Monday 22 October 2012
Luxury is being chauffered around the Côtes and that's what Jim and I had today. Starting at Jean-Marc Boillot in Pommard at 8:30 our first mouthful of wine was his version of that village: it had spicy, red fruit nose, matter, fine tannins, supple structure, density, spine and a mouthfilling quality. A good start then. Whites were good too, with concentration and elegance.
On to Marc Colin, with Damien. A fine red here and brilliant whites from Puligny and St-Aubin, with a 1er Cru Montceau being the Chardonnay going into my cellar from here. On to Philippe Colin (you can't have too many Colins) with their Chassagnes. An immaculately run domaine, the wines here are characterful and vivid, with minerality and fruit in balance. From wine to wine terroir difference shows: here a touch of oystershell, there the main fruit is peach, but here's another with lemon barley, and now one with mandarine. All different and all displaying that elusive "energy".
To Lafarge, where the whites are more herby and structured than in some vintages and the reds have a touch more weight and presence than often - more assertive if you will. They all still have fine tannins, they're just not as fey as they can sometimes be.
Lunch outside in the blazing sun meant topping up the tan, and being near the motorway made the journey up to Nuits-St-Georges fast. First stop Chauvenet with Christophe Drag - a lovely bloke with ever lovelier wines. An innovation for the 2011 vintage is the introduction of giraffes into the cuverie. These work on a sort of siphon principle and mean the use of pumps can be stopped. Never underestimate the effect a change like this can have on wines. They are much more elegant and fragrant across the board and have put this domaine back on the watch list.
Off to a - dare one say, since nobody reads this anyway - slightly hungover Grivot. He's become adept at putting a message across each vintage. This visit he hadn't so much forgotten his lines, as forgotten he had any. Though this had no effect on the wines, which were as magnificent as ever. If I were thirty years younger and an ambitious vigneron, I'd be laying siege to Mathilde Grivot. None had been racked and all sulphured for the summer, so reduction was a factor here, but the minerality, energy, texture and fruit concentration pile through that with ease.
Finally to Ghislaine Barthod and Louis Boillot, where we found wines exhibiting village character, piles of fine tannins and juicy, minerally fruit. They're long and elegant, packed with fruit and character. Leaving Chambolle twelve hours after we had started the day and already half an hour late for Ma Cuisine, we took advantage of the new, shorter walk in and found Pierre in good form. We had the menu (a first for us), and it was excellent and good value. Also meant we hadn't to make many decisions after nearly 100 wines for the day's score.
Sunday 21 October 2012
Alors, the train journey from London to Dijon gets easier and easier it seems. Treating ourselves to a cab from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon was easy, even on a hot and sunny October Sunday afternoon and a busy city en fete in the unseasonal weather. We managed to arrive in time for our reservation at Le Benaton and found the food on form and an expanded wine list, though still mainly young vintages. Food service was good and though the sommelier was occasionally invisible, our wine was within reach and Chateldon appeared when needed. But we've changed hotels this year, abandoning La Closerie in favour of Belle Epoque and the disadvantages appeared when there was no need to walk before or after dinner. It's very important, that walk. To bed, to dream of 2011, the tastings and the journey. And to wake up later with indigestion.
