One with dinner at the restaurant Andrew Edmunds and one on our return home. It is a great place to eat; the food is usually simple but good. The wine list is good and affordable, too.
Chambolle-Musigny 1999, Ghislaine Barthod
A ripe, bright, fruity nose. Very pure and refined, it speaks of Chambolle. Not over-ripe in the slightest and the nose is open and giving. The palate has some good, ripe tannins, plenty of fruit and is very harmonious and balanced. This wine was open and up for drinking, but a few more years of age would not do it any harm at all. A lovely village wine.
Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru 1999, Comte Armand
The nose seemed a touch tight and brooding. It certainly had some ripe fruit, but was not terribly giving. On the palate the tannins were a tad aggressive but I didn’t feel there was enough fruit to handle them. It improved a bit with some air so I can only imagine this is a bit shut-down at the moment. It seemed like a tight, slightly tough Pommard. As it was it seemed reasonably impressive rather than svelte and lovely. I prefer svelte and lovely.
I have a double magnum of Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1999 from Comte Armand; clearly a wine for keeping a long time.
I had a hideous meal recently at Andrew Edmunds. I so wanted to love it, a charming little place ruled over by a man behind the counter whose hand never wanted for a glass of wine. The only edible thing in that meal was the Neals Yard cheese, alas. The crime committed on that piece of innocent fish, my main, was a hanging offense, that murderous swine!
I never wrote about it on my blog, as I try not to write about a place -especially those I dislike- on the first try. That meal was so bad I never want to return, so I guess I will never write about it.
That said, I’d have to agree with you on Ghislaine Barthod’s wines. I had the Chambolle Les Cras three times this past trip to europe, a 99, 01, and 02, finding the 01 the harshest on the tannin department, but they were all just lovely. Lovely. The 02 wasn’t even too young, though I’m sure it could have been even more beautiful with a bit of age.
cheers,
Pim
Lawks, I have rarely heard such vitriolic comments about Andrew Edmunds. I was introduced to it by people from Pol Roger UK (who can frequently be found there) and have only rarely eaten badly there. Sometimes it can be less than passable, but generally I think they are quite good. I’ve had some very good Dover sole there on numerous occasions. I admit the food is not of the calibre of, say, The Square, but it is deeply affordable. As is the wine list, a big plus for me. I am sorry your meal was such a disaster. Perhaps best to avoid the place in future so you don’t feel the need to explode at them.
I’ve got a bottle of Barthod Cras ’95 in the wine cupboard; I greatly look forward to popping it. As far as Chambolle goes I am more of a Roumier or Mugnier chap, but this bottle was a good village wine.
Anon,
David.