Bonneau du Martray, Ghislaine Barthod, Clos des Lambrays and other Auction Steals

This was a really fun dinner where we gathered together bits and bobs that we had picked up from various auctions and sales, with a pair of mature Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagnes being the centre piece. Alex prepared huge, elaborately seasoned and absolutely delicious chicken, which went a treat with the wines. I was very glad that Jerm was back from Sydney and could join us for this as well. While the wines were by and large not blinded (a departure from our usual practice) some of them were real treats. A great night all round.

• 2001 Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  From a magnum, this was a very solid Bourgogne Blanc, and a great way to start the evening. It had a really attractive nose, with red apple and honey aromas, some sweet flowers, all traced with a whiff of gunflint and chalk that is typically Leflaive. The palate was still nicely alive, with bright acidity lifting sweet lemons and ripe apples on the attack, then some honeyed tones and honeysuckle flowers on the midpalate. A bit simple really, finishing with some chalk and spice and a little flush of warmth on the finish, but this was very solid for a Bourgogne, with a nice depth behind it. Good to drink now.

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• 1990 Hospices de Beaune Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Cuvée Rameau-Lamarosse 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru

  Eleve par Pierre Bouzereau. Pretty nice. I liked the nose here with its little notes of spice and herb and a touch of earth around a core of dark cherries and flowers. The palate was significantly tighter though. It had a good sense of weight and scale on it, with ripe dark cherries and plums at the fore, but this was wound around a still rather austere centre of firm tannins and fine acidity, before pulling out in a finish with some spice and earth. Needs time yet, but there was a quality to both fruit and structure on this that makes me think it will improve in the next 5-6 years.

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• 1988 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  Superb. I have always enjoyed Bonneau du Martray's Corton-Charlies but never quite placed them in the highest echelon of white Burgundy; not at least until I had this bottle and it's flight-mate, a lovely 1990. Of the two, the 1988 was subtler, more nuanced and, to my tastes at least, the better wine. This had a fantastic nose on it, with tons of savoury mineral and earth aromas, chalk, a dash of spice, then honey and toasted vanilla, all floating around subtly sweet notes of white white peach, sweet cream and perfumy white flowers. Beautiful. This was a stonier, higher-toned bouquet than the ripe, fruitier aromas of the 1990, but one could still tell the family resemblance between the wines. Same thing on the palate too I thought. This was absolutely superb. Refined, pure, having a certain verticality to it, with a wonderful spine of minerality and fine acidity stretching up in-between layers of pure, transparent white fruit, all laced with little dashes of spice and toasted vanilla, before some sweet lemons showed up on the midpalate. Lovely stuff. This was very elegant; effortlessly so in fact, with a creamily smooth, wonderfully integrated feel to it; yet it was also at once structured and focused, with a real tension that kept the wine taut and lithe all the way into a long, graceful finish, long, full of savoury earth and warm spice and an almost salty mineral twang that pulled away into the back palate, just before the wine faded away with a final kiss of white flowers. A wine of nuanced complexity and subtle strength. Beautiful stuff just starting to hit its peak. Watch this space though - this is one wine that has the balance and depth to go on for years and years yet.

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• 1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  Great stuff. This was a different animal from the sleek, understatedly elegant 1988 that was served alongside – it was the warmer, more outgoing wine – but one could still clearly see similarities between the two. The warm 1990 vintage character was reflected here in riper notes on the nose, with stone fruit and melons and sweet floral notes at the fore. But like the older wine, there were all those beguiling scents of chalk and smoky spice and wafts of vanilla and honey wrapped the fruit. This was a lovely, deep nose, very classic Bonneau du Martray - complex, attractive, yet not in-your-face. On the palate, the 1990 took just a little bit longer to open up and come around in the glass then the 1988. The flavours were still noticeably riper, and the mouthfeel was a lot denser - almost with an oily weight - but it was somehow rather less forward than the nose would suggest. While there was a lovely dulcet tone to its stone fruit and apples and sweet cream flavours, this was wed to a lovely purity to the wine, especially on the midpalate, which filled the mouth with a transparent reservoir of clear white fruit tones couched in superbly integrated acidity. I really liked this. In spite of being warmer and riper than the 1988, it still had an effortless grace to it, with a gentle strength and depth that stretched all the way from the attack into a finish of just superb length, where sweet fruit nestled quietly amidst minerally streaks of chalk and flint. This was really something – a superb wine, drinking quite nicely. Like the 1988, this will go on growing in the bottle for a long time yet, maybe even longer than its sibling, but there is certainly no harm popping a bottle now.

