 GERARD MUGNERET - VOSNE ROMANEE |
| New oak barrels - 25% each year. Racking but no filtration.Bottling takes place directly from the barrels - a practice that is followed only by a handful of producers in Burgundy. |
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| 1995 Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots |
| Tasted from barrel - just completed malolactic fermentation. Medium dark purple toned ruby in colour; aromas penetrating sweet-edged black cherry; clean, intense flavours - plenty of acidity - fruit dominates flavours over the oak; fruit lasts well in the finish, which is quite long. Very young wine. |
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| 1995 Vosne-Romanee Les Brulees |
| Also from barrel - also just completed malolactic fermentation. Lighter in colour; softer on the nose, but with a good dose of cherry fruit; less acidity - with more oak on the flavours than the Les Suchots. A very long oak dominated finish. Other 1995's had not completed the malolactic fermentation. |
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| 1994 Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots |
| The wine had just been bottled. Lighter in colour than the 1995 - more ruby; typical Burgundian nose - more gamey, but with cherry fruit; on the palate quite supple, easy to drink, more oak than fruit, but this will change in the bottle; pleasing finish - a lighter styled wine for early consumption. |
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| 1994 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Baudots |
| Noticeably darker than the Les Suchots - thick and full - appears to have more substance; nose is dominated by dark cherry fruit - oak isn't as pronounced; more rounded than the Les Suchots - a mix of fruit and oak in the flavours - some coffee and spice; finishes much better than the Les Suchots. |
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| 1994 Vosne-Romanee Les Brulees |
| Quite light in colour - pale nose, with some Burgundian character; some spicey fruit in the flavours - soft tannins - good acidity - with an easy lingering finish of baked fruit. This wine is better than the Les Suchots, but not as attractive as the Les Brulees. Vintage 1994 was characterized as being cold and wet - a difficult harvest - and this is bourne out in the wines. 1995 was clearly superior. |
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| GEORGES LIGNIER & FILS - MOREY-SAINT-DENIS |
| Domaine founded in 1850 - carried on in the family. Current proprietor is Georges Lignier. Vineyards comprise 15 Hectares, with production at 5,000 cases per annum. Grand Cru's are all aged in new oak. Aging of wines is approximately 18 months in barrels, with the older barrels used for 1er Cru and village appellations. |
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| 1994 Morey-Saint-Denis |
| Tasted from barrel. Aromas light. Clean, long flavours of ripe cherry fruit - moderate tannins - very long finish. Needs 5 years. |
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| 1994 Clos de la Roche |
| Also from barrel. Clear, bright colour. Aromas subdued. Rich, smoky oak and deep dark cherry flavours. An extremely long, leathery finish. |
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| 1993 Morey-Saint-Denis |
| From bottle. Clean purple-toned ruby colour. Fruit really comes through on the nose. On the palate - soft tannins - good acidity - wonderful raspberry flavours. Finishes very long with pronounced fruit over the tannins. A lovely wine. Needs several years, but should last a long time. |
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| 1993 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos des Ormes |
| Bright and clean in appearance - a bit lighter than the previous wine. More scented nose - floral and fruit come through. Big styled wine, with soft tannins - oodles of strawberry fruit in the flavours. Fruit outlasts the tannins on the finish. Lignier's holdings in this vineyard - approx. 1 Hectare. |
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| 1992 Clos de la Roche |
| Darker in colour than the Clos des Ormes. More maturity in the aromas - some mushroom, earthy tones. Intensely flavoured - dark cherry and oak - fine acidity - tannins. Moving towards harmony - a lasting finish - but it isn't quite together yet. Georges Lignier felt that about 2 hours of breathing would have brought the elements together more., but it is an excellent wine. |
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| 1991 Clos Saint-Denis |
| Lighter in colour than the Clos de la Roche. Nose is more complete - with mushrooms, dark fruit and mixture of new oak. More harmony and finesse here - clean - well structured - lots of fruit and oak in the flavours. Lasting cherry flavours in the finish. Easy to drink - attractive!
