2004 Briords and 2001 Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin VV

originally posted by Marc D:
Marc, I drank a bottle of the 05 Briords last week and it was great, right out of the bottle. The next day, not quite as good.
I had a third of a bottle of '05 Briords left post-jeeb last week and didn't get back to it for 4 days.

At first it seemed tired, which was a surprise as I don't recall ever drinking a young-ish Briords that didn't improve with a few days in the fridge. But as this warmed back up in the glass though it perked right up and was great, as always.

As usual only good bottles applies. But perhaps yours was merely experiencing a trough in a sinusoidal sort of development.
 
Egon Mller did some particularly impressive work that vintage at the upper end. Theo Haart's wines were stunning at the Sptlese level. It's the usual names, I know, but I'm coming round to the view that the top guys are almost vintage-impervious. Most BAs were very good as well. My experience outside of the MSR for Germany is limited, but I would still heartily recommend Weil's auction range as well.

Other regions - I think some houses in Champagne will declare; certainly the big ones are toying with both '05 and '06. Here the trick is large format, late(r) disgorgement and marques. I've liked quite a few of the Nuits wines I've tasted. Shame about prices.

Then there's always madeira. I think the law still restricts release till its 21st year, so your daughter will be legal in all jurisdictions before you can even buy a bottle.
 
originally posted by Yixin:
2006 MSREgon Mller did some particularly impressive work that vintage at the upper end. Theo Haart's wines were stunning at the Sptlese level. It's the usual names, I know, but I'm coming round to the view that the top guys are almost vintage-impervious. Most BAs were very good as well. My experience outside of the MSR for Germany is limited, but I would still heartily recommend Weil's auction range as well.
I've heard many good things about Nahe in 06 - will be checking into a couple of Schonlebers later this month, but almost all the other wines I've had (mostly from Donnhoff with a couple from Schafer-Frohlich and a Kruger-Rumpf Pittersberg GG recently) have been excellent.
 
originally posted by Marc D:
originally posted by Jay Miller:


The 2004 Briords will certainly be better in 20 years but this bottle at least was a joy to drink.

I drank a bottle of the 05 Briords last week and it was great, right out of the bottle. The next day, not quite as good.

This is the opposite of my experience with the 04 Briords, which always seems "better" on the second day.

I'm not sure how this correlates with longevity and aging potential of the wine.

We opened an 05 Briords the other day and I also wondered about its age-worthiness. It seemed too soft, with a very fine mineral-salt plume, but lacking the kind of acid underpinning I've learned to look for in a Pepiere.

On reflection, though, I had much the same reaction to the 05 regular bottling in its early stages, which came into perfect proportion last year - I thought - with acids and other elements balanced just right. If the Briords develops according to the same pattern, drawn out over a longer time period, it should be pretty great in a few years.

The 04 regular bottling is still my Pepiere hero, though.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
2004 Briords and 2001 Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin VVThe Briords was just as good as on release with perhaps a hair's thickness of further development. Beautifully life-affirming minerality, round chalkiness, great wine.

While I was preparing a paella this weekend, Jean came back from the cellar bearing a bottle of the '04 Briords. Although we both go a hint of cork taint from it, it was much as you describe it, mineral but rounder than in its youth. Glad that we have more of it in the cellar.

Mark Lipton
 
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