Primitivo Salento Briacò 2006 – Rocco dei Mori – Alc.14% - (c.€8). Full bodied with dark fruit and a lot of English fruit cake dominated by malt. As the bottle aired and warmed some more complex spicy notes came out but the malt remained disturbing. Not my thing; 13.5/20.
Côtes du Jura Fleur de Marne “La Bardette” 2005 – Domaine Labet – Alc.13% - (€17), made from Chardonnay grown on marl soil. In January 2009 I wrote that it was quite rich, tangy, mineral, long and elegant with fresh acidity, some cream, white fruit and a light note of toast; everything was beautifully integrated and any new wood has been deftly handled; will it age? It is so delicious now that I am tempted to drink up fast; 17/20. It has now mellowed and become darker and richer with honeyed notes being more prominent but it has kept its lovely minerals and juicy acidity. I’m not sure in which of these two delicious guises I prefer it; it would be interesting to see what further ageing would bring but, alas, it was my last bottle; 17/20.