Red Burgundy
2009 Philippe Pacalet Nuits-Saint-Georges: Very nice floral aromatics on the nose. A clean natural style on the palate with interesting herbal, forest floor, and stemmy flavors layered over the dark red fruit. Quite fresh with nice minerality and good tension. Had this blind and guessed a natural Pinot Noir from the Jura or Burgundy. However, this does seem a little advanced for a 2009; still enjoyable and drinkable, but I don't think there is much upside on holding any longer.
1988 Domaine Maume Mazis-Chambertin: Corked.
2017 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru: Initially, the nose had a little barnyard funk, but it blows off with time and you get sweet red cherries, a hint of herb, and damp forest floor aromas. The palate is quite delicate, but there is still plenty of pretty red fruit and mineral nuances and enough depth in the midpalate to carry the wine. Really transparent and pretty, with enough acidity to provide just enough freshness and lift to tie everything together. Tannins start to clamp down a bit with air, but still manageable and the wines stays open throughout the night. An overachiever.
2007 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots: A really beautiful and expressive nose of black cherry, forest floor, and maybe just a touch of funk that blows off. The palate is silky, the tannins feel pretty much resolved, and there is a beautiful dark red fruit that is so lush and inviting, but suspended aloft by a delicate, almost weightless mouthfeel. Long finish; textbook Burgundian weightless intensity.
2010 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Beaux Bruns: This is still a bit backwards, with quite a bit of drying tannin on the finish, but a bit more accessible today than the '10 Veroilles. Elegant and silky, despite the tannins, and has quite a bit of depth to its red fruit combined with its mineral complexity. Nice acidity. Highly enjoyable and it tastes quite Chambolle.
2010 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Véroilles: Definitely a bit bigger than the Beaux Bruns and slightly darker fruited in character. More about the intensity of the fruit, though there is a stony quality to the wine I appreciate. Acidity is on point and provides nice tension. Tannins are still quite firm. The nose is expressive. This needs a little more time to unwind.
2010 Thibault Liger-Belair Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers: Really quite fragrant and complex on the nose, with very expressive aromas of dark cherry and florals. The palate is already quite open, with red fruit and earthy complexity married with a bright, mouthwatering acidity that makes you want to keep coming back for more. Tannins are already in a silky, approachable place. Drinking quite well right now. Just a very nice, well-made wine.
2010 Domaine des Chezeaux Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes: This seemed a little tight and inexpressive. It has that Chambolle elegance and delicacy, has good acidity, and is texturally quite silky, but the red-fruited and mineral flavors on the palate lack clarity and focus. This is showing a little awkwardly; not sure if it I caught it in an inexpressive place or whether this is just what this wine is.
2010 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets: This came across as little too glossy and easy on the palate, lacking definition and complexity. Nice, plush red fruit, and texturally sleek, with plenty of acidity, but just a little too simple and boring.
2010 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers: Surprisingly intricate and complex on the palate. Dark red fruit, but very earthy and mineral at the same time. Already it is approachable, with refreshing acidity, a delicate weight on the palate, and tannins that are not too aggressive. Showing surprisingly well.
2010 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots: This was a bit tight and inexpressive at the moment. Tannins are still quite firm, and the dark-fruited flavors are still very much closed up at the moment. Nice acidity, elegant texture, but this just needs quite a bit more time to unfurl and reach its potential
2010 Aurelien Verdet Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots: A darker, more fruit driven expression of Boudots. Definitely reminded me more of Nuits than Vosne, but it is nevertheless quite enjoyable to drink. Perhaps not the most complex and earth-driven red Burgundy I have ever had, but it has a purity on the palate that I like, despite it being a touch lush.
2010 Camus Pere & Fils Charmes-Chambertin: This was pretty tasty and easy-going, with lush, dark red fruit that was relatively uncomplicated. Perhaps a bit disappointing considering this is a Grand Cru wine, and certainly could have used more complexity. However, if you ignore the label, this is a perfectly enjoyable, fruit-driven red Burg.
2010 Domaine Tortochot Chambertin: This had a lot of interest and complexity to it. The nose is quite expressive, with florals and a hint of green. The palate is much more earthy and forest floor than the Camus Charmes-Chambertin, but with plenty of dark fruit to complement. Nice acidity, good length, a wine to think and contemplate over. Could use more time for tannins and oak to resolve further, but this was nice to drink.
White Burgundy
1995 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot: Golden robe at this point, the nose has plenty of white orchard fruit and some tertiary notes of nuttiness (almond, hazelnut) with some mushroom. The palate is very fresh and sharp; despite the clear aged characteristics, this is very lively on the palate, with an interesting textured mouthfeel that adds a hint of viscosity and body to the wine. Great clarity and delineation of flavors, and the acidity provides plenty of lift on the palate. Nice saline and citrus notes on the finish. What's incredible is this wine kept evolving and changing throughout the night, getting deeper and more complex with time in the glass. A kaleidoscope of flavors and aromas that kept shifting and transmuting. Brilliant showing.
