Just wondering what you paired this with at dinner
Not much, actually. We were at Hawksmoor. We had some delicious Sardinian vermentino to start, then had a couple Caesar salads, and the ruchottes was served around then, then the forts de latour with our steaks.
I’d give rhe 16 and 17 ruchottes another chance; I think they’re starting to blossom.
I agree on 17. Loved all the 17s I’ve had from both of them. The more recent solar vintages I was speaking of are 18/20 and even 19. Very dark fruit profile.
2009 Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cazetiers
This was a wow wine, red and dark currants, strawberries, soft rich earth, mushrooms, and truffles on the nose, with a rich but textured, elegant, and balanced palate with great depth. There was tremendous length and persistence on the finish. Gives me a lot of hope for the 09 CSJ we plan to open this weekend. I feel like I always underestimate the Cazetiers but it may represent one of the best values in the Rousseau portfolio.
At the other end of their holdings, I found the 2019 Frederick Esmonin Clos Prieur to be too oaky for me. What about his 2017 Ruchottes in terms of oak?
Wasn’t at all noticeable.
A 99 Bouchard Bonnes Mares was truly exceptional last night, ready to drink. Red fruit, mid palate depth, long finish, very elegant .
A hugely underrated producer over the last 30 years-and pre 1980 bottles can be sensational.
Which producer ?
Bouchard!
Some four years ago I had a 1984 Bouchard Frémiets. Gorgeous autumnal nose, but a pretty miserable palate. I found the contrast really disappointing at the time. Love their current whites, though.
It was a bad period for Bouchard and a catastrophic vintage, so I’d call that a partial success!
Count me as a wine lover and admirer for Bouchard’s whites…as I do not understand his red even as I tried very hard during my early Burgundy wine life.
I’m not at all a fan of Bouchard’s reds. As I said, I get a plastic scent from them
Had the 05 Bouchard malconsorts along with the Bonnes Mares. No plastic scent to me. Are you talking about older wines (98-05), newer vintages or all.
All. There’s just an off putting aroma to them; noticed it in the 02 corton recently as well as 15
Chambertin, beze and some other wines.
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When I’ve used “plastic” in this context I always thought it was something to do with the oak treatment. You think it’s that? Or some other sort of flaw? (I get something similar in Texas wines from the Hill Country, but that’s multiple producers)
I’m not entirely sure what it’s from but it makes me not want to buy or drink the wines.
My general thoughts since 99:
99 outstanding (best of decade 90-99)
00 very good
01 great
02 great
03 below average to average (although some wines are drinking better now)
04 bad
05 very good (some people will say great, but I disagree)
06 good
07 very good to great (some wines are outstanding) best currently drinking vintage of decade along with 01.
08 very good
09 outstanding (best vintage of 00-09 long term)
10 great to outstanding (although wines may not go longest term)
11 below average
12 very good
13 good
14 good
15 great
16 great
17 great
18 very good
19 outstanding (best vintage of decade 10-19)
20 great
21 very good to great
22 great
23 haven’t tasted broadly enough to grade yet.Overall there were 2-3 below average, 3 good, 8 great, and 2-3 outstanding vintages by my judgment so most years they did pretty well.
Late to the party, but this was great. If you would find time to add sort of “drink now / hold” guide to these vintages it would be useful. I have an opinion on latest vintages, but with anything older than 2017 I don’t really know what to expect…