5/10/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

A great Bourgogne. Floral with plenty of lemon, lime, and candied lemon peel with impressive intensity for its level. At its peak. Better than the A Ente 2019 Bourgogne from a few weeks back.

5/9/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Tonight I finished the magnum originally opened in January that had been sitting on my kitchen counter since. Cocoa, marzipan, candied orange peel, fig vinegar, molasses, and so much more. This hasn't lost a step in the nearly 4 months it has been open.

5/9/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Dried red cherry with dried herbs. Still bright enough but clearly showing age, this was noticeably more advanced vs my previous bottle one year ago, with slightly less weight.

5/8/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Last bottle lost in the back of the cellar, this is tired but still clearly enjoyable, showing rich black and red cherry, fully mature, nicely rich (enough). Actually got better with an hour of air, then got tired from there.

5/7/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Plenty of black berries with near-sweet spice and a touch of humus. I like the richness juxtaposed with enough brightness here, but find a bit too much pronounced whole cluster interferes with the otherwise fine balance. Still, certainly good and nicely complex.

5/7/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

A good enough glass of Pinot Noir but underwhelming for the vintage and vineyard. Black fruit, lacking spice with good enough weight, hardly recognizable as Volnay.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Small late night taste from magnum. I believe this is one of the vineyards that is now 1er Cru. Bright, lithe, and nicely energetic with a good display of vintage richness. Very good concentration, and while I have no experience with this wine, expect more complexity to emerge with cellar time. Very good now, upside from here.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Small late night taste. Caramel apple from start-to-finish with good depth and weight. Not the most complex example of old Sauternes, but still fresh enough and wonderfully balanced. Much better vs last time tasted two years ago.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Small taste from bottle brought by the importer. Very rich and well spiced with robust fruit, still certainly oaky right now, there is a long of good stuff here but loss in the context of the older wines tasted tonight.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Opened 20-30 minutes before pouring. Fully mature black fruit with meaty notes and lots of earth, but still clean and nicely silky. Wonderfully harmonious, good density.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): From magnum alongside the Clos St Jacques. Reticent nose showcasing red and black cherry, much like the CSJ, but more explosive and assertive flavors, showing more richness, meat, and spice, with very good depth and density. Upside from here.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): From magnum alongside the Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Ripe red and black cherries throughout gives this a plush start, then more reserved middle forward. Good depth and weight, nicely balanced now. At its peak.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Small taste. Absolutely delicious, and absolutely a decade too young. Precocious but approachable, even if not showing much of the nuance that will certainly emerge with cellar time. But lots of depth, great 94-95+ point potential.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Small glass tasted double blind. Clearly old Bordeaux with an engaging Cab Franc streak, so I thought St Emilion, lots of meat and earth, making me think this slightly older, probably late 1970s. Very good now.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Alongside the 2007. Rich and bright at the same time, clearly more conventionally Chablis than the 2007. Good depth with a long, bright finish, nicely layered.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Opened alongside the 2008. Rich and intense with good density and a bright mineral character, just faintly sweet. simple on long-ish finish.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Others enjoyed this, but I found it well past its peak.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Another great bottle of this wine. Big and plush, miraculously coming across as ripe in this non-ripe vintage. So much nuance and depth that keeps unfolding in front of the lucky drinker, this is wonderful now and will last for a long time.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Small taste. Seemingly an off bottle, coming across with perhaps ripe VA touches and lacking fruit.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Magnum. Ultra bright apple and lemon, nicely floral, brightly minerally. Great length and depth, but still reserved and taut. Better in another year or three.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Bright green apple and lemon, nicely floral, wonderfully textured with an impressive minerally finish with very good depth. Still further upside from here.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Bright apple throughout, much too young, but clearly with good 1er Cru density and weight, just perhaps with too much of a tart note on finish.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Brought as a birthday gift for Nicolas' birthday, sadly this bottle was far more tired and lackluster than any of my previous bottles from this same case.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): In contrast to the 2003 getting tired, this isn't even close to ready and not yet fully enjoyable. Rich and dense, but clearly reserved and coiled with taut structure. Nicely floral start with good richness certainly bode well, and I expect 93+ point potential, 2028 forward.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Fun nose, less complete palate, slightly sweet, slightly tired, but still good weight.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Bright lemon with lemon curd, supported with the most faint tropical notes. Still wonderfully fresh with very good depth.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Magnum. Rich and well balanced, good weight and depth, at its peak now. Not as complex as the 2006 just tasted.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Magnum. Bright and completely fruit driven showing lots of bright yellow and green apple, Very good length, upside from here. Better than my previous time tasted a few months ago.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): So rich with good power. Showcases both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir beautifully, with baked apple and berry compote both well represented. Great depth. Fully mature without coming across as tired at all.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Late night small taste. Fresh apple on nose and palate, wonderfully fresh. Very good density and volume for village wine.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Late night small taste. Brut Nature rarely thrills me, but this was both precise and clearly rich enough to hold up to its zero dosage. Very impressive power, too.