2023 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest: This was showing very well for such a young wine. Lots of citrus, seashell and minerals on the palate with a nice, taut acidic spine. Definitely sharper and more focused than the relatively round '22 Forest. Quite lively and elegant.
1973 J. Lorton Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Cuvée Hors-Classe: This was a very fun wine. We had this blind, so I had no idea that this was as old as it turned out to be. Definitely tertiary, with plenty of nuttiness and mushroom on the palate, but still reasonably fresh and lively on the palate with ample acidity. Nice notes of apple and citrus. Very interesting to see how this wine has developed into something reasonably complex with still plenty of life ahead of it.
Jura
2009 Emmanuel Houillon (Maison Pierre Overnoy) Chardonnay Arbois Pupillin: Really beautiful and fragrant nose that is at once oxidative and reductive, with caramel aromas married with the burnt note of struck match. The wine itself is quite golden at this point, and the palate has bitter lemon peel and savory herbs, dried yellow fruit, flinty minerality, and salinity. Very delineated flavors brightened by mouthwatering, bright acidity. Quite powerful and persistent throughout the finish. So singular and interesting. Always a great privilege to drink these wines.
Loire
2009 Domaine François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte: Quite rich, dense, and slightly oily on the palate. Powerful, tropical flavors, but enough acidity and brightness to provide balance. I'm not sure I could drink a lot of this, but went well with some of the sweeter foods during dinner. Very enjoyable.
Rhone
1982 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline: Beautiful nose of red brambly fruit. The palate is equally red fruited, slightly crunchy, but powerful with just a hint of smoky bacon. Bright acidity and great depth on the palate with a long finish. Very elegant, translucent, and silky. The oak is pretty well integrated at this point not really perceptible. However, I turn back to this a bit later in the evening and a I think I tasted some oaky tannins on the finish. But, there is still great clarity to the flavors, and seems quite different from more modern Guigal.
2021 Domaine Combier Crozes-Hermitage: A little too plush, heavy-bodied and rich for my taste, with its dark fruit dominating the palate and lacking the black pepper and smoky meatiness I look for in Northern Rhone Syrah. Not a bad example of destemmed Syrah, but not something I would turn to often. Not quite as elegant and light on its feet as I would like.
2009 Philippe Pacalet Nuits-Saint-Georges: Very nice floral aromatics on the nose. A clean natural style on the palate with interesting herbal, forest floor, and stemmy flavors layered over the dark red fruit. Quite fresh with nice minerality and good tension. Had this blind and guessed a natural Pinot Noir from the Jura or Burgundy. However, this does seem a little advanced for a 2009; still enjoyable and drinkable, but I don't think there is much upside on holding any longer.
1988 Domaine Maume Mazis-Chambertin: Corked.
2017 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru: Initially, the nose had a little barnyard funk, but it blows off with time and you get sweet red cherries, a hint of herb, and damp forest floor aromas. The palate is quite delicate, but there is still plenty of pretty red fruit and mineral nuances and enough depth in the midpalate to carry the wine. Really transparent and pretty, with enough acidity to provide just enough freshness and lift to tie everything together. Tannins start to clamp down a bit with air, but still manageable and the wines stays open throughout the night. An overachiever.
2007 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots: A really beautiful and expressive nose of black cherry, forest floor, and maybe just a touch of funk that blows off. The palate is silky, the tannins feel pretty much resolved, and there is a beautiful dark red fruit that is so lush and inviting, but suspended aloft by a delicate, almost weightless mouthfeel. Long finish; textbook Burgundian weightless intensity.
2010 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Beaux Bruns: This is still a bit backwards, with quite a bit of drying tannin on the finish, but a bit more accessible today than the '10 Veroilles. Elegant and silky, despite the tannins, and has quite a bit of depth to its red fruit combined with its mineral complexity. Nice acidity. Highly enjoyable and it tastes quite Chambolle.
2010 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Véroilles: Definitely a bit bigger than the Beaux Bruns and slightly darker fruited in character. More about the intensity of the fruit, though there is a stony quality to the wine I appreciate. Acidity is on point and provides nice tension. Tannins are still quite firm. The nose is expressive. This needs a little more time to unwind.
2010 Thibault Liger-Belair Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers: Really quite fragrant and complex on the nose, with very expressive aromas of dark cherry and florals. The palate is already quite open, with red fruit and earthy complexity married with a bright, mouthwatering acidity that makes you want to keep coming back for more. Tannins are already in a silky, approachable place. Drinking quite well right now. Just a very nice, well-made wine.
