While the rest of the family is still sleeping or is en route, thought I’d sneak in a few TNs since I haven’t had much time to post recently… and happy holidays everyone!
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2006 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny (11/30/2010)
Drank from 375mL at Gilt. Pretty nose right from the start; although a bit tight, it unfurls nicely over a few hours and shows red fruits, some slight mushroom and an anisette aroma that grows stronger with more air time. Has a lot of the same trademark qualities shown by the 06 Bonnes Mares from Roumier tasted earlier in the year - foremost, a very silky mouthfeel, together with medium-bodied but nonetheless tongue-coating red fruits of good quality. This wine does not bombard you with viscosity but has plenty of intensity of flavor, buttressed by very juicy acidity that keeps this fresh and inviting. One only wishes for a touch more generosity to the fruit; that’s the only thing that kept this from being a “wow” wine for me. Excellent village Chambolle, worth the premium you pay over the average less-heralded producer’s prices. Was fun to try this and compare to the Bonnes-Mares experience; of course this is more ready to drink, but most of all I came away with relief that the quality of this producer can be experienced, for the most part, in their village wine as well as their grand cru bottlings. P noted that she thought this was a perfect pairing with her venison, and it was divine with my duck. All of this lifted this wine from 90ish beginnings to a 92 point range experience for me. (92 pts.) -
2007 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (12/12/2010)
A mostly traditional-feeling Burgundy, but a bit darker in color than you might expect - verging toward purple rather than ruby/garnet. On the nose, you get traditional Burg characteristics of earth and some charcoal-like inflections that remind me of some D. Laurent Gevreys that I’ve had; but there is also just the slightest hint of a cola-like note that makes this feel a little California as well. On the palate, the first taste opens with a pleasing bit of sappy sweetness in the fruit, but this seems to fade or become less noticeable with time. Otherwise, this is tasty, with ample but structured red-purple fruits, and good acidity. However, there is a definite bitterness on the finish that may resolve well someday but keeps this from being truly exceptional. Nonetheless, well worth the sale price I paid for this. 90-91+ points. _(90 pts.)****_ -
2007 Domaine Fourrier Morey St. Denis Clos Solon - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis (12/15/2010)
Tasted a few days after the Gevrey VV village bottling, this Clos Solon shows a rounder, more red-fruited character than the Gevrey. This wine has perhaps less transparency and Burgundian earth but a denser, creamier mouthfeel. The red fruits are more generous and pleasing right now than the darker fruits in the Gevrey VV, with similarly good balancing acidity. Overall, this feels like the more pleasing wine, with a more inviting juiciness. A terrific village wine that will make me seek out more Fourrier wines, and a good reason to not overlook the MSD offerings in favor of Gevrey or Chambolle. _(92 pts.)****_ -
2006 Copain Pinot Noir Monument Tree - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (12/25/2010)
Isn’t it great when a wine changes your mind about something? For months now I’ve been gravitating toward the feeling that Burgundies have a fresh liveliness that you can’t seem to get in a California pinot without the acidity feeling shrill - but this bottle bucks that trend. The fruit profile is very much like my last tasting - tangy but fairly deep red fruits evocative of raspberry, cranberry, rhubarb, and the like. There is some structure here as well, with an ever-so-slight herbal vegetal edge that brings to mind apple skin and darker notes of tea, with a tiny hint of pine needle/ underbrush that appears in a lot of the Copain wines, although I don’t think it comes from stems in this case. The acidity here is notable for lending a great juiciness with verve, and a touch of oak rounds out the tangy fruits with a hint of a caramel-like note that gives this just enough sweetness to make this accessible. This compares very well with a several '06 and '07village wines I’ve tasted recently from Roumier and Fourrier - perhaps not as much earthiness but just as much mouth-watering juiciness, and fruit that may be the most pleasing in the group. Reinforces for me that this is one of the best pinot producers in California, recognizable as a Copain wine, with a lot of similar characteristics to offerings from Rhys. An excellent showing that indicates the depth of Wells Guthrie’s lineup, ranging from Kiser bottlings to Wentzel and to this, all performing at a very high level. _(92 pts.)****_
Posted from CellarTracker