TN: 2006 Chevillon 1er crus

slaton

Slaton Lipscomb
From a retailer tasting back in June. No Vaucrains or Les-St.-Georges, alas. Meant to post these sooner, but sometimes I get behind; just ask Brad.

tofurkey was there and might feel up to adding his thoughts.

2008 Ch. de Puligny-Montrachet Ros
Generous bubblegum and ripe strawberry aromas. Medium-bodied, even fleshy with decent acidity. I loved the 2005 edition of this ros, but unfortunately haven't found the same finesse or balance in subsequent vintages.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Perrires
Ripe, red-fruited nose with notable complexity. Notes of raspberry reduction and blood orange, light vegetal scents. The palate has medium concentration sturdy red fruits and earth, with silky tannins and a great spine of acidity. The wood is particularly well-integrated here. This is very, very nice and showing very well today. I also tasted from a freshly-opened bottle which showed more overt wood spice on the nose, but was just as lovely on the palate.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Bousselots
A more lushly ripe, darkly-fruited nose than the Perrires, with concentrated primary fruit and cedary wood notes dominating. The palate is very ripe and concentrated, almost fleshy with some brown spice and tactile, almost chewy tannins. There's some astringence on the back of the palate. Overall this is more lushly ripe than I prefer, but it remains a pleasure to drink to to a firm spine of fresh acidity.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
Tighter nose than the Perrires or Bousselots with red orchard fruits and a bit of reduction. The palate is rather closed as well and shows some cooked fruit flavors, wood spices and mineral notes. The finish is obscured by slightly grainy tannin and there's a bit of warmth from alcohol. Hard to evaluate as this is the most closed of the lineup today.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Roncires
Tight nose with aromatics of red and blue fruits, blood orange. Good acidity and initially silky textured, turning grippy and then astringent on the back of the palate. Got into conversation at this point and unfortunately that was it for my notes.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles
Fresh, enticing nose with ripe red and blue fruit reduction, seductive spice box, bit of stemmy green peppercorn. Really gorgeously light on its feet, with perhaps the freshest palate of the lineup. The most elegant wine of the tasting, and the most sophisticated tannins as well. This is just lovely. But alas probably not $99 (KLWM-MSRP) lovely.

For my cellar I'd be buying Cailles and Perrires, although to be fair the Pruliers and Roncires were not very cooperative on this particular occasion.

But the full retail pricing on these wines is a bit absurd, isn't it? Choosing to buy grey market is certainly a roll of the dice, but in this case it's one I admit to making without much deliberation.
 
originally posted by slaton:
TN: 2006 Chevillon 1er crusFrom a retailer tasting back in June. No Vaucrains or Les-St.-Georges, alas. Meant to post these sooner, but sometimes I get behind; just ask Brad.

Tofurkey was there and might feel up to adding his thoughts.

2008 Ch. de Puligny-Montrachet Ros
Generous bubblegum and ripe strawberry aromas. Medium-bodied, even fleshy with decent acidity. I loved the 2005 edition of this ros, but unfortunately haven't found the same finesse or balance in subsequent vintages.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Perrires
Ripe, red-fruited nose with notable complexity. Notes of raspberry reduction and blood orange, light vegetal scents. The palate has medium concentration sturdy red fruits and earth, with silky tannins and a great spine of acidity. The wood is particularly well-integrated here. This is very, very nice and showing very well today. I also tasted from a freshly-opened bottle which showed more overt wood spice on the nose, but was just as lovely on the palate.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Bousselots
A more lushly ripe, darkly-fruited nose than the Perrires, with concentrated primary fruit and cedary wood notes dominating. The palate is very ripe and concentrated, almost fleshy with some brown spice and tactile, almost chewy tannins. There's some astringence on the back of the palate. Overall this is more lushly ripe than I prefer, but it remains a pleasure to drink to to a firm spine of fresh acidity.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
Tighter nose than the Perrires or Bousselots with red orchard fruits and a bit of reduction. The palate is rather closed as well and shows some cooked fruit flavors, wood spices and mineral notes. The finish is obscured by slightly grainy tannin and there's a bit of warmth from alcohol. Hard to evaluate as this is the most closed of the lineup today.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Roncires
Tight nose with aromatics of red and blue fruits, blood orange. Good acidity and initially silky textured, turning grippy and then astringent on the back of the palate. Got into conversation at this point and unfortunately that was it for my notes.

2006 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles
Fresh, enticing nose with ripe red and blue fruit reduction, seductive spice box, bit of stemmy green peppercorn. Really gorgeously light on its feet, with perhaps the freshest palate of the lineup. The most elegant wine of the tasting, and the most sophisticated tannins as well. This is just lovely. But alas probably not $99 (KLWM-MSRP) lovely.

For my cellar I'd be buying Cailles and Perrires, although to be fair the Pruliers and Roncires were not very cooperative on this particular occasion.

But the full retail pricing on these wines is a bit absurd, isn't it? Choosing to buy grey market is certainly a roll of the dice, but in this case it's one I admit to making without much deliberation.

Thanks for the great write-up...I love these wines but haven't seen much about the '06's ...with regard to grey mkt, I must admit I have bought most of my Chevillon via this route...
 
1999 Chevillon Roncières was not convincing last night. It had some elegance, but it seemed like the elegance of a maitre d', not of a true grandee.
 
