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Premier Cru Burgundy Wine |
I decided it was probably a bad thing to duplicate all the tasting note - i.e. have the same ones in two places, so all recent notes can be found at the BURGUNDY REPORT
* . . . . . REGIONAL WINES
* . . . . . VILLAGE WINES
* . . . . . PREMIER CRU WINES
* . . . . . GRAND CRU WINES
1996 Domaine Jean Germain, Beaune 1er Les Cras Vieilles Vignes March 2003
Medium-plus ruby only fading very slightly at the rim. The nose starts with pronounced toasty oak; very quickly blowing off to reveal toasted bread and deep black cherry. In the mouth there's nice volume, excellent acidity and beautifully controlled smooth tannins. Still a little one-dimensional, but a wine to savour for the next 15 years at least - excellent.
1981 Hospices de Beaune, Beaune 1er Clos des Avaux February 2003
From a number of magnums bought at auction for a good price. Colour was an excellent deep ruby moving through brown to amber at the rim. The nose is a lovely mix of chocolate, cooked plums and a faint resinous tone. The palate is broad long and structured with cooked cherry fruit, good acidity and still mildly tannic. Still a big and vigorous wine - very good.
1999 Jean-Claude Belland, Santenay 1er Comme January 2003
Deep colour though already showing some development. Nose is intense and less primary compared to the first tasting a year ago. The palate shows good acidity and tannin, coupled with deep fruit just shaded towards black. This is very ripe. Medium-plus length. Still a bit forthright for real enjoyment now, but good wine.
1998 Henri Gouges, Nuit St.Georges 1er Les Pruliers January 2003
Medium-full cherry colour, still with purple hints. Nose starts with toasty oak which quickly blows off to reveal faint spice and earthy notes set against a background of high toned black cherry. This wine is quite fat with grainy tannins and long, fresh acidity. The predominantly cherry fruit is also nicely persistent and has good depth, though shows no complexity at this stage. This is a very good wine.
1996 Armand Rousseau, Gevery-Chambertin 1er Les Cazetiers December 2002
From half. Deep ruby colour to the rim. Nose is deep and chocolatey, almost a little coffee & ginger spice to go with blueberry and black cherry fruit. Fat palate has really concentrated black fruits, good acidity and velvetty tannins. Good length too. This is excellent and although a lovely concentrated glass today, it still seems relatively young.
1998 Vincent Dancer, Pommard 1er Perrières December 2002
Quite deep ruby colour. Nose has a nice depth of red and black cherry, earthy with traces of coffee. The palate shows sweet, concentrated cherry fruit. There's very good acidity, well covered smooth tannins and a trace of vanilla-oak on the finish. Perhaps a modern, more extracted style, but with a successful delivery, certainly the oak's not overdone. Very good.
1997 Nicolas Potel,
Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Dominode October 2002
Ruby red with just a little amber at the rim. Nose is a very nice combination of high 'rose' tones and red and black fruit, tending towards black. There develops some meaty tones with aeration. Quite sweet palate with excellent acidity. Good fruit density, almost with a tinge of orange. Medium tannins, but a wine you definitely won't regret savouring today. Fine.
1997 Bouchard Pere, Beaune 1er Greves Vigne l'Enfant Jésus October 2002
A waft of oak is followed by smoke, then in succession, violets, strawberry and redcurrant confiture, ending with caramel and faint vanilla, so many layers - excellent. The palate has excellent density of primarily red fruits, lovely acidity but a very astringent finish. This improves with a minimum 2 hours in a decanter. Too young, but super potential.
1996 Pousse d’Or, Santenay 1er Clos des Tavannes September 2002
Medium ruby with some age now evident at the rim. Nose is oaky, but it is sweet and deep rather than toasty with some stewed red fruit. Palate is quite thick with concentrated cherry and juicy mouthwatering acidity. Quite long but just a little astingency at the end. Still very good plus.
1982 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay 1er Clos des Ducs September 2002
Fantastic deep ruby core gradually lightening to amber, looks only 8-10 years of age. Nose still has some high flowery tones, but most of the interest is lower down with tea, leather and smokey notes. Palate has excellent acidity with still furry background tannin. Surprisingly vigorous, excellent density of stewed red fruits and a 'marmite' finish. The wine lost none of its intensity during the 90 minutes it was open. Given the still robust tannin I would guess that this wine was no charmer in its first 10+ years, but frankly, I couldn't have expected it to be so excellent.
