So I bought 2 of the 96 Michel Esmonin Gevrey Chambertin Clos St. Jacques, and had very polar experiences. The first bottle showed what I’ve have called “the ugly side” of 96. It was thin, acidic, and fairly straight forward, with minimal finish and signs of fade, but not undrinkable, just whatever. Some 96s seemed to have just strolled down this road, seemingly as a by product of the high acid of the vintage. Tonight’s bottle was something all together different.
This one immediately smelled more interesting and inviting, with a much deeper, richer core of fruit on the nose, and slight hints of it’s age. The nose opens after about an hour to lilacs and roses, with that same rich fruit profile. That palate remained firm and dense, with slightly dry, edgy tannins, but never off putting. The palate was rich and complete, with a full bunch of berries in every sip. No sappiness that can accompany the great wines of CSJ, but a 15 year old Burgundy that held on well and showed go flavor. Overall, it’s an 89, as it didn’t have great complexity, aromatics, or the X factor, but was thoroughly enjoyable and went well with tender loin of pork on the grill.
So what happened? Why to radically different wines from the same buy? IIRC, both wines had different importer’s labels (this one was Dressner, and I think the other said Adventures in Wine). I’m guessing varied storage. Seems odd, no?