Clos Saint Jacques Perspective

Six wines consumed blind. Wines were opened at noon and simply re-corked. Tasting commenced at 18h00. First without food in flights of 2 wines blind and then with food and the identity of the wines revealed.

Rousseau came out on top for all of the participants. Fourrier's CSJ was more one dimensional, four square and driven by the house style at the outset. By the end of the night the Rousseau was showing the same whereas the Fourrier had gained in complexit, breadth and interest.

• 2013 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Reduction obscures the wine for the first 10 minutes but it blows off and reveals a slightly spicy, slightly oaky wine which is very floral red fruit. Cardamon and peonies mix with a subtle note of stems in a wine which is relatively approachable with a well defined but pleasantly agreeable structure.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Cool, compact red fruit with a tight, precise structure. A subtly sauvage, animal note. The wine opens after a few hours and gains in intensity of the red fruit. Fourrier's house signature stands out in the purity, the elegance and the directness of this wine.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Rousseau's Charmes did what it said on the label, it charmed everyone. But it wasn't able to distract anyone enough to prevent any of the participants from voting for the CSJ as wine of the flight. The Charmes brought a lot of interesting complexity whereas the CSJ was concentrated on delivering pure fruit.

• 2013 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Dark fruit, black cherries and plums, is complimented by a smokey, rubbery menthol note. Tannins are silky but there is a slightly bitter end suggesting a bit of misplaced oak. A tremendously interesting wine which needs a little time to come together and integrate the oak.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Red bramble fruit and floral, rose notes are accented by a smoky coffee scent. The wine is firm, upright and serious in the mouth. With air the wine gains breadth and a certain waxy, confit character. Virile but elegant.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

A flight underscored by juxtaposition. Scale and size of the Dujac was worthy of a GC. Clair's CSJ was a reference wine for excellent PN.

• 2013 Domaine Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Dark, black morello cherry fruit. Réglisse, herbal, smoke and violet are all pronounced and as upfront as the fruit. A lot of southern character. Tannins have a good grip but they are well enveloped in the sweet, voluptuous fruit.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Classic, text book pinot noir. Red fruited, slightly caramélisée nose. Any lack of complexity at this stage is more than made up for with charm. Tannins are silky and well integrated. Palate is sweet, soft and structured with freshness.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Picked up on an auction sight for a song this wine was a pleasant reminder that very few of the wines from the region are at risk of being consumed "too late".

• 1966 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay

  Ripe strawberries and Amarena cherries with a balsamic note revealing the wine's age. Umami oozes from start to finish, the wine has a regal aged beef character. Nevertheless there is a freshness from a note of tarragon. The palate is lively, taught and deceivingly more youthful than expected. Seductive but subtile at age 50, a sublime villages wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

All of the Clos Saint Jacques shared a common tannin structure; each were the more firm, rigid and structured of each pair. Rousseau's Villages stood out for being able to keep up with the company in terms of complexity and structure. Dujac's Combottes was a significant deviation from the theme both geographically as well as characteristically.

A 1966 Lafarge Volnay was thrown in for good measure and it revealed the stalwart nature of the domaine, the village and pinot noir in general.