All of Lignier's wines show distinctive character - powerfully structured. with intense fruit in the flavours. Plenty of finesse. Mostly sold in the French market, with exports principally to the U.K. and Belgium - a bit to Japan. |
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| DOMAINE de la ROMANEE-CONTI |
| Tasting here comprised a couple of 1995's from barrel - together with a number of other vintages from bottle, including two older wines from off-vintages. The latter tastings were designed to illustrate what DRC did in these off years, and to assess their aging over the years. These notes do not include all of the wines tasted. |
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| 1995 La Tache |
| From barrel. Deep, dark and rich looking. Aromas of violets and new oak. Really quite balanced - lots of fruit and oak in the flavours. Powerfully structured. Extremely long finish. The wine will remain another 12-14 months barrels. |
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| 1995 Romanee-Conti |
| Also from barrel. Bright ruby, with purple edges. Penetrating aromas - cherry, spices and oak. Crisp acidity - quite perky - with a lot of elegance in style. Much more fruit than La Tache, and less oak. Ver long and clean in the finish - doesn't have the power of La Tache. Each aging cellar seems to make a difference, according to the winemaker. The above wines were held in the original 12th Centuryy cellars of the monks of Saint Vivant.
We then moved to the impressive bottle cellars. |
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| 1994 Echezeaux |
| Wine now 2 months in bottle. Quite dark, full appearance. Powerful aromas - layers of fruit and oak. Rich, spicey dark berry fruits over oak - already great harmony - and a very long finish. This wine is most impressive - will continue to improve and be attractive for at least a dozen years. Excellent! This wine typifies the quality we experienced in the 1994's - and they just got better and better as we moved up the scale. |
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| 1994 Grands Echezeaux |
| Deep ruby colour - very attractive. The aromas are quite full - plenty of oak showing over the fruit. Extremely rich - full, deep concentrated dark cherry fruit - supple and generous on the palate. Really complex and lovely fruit on the finish. A very fine wine! |
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| 1994 Romanee-Saint-Vivant |
| Another wine of deep ruby colour. Attractive aromas - some floral overtones above the fruit and oak. Smooth texture - a bit fat in the mouth - good acidity and intense flavours. Long deep finish. Probably 6 years away. |
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| 1994 Richebourg |
| Excellent deep ruby colour. Long and penetrating aromas - berry fruit and cherries with spicey oak. Very fat in the mouth - harmonious blend of acidity and tannins to provide a powerful structure for the concentrated dark cherry and toasty oak flavours. Supple and rich. The finish goes on and on - marvelously rich and intense. This is an outstanding wine - probably should be held for another 8 years. |
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| 1994 La Tache |
| Great colour again - but a more solid wine than the Richebourg. Aromas a bit subdued - but suggesting spices and dark fruits. Extremely powerful wine, but it is nontheless quite supple on the palate. A real mouthful - fat and intense - with a lot of richness. A bit backward, but showing great potential for the longer term. Everything in place, but it is just awakening. |
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| 1994 Romanee-Conti |
| A much more delicate wine than La Tache. Colour is deep ruby. Quite perfumy on the nose - layers of fruit. Completely balanced.silky smooth on the palate - really complex spice and ripe berry fruit flavours over a lightly toasted oak frame. Long on the finish - a bit sweet-edged. This should be ready ahead of La Tache - lots of class but less powerful. It doesn't get a lot better than this. |
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| 1991 Grand Echezeaux |
| Medium dark ruby colour. Mature nose - warm, full sweet fruit and spices. Full, round and rich on the palate - spicey, cherry flavours - should develop further in the bottle. Smokey, oak finish with baked fruit flavours in the finish. Lingers quite long. |
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| 1984 Romanee Saint Vivant |
| Light in colour - floral nose, with some vegetal aromas. Easy on the palate - leathery texture - some finesse - lighter finish. |
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| 1975 Romanee-Conti |
| Light amber colour. Powerful aromas - penetrating spices, no oak to speak of. Tannic structure - very full in the mouth - a spicey sweet finish. Lacks fruit, but has a lot of elegance and finesse. Dry, tannic finish, but it isn't harsh. |
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| 1991 Montrachet |
| Quite young - bright golden colour. Toasty aromas of new bread. Great acidity - hazelnuts and honey in the flavours - a very long and persistent finish. Very powerful wine - still evolving, but still years away. Should be a great wine! |
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| DOMAINE GUY AMIOT & FILS |
| Estate founded in 1920 - family now in 4th generation under Guy Amiot, who took over the operation in 1985. 11 Hectares of vineyards - just completed new cellars. These new facilities will accomodate 3,000 barrels. Production is 50% red and 50% white wines. Wines are not filtered. Uses 25% new barrels each year - from 3 coopers, and 3 different oaks - Alliers, Voges and Nevers.
