Blind tasting notes
Burgundy was the chosen theme this time.
2016 Domaine Berlancourt Bourgogne Rose "Cuvee Les Champans" – don’t often drink a Rose from Burgundy. Pale yellow with pink hints, a mature dusty nose, fair bit of flavour interest and good balance.
2011 Marc Morey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts – light colour, with a lemony waxy nose, very slightly reductive, decent fruit and well balanced.
2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne – darker wine with weightier nose of citrus and faint oak/vanilla. Flinty and with good length and perfect balance.
1991 Domaine Nudant Corton-Bressandes – first red was getting pale with light edges, had a whiff of wood and hints of barnyard in the nose and although the fruit tapered off at the end, was an interesting wine.
1999 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont – my offering. Good colour, a nose that was a pleasant mélange of barnyard and fruit, in a good way with some faint spicy (clove?) notes. Good fruit on palate, lots of acid but ending with a nice sweet finish. Developed some strawberry with time. In good shape.
2002 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge – fairly dark wine, sweet nose with a faint green tinge, mushroom and fruit in the mouth and good length. I think this one is just hitting stride now.
2009 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge – fairly dark, with good fruit showing and lots of structure but not yet hitting the point where I would drink it – good fruit, some nice umami/soy hints and not yet showing the subtlety of secondary attributes.
2005 Dominique Laurent Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts Vieilles Vignes – this was drinking nicely now. Nice nose with fruit and cocoa notes, soft in the mouth, very smooth and with medium length.
1999 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot – a sweet dusty nose with spice hints and fruit that was a bit muted. Lighter weight and although there was pretty good flavour intensity, it seemed to be getting along.
1977 Grahams Port – a good month for port for me – had the 1985 Grahams recently. Medium colour now, darker than some 77s, and with an interesting smoky caramel nose! Like the 85, it showed as only medium sweet in the mouth and had excellent length, ending also medium sweet and not too hot. I have seen rumours that this wine is in its dotage, but that is a foul calumny – send it all my way if you believe it (I still have a few bottles and am in no rush).