1998 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils, Beaune 1er Clos du Roi September 2002
Medium ruby colour with the last traces of cherry. Nose is sweet red & black cherries with background tobacco. Palate is wide and lively with long acidity. The tannins are very smooth here. Very good wine.
2000 Domaine Forey Père et Fils, Vosne-Romanèe 1er Les Gaudichots August 2002
Looks more mature than the previous wine, still a core of cherry colour, but more brick at at the rim. Nose is is very interesting with spices and an undercurrent of cherry and coffee. The palate has quite good acidity and furry tannin. Good depth to the red fruit which goes on and on in the finish, but is (for me) slightly spoiled by a 'dirtyness' right at the end. Could be just the oak which should subside with time. Still a very fine wine I think.
1997 Louis Jadot, Beaune 1er Grèves August 2002
Still cherry colour, tending to ruby at the rim. Nose is 'full-on' red and black cherry with top notes of raspberry. The palate is very dry, good concentrated cherry fruit and excellent acidity for the vintage. Tannin is still there if you look. Still young, but 'forgiving' - wait another 5 years if you can for an excellent Beaune.
1998 JM Pavelot, Savigny-Les Beaune 1er La Dominode August 2002
Medium ruby colour, lighter at the rim. Nose has sweet medium toast oak obscuring some plummy fruit at the bottom and just a lift of raspberry on the end. For a vintage so badly maligned about ‘rough’ tannins, this is superbly smooth with velvet tannins. The acidity is long and lingering together with good density red fruits. This wine is very primary still, but very enjoyable for all that. Given a couple of hours, the acidity becomes a little astringent in the finish - no problem with food though. Still very good
1998 Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay 1er Clos des Ducs May 2002
Dark cherry still with purple hints. Nose is reticent but there is red cherry in there somewhere. The palate is cool and silky with very good fruit density, lovely acidity and perhaps slightly harsh finishing tannin. Good, pure length too, I find this an excellent wine, but it will be much better in 3-5 years.
1999 Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay 1er Clos des Ducs May 2002
The colour is just a little darker than the 1998. The nose has a little more pronounced blueberry fruit together with the red cherry and a little flowery at the top, smells quite sweet too. Wow ! - What a fruit concentration, this wine is just so fat with a mixture of red and black fruit - really intense. The acidity is good and the tannin smoother than the 1998, but the finish is much, much longer. This wine rates as outstanding !
1989 Domaine Jean Grivot, Nuit St.Georges 1er Les Pruliers April 2002
Old style label. Quite deep ruby with brick edge. The nose still has some woody oak, but has sweetened. Slightly smokey/tobacco and ashes from the fire hints. Underneath that I'd say plum conserve. Really nice mouth-feel. Thick, silky and following an apparent mid-palate gap, suddenly very long. After 20 minutes the gap is plugged by quite high cherry fruit, but the acidity on the finish is starting to get a little harsh. Seems only a transient (or palate!) thing as it drinks well all evening. Not earth shattering, but very tasty. Definitely better today than the 1988 version.
1988 Domaine Jean Grivot, Nuit St.Georges 1er Les Pruliers April 2002
Old style label. Almost as deeply coloured as the Corton but more garnet in shade. The nose is deep and still oaky with eventually some dried fruit as a higher register, but I have to say not all that attractive. This is still a big wine with good concentration of black fruit, a broad palate, relatively mild acidity and still strong tannins which are a little bitter in the finish. The length is not bad. Overall not a patch on what the Corton could have been. If the tannin resolves further this will be a better wine, but don't bother searching for it.
1997 Bouchard Père et Fils, Volnay 1er Caillerets, Ancienne cuvée Carnot March 2002
Medium garnet colour all the way to the rim. This has a true Volnay nose, high alcoholic tones and lovely red fruit with only the merest hint of oak left. Nice mouth feel with very good lingering acidity and still prominent, though not rough, tannins which are well buffered by the raspberry and red cherry fruit. Good length on this wine too, still needs at least 2 years though.
1992 Hubert de Montille, Volnay 1er Taillepieds March 2002
Still has a quite deep colour, but just a little brick at the rim. Nose is a really beautiful aged burgundy which defies description. On the palate there is still good acidity and virtually zero tannin. The mainly red fruit is still there, but only just. Nice, though the finish is verging on the acidic . Unfortunately the palate doesn't live up to the nose. Not a wine to search for.