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• 2006 Remoissenet Père et Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  A really good wine in its own right, but this stood out as being rather young and awkward next to the suave, matured pair of Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlies. The Remoissenet had a really rich nose, a lot more in-your-face than the older wines, with oodles of ripe yellow fruit – think nectarines and apricots - then sweet floral notes and plenty of sweet oaky vanillin and spice. Attractive, but still very young. Same thing on the palate. I found this rather big and weighty for a BBM, more like a Batard or a Criots maybe, with its ripe yellow fruit flavours showing a sunny ripeness and a good deal of depth and power. Thankfully, this was balanced by fine acidity and a good sense of structure that lent the wine a nice poise and focus in spite of its girth. Good finish too, very full, generous, with ripe yellow fruit and a bite of structure and spice and some coconut accents from the oak. A very complete, very yummy wine, but it does need a few years to shed its baby fat.

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• 2001 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  From a 375ml, this was very good without quite hitting the heights. It had a lovely, almost entrancing nose, with lots of exotic Indian spice aromas, from cumin and fennel to cloves and even saffron, all tossed up with some earthy dirt, a bit of meatiness, then a core of dark cherry. There was a touch of stemminess, but it all came together in a lovely, exotic mélange. The palate was nice as well, but unfortunately not as layered and complex as the nose. There was a lot of charm in its flavours of dark cherries ringed with more exotic spice and earthiness, and a nice purity to the fruit as well, but it did come across as lacking some depth and substance for a Grand Cru from a decent year. This was especially noticeable on the finish, where the bones of a slightly austere structure stood out a little, with fine tannins and fine acidity taking the fore along with some stemmy herbs and a last kiss of Morey spice. All in all, a really nice wine; a great pairing with roast duck too, but not quite a complete Grand Cru experience. This may get a bit better with time, it seems to be in a rather awkward stage now, but I am not all that sure how much room it has to grow. One to try again in a year or two perhaps.

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• 2007 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Clos des Lambrays 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  A rarity. Completely different in some ways from the 2001 Domaine des Lambrays version on the same flight, yet in other ways quite similar, this was a very yummy young wine. While the nose on the Domaine des Lambrays was earthy, spicy and dark, this soared out of the glass with sweet, almost candied notes of berries and cherries wreathed in a lovely floral perfume. The only thing they shared in common were some stemmy, herby accents on the edge of the bouquet. I mean, this was a really pretty nose, but it could almost have been a new world pinot with all those sweet smells. The palate brought it closer to the Domaine des Lambrays though – it could not have come from anywhere but Burgundy with its superb balance, control and purity, with clear, crystalline tones of fresh cherries laced with a gentle minerality and a lovely floral accent. So clear, so pure that the flavours rang like a bell in the mouth. Like on the nose, they were a bit sweet, but the poise and balance on the wine kept it so precise and focused. This was a delight all the way into a nicely long finish brushed with a little bit Morey spice and mineral, and some fine, velvety tannins just making their presence felt along the edges of the backpalate. Lovely stuff. With time, the sweetness tone down somewhat, and a more austere backbone of mineral that was reminiscent of the Domaine des Lambrays came out. A real achievement from just two rows of vines in a vintage like 2007. While nicely drinkable young, this should be lovely with 6-8 years in the cellar. 92+

