Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
Over the past three or four months.
NV Domaine Désiré Petit Crémant du Jura
Opened for an early start to the 4th weekend. This wine is a find: pupillon-based rosé fizz. Weightless, moussey bubbles with a mild yeasty-toasty halo. Not the depth or complexity of a sparkling wine from regions to the northwest, but just a third to fourth of the cost, and eminently drinkable. On a par with, say, Tissot's cremant, which is high praise.
2007 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses
My last of six bottles, and the best. Just passing from pre-adolescence to young adulthood: poised, tangy, fresh with just the beginning of depth. Bize makes wine for the ages; would love to get into his Corton. RIP Patrick.
2005 Coudert Roilette Cuvée Tardive
Not too young to enjoy, but, I think, not near its potential.
2011 Daniel Bouland Morgon Delys
Ungiving at first, but develops well over several days with air. Very good wine, nicely balanced, a bit hefty. Fascinating to compare with Desvigne's and Foillard's Morgons: each so distinctive, each so good. Holding my remaining.
2002 Schloss Saarstein Serriger Schloss Saarsteiner Riesling Spätlese
No notes, but a good bottle. Not too young; no rush, either.
2012 Ghostwriter Pinot Noir
Comparisons of US-made pinots with Burgundies are specious, but this wine combines character, idiosyncracy, and pinot fruit character to get a kind of meta-similarity with a good village Burgundy. Out of the bottle, it's lean, acidic, and reserved, offering chalky tannins, but shows more internal energy than most US pinots I've sampled. Today, open for three days without refrigeration, it's suddenly pulsing with delicious - if sightly rich - pinot fruit. A nicely balanced wine, with more tension and dimension than other non-Burg pinots I've tried. A few points off for abv (13.7) and attendant weight-fruit richness. At $30, a good value.
2007 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud
Very young still. Big energetic presence, plenty of acid, some sauvagité, burly without being really big-bodied. Just 12.5% abv. Drank the last half inch of the bottle about a week after opening, from the 'fridge: 'twas delicious and well-integrated, just the merest bit tired.
2007 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Serra
Still slightly in-your-face rich and fruity. Drank over several days. No sign of fatigue; but, with the passage of time, increasing integration, until the fruit finally gasped out and a wine of considerable finesse and sophistication was left behind.
This bottle is my first matur-ish Nebbiolo-based wine from one of the B districts, and, if this is where these wines travel to, I see the light.
2005 Nicolas Potel Volnay Vieilles Vignes
Wasn't expecting too much based on my last two bottles, and, voila! this was pretty gross upon opening - disjointed, rough, and messy. I went away for 5 minutes to move laundry to the dryer, and the wine fairies sprinkled pixie dust in the bottle, so that when I came back, it was lightish and fairly transparent, a perfectly nice village Volnay. A good surprise.
2012 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur Le Sentier Du Clou
Opened a bottle on receipt of delivery and enjoyed a glass with da Prof. The wine is beautifully aromatic right away, redolent of pure, elegant cherry mash. Initially dominated by drying tannins, it's very light in the mouth, with neat acidity and enough aroma bringing in some sense of flavor to just balance things out. I had my last glass about eight hours after opening, and some fruit density and flavor were battling back, with a kind of rough, electric acidity on the finish. Judging by the aromatics, should be excellent with time.
When wondering whether to buy this wine, I opened my last 2002 Lamy Deriere chez Edouard, in order to size up a 1er red St. Aubin with age. The Lamy was remarkably powerful, in a somewhat wild, sauvage mold. This wine is cast in a lighter style, emphasizing elegance over punch.
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux
A good bottle. Cabernet tabacco leaf with burly, almost chalky tannins. Razor-sharp acidity. Does well in the bottle over several days. A nice glass now but, I suspect, even better in a few years. I like these wines, but can't find the same love in my heart for them that Dr. Nathan's notes express.
2007 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Granite de Clisson
Excellent. Mature. From 750.
2007 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
The wine in this 375 is beginning to open up, showing pith, density, NSG sauvagité. Giving a hint of what you'd expect of this vineyard's reputation. Still developing in half bottle. Try again in a year or two.
