2004 Domaine De La Butte, Bourgueil, Mi Pente: The crazy green stuff–nearly overwhelming 24 months ago–appears to have finally abated. Dark and rich with ballpoint ink on a background of mostly black fruit and a hint of coffee–all of which is cut by a strong herbal note. Decent midpalate intensity and a long tangy finish with faintly bitter tannins. Well-balanced and nicely textured. Not the most complex, but interesting as an example of a Bourgueil that’s rich but not fruit driven.
2006 Yannick Amirault, Bourgueil, Les Quartiers: True-to-type musky aroma with dark fruit and ink as well as a bit of chalk. On the palate, there is a little chocolate and licorice in the background; the foreground is dominated by raspberry and, especially, blackberry. The acidity—which is exceptional—is itself is very reminiscent of berry fruit, and creates a lot of lift. The wine is more delicate than rustic, but has significant depth and a lot of intensity. The texture is attractive, albeit with significant grit on the backend. The finish is lengthy, complex, and very clean, thanks to the acidity.
I really love the Amirault, but can’t decide whether trying to let the tannins mellow by aging significantly risks the freshness that makes it so attractive now. I was lucky to find some more of this pretty cheaply recently, and so will probably tuck a few away for the long haul.