Wine Raconteur

Jean-Claude Boisset - Bourgogne Blanc 2005

Score: 11.5/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
Nose: Quite closed. Woodsy and faint of melon.
Palate: (attack) green apple & Melon (Mid) lacks layers, simple, straight forward.
Finish: short & dull.

Jean-Noel Gagnard - Hautes-Cotes de Beaune - Sous Eguisons 2006


Score: 19.5/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
Nose: Very mineral, grassy. very inviting. Elegant herbs unfolding.
Palate: (attack) very floral & white tea flavors (Mid) Pear intermixed with Jasmine is intoxicating…back of my palate revealing trace of root herbs. White pepper underneath.
Finish: Impressive subtleties. Pear & hawthorns are lingering.
Little comments: It is truly a surprise to me tasting such a high quality wine from Hautes-cotes de Beaune. So, I decided to give it an extra point.
The fruits come from a 0.414 hectares of land, mainly covered with limestone rubble.

Domaine Patrick Javillier - Bourgogne - Cuvée des Forgets - 2006


Score: 17.25/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
Nose: Soft progressive aromas unfolding apple, mushroom & wood.
Palate: (attack) tartness of apple, quite tight (Mid) great minerals supporting the fruits, whiff of jalapenos. Good deals of subtleties need time to unfold
Finish: Long, mineral & floral.
Story: Cuvee des Forgets is a blend of several parcels from within the commune of Meursault. Each parcel was separately vinified and then carefully evaluates the élevage of the individual cask before assembling the final blend.
Music to pair: Cello suite by Bach or Round midnight (the version of Mel Tormé)

Domaine Olivier Merlin - Pouilly Fuissé - clos des Quarts 2006


Score: 16/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
Nose: a bit tight. hint of apricot, quince.
Palate: (attack) This wine is not shy on the palate. it has some fat to it. (Mid) very solid, with good amount of sugar. Trace of walnut and dried raisins. Overall a good wine however, there is something missing.
Texture: has a fine sandy texture to it. Which give it a very nice mouth feel. This wine still has a lot of room to develop.
Finish: the ripeness of the fruits lingering thru with some citrus zest & mineral leading the way.
Story: This wine is coming from a steep vineyard with clay-limestone soil facing southeast at an altitude of 230 meters.
Music to pair: A little “Trout” quartet by Schubert be nice !

Domaine M. Lafarge -Meursault - Vendanges Sélectionnées 2006
Biodynamic farming.


Score: 16.25/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
Nose: Tight at first but quickly opened up. showing some orange peel, layers of cut hay.
Palate: (attack) very crisp (Mid) lacks posture & details, some grass, woodsy mingling. main core of pear stays very nicely. It might take few more years before it gets better.
Finish: Fall a lttle short for a Meursault and …the price.

Domaine P. Javillier - Meursault - Les Cousots 2006


Score: 18.5/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
Nose: Great definition, suggesting earth, stone fruits. very pronouncing.
Palate: (attack) powerful that you feel there is a lot coming. (Mid) Nut, pear, tangerine, stone fruits explode at once. back side of my palate stimulated by the gentle tangy raspberries. It is weighty but given a great structure.
Texture: Fine & crisp. very refine & smooth.
Finish: Very satisfying , with great deal of density. Not only the posh of the substantial fruits are sticking but traces of earths & minerals are lingering too.
Story: May be Patrick Javillier is just a genius. All his wines that I tasted were very consistent even in some of those difficult years.
This Les Clousots is a blend from the 18hectares of Les clous & the 4.6 hectares of Les Crotots. Each vinified in separate cask before final assembling. He also applied extended lees contact.

Jean Noel Gagnard - Chassagne Montrachet - Les Chaumes 1er cru 2006


Score: 18.5/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
Nose: Seductive earth, cherries & bell peppers
Palate: (attack) apple & Mushroom (Mid) Complex layers of fruits, green wood mixed wet earth, felt like in a forest.
Texture: every muscle built in the right place. Its lean but good tones on the body.
Finish: with great minerals sparkling along with the ripe apple and bell pepper. Charming & persisting
Reminiscence: Rainy season lost in a forest. Lots of damp green, lost my way out.
Music to pair: Sei Sonate: Larghetto, Andante Largo Op.3 by Paganini Or George Winston’s Night pt.3
Story: Well, it’s Caroline Estimé, one of my favorite producers. This climat, Les Chaumes, consisting 7 hectares, stony soil of clay & limestone. Gagnard only owns 0.59 hectare from it with an annual production of 370 case roughly.

Benjamin Leroux - Auxey-Duresses Blanc 2007
Biodynamic Farming

Score: 17/20 Concluded by my actual tasting note.
The talented Mr. Leroux has been my favorite recently. All wines are very consistent. He applies strictly Biodynamic methods. He also makes wine for Comté Armand. Again, anyone who respect the soil with Biodynamic farming, I wouldn’t call him a winemaker, he is a wine guardian. Here is a picture of him below.

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