhin Beaumonts was WOTN), and 1992, and 1994 (but I won’t spend money on anything further from 1992 though, there’s a sort of musty (rot?) thing going on).
Australian Tawnies: what a bargain. This was Rockford Marion. Exact same style and flavors as the 1937 Ramos Pinot Colheita from Xmas Eve, but simpler and chunkier (for one fifteenth the replacement price). There was a blowout on Burge sweet wines a year ago, I should have bought cases.
1995 Pride Reserve Claret:
I forget if it was 1995 or 1996 which was a joke on release with regard to the unbearable massive tannin, like 1995 Monte Bello and 1993 Dunn HM on release. Anyway this is a rich great young fresh big wine and yesterday was Thunderbirded. I did decant. Quite a treat. Maya with a little more chocolate and less exotic. Current price $135 all in. Beats any newly released Napa cab for drinking now.
OK the 2003 Burgundy. One of the Christmas Eve leftovers.
2003 Arnoux VR Suchots.
Day One: dark gloomy no fun big not hot but too dark, like the 2003 Laurent Bonnes Mares earlier this year. Nothing Suchots about it. Oh well.
Day Two: Same, but slightly fresher.
Day Three: I don’t do wine preservatives, I leave it on the counter with a cork in it. Very fresh, very big, very wonderful, too young; not tannic, just very young full fruit. There is no thickness to this wine, it has the mouthfeel of a Beaujolais. The last couple of sips I’ve been thinking, what vintage would I have guessed it at in its current state? (day one I would have nailed 2003). I come up empty. Too fresh for 2002. Not structured tanninwise enough for 1999, maybe my favorite Burg vintage. Maybe Arterberry Maresh Maresh 2011 with ten years age on it (that is a compliment). Too precise for 2006 or party-time 2007 and not lean enough for 2008.
Three days open for an 11 year old Burgundy is a beating and this wine is bulletproof. I am really surprised. So, if you have multiple bottles of a 2003 you do not like, take one and drink it over four days (this wine would definitely be even better tomorrow, Day Four, but it won’t make it that far), If your experience is similar to mine, don’t sell them, don’t touch them.