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• 1983 Adrien Belland Chambertin Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  One of the strangest and worst wines I have had in a long time. We thought it was flawed, but we could not figure out with what - most likely a particularly Dettol-smelling dose Brett - but the wine just stank, with a potent mixture of hospital disinfectant, iodine and band-aid rising out of the glass, more or less obscuring more conventional aromas of dark fruit, meat and some smoky ash. Yuck. I can think of some metaphors to describe this, but they are all rather impolite. Thankfully, the palate was more decent than the nose would lead one to expect (after we were brave / foolish / drunk enough to actually take sips out of the glass even after that almighty pong). There was actually a nice fleshy depth and good balance on the wine, with cherries and raspberry flavours tinged with a smoky, meaty tang. Very unfortunately, there was also always a suspicion of taint alongside the fruit, with that nasty antiseptic smell lingering in the nooks and crannies of the midpalate, and rising to the fore more perceptibly towards the finish. Horrid – this is something I hope I will never have to taste again. A Chambertin too – a real waste.

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• 1983 Adrien Belland Corton-Clos de la Vigne au Saint 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  This would have been a terrible disappointment, if not for the even worse 1983 Adrien Belland Chambertin that came after it. At least this was not undrinkable. The real problem was that it bore no resemblance to a Grand Cru at all; so much so that it made the decent but fairly pedestrian 1996 Louis Latour from the same plot in Corton taste like superstar wine. This was really light on the nose, almost like Beaujolais Nouveau, with floaty scents of sour cherries, earth, a bit of cola and some slightly green Chinese herb aromas. Same thing on the palate, this was very meager for a Corton, a bit thin even. It had fresh enough flavours of sour cherries and bright berries, and a structure shaped by fine tannins and a nice balance. It finished a bit flat and quite sour. That aside, however, it was certainly drinkable. Unfortunately, it really lacked the depth and complexity one would expect of a wine at this level. I would have called this a decent village at best.

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• 1996 Louis Latour Corton-Clos de la Vigne au Saint 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  How rare, another bottle from the same rare climat in Corton. This was a decently good rather than great wine, but at least it was worlds better than the truly mediocre Adrien Belland version that we drank alongside. The nose smelt of sweet, almost candied berries and cherries, with touches of earth, spice and bramble. Okay, if not exactly inspiring. I thought the palate was a bit more pleasant, with velvety tannins and surprisingly soft acidity for a 1996 couching nice flavours of sour cherries and fresh berries. Far less sweet than the nose would suggest, which was a great thing. In fact, the wine showed a little austerity and some structure and at the finish, with spicy notes mingling with some tannins. Simple for a Grand Cru and I thought it lacked some length, just dropping off with a final kiss of fruit right at the end. Quite pleasant though, if rather punching below its weight. Good to drink now and over the next 4-5 years I would say.

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• 1999 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  From a magnum. A solid village, but I did not exactly its styling –a bit too firm and extracted for a Chambolle. If served blind, I might have guessed a Vosne or even an NSG. I must say that it had a beautiful nose, with earth, and spice and chalky mineral notes underlying sweet scents dark cherries and lovely floral accents. Very nice indeed. The palate, while clearly a village i.e. lacking the substance and fullness of greater terroir, was still very impressive for what it was – with a real depth to its flavours of dark cherries and wild berries, maybe a hint of raisins, ringed with earthy, spicy notes and bit of bramble at the finish. There was some austerity to this yet, with dusty, chewy tannins sprinkled amidst the fruit and earth, A very solid village all round, but just a bit too brawny and extracted for Chambolle at this point. Like many well-constructed 1999s though, the wine still has a long way to go till peak, and there is some hope that its palate will grow the way of the nose.

