I’ve only had a few 12s which didn’t drink fantastically; all of them were CdB, though. I’m much deeper on 07, 09, 10, 13, 14, and especially 15-16 than 12, it sounds like unfortunately.
Had the 2013 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brulées on New Year’s Eve. A wonderful nose of ripe cherry, sandalwood, rose petal and aniseed. It is full, rich and creamy and cut with the vintage’s bright acidity. It really builds through the palate, fanning out on the finish. Still supremely youthful but not a crime to drink now.
Interestingly, I was talking to Christophe Roumier about 2013, and he observed that in terms of harvest date and must analyses, 2013 was very similar to 1978.
I do think we’ve somewhat lost the habit of tasting wines that are a little mean in barrel but which will develop very nicely with bottle age.
Imagine the dissonance that we’d experience tasting e.g. '93s out of barrel alongside '18s or '17s!
William,
I recall the long-term importer of Rousseau here in Australia mentioning that Charles Rousseau likened 2008 to how he saw 1978 at an early stage. I reckon we all wish we had more '78’s in the cellar.
Cheers
Jeremy
It’s just one data point but a few months ago I had a bottle of the 2013 Hudelot-Noellat V-R Les Beaumonts and it was amazingly good. Super lively, electric acidity backed up by wonderful fruit.
I didn’t find the 13s hard to taste at the london ep tastings at all. I loved them! Quite different to the 08s which were practically battery acid.
I didn´t have the luck to taste the 1978 out of barrel - but in 1988/89 they were (what I´ve tasted then) still youthful … and still getting better over the next 2 decades … now the best wines are outstanding, but some are still unbalanced.
On the other hand I was never a great fan of 1993 - not out of barrel, not after release …and still not vm. It is a good to very good vintage, but not a great one for me - and it took 20-25 years for most better wines to come around somehow. Many 1993s show(ed) a certain “foursquare, muted” character to the fruit I find not very attractive and loveable … but the intensity and structure is usually very good.
Actually I prefer often the 1991s … a vintage that has been written down early on, but many producers were very proud of …
1993 in contrast was kind of praised early but didn´t live up to expectations for a long time … (I remember Rovani has been attacked because he critisizes vintage 1993 - and almost nobody understood then …).
That´s been said nowadays there are great wines in (almost) every vintage … from the best producers.