2002 Domaine Robert Chevillon Vieilles Vignes NSG 13.0%
Acrid cola and nail varnish aromas. Mouth-filling, with good weight and balance, showing attractive acidity and a delicious saltiness. Very faint trace of H2S. Curiously, this apparent dissonance between the off aromas and an inviting structure generated a pleasing gestalt, like an interesting chat with someone not particularly eager to please.

2002 Domaine Robert Chevillon Les NSG Bousselots 1er Cru 13.5%
Acrid cola, cherry, earth and spices; more open and friendly than the VV. Good weight and balance, light tannins. A little richer than the VV. With food, ended up less pleasing, coming off a bit too ripe. Even though 2002 was already relatively hot, this tastes like it may have been sugared "to prolong fermentation," generating the higher alcohol that many expect from a 1er compared to a villages. And if the % on the label does not always reflect reality, at least it reflects the producer's expectation.

2001 Domaine Robert Chevillon Les NSG Vaucrains 1er Cru 13.5%
From a cooler vintage. Cola, cherry, spices. Before food, way more acidic than sweet, with an unpleasantly bitter finish. Very light oak flavor. Came into balance with food, showing a nice saltiness. In ability to please, it ended up between the two 2002s, but like the other two, did not live up to the reputation of Chevillon or, in this case, Vaucrains.
 
I am not loving the 02s right now, most recently Gouges (see Gilman's vertical report), Coche rouge, Briailles, Courcel - seems like the wrong time for them, kind of round and not particularly transparent; curious if burg heads here agree.
 
Some say 02s are open, some say closed. Ditto 01. Many seem to think 95s and 99s are shut down, perhaps 98s too. What's a poor boy to do? Only drink 97 and 00? And 93s? Or are those shut down too? Oops, vintage generalization alert.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
I am not loving the 02s right now, most recently Gouges (see Gilman's vertical report), Coche rouge, Briailles, Courcel - seems like the wrong time for them, kind of round and not particularly transparent; curious if burg heads here agree.

We had 02 Dujac Morey St Denis last week and "round" is exactly the word I was looking for to describe it. But then we poured it in the decanter (we had just let it sit open a couple of hours before). That changed everything and with every sip it seemed to gain a bit of structure and become finer (more transparent is also a good way to describe it). It was still on that upward path when we finished the last drop.
 
I have had a number of recent closed and/or otherwise disappointing experiences with 02s. I am starting to think that it is just not the right time to drink these, although generalizations are of course generalizations. I might open a Bize Les Fourneaux sometime over the next few weeks just to torture myself further and will report back if I do. Recently I thought an 02 d'Angerville Clos des Ducs showed strangely in the way the dotster describes above. I don't think of that as closed, just disappointing. I have recently tasted a number of others I thought were more traditionally closed - Roty Mazis Chambertin, Roumier Bussiere.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Some say 02s are open, some say closed. Ditto 01. Many seem to think 95s and 99s are shut down, perhaps 98s too. What's a poor boy to do? Only drink 97 and 00? And 93s? Or are those shut down too? Oops, vintage generalization alert.

Feel for you, man. The reason we've been screaming about 95s and 98s lately is due to a reversal (98s were drinking well for years, and some 95s appeared to have awaken but only for 2-3 years), so it felt necessary to warn the comrades and apologize for any false positives.

I rather like 2011s, although this should also come with a disclaimer that I've not had them since early winter. The first vintage I've been enjoying young in... in... like ever.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
I am not loving the 02s right now, most recently Gouges (see Gilman's vertical report), Coche rouge, Briailles, Courcel - seems like the wrong time for them, kind of round and not particularly transparent; curious if burg heads here agree.

Maybe not particularly transparent and certainly youngish, although delicious to me, have been 2002 Chevillon Vaucrains and LSG, Jadot Clos Vougeot (very young-ish, but bursting) and Savigny Dominode, and Geantet-Pansiot Poissenots.

I wouldn't trust Gouges to be nice yet. A 2000 LSG not long ago was still not ready to play (even for me).
 
originally posted by .sasha:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Some say 02s are open, some say closed. Ditto 01. Many seem to think 95s and 99s are shut down, perhaps 98s too. What's a poor boy to do? Only drink 97 and 00? And 93s? Or are those shut down too? Oops, vintage generalization alert.

Feel for you, man. The reason we've been screaming about 95s and 98s lately is due to a reversal (98s were drinking well for years, and some 95s appeared to have awaken but only for 2-3 years), so it felt necessary to warn the comrades and apologize for any false positives.

I rather like 2011s, although this should also come with a disclaimer that I've not had them since early winter. The first vintage I've been enjoying young in... in... like ever.

I had a 2011 Mugneret Chaignots not too long ago that was definitely closing down.
 
originally posted by VLM:
I had a 2011 Mugneret Chaignots not too long ago that was definitely closing down.

Aha!

That was one of the well-drinking 11s, for a while.

Waiter, cancel that order.
 
originally posted by VLM:
I wouldn't trust Gouges to be nice yet. A 2000 LSG not long ago was still not ready to play (even for me).

Just had it. Too early.

I agree that a Gouges '02 should not be approached because it is Gouges, but that does not necessarily invalidate my other complaints, and, at worst, makes the reasons for not opening his 02s compounded.
 
originally posted by Tristan Welles:
'04s are drinking well. Barthod, Truchot, Drouhin. And they are (relatively) affordable.

Indeed. Both Courcel CdE and Briailles IdV '04 were not a bad drink on Monday.
 
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