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• 1999 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  Very good. A real step-up from the 1999 village Chambolle on the same flight. This perhaps suffered from the same issue of over-firmness and extraction as the former wine, but the extra substance and depth of fruit here helped to soften that aspect. It certainly had a very masculine nose for a Chambolle though, with wafts of meat and sous bois and leather taking the fore. Pay attention though, and a lovely Chambolle character of lush berries and musky, sllightly wilted flowers emerges in between the earthier smells. The palate was still really youthful; still amply structured with firm tannins and good acidity. However, it was also clearly starting to open up, with shafts of beautiful sweet notes piercing through the structure - dark cherries and berries almost glowing with purity, before a tighter clench of dusty earth and mineral sets in towards the finish. There was a juicy, pleasing, orange peel note right at the backpalate, and then the wine just shuts down. There is lovely underlying quality here, but the wine really needs time. I think 10 more years in the bottle would actually do very nicely. At this point, even with its lovely pure fruit and nice floral elements, it was surprisingly strong and masculine for a Chambolle. Think a female bodybuilder who has overloaded a bit on steroids. Hopefully the intervening years will cause it to slim down and take on more elegance.

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• 1995 Château Coutet Cuvée Madame 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  This was really something else – not only one of the best Sauternes / Barsac, but amongst the very best sweet wines I have ever had. This was a compelling wine - Imagine a classic Coutet (say a 1989) with extra layers of depth and complexity and deliciousness. It started with an incredible nose of honey and dried apricots, figs and apples and yellow flowers, laced with a whiff of metallic mineral that was so very typically Coutet. Still rather primary, but wow – this was already an amazing nose. On the palate though, it was entirely clear from the first sip that this was on a different plane altogether from a normal Coutet. It unfolded across the mouth luxuriously, filling every crevice with a deeply layered flow of honey and caramel, dried figs and apricots – rich, thick and intense, yet packaged in a beautifully balanced, impeccably poised structure. It was voluptuous but not fat; rich and deep, yet somehow still sleek and stylish at the same time. Like the nose, it was still primary, but already so very, very yummy. It was really complete too, showing an effortless integration all the way from its attack and into a tremendously long, openly generous finish where juicy acidity worked its way through rich notes of toffee and toasty caramel and spice and mineral. Absolutely wonderful. This is a truly great wine. Wonderful to drink now, but this will last for decades, improving all the time.

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• 1983 Château Coutet Barsac 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  A lovely Sauternais in its own right, but boy, this really suffered from being served next to a 1995 Cuvee Madame, which was in a different class altogether. Still though, I really enjoyed this. It had a really fresh nose, almost without a hint of botrytis, with sweet apples and lemons, some figs and honeyed aromas, and then a good amount of mineral and spice. The palate took on those same fresh tones that are such a hallmark of a good Barsac, with a beautiful balance to its bright flavours of red apples and lemons and fig. This may have lacked the sheer depth and power of the Madame, but it had really lovely proportions and a pleasing purity of expression. Nice finish too, a bit sweeter here than on the rest of the wine, with toffee and honey layered over spice and mineral notes. A lovely mature Coutet, open and mellow, yet still with a classic, lovely freshness. Very enjoyable.

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• 1987 Chateau Leamon Cabernet Sauvignon Big Hill 93 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Bendigo

  A charming old Aussie cabernet. Not a perfect wine by any means, but this was really enjoyable in its own idiosyncratic way. The nose was complex and intriguing, with notes of tobacco and leather along with sweet flowers and dark cassis, patted down with some earthy scents. The palate was a bit simpler, showing really charming notes of fresh cassis flecked with tobacco and red capsicums. Not absolutely complex, but there was a lovely pure, transparency to it in spite of a sweet sunniness that marked it our clearly as a new world wine. And wrapped as it was in silky tannins and fresh acidity that showed tons of life and energy, almost dancing across the palate, this was a real charmer of a wine. It lacked some length and depth at the finish, petering away with a suggestion of fresh herbs, but this was such a pretty wine. Excellent stuff – this was very yummy. Quite at the peak for drinking too.

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