1995 Domaine Germain, Beaune 1er Vignes-Franches March 2002
Deeply coloured, just a little lighter at the rim – still looks quite young. Nose is really lovely; there is still some oak but this is fading, leaving sweet alcoholic redcurrant, and a spicy leathery component. The palate is explosively jammy but not a negative sense. The acidty creeps up leaving your mouth watering, waiting for the next sip. The tannin is almost gone, the only minor criticism is that the finish whilst long, is not so involving as the palate. Very good.
1998 Hudelot-Nöellat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots February 2002
Deep ruby colour, more mature looking than anticipated. Some high toast oak though not overpowering, behind it there is cherry, 'mixed spice' and coffee. In the mouth, very smooth though oaky. Good acidity and still some tannin, though quite refined. There is cherry fruit and a particularly long vanilla crème finish. Provided over the next 5+ years it puts on a bit more weight in the mid-palate, this will be exceptionally good.
1999 Jadot, Pommard 1er Epenots February 2002
Good deep cherry colour with hints of purple. Nose starts very closed, though a hint flowery. Develops to give nicely defined red berry fruit with a darker undertow of prune. The palate is fat with very well covered acidity and tannin. Though only medium length, this wine is really opulent. It doesn't want to come out to play just now, but given time it should be fabulous. Wait at least 3 years to re-taste.
1990 Clavelier S.A., Vosne-Romanée 1er Aux Brûlées January 2002
The wine-list was a bit miss-leading as I was expecting a Thomas-Moillard wine – however the label looked nice so I took it anyway !! Deep ruby colour with no colour development and not much lighter at the rim. Nose is very deep with cooked fruits , black & red, though still quite primary. Palate is thick with well covered acidity and slightly rustic unresolved tannin. The spicy fruit and finish, however, are superb, a true multidimensional taste experience. Despite the rustic tannins and despite the fact it's still January, my wine of the year so far Excellent+
1997 Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay 1er Champans January 2002
From half. Medium ruby colour with amber at the rim. Nose is clean, some alcohol with redcurrants at the top end and black cherry at the bottom, doesn't shout 'Volnay' though. The spice notes disappeared when I moved away the nearby candle which contains cloves !! There's strong acidity, which to start with is not very well balanced. Tannins are fine, with medium length fruit of the red variety. After 90 minutes things are a little better, quite good but this wine is still not worth a search. From this producer, disappointing.
1997 N Potel, Pommard 1er Arvelets January 2002
Bright, medium ruby, already a trace of brick at the rim. Nose starts with chunky oak but this disappears after about 20minutes leaving sweet, alcoholic raspberry. The palate is as wide as a motorway, very silky with good fruit. The high but well covered acidity and tannins that creep up on you. Very impressive length. You can happlily drink this now, or leave it another 5 years. Very good.
1997 N Potel, Santenay 1er Cru Gravières November 2001
Medium ruby colour, lighter at the rim. Nose starts deep and plumy, but after a bit of swirling closes down leaving only some faint high tones. Strong acidity and prominent tannin supports a very persistent red cherry & redcurrant finish. Very good, but if you have some, wait 12 months to taste.
1997 Marquis D'Angerville, Volnay 1er Clos Des Ducs October 2001
Medium red, but already hinting at brick – looks like 95 or even 93. Nose is at first reticent, then gives deep sweet notes, some spice and is a little flowery at the top end. You notice the acidity at first & some surprising tannic structure for a 97, but then the fruit comes through to save the day. Currently only medium weight and length, but unlike most 97's, definitely a Volnay to save, it will be excellent.
1996 Pousse d’Or, Santenay 1er Clos des Tavannes October 2001
I previously tried the 1995 version of this wine, and it was good enough to persuade me to buy the last two bottles on the shelf and try this ’96, but I can’t remember enough about it to give you any idea. The 96 has a good red/garnet colour with a lighter rim. Less primary fruit in this one, more a mix of cooked red fruits against a spicy background. The palate has good lingering acidity, medium tannins with slightly cooked fruit coming through again. Much classier than your average Santenay.
