This was just a spontaneously organised drinking session

‘The Kid’ Peter came around yesterday afternoon and we popped a few bottles. It is really lovely to be drinking Burgundy. Burgundy is best, you know?

Morey-Saint-Denis 2002, Domaine Dujac

This has Captain Peter groaning and sighing with pleasure, he insists most Grand Cru Burgundy is not as good as this. In the broadest sense he is probably right. Lovely charming fruit on the nose with a hint of flowers. It is quite ripe and a bit buxom as well, but that is why we have vintages like 2002. This is very attractive. The palate has a fantastic interplay between fruit, acid and tannin, it is a lovely structure. The nose is quite feminine whereas the mouthfeel leans a few degrees toward masculine. This is a properly interesting wine, I derived one hell of a lot of pleasure from it.

Clos Vougeot 1996, Rene Engel

Rene Engel’s Vosne 1er Brulees 1996 was delicious and when I was drinking these wines young I thought Engel made one of the very best Clos Vougeot: I have high hopes for this. There is a fruity, earthy power to this nose, definite depths of complexity here to be probed. The fruit smells properly mature but I’m not sure there is much rush. The palate: oh dear, 1996 syndrome strikes. Yeah the acidity is a bit high. Daniel says this is quite bothersome but The Kid and I think it is more fresh than painful. The fruit power and earthy complexity are certainly there, tastes fascinating. I swirled and left this in my glass for a while before I get back to tasting. The nose has really grown in size and extra layers of complexity and lovely, lovely fruit are there. This has improved a lot with air. Yes, the palate has too, it seems more giving and charming. The acidity is still an issue, but this ultimately wasn’t such a bad wine.

Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Le Richemone 2005, Alain Michelot

I am being told I am being lead by not doing this blind, but I feel this nose has super-Nuits character. Let me try to explain. Even in ripe vintages like 2005 I often find Nuits wines have a hint of (bell) peppery greenness on the nose. I even find it is tits out producers like Chevillon. I must buy more Chevillon. Of course, there are other clues like the tannic structure, but if you find yourself thinking “Ripe Burgundy, but with shades of greenness?” think whether you might be tasting Nuits. Back to Alain’s wine. The nose is nicely fruity with a correct degree of earthiness. Smells pretty nice, if you ask me. We find layers of ripe blackberry fruit on the palate intertwined with a solid tannic structure. It is very harmonious, and I find myself being quite excited tasting this. I think that lovely chap Jeremy said that Michelot was Nuits for people who like it Nuits-y, and I see what he means. This is a real bargain and I feel more from the same producer would be a good move.