We tasted 12 different wines. Here are some of the highlights: |
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| 1995 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers |
| From 50-year old vines - barrel sample. Golden colour. Penetrating aromas - fresh pears. Big style - deep, rich, concentrated, intense flavours - very long finish. Great acidity and layers and layers of fruit. A long keeper. |
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| 1995 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets |
| Another barrel sample - this vineyard contains 75-year old vines. Low yield - just 20 Hecolitres per Hectare.Deeper golden colour than the Les Vergers. Fresh bread dough aromas. This is a huge wine - deep, concentrated ripe flavours. Excellent acidity. Full harmony - and very very long! Wonderful! |
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| 1995 Puligny-Montachet Les Desmoiselles |
| Only 3 producers of this wine - from a small vineyard near Chevalier Montrachet and Batard Montrachet. Rich, golden colour. Deep exotic aromas of fruit and toast. Long lucious fruit in the flavours - good acidity - honey-toned ripe fruit. Extremely long finish - fruit carries on and on. This is a long keeper. A WINNER - this is every bit as good as atop Grand Cru! |
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| 1995 Montrachet |
| Only one barrel produced - from 75-year old vines. Golden colour is quite deep. Aromas are subdued - some concentrated spices. Powerful wine - rich, toasty fruit and honey flavours - harmonious - a lasting yeasty/toasty/spicey finish. Very lasting. Lush and quite unforgettable. |
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| 1993 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos St. Jean (Blanc) |
| Excellent golden colour in this wine - about a year in bottle. Clean, floral aromas. Big and powerful on the palate - deep, concentrated spicey fruit flavours. Finishes with ripe pear and honey flavours - very long - outstanding! Probably 5 years away from its peak. |
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| 1994 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos St. Jean (Rouge) |
| From 50-year old vines - low yielding. Just bottled - no filtration. Medium dark ruby colour. Penetrating aromas - cassis - sweet and clean. Big, powerful structure - dark cherry and oak flavours - strong finish. Needs a number of years. Impressive. |
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| DOMAINE JEAN GROS |
| Met by Madame Gros. Her son, Michel, who makes the wine, was away. The 1995's were still going through malolactic fermentation, and were not ready for tasting. Assemblage of the 1994's had just been completed. - not yet bottled. Bottling will take place in August. |
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| 1994 Chambolle-Musigny |
| Assemblage - April 12/96. Purple ruby colour - medium depth. Attractive fruit on the nose. Good acidity and tannins - pleasing flavours. Good harmony - early drinking style. |
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| 1994 Nuits-Saint Georges |
| 30% new oak barrels. Dark ruby colour. Berry fruit aromas, mixed with a bit of smokey oak. Dark cherry, spice and toasty oak flavours - some sweetness in the lingering finish. Liked this wine over the Chambolle-Musigny. |
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| 1994 Vosne-Romanee |
| 50% new oak barrels. Excellent ruby colour. Full aromas of spice, berry fruit and smokey oak - quite deep and powerful. Quite oaky on the palate but it possesses a lot of cherry fruit - lasting finish. Very good! |
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| 1994 Vosne-Romanee Clos des Reas |