2010 Domaine des Chezeaux Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes: This seemed a little tight and inexpressive. It has that Chambolle elegance and delicacy, has good acidity, and is texturally quite silky, but the red-fruited and mineral flavors on the palate lack clarity and focus. This is showing a little awkwardly; not sure if it I caught it in an inexpressive place or whether this is just what this wine is.
2010 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets: This came across as little too glossy and easy on the palate, lacking definition and complexity. Nice, plush red fruit, and texturally sleek, with plenty of acidity, but just a little too simple and boring.
2010 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers: Surprisingly intricate and complex on the palate. Dark red fruit, but very earthy and mineral at the same time. Already it is approachable, with refreshing acidity, a delicate weight on the palate, and tannins that are not too aggressive. Showing surprisingly well.
2010 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots: This was a bit tight and inexpressive at the moment. Tannins are still quite firm, and the dark-fruited flavors are still very much closed up at the moment. Nice acidity, elegant texture, but this just needs quite a bit more time to unfurl and reach its potential
2010 Aurelien Verdet Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots: A darker, more fruit driven expression of Boudots. Definitely reminded me more of Nuits than Vosne, but it is nevertheless quite enjoyable to drink. Perhaps not the most complex and earth-driven red Burgundy I have ever had, but it has a purity on the palate that I like, despite it being a touch lush.
2010 Camus Pere & Fils Charmes-Chambertin: This was pretty tasty and easy-going, with lush, dark red fruit that was relatively uncomplicated. Perhaps a bit disappointing considering this is a Grand Cru wine, and certainly could have used more complexity. However, if you ignore the label, this is a perfectly enjoyable, fruit-driven red Burg.
2010 Domaine Tortochot Chambertin: This had a lot of interest and complexity to it. The nose is quite expressive, with florals and a hint of green. The palate is much more earthy and forest floor than the Camus Charmes-Chambertin, but with plenty of dark fruit to complement. Nice acidity, good length, a wine to think and contemplate over. Could use more time for tannins and oak to resolve further, but this was nice to drink.
White Burgundy
1995 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot: Golden robe at this point, the nose has plenty of white orchard fruit and some tertiary notes of nuttiness (almond, hazelnut) with some mushroom. The palate is very fresh and sharp; despite the clear aged characteristics, this is very lively on the palate, with an interesting textured mouthfeel that adds a hint of viscosity and body to the wine. Great clarity and delineation of flavors, and the acidity provides plenty of lift on the palate. Nice saline and citrus notes on the finish. What's incredible is this wine kept evolving and changing throughout the night, getting deeper and more complex with time in the glass. A kaleidoscope of flavors and aromas that kept shifting and transmuting. Brilliant showing.
2023 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest: This was showing very well for such a young wine. Lots of citrus, seashell and minerals on the palate with a nice, taut acidic spine. Definitely sharper and more focused than the relatively round '22 Forest. Quite lively and elegant.
1973 J. Lorton Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Cuvée Hors-Classe: This was a very fun wine. We had this blind, so I had no idea that this was as old as it turned out to be. Definitely tertiary, with plenty of nuttiness and mushroom on the palate, but still reasonably fresh and lively on the palate with ample acidity. Nice notes of apple and citrus. Very interesting to see how this wine has developed into something reasonably complex with still plenty of life ahead of it.
Jura
2009 Emmanuel Houillon (Maison Pierre Overnoy) Chardonnay Arbois Pupillin: Really beautiful and fragrant nose that is at once oxidative and reductive, with caramel aromas married with the burnt note of struck match. The wine itself is quite golden at this point, and the palate has bitter lemon peel and savory herbs, dried yellow fruit, flinty minerality, and salinity. Very delineated flavors brightened by mouthwatering, bright acidity. Quite powerful and persistent throughout the finish. So singular and interesting. Always a great privilege to drink these wines.
Loire
2009 Domaine François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte: Quite rich, dense, and slightly oily on the palate. Powerful, tropical flavors, but enough acidity and brightness to provide balance. I'm not sure I could drink a lot of this, but went well with some of the sweeter foods during dinner. Very enjoyable.
Rhone
1982 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline: Beautiful nose of red brambly fruit. The palate is equally red fruited, slightly crunchy, but powerful with just a hint of smoky bacon. Bright acidity and great depth on the palate with a long finish. Very elegant, translucent, and silky. The oak is pretty well integrated at this point not really perceptible. However, I turn back to this a bit later in the evening and a I think I tasted some oaky tannins on the finish. But, there is still great clarity to the flavors, and seems quite different from more modern Guigal.
2021 Domaine Combier Crozes-Hermitage: A little too plush, heavy-bodied and rich for my taste, with its dark fruit dominating the palate and lacking the black pepper and smoky meatiness I look for in Northern Rhone Syrah. Not a bad example of destemmed Syrah, but not something I would turn to often. Not quite as elegant and light on its feet as I would like.
