We had some underperformance in our Christmas wines this year. I’ll start with the worst.
Griotte-Chambertin 1997 – AOC Grand Cru – Domaine Ponsot – Alc. 13.5%
C: Quite light ruby red.
N: Very muted upon opening but with some faint red and dark fruit emerging with air.
P: The overwhelming impression here was of thinness of texture, darkness and dryness and the little fruit that there was resembled sour black currant. The second bottle was slightly fuller but still a long way off Gevrey-Chambertin grand cru standard but perhaps acceptable as basic Bourgogne; first bottle 12/20; second 13/20.
Dow’s 1977 Jubilee Vintage Port
C: Good vintage port red.
N: Quite subdued on decanting but developing quite a nice sweet fruit complexity.
P: Not big but well shaped and harmonious with attractive but quite evolved fruit and good grip. This was very enjoyable but I was expecting a lot more (something on a level with last Christmas’ Fonseca 1970) from this wine which has generally been highly praised. Indeed the Rivesaltes 1959 from Vila, on which I reported a few days ago, was much finer. This bottle 15.5/20 but I was hoping for something around 18/20.
Champagne brut Blanc de Chardonnay 1999 from Duval-Leroy.
The first bottle was an ideal aperitif crisp, fragrant with biscuit notes and a caressing mouth-feel (15.5+/20) and the second was thin, sharp and acidic (11/20).
Luckily there were some nice surprises as well.
Grands Échézeaux 2000 AOC Grand Cru – Jean-Marc Millot.
I rushed down to the cellar to replace the Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin and fished out this. Although cold, it was MUCH better.
C: Medium deep carmine.
N: Round and well developed with notes of meat and cherry.
P: Full, fleshy with attractive fruit showing good shape and length and the ingratiating “sweetness” together with some signs of evolution typical of 2000 in Burgundy; 16/20. I have always enjoyed the pure fruit of the wines of this little known producer, which used to be sold by Liz and Mike Berry at La Vigneronne in Kensington.
Coteaux de l’Aubance – Vin Noble- 1995 – Séléction de Grains Nobles - Domaine de Bablut (Daviau vignerons) – Alc. 12%.
C : Quite deep amber.
N: Exploding with rich complex fruit and hints of spice.
P: Full, deep, rich and exuberant with burgeoning sweet tropical fruit plus apple and pear offset by lively acidity and showing a very long after-taste without any suspicion of cloying; 17.5/20. Everyone agreed that it quite upstaged the Dow 1977 which preceded. Another London purchase, this time from those excellent Loire specialists, RSJ.