| Assemblage - April 19/96. 80% new oak barrels. Fine colour. Intoxicating aromas - deep and full - spicey oak and some cassis. Big and round on the palate - good tannins underlying the fruit. Plenty of substance - concentrated blackberry and cherry flavours. It isn't together yet, but it has a lovely finish. A bit lighter in body than my recollection of the 1989 and 1990 Reas. |
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| 1994 Clos de Vougeot |
| 100% new oak barrels. Assemblage on April 9/96. Deep colour. More elegant fruit on the nose. Plenty of berry fruit here to handle the new oak. Elegance and power. Some dried fruit flavours - soft tannins. Long finish featuring the new oak. Very fine! |
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| 1994 Richebourg |
| Assemblage also on April 9th. 100% new oak barrels. Great colour - deep ruby. Full, perfumy nose cassis and cherries with spicey oak. Outstanding - deep and aromatic. Big and full in the mouth - highly concentrated - richness abounds - great fruit. Hugely structured - big and powerful on the palate - with a wonderful finish. Very distinctive - clean and intense - sweet fruit over oak. Wow ! This is magnificent.
We also visited two producers of Brouilly in the Beaujolais region. Both produce excellent wines - as good as Cru de Beaujolais can get. |
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| DOMAINE JEAN PAUL RUET |
| Old vines in the Brouilly vineyards - range from 60 to 100 years old. Planted by Jean Paul's great grandfather. Extremely low yielding and highly concentrated fruit. Makes 3 cuvees of Brouilly - a young vines Brouilly - a Brouilly from 40-year old vines - and a small production Brouilly from the oldest 60 to 100-year old vines. He also produces a Morgon and a Regnie. 13 Hectares of vineyards. |
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| 1995 Brouilly Grumage des Compagnons du Beaujolais |
| This wine is from vines older than 40 years. Dark, full depth of colour. Nose a bit closed. Ripe, concentrated Gamay flavours - some tannins - very long finish. Jean Paul feels that the wine will open up with several more months in bottle, and is capable of some serious aging. |
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| 1995 Brouilly Vieilles Vignes |
| This bottling is from the oldest vineyard. Limited production - approximately 10,000 bottles. Just bottled. Clean, sparkling dark ruby colour. Strong, penetrating aromas. Very concentrated - plenty of substance - deep, lingering Gamay flavours - ripe tannins - powerful and long finish. Delicious! |
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| DOMAINE LAURENT MARTRAY |
| Young Laurent Martray produces from 9 Hectares of vineyards - half owned and the other half rented from Chateau de la Chaize. His production is small - 600 to 700 cases in a top year. Laurent makes two cuvees - Brouilly Vieilles Vigne from 40-year old vines, and Brouilly Cuvee Corentin from 60-year old vines. Normal production of the Corentin is 3 barrels, although he produced 5 barrels in 1995. The Vieilles Vignes is aged in large oak foudres, while the Corentin is aged in small French oak barrels. No filtration. |
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| 1995 Brouilly Vieilles Vignes |
| Not yet bottled. Excellent deep purple red colour. Deep, intense ripe fruit aromas. Expansive flavours on the palate - concentrated but is quite silky smooth. Intense finish. Very fine. |
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| 1995 Brouilly Cuvee Corentin |
| From barrel. Same dark purple-red colour. Spicey fruit aromas - quite full and deep. Elegantly styled wine - huge concentration of flavours - some tannins - lingering dark plum and spicey berry fruit flavours extend out for a very long time. This is an excellent wine - one that has some interesting aging potential.
The Union of Beaujolais producers selected Martray's 1994 Vieilles Vignes as the best among the Brouilly growers. He is extremely proud of this recognition. |