5/5/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Obelix - Chicago IL): Late night small taste. That wonderful old Burgundy nose and palate, still nicely clean and very robust, also showing clear Grand Cru density. Very good now, seemingly better than when last tasted a decade ago.

5/4/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Drinkable candied black fruit with near sweet spice.

5/6/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Fully mature+ red fruits with earth aplenty with a faint leather, meaty note. Still tasty in an old Burg fashion, but a few years past its peak.

5/4/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Floral start with lemon and lemon peel aromas that continue into the flavors with some added lemon curd. Bright and precise with a minerally finish and good weight. Good now, most likely even better in another few years.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Ripe black fruits with good concentrations, hints of braised meat and orange peel. Certainly good, but lost in comparison to the Burguet Chambertin-Clos de Bèze and Camille Giroud Chambertin 2007s in the other two glasses.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Black and red cherry with subtle spice and roasted meat, good earth notes. Very good length, slightly pronounced structure emerges on the finish. This will continue to be interesting for another decade.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Charming red and black cherry with sweet and savory spice. Elegant and nuanced from start-to-finish, with a long, complex ending. I was not thrilled with Claude Dugat 2007s at release, so put most of my bottles aside to rest for a while, which certainly paid off here. My first of two bottles purchased on release.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Opened a couple of hours before serving. Black fruit with plenty of spice, mushroom, leather in wonderful harmony. Lots going on here with good structure also in good balance. A big step up over the Giroud 2007 Charmes and Latricières tasted in the previous flight.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Charming combination of ripe, fresh, and mature black and red cherry throughout, maybe barely showing Grand Cru density. Good now. Lots of similarity to the Giroud Charmes-Chambertin 2007 in this same flight.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Floral with plenty of tasty, ripe black and red cherry. Good richness, moderate depth. Good now. Similar to the Giroud 2007 Latricières-Chambertin in the flight.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): In young Perrières flight. Broad array of ripe orchard fruit aromas and flavors, well supported with savory spice, peach, and so much energy. Impeccable balance, this is already drinking so well.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): In young Perrières flight. Charming and enticing nose with ripe and lean orchard fruit. Good+ already balance with good enough depth.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): In young Perrières flight. Lots here, but massively reduced to the degree I was unable to appreciate much. Reductive never softened, and I worry about this wine.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Rich baked apple with very good+ depth, good balance and impressive freshness for its age.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Opened almost two hours before serving with a splash decant. Floral with such bright lemon on nose and palate, certainly lean but very powerful with great depth. Finish just kept going on and on. Opened as an expected contrast to the lush d'Auvenay 2007 Gouttes d'Or that I know would be open. And such a contrast indeed, with both wines sensational.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Enchanting perfumed aromatics with rich stone and orchard fruits. This completely captures your attention immediately and you just can't look away. A fascinating contrast to the Coche-Dury 2007 Caillerets, which I opened expecting a complete contrast from the same vintage and appellation.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Great color and fill, cork was successfully Duranded out in one piece. Musty start dissipated quickly, then turned demure, then finally inviting after 15 minutes. Wonderful black-fruited flavors out of the gate, well supported with earth and leather, in overall very good balance. We had a good conversation of interesting wine vs "yummy" wine and while I thought this wine to be both, it was certainly more interesting than yummy. Great freshness for its age.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): Spiced red cherry with good depth already, this just has a faint bitter note for now that I hope will soften.

5/3/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Gevrey 2007 Grand Cru Dinner Preceding by Magical Meursault (Chicago, IL): This had been opened the day before, which I expected would help such a young Barolo. Slightly tired and certainly disjointed, this did not come across as anywhere close to fun yet. Maybe too much air?