1993 Pousse d'Or, Volnay 1er Clos d'Audignac October 2001
Deep ruby colour, cooking redcurrant and raspberry fruit nose with something deeper & sweeter in the background. Palate has nice acidity and low tannin. Medium length. Very good, but not fine.
1988 J-M Boillot, Beaune 1er Marconnets June 2001
Much darker, more red than brown. Looks like a 93 or 95, not 88. Nose was showing some maturity and complexity. In the mouth it was very bold, tons of tannin, quite high acidity but more than enough fruit to compensate. This wine really surprised me, I could have easily believed it was a 1995 or 1996. A good drink now but tons of time ahead, in fact I'd be tempted to say leave for another 3/4 years! Excellent in a very different way.
1998 Chandon de Briailles, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Les Vergelesses June 2001
Medium cherry colour. Mainly toasted oak on the nose at this stage. Raspberry and redcurrants come through on the palate. High acidity and quite some tannin too. This is very good for a P-V, but leave the next for another 3 or 4 years.
1993 Chanson Pere et Fils, Beaune 1er Clos des Marconnets April 2001
The gold foil celebrates this company's 250th anniversary (1750-2000) and there a some inkjet printing on the neck indicating that the bottle was filled Feb. 2000, so I wasn't too worried about provenance. Surprisingly deep ruby colour, fading at the rim, but no obvious sign of maturity. The nose was quite sweet, high flowery, perhaps raspberry, notes but underlying was deep stewed plum and red cherries. Again in the mouth this is big and bold. High acid but good tannins plus large helpings of fruit accommodate the acidity. Very good, and absolutely no rush to drink-up.
1996 Domaine Mac Mahon, Auxey Duresses 1er April 2001
Deeply coloured, still with hints of purple. Lovely clean raspberry and cherry nose. High acidity, but in a refreshing sense, rather than mouth puckering. Full and fruity, this is still very young. Perfect now at celler temperature, for a sunny Sunday afternoon . . . . . Good.
1996 Chanson Pere et Fils Hospices de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cuvée Nicolas Rolin Feb 2001
Bright, clear cherry red, no fading. The nose spoiled by a hint of sulphur, eventually improved to give red cherry and perhaps raspberry notes. Quite a lightweight wine, moderate tannin & acidity some fruit, but no richness. An average wine only.
1991 Lucien Boillot, Volnay 1er Caillerets Feb 2001
Medium ruby red with hints of brick at the fading rim. A slightly musty nose of undergrowth finishing with well developed Victoria plums. Medium bodied robust style with some tannin, blueberry and damson on the palate finishing with slightly mouthwatering acidity, though not enough to spoil the experience. To be honest, I think this wine still need a couple of years to gel, but still rated Good.
1995 Dujac - Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru, Combottes Feb 2001
Medium brick lighter at the rim. First glass spoiled by sulphur on the nose. The wine improved to show cooked black cherry and plum finishing with a hint of spice on the nose. Light tannin and medium acid complemented the rich sweet red cherry fruit. Very good.
1998 Jadot, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Lavaux-Saint-Jacques November 2000
Medium purple colour, the nose having lots of sweet blackberries and bilberries (Blueberry?). Initially slightly prickly on the tongue - 25 minutes later no prickles (carbon dioxide?). Fat, with well balanced acidity. The tannin is there but it is quite smooth and coupled with plenty of fruit, though perhaps not the concentration of a '95 pointer'. The finish is sweet and long. Summary: Very good and surprisingly very drinkable now.
1997 JC Belland, Santenay 1er La Comme November 2000
Nice deep ruby colour, just a hint paler at the rim. Very 'clean' nose of red fruits but perhaps a little one dimensional. Very 'sturdy' with quite high acid, though not bad enough to warrant the term 'rough'. Perhaps just a bit uncouth!!
1997 Jadot, Beaune 1er Les Grèves November 2000
Similar strength of colour to the Santenay, but still with hints of purple. Much more impressive nose, with blueberry and meaty damson to complement the red friuts. Although the 'extra' fruit comes through on the pallate, it is also met with (for me at least) too much acidity. You know when you hold the wine in your mouth to assess the tannins - well you can't because of the acid. Is this what Coates calls 'grip' I wonder? Definitely not for drinking just now, and food certainly didn't tame it.
