A review of the wines tasted in the last month – (almost) all Burgundy…
White’s
Antoine Jobard Bourgogne 2009
The closest to Meursault a Bourgogne blanc can be. I like this very much – it is delicious, you feel the Jobard style, and you get a basic Meursault at Bourgogne price. Only two barrels of regular Meursault go into the blend, but the parcels of the Bourgogne are all on the border with Meursault. There is fine acidity here (as managed in all the Jobard 2009 range) and has you reaching for another glass. 90/100.
Antoine Jobard Meursault En La Barre 2007
Opened 13 hours before drinking. Very elegant and floral nose, open and ready. Delicious palette with knife edge acidity, this is balanced and harmonious, and is a very fine village. How can anyone not like Jobard?! 92/100.
Coche Dury Meursault 2000
This is both Daniel and mine favourite vintage of Coche village. It has that fantastic CD nose, pure, detailed, Meursault and delicious layers, complex and harmonious, with a very vibrant energy. A real joy to drink. 93/100.
Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon Vire-Clesse 2010
Quite an airy nose, saline, zesty. Orange notes and tangy. A bit blousy and not my style, very new world. I much prefer the Clos du Four in this range. 87/100.
Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon Macon Chardonnay Clos de la Crochette 2010
From the commune that Chardonnay hails from. Airy and minerally nose, quite pure. Some of the fruit is a little lush, but this is a fine effort, and great value. 89/100.
Red’s
AF Gros Echezeaux 1998
Not bad. Wet earth smell. On downside? Perhaps this was at it’s peak 2-3 years ago. 88/100.
Anne Gros Echezeaux 2008
Very clean, quite modern. Very focused, fine fruit and balanced. Refined but lacking emotion. 91/100.
Bouchard La Romanee 2004
Very complex aromas – violets, red and blue fruits. Deep and layered. Very good but a bit thin. Considering the site, this should be a lot better – very happy that Liger Belair is making La Romanee now… 92/100
Domaine Leroy Vosne Romanee 2004
There seems to be a lot of bottle variation with this wine. I personally have never had one of the ‘’amazing’’ bottle’s some have claimed to tasted. The last bottle tasted in March 2011 was almost undrinkable, which was a shame. This bottle had a murky pink colour, and seemed like a natural wine. It was a strange bottle, but interesting too. I think the blend of all the top Grand Cru’s does not bode the wine well for the future, and is best drank up. 89/100.
Drouhin Echezeaux 2003
Less ripe than the Rene Engel. Fine balance, but nothing to excite the masses here. 89/100.
Jean Grivot Vosne Romanee 2008
Sour cherry and that Grivot signature of rubber. Quite simple and little complexity. 86/100.
Liger Belair Vosne Romanee La Colombiere 2005
Some faint 2005 heat on nose. Soft, supple, very fine and balanced. This is what I would call half-closed, as many 2005 Burgundy’s are like now. To revisit in a few years. 89/100
Liger Belair Vosne Romanee 2007
Very Vosne Romanee nose. Freshness. Great acidity. Good fruit, and not too much. The 2008 tasted a few weeks earlier was slightly better, but this is a top village and one I would love to have on my table. 90/100.
Liger Belair Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Aux Reignots 2006
I have to admit, this is one of my favourite wines in Burgundy. When I mentioned this to Louis Michel, he replied ‘’then you have very fine taste!”. You don’t have to have any taste to enjoy his Reignots, it is simply a stunning wine, any vintage. This 2006 was beautiful. Such elegance, length, freshness and balance. The nose was very complex flowers, pureness, and that Liger Belair stamp of quality. It has great character and a real zen like focus. Pure brilliance. 94/100.
Meo Camuzet Echezeaux 2006
Ripe fruit. This is ok, but I really didn’t like the style. Very modern and unattractive. 88/100.
Michel Gros Vosne Romanee Clos de Reas 2004
Very Vosne, very Burgundy here. A lovely pure nose. It has good balance, finesse and is quite refined. 91/100
Rene Engel Echezeaux 2003
Ripe wine. Sweet. Not bad, but too 2003ey. 88/100
Rene Engel Vosne Romanee 2000
Strong aromas of olives! Lacking finesse, but is rustic and charming. 88/100.
Rene Engel Grands Echezeaux 1996
Corked!
Vincent Giradin Echezeaux 2004
This is quite a typical 2004 – in a positive way! A real surprise as it was an excellent wine. Quite animal, fine complexity and faint green notes. 92/100.
Domaine Gramenon Cotes du Rhone Ceps Centenaires la Meme 2006
From 100+ year old vines, 100 percent Grenache, vinified with stems and from the northern tip of southern Rhone. Biodynamic and with very little Sulphur Dioxide. How cool does that sound?! Well the wine was fascinating, not that complex but the flavours were very interesting and unusual, with good acidity and very open. I’ve never drank Gramenon before but will definitely look out for them now. 93/100.
