Missed my flight out of NYC tonight, so I decided to swing by Crush and see what they had. Love that store. Love “the cube”. Anyway, I picked up the 2000 Roty Mazy-Chambertin (thanks, Chris). I was going to hit Peking Duck House for dinner, but a room service bacon cheeseburger and some classic boxing (Ali-Lyle, anyone?) seemed like the right antidote to a couple weeks of intense work.
But this wine is a baby. Dark garnet, brooding earth, wood, and dark fruit. Not shut down, but in that weird place where tannin has the fruit locked down and the tertiary notes have not yet started to develop. Very nicely structured for a 2000. After some time in the glass, it was overwhelming iron, beef blood, and fig. After a little more time, some plum, pekoe, orange, and lingering beef broth.
But the lesson here was clear – THIS NEEDS MORE TIME. It’s a nice drink, with great underlying material, and I’m enjoying watching it evolve. There is a lot more here than just fruit, and the underlying earth and minerals promise something very special. But my guess is that this needs at least another 5 years. I have some '02, and based on this, I’d guess it needs another decade at least before it’s ready to go.