1997 J-M Boillot, Pommard 1er Jarollières October 2000
Already a medium brick red - much more developed looking than I would have expected. The nose had hints of sulphur - so was decanted and left for an hour. Returned to find a clean, blueberry/damson aroma. Felt thick and cool in the mouth, acidity is quite high but not so much to be out of balance. Finished well - good, but wait 3 years to try the next.
1995 Daniel Rion, Nuits St Georges 1er Clos des Argillières October 2000
A deep maturing colour of brick red, slightly tawny at the rim with big tears on the side of the glass (only(!) 12.5%). The nose was a very powerful mixture of cooked fruit and a certain smokey character - not completely appealing to my taste, but certainly nothing amiss. In the the mouth this was fat and rich with well balanced acidity and tannin there if you looked for it. A pleasing long, slightly sweet finish. The colour was more developed than I would have expected, but a very good bottle nonetheless.
1995 Daniel Rion, Nuit St Georges 1er Les Vignes Rondes October 2000
From half. Very deep red and only a slightly lighter ruby colour at the rim - considerably less developed than his Argillières which I had last weekend. The nose started with a deep and heady mixture of fruit pies and leather with just perceptible SO2. Ten minutes later the sulphur had 'blown off'. Again the thick and ripe fruit pies theme came through in the mouth. If you studied you could find mouth watering acidity (beautifully balanced though) and the smooth tannins, but I chose instead just to savour the long sweet finish - Excellent
1995 Domaine Jean Germain, Beaune 1er Vignes-Franches September 2000
Made from 'old vines' a shiny medium red colour, not much lighter at the rim. A really interesting mix of red and black fruits on the nose, even a touch of coffee. Medium bodied, slightly creamy fruit in the middle with a plenty of structure. The finish was very long with plenty of tannin and acid, but not at all harsh - I enjoyed this a lot.
1995 Domaine Jean Germain, Beaune 1er Les Cras September 2000
Again, 'vieilles vines' Lovely bright medium red colour, only slightly lighter at the rim. Perhaps some raspberries and a hint of chocolate on the nose. Similar in style, though slightly less exciting on the palate than the Vignes-Franches, the acidity being higher. But a nice bottle nonetheless.
1996 JC Belland, Santenay 1er La Comme September 2000
This wine is from the field next door (sorry vineyard!) to Chassagne-Montrachet. It's a very deep red colour with a slight brick tinge to the rim. The nose is that halfway-house, between fresh new fruit and the more spicy, meaty and sweeter smell you get as pinot matures. So definitely some years left for this wine. In the mouth, it's not a thick wine.There's plenty of acidity, but quite well balanced with the 13.5% alcohol (pass me the sugar!). Tannin is there, but not too much. Quite a bit of fruit and a satisfying long finish. Not a shrinking violet this wine, but as it's a bit of a (Burgundian) bargain, worth a try.
1995 Andre Ziltener,Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets September 2000
Not a bad price for a restaurant. Nice deep red colour. Nose was quite 'meaty' with subtle background of raspberries. Plenty of fruit and reasonably well balanced acidity. The tannins were a little unruly, but it was quite long and went well with the food - so what more could I ask.
1996 Paul Reitz Hospices de Beaune, Volnay-Santenots 1er Cuvée Gauvain September 2000
Nice medium red colour with hints of brick at the rim. Some vanillin oak on the nose with red cherries. Though not fat, the balanced acidity and well hidden tannins make this easy drinking just now, the oak is still there on the palate but fortunately not overpowering the cherry and redcurrant fruit.
1996 Antonin Guyon, Volnay 1er Clos des Chênes September 2000
That rare thing, a pinot that actually does smell of strawberries - they are (I think) the wild kind, but close enough. This medium red wine also has hints of raspberries and possibly redcurrants too - red is definitely the theme ! Seems medium to light bodied. I’m not sure it has the concentration I would expect given the vineyard and the vintage, but everything else is excellent. Cool, smooth, beautifully balanced with a hint of cream on the sweet finish - lovely now and should get better.
1993 Domaine L'Arlot, Nuit St.Georges 1er Clos de L'Arlot July 2000
A good medium red colour with some development at the rim. The nose was a strangely sharp mix of fruit (and volatile acidity?). The taste was a mixture of fruit, not very smooth tannin, and a 'hot' acidic finish - a bad bottle?. Not my 'cup of tee' as it stands. I don't know whether it will flower into something wonderful, or just deteriorate.
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