I popped these two bottles of 2005 Premier Cru Nuits-Saint-Georges to have with some roast beef. They were extremely different in style and the bottle at double the price of the other, whilst easier to drink, was not the best wine.
My lunch guest who took the title picture asked if I was old enough to be drinking ‘wine juice’ from big peoples’ glasses. Get them started young, that’s what I say, and I am most definitely young of spirit (even if wheezing, spent and knackered of body and mind).
Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru aux Chaignots 2005, Domaine Alain Michelot
The fruit on this nose is lovely and ripe, but the whole impression of the aromas suggest it is a small/medium scaled wine with definite restraint and no hint of scale or excess. The earthiness is lovely and complex and is well-integrated with the fruitiness. It’s extremely Nuits on the nose, in a wonderfully harmonious and restrained manner. The Nuits-y-ness of it should not surprise me as my chums from the Cote say M. Michelot makes the most Nuits-flavoured of Nuits and this is his most Nuits-y vineyard. Lovely nose, if you don’t want big jobs. The palate is a lovely model of structure and class. Great tannins and good acidity are combined with a ripe but sedate fruitiness. It has pretty good length and is quite complex. This is a good wine, especially considering it was a real bargain. It’ll continue to develop, but today it really impressed me for a second-rank producer’s wine. Lovely, harmonious Nuits.
Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru les Vignes-Rondes 2005, Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot
Now this is big and opulent on the nose. Lots of luxurious, ripe fruit sings loudly on the nose and there is a reasonable amount of earthy richness. It has a hint of new oak, but that’s in fine balance. It is very open and expressive, which worries me as it doesn’t seem terribly complex when I sniff it. Yes, it is highly attractive and up to tickle your more lascivious senses, but it’s not going to keep you thinking for long. The palate is far bigger than the Michelot, with polished, powerful tannins and lots of round fruit. It’s got a pretty attractive structure, but this is definitely one for those who like them bien loché[ref]The best piece of French slang I know, meaning: well titted-out.[/ref]. It is great fun to drink and very easy to knock back, but I am not ultimately satisfied with it. I want more complexity and intellectual interest and this provides very little of either. It’s a fairly shallow charmer. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, but at the price this cost I want something that engages a bit more. Perhaps Yves ‘curmudgeon’ Confuron puts all his efforts into the de Courcel wines (which I think are excellent). Points for poonts but no score for seriousness.
I’m ever more keen on Michelot’s wines, and they always age so much better than one would predict. Like you I don’t really get Confuron-Coteditot while thinking that latter day Courcels are marvellous. I met Mr. Courcel at a dinner recently. He makes wines for Chanson. Confusing, isn’t it?!
I first tried Michelot in Restaurant La Cabotte right in the centre of Nuits. I felt so good drinking Nuits-y Nuits in the place itself, and it turned out to be a serendipitous discovery. Great stuff to buy, and keep too, I’d wager.
De Courcel have produced a string of brilliant wines under curmudgeon Confuron’s rule. I’ve got quite a lot of magnums of 2002s. The 2003s, which I first tried with the man himself from cask, were quite amazing. Really brilliant for 2003 Burgundy, a vintage I have little time for. Since you had a bit of an admiration for that Armand 03 we popped at RSJ you might like them, Tom, but when they are very old I think. I’ll be keeping mine until I am far more old and spent. Recent stuff has been great, too. I loved the 09s and 10s. The Rugiens 10, which I only had a slightly tired cask sample of, may pip Clos des Epeneaux as Pommard of the vintage. He makes a village Pommard at his own Domaine, I should try and seek some out and see how that measures up.
Thanks for dropping by!