WTN: Mixed bag (Burg, Aussie, German)

Stuff I've had in the last few weeks that I hadn't posted on earlier.

2001 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne
Starts out very reticent, but with some time this really opens out to show a gorgeous flavour profile of bright white fruits, intense chalky and rocky mineral flavours and fantastic acidity giving it serious precision and definition in the mouth. The finish is spectacular; expansive and powerful with a range of fruit, smoky and minerally flavours on the back end that just stay with you for a long time after the wine itself has gone - amazing stuff.

2000 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts
Fabulous aromatics; this starts out slightly tart and herbal but with some air it brightens up and builds into an amazing fragrance with all sorts of spices, rose petals, black cherries, perfume and earthy elements. Almost weightless in the mouth with bright red fruited flavours accented by exotic spicy and smoky notes that seem to float over the tongue, really good acidity and an incredibly long, spice and earth-filled finish. Great wine.

1999 Vincent Girardin Charmes-Chambertin
A knockout from the first sip where it combines all sorts of bright red and dark fruited flavours with meaty, floral and leathery elements on a frame that has plenty of power and depth and still remains very light on its feet with a gentle, polished texture. Awesome wine, right up there with the Leroy Beaux Monts that was opened alongside.

2004 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées
No sign of any greenies here (either I'm just *really* lucky, or I'm just more tolerant/less sensitive to the greenies than others), just incredibly fresh and captivating cherry and plum flavours with touches of spice, black tea and leather and a lovely polished texture that makes this very approachable and easy to drink.

2000 Vincent Girardin Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes
In a nice place right now with black cherry fruit mingled with leather, earth and some chocolate and woody accents; very supple and easy to drink with tannins fully resolved, though I'd have enjoyed a bit more if the oak wasn't as prominent. That said, at least this wasn't corked like the last two bottles I opened before this (a Mt. Langi Shiraz and a '97 Grunhaus Auslese; groan).

2001 Craiglee Shiraz
Finally get to taste a Craiglee - one of the more classical and well-reputed Aussie producers from Victoria (the Port Phillip area), unfortunately I'd never seen a bottle before this. Starts out a little awkward with an aromatic profile of wet paint, clay and spicy dark fruits, with time the aromatics clear up and this shows really bright, pure dark fruited flavours on the nose and palate with touches of herbs, earth and faint toasty notes underneath, finishing savoury with good length. Tasty though a bit disappointing given my expectations. Though the next one matched it...

2000 Craiglee Shiraz
Surprisingly much more developed than the '01 poured alongside with fantastic aromatics of leather, roast meat, dark fruits and faint toasty elements. Very polished and silky in the mouth combining savoury earth and leathery notes with bright fruit, touches of spice and good acidity, lovely wine.

2007 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Spätlese
AP #17-08, 10% alcohol. Starts out with a touch of volatile acidity on the nose with a bright nail polish note dominating some fruit and savoury characteristics and a touch of heat on the back end, but a couple of hours in the decanter transforms it completely as a fascinating aromatic profile of cornmeal, gingerbread, flowers and malty notes emerges. Very rich and full bodied, almost chewy in the mouth with layers of rich white fruits, savoury doughy and malty notes combining seamlessly and finishing long. Fantastic and a really unique wine.

Some superb drinking. I'm especially envious of the burgundies.

2004 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées
No sign of any greenies here (either I'm just *really* lucky, or I'm just more tolerant/less sensitive to the greenies than others), just incredibly fresh and captivating cherry and plum flavours with touches of spice, black tea and leather and a lovely polished texture that makes this very approachable and easy to drink.

Thanks for the notes. Always good to hear positive notes on 04 Burgundies, since there are so many available for decent prices. A few months ago I was debating buying this very wine for $60. But, while it is always difficult to interpret someone else's descriptors, something in your note sounds a little lukewarm and less than enthusiastic about paying $60 for this? I know 'captivating..lovely..approachable' are all good, but I'm looking at the "spice, black tea" which sound like an evolved wine and "leather" which sounds like brett? And then is 'easy' damning with faint praise?

Either way, I can definitely see you had fun with it, which is better than not having fun!

I've found worn leather-like aromatic elements in a number of older Burgundies, but those (like in this case) tend to be fairly soft and understated without the pungency/sweaty elements I find with brett. May have been a little touch of brett in that wine (I'm not the best judge), but then again I don't mind it in small doses when it adds a small element of leathery funk in some wines.

That said I really enjoyed the Jadot, though would not have bought it myself at that price.

That said I really enjoyed the Jadot, though would not have bought it myself at that price.

Such is the problem with wine! (Especially Burgundy). I love the stuff and get a lot of pleasure from all kinds of bottles but am not rich enough to justify paying the going rates for many of the bottles myself.

Oh well.

Thanks for notes. Both Koehler-Ruprecht and Craiglee are new names to me.

The hard thing about the greenie-meanies is we vary so much in our sensitivity, makes it hard to judge