2009 Domaine de l'Ecu (Guy Bossard) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Expression de Granit
Opened last night for a quick, informal glass with a grilled cheese sandwich. Very nice, mellowing with age. Doesn't seem to bring the scale and beauty of a Luneau Excelsior or Pepiere Clisson.
2006 Jean et Gilles LaFouge Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru La Chapelle
A good bottle. Seemed a bit rough, tannin-wise, and I'm not sure if this indicates the wine is past its prime or just approaching it. At this time, in order to enjoy the wine, drink it with dinner, not on its own.
2005 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières
This wine was still immature on opening, giving that somewhat watery feel on the tongue of a good beaujolais that is in between its youthful fruit and the next coherent stage. Over several days, it developed some depth and showed a little fruit. Needs time, imho.
2007 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières
Last bottle of, I think, eight. Excellent. This bottle fits in with my sense that well-made Beaujolais matures over a long period, during which the plush young fruit first collapses, giving the wine a rotten vegetable quality, which passes away, leaving the characteristically high acid structure of the wine, shielding a deeper layer of fruit, which requires further time to take on its full weight. I've found this progression consistently in Vissoux Moulin and Fluerie, in Tete, in Foillard, and, to a lesser degree, Thivin and Coudert.
I see Gilman prophesizing 40+ years of favorable development for Beaujolais of this quality, which seems a bit speculative; but their fruit and acidity content are so substantial that it's not impossible.
2010 A. et P. de Villaine Rully Les Saints-Jacques
An odd bottle with a soaked and slightly leaking cork, though fine on purchase and well-stored. The first mouthful was fizzy, as if secondary fermentation had taken place, and I was ready to throw it out. But the following glass shaped up with air time, though a bit dryer than I'd expected, but no signs of flaws and, withal, a very good dry white Burgundy, rather finer than its appellation would suggest.
2007 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses
From 375, really delicious, smooth, integrated, round on the palatte, elegant pinot fruit. My last bottle and the best yet. If you have 750s, I'd wait a couple of years yet - it'll get better. Go Bize!
NV Domaine Désiré Petit Crémant du Jura
Opened for an early start to the 4th weekend. This wine is a find: pupillon-based rosé fizz. Weightless, moussey bubbles with a mild yeasty-toasty halo. Not the depth or complexity of a sparkling wine from regions to the northwest, but just a third to fourth of the cost, and eminently drinkable. On a par with, say, Tissot's cremant, which is high praise.
2007 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses
My last of six bottles, and the best. Just passing from pre-adolescence to young adulthood: poised, tangy, fresh with just the beginning of depth. Bize makes wine for the ages; would love to get into his Corton. RIP Patrick.
2005 Coudert Roilette Cuvée Tardive
Not too young to enjoy, but, I think, not near its potential.
2011 Daniel Bouland Morgon Delys
Ungiving at first, but develops well over several days with air. Very good wine, nicely balanced, a bit hefty. Fascinating to compare with Desvigne's and Foillard's Morgons: each so distinctive, each so good. Holding my remaining.
2002 Schloss Saarstein Serriger Schloss Saarsteiner Riesling Spätlese
No notes, but a good bottle. Not too young; no rush, either.
2012 Ghostwriter Pinot Noir
Comparisons of US-made pinots with Burgundies are specious, but this wine combines character, idiosyncracy, and pinot fruit character to get a kind of meta-similarity with a good village Burgundy. Out of the bottle, it's lean, acidic, and reserved, offering chalky tannins, but shows more internal energy than most US pinots I've sampled. Today, open for three days without refrigeration, it's suddenly pulsing with delicious - if sightly rich - pinot fruit. A nicely balanced wine, with more tension and dimension than other non-Burg pinots I've tried. A few points off for abv (13.7) and attendant weight-fruit richness. At $30, a good value.
2007 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud
Very young still. Big energetic presence, plenty of acid, some sauvagité, burly without being really big-bodied. Just 12.5% abv. Drank the last half inch of the bottle about a week after opening, from the 'fridge: 'twas delicious and well-integrated, just the merest bit tired.
