2009 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly- France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly (9/29/2013)
I’m liking the '09 less after getting into the '10 and '11 more. It’s dark and purple-y. Very ripe, almost roasted fruit. It’s juicy and briary, yet somehow seems balanced; at least, initially. It seems to get bigger and hotter as it sits. Ripe fruit. Hmmm.
1989 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (9/23/2013)
Similar to other CT note. Started out with beautiful aged pinot nose. Forest floor and cranberry notes. Tasty, if a bit hollow in the middle. The was a lack of intensity to the palate and the acid had dissipated. I’ve had better old Morot; this was decent, just seemed a tad tired tonight.
1996 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière- France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru (9/21/2013)
Second not great showing, or just not a great wine. Some debate perhaps. Lacking in structure and acid, especially for a '96. Round and rather ripe. Not showing much secondary nuance, yet not seeming to need more time. Just kind of there.Aired it out and not much happened here. Again.
1996 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru (9/21/2013)
Second not great showing, or just not a great wine. Some debate perhaps. Lacking in structure and acid, especially for a '96. Round and rather ripe. Not showing much secondary nuance, yet not seeming to need more time. Just kind of there.Aired it out and not much happened here. Again.
Thanks for the TNs. I will hang onto my lone bottle ( a gift from my dear friend Aaron who used to post here very often ) at least until 2016.
I’ve also found the 09 Thivin less appealing recently than on release. Hopefully it’s just a phase, as I really liked it a year or two ago. I’m going to let the rest sit for a while.
. Tasty, if a bit hollow in the middle. The was a lack of intensity to the palate and the acid had dissipated.
Dennis, your descriptor reminds me of most of my experiences with the '89 reds…early or more recently. Never a vintage that impressed me. Just sort of…well, ok, I guess.
Thanks for the notes Dennis. Sorry none drank better on this night.
I had the '11 Thivin on Saturday night. It was very good, but way too young and fruity for my tastes. It should develop into something nice. Given the heat of '09, I would have been worried after tasting the '11. Your notes confirm this. Thanks!
I only bought five bottles of 03 Burgundy, but two of them were magnums of Morot Teurons - go figure.
The other 03 I bought, a Chambolle 1er, was drinking well recently, but didn’t seem to have the legs to run a lot farther, and I’m thinking one of the Morot bottles may be fated to meet its doom over the coming long cold-weather feasting season.
This has been my general impression of many 09 Bojos over the past year or two. Seems like plenty of folks remain on the bandwagon celebrating their greatness, and if not for right now…some time in the future. I bought a couple cases and “culled out” (consumed) all but maybe 8 bottles. Not planning to touch them for a while. I tend to prefer 07, 08, 10, 11 and 12…for most all of my usual suspects. Maybe the 09s will emerge much improved in several years.
For the Cru Beaujolais that can take some age (Moulin-a-Vent, Morgon, Cote de Brouilly), it seems like the key question for 09 wines is whether vintage ripeness came at the expense of the acid-tannin structure. Wines made from grapes picked too late in 09 could develop poorly over time, but wines with unusual ripeness on top of solid structure should develop interestingly, though they may go through an ugly shut-down period. Thivin’s CdB is generally distinguished by its firm structure, so I’m still optimistic for its development in the long run. But maybe I’m just in denial.
Good points, Ian.
I was really big on the '09 Thivin early on. Raved about here.
My impressions now could perhaps be a reflection of my ongoing palate-preference change.
However, as you say, time will tell.
I picked up some '11 Thivin based solely on the chorus of raves on this board, and my take on the flavor profile was not unlike the OP – huge/ripe/dark/warm, and less typical of Gamay than I expected. I couldn’t decide whether I liked it or not, and figured I’d wait a few years on the next one assuming it would settle down. Perhaps not?
Sorry to be such a tedious cheerleader, but I would counsel giving this wine time. We opened a 2005 Thivin CdB about two years ago: it only began opening on the second day, and on the third was giving pure, delicious cherry juice. In my inexpert view, I’d look for the 11 to take a similar path. You might also try searching Gilman’s comments on this wine, posted elsewhere on WB.
I liked the '11 Thivin and thought it was more of a return to their norm than the '09. The 07 and 08 were pretty lean. I’ll need to revisit the '11.
One critic describes the '11 as:
“among his most successful of recent years”
“formidable”
“intriguing dynamics and exhilarating invigoration”
“patience will be rewarded…even in so generously forward a vintage”
“one can anticipate…interesting and delicious evolution”