Red
89 Cathiard VR
Good. Nice burgundy flavor. Plenty of fruit. Good tannins. Not ready yet. My mistake (at $40 a mistake). 5/00
90 Belland Santannay
It was drinkable and
decent for $18. Did it have a lot of fruit? Will it improve any more with time?
10/97
(2-3) Medium bodied, nice taste, fairly dry (fruit still holding up). 1/98 3/99
93 Cathiard VR
Malconsorts
Standard burg nose. Medium body, actually more body than I would have thought at this age and after being simmered in my kitchen window in July for 4 weeks. Finish was a little bit pine needles. What I’ve come to expect from any burgundy I seem to buy. Would probably try again in 4-5 years and see if more time does anything to make more interesting. There was one solitary ray of fruit which shone threw for just a few sips. It happened after a few hours opened. $43 7/04
(2) Tannins need another couple years but fruit is on the down side (thin). Flavor seems only okay for that matter. I didn’t have when younger but suspect it should never have cost more than $30. ($43) 7/06
(3) Harsh tannins. Moderate fruit but too twiggy. Time might soften this a little yet, but for what? (cost $43; worth $25) 11/06
93 Rene Engel VR Les Brulées
It was great, although I lost my notes on it. $35 3/98
93 Philipe LeClerc GC Platieres
Very merlot-y quality about it. It is supposed to be over-oaked according to Parker
or someone, and I should agree. Very full bodied, concentrated, long finish.
Shitake. $34 4/98
93 Robert Arnoux NSG Poissets
Quite delicious wine. Lost notes. Too much fun. $45 5/98
Aloof, tannic. Fruit is just not there. Day two, even worse. What is going on here? $36 3/99
(2) Wow. Apparently, the wine was just
closed down and backward. Now the fruit is starting to peep out. Nonetheless,
it's still way tannic/astringent. Will try again in 5 years. Remarkable difference.
1/01
(3) Fruit still holding up, but out of balance a bit toward tannins. Finish
just too tannicy still—doubt will ever reach balance. Enjoyable experience but
could have probably done better for price. $38 6/06
93 Tardy Les Athets Chambolle-Musigny (I think)
Smooth feel and medium finish. Overall, a very nice red burgundy for $25,
considering some of the expensive mega-duds one gets all too often in this
'infuriating' cat. 11/99
93 Comte de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny
Smooth and elegant with absolutely zero finish. Hardly enough fruit. What a
disaster for $50 11/99
(2) So much new-oak it should be a merlot
from somewhere with a name like Duck-leg
Creek or Staghorn Kidney Stone's
Leap. This time, there is plenty of fruit and a decent finish too. Worth
$41 not $50. (now-2004) 1/00
(3) Strong, classic B nose. Good B flavor. ?better in 2-4 years. Okay, maybe
worth $35. 2/01
93 Rene Engel VR
Good. Nice nose. Good fruit. Perhaps a little
out of balance. Hard to do much better in this region for less than $27, but
hey, that doesn't make it right. 5/00
93 Roty GC La Brunelle
Nice strong burgundy nose. Highly concentrated body. Mid to late palate spicy, promising. All-tree bark finish is a mega-let down. I guess it could settle down for another 5 years, but I don't know how much good will come of it really. Cost $38. Worth maybe $25. God damned burgundy. But tomorrow is another day, and I'll probably spend $40 more on another shot at B, and NASA will spend $40 million, and it will probably suck. 9/00
(2) Good, earthy. No signs of decay yet, really. Would give another five. 6/05
93 Thomas Moillard VR Malconsorts
Tough at first. Woody. Strong flavor. Got better the second day and almost came
up to its price/expectation. It had enough fruit but never came into balance.
The finish was never smooth. $39 6/02
93 Bichot VR Clos Frantin
Okay. Very earthy. Maybe it will get
better in 3-5 yrs. Might as well find out. Just not that exciting. Over several
days, it seemed to open up some, but still seemed backward. 11/01
(2) Tannins tough. Still some fruit there. Oops. I should have waiting another
few years. Might have at least provided a mellower and better drink. I don’t
think it would have been great. But still. I might have waiting another 3-5
years. 7/06
94 Bichot VR Clos Frantin
Standard, pleasant burg taste. Good
burg nose. Body overall thin. Would drink now and would say it’s already on the
decline. 2/05
95 Barthod CM Fuées
Okay. Fine. Needs to breath 30 mins. Could try between now and a few years? $43 7/06
96 Rouget
Horrible. What a bad bottle of wine.
Was this bottle warped in transit? Very diluted, no body, bad fruit. This wine
makes me wish I were somewhere else. $18 9/98
96 Fontaine-Gagnard
Very woody. Makes me think of the
underside of a log in a mountain forest (but in
96 Rene Engel Echezeaux
Very very tannic. Not enough berry. My god what a tragedy. $75 1/03
96 Bouchard Beaune L’Enfant Jesus
Not
bad. Flavor is still a bit twiggy but it seems moving in the right direction. I
think it will peak in 3-5 years. $58 [RP 89, 2000-2006] 9/05
96 Comte de Vogue CM
Same as Bouchard but even more interesting flavor in there. Waiting to just pop out: in about 2-3 years. $70 [RP 88-90, 2002-2005] 9/05
(2) Maybe still closed. Try again in 2-3 years. 1/06
96
Hudelot-Noellat Les Suchots
Standard burg nose. Seemed to get better for about 45 mins then turned. I think this might drink better at some point over next 3-5 years, but I have no idea. Today I feel lost with red burgundy. 1/06 re-tasted 7/06 (still seems tough; try again 2-3 years, or it may never be good anyway) 1/06
97
G. Barthod GC Villages
Good strong burg flavor. I thought the tannins were still way too untamed. Needs a few more years cellaring. Cost: N/A 7/05
03 Barthod Les Bon Batons
Wow, really good fruit. Nice. Totally worth the $30. Would say a lot more except the finish gives hint of thinness wherein the tannins show stronger than the fruit. This (and I agree with Rovani here) would portend a short life. But wow it does taste really good. which is saying a lot in this price point. 9/06
02 Jadot Chateau des Jacques
MAV
Tasty little beau. $18 worth $15. 4/05
03
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais MAV
Standard
03 Marcel Lapierre Beaujolais Morgon
Floral, perhaps a little square. Might be better in 2-3 years. $18, worth $18 4/05