2007 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Serra
Still slightly in-your-face rich and fruity. Drank over several days. No sign of fatigue; but, with the passage of time, increasing integration, until the fruit finally gasped out and a wine of considerable finesse and sophistication was left behind.
This bottle is my first matur-ish Nebbiolo-based wine from one of the B districts, and, if this is where these wines travel to, I see the light.
2005 Nicolas Potel Volnay Vieilles Vignes
Wasn't expecting too much based on my last two bottles, and, voila! this was pretty gross upon opening - disjointed, rough, and messy. I went away for 5 minutes to move laundry to the dryer, and the wine fairies sprinkled pixie dust in the bottle, so that when I came back, it was lightish and fairly transparent, a perfectly nice village Volnay. A good surprise.
2012 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur Le Sentier Du Clou
Opened a bottle on receipt of delivery and enjoyed a glass with da Prof. The wine is beautifully aromatic right away, redolent of pure, elegant cherry mash. Initially dominated by drying tannins, it's very light in the mouth, with neat acidity and enough aroma bringing in some sense of flavor to just balance things out. I had my last glass about eight hours after opening, and some fruit density and flavor were battling back, with a kind of rough, electric acidity on the finish. Judging by the aromatics, should be excellent with time.
When wondering whether to buy this wine, I opened my last 2002 Lamy Deriere chez Edouard, in order to size up a 1er red St. Aubin with age. The Lamy was remarkably powerful, in a somewhat wild, sauvage mold. This wine is cast in a lighter style, emphasizing elegance over punch.
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux
A good bottle. Cabernet tabacco leaf with burly, almost chalky tannins. Razor-sharp acidity. Does well in the bottle over several days. A nice glass now but, I suspect, even better in a few years. I like these wines, but can't find the same love in my heart for them that Dr. Nathan's notes express.
2007 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Granite de Clisson
Excellent. Mature. From 750.
2007 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
The wine in this 375 is beginning to open up, showing pith, density, NSG sauvagité. Giving a hint of what you'd expect of this vineyard's reputation. Still developing in half bottle. Try again in a year or two.
2009 Domaine de l'Ecu (Guy Bossard) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Expression de Granit
Opened last night for a quick, informal glass with a grilled cheese sandwich. Very nice, mellowing with age. Doesn't seem to bring the scale and beauty of a Luneau Excelsior or Pepiere Clisson.
2006 Jean et Gilles LaFouge Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru La Chapelle
A good bottle. Seemed a bit rough, tannin-wise, and I'm not sure if this indicates the wine is past its prime or just approaching it. At this time, in order to enjoy the wine, drink it with dinner, not on its own.
2005 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières
This wine was still immature on opening, giving that somewhat watery feel on the tongue of a good beaujolais that is in between its youthful fruit and the next coherent stage. Over several days, it developed some depth and showed a little fruit. Needs time, imho.
2007 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières
Last bottle of, I think, eight. Excellent. This bottle fits in with my sense that well-made Beaujolais matures over a long period, during which the plush young fruit first collapses, giving the wine a rotten vegetable quality, which passes away, leaving the characteristically high acid structure of the wine, shielding a deeper layer of fruit, which requires further time to take on its full weight. I've found this progression consistently in Vissoux Moulin and Fluerie, in Tete, in Foillard, and, to a lesser degree, Thivin and Coudert.
I see Gilman prophesizing 40+ years of favorable development for Beaujolais of this quality, which seems a bit speculative; but their fruit and acidity content are so substantial that it's not impossible.
2010 A. et P. de Villaine Rully Les Saints-Jacques
An odd bottle with a soaked and slightly leaking cork, though fine on purchase and well-stored. The first mouthful was fizzy, as if secondary fermentation had taken place, and I was ready to throw it out. But the following glass shaped up with air time, though a bit dryer than I'd expected, but no signs of flaws and, withal, a very good dry white Burgundy, rather finer than its appellation would suggest.
2007 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses
From 375, really delicious, smooth, integrated, round on the palatte, elegant pinot fruit. My last bottle and the best yet. If you have 750s, I'd wait a couple of years yet - it'll get better. Go Bize!
