Community Tasting Note

Cailles wrote:

Sunday, October 24, 2021 - Complete DRC Vintage Horizontals 2017 vs 2018: Since Covid didn’t allow for a proper arrivage tasting last year, we tasted the 2017s in direct taste-offs vs their 2018 counterparts this year. All bottles were opened a few hours earlier, not decanted but we got enough time to follow each wine over 45+ minutes in the glass which allowed for proper aeration and analysis. A few observations: 1) The 2017s are disarmingly easy to drink, charming, soft and open. 2) The 2018 show more depth but will need more time to flesh out, open up and become rounder. 3) Best ever Cortons. Slowly but surely they grow into their allocation (not market) price. 4) The showstopping RSVs edge out the Richebourgs with the purest fruit expression vs raw and today a bit unintegrated power. 5) The La Taches and RCs are playing in their own category in terms of complexity but the RCs are a bit closed. 6) The Montrachets are fabulous with a sharp, complex and complete 2017 as a consensus WOTN and a 2018 which is a bit broader but still amazing.

TN: At first the nose was a tad muted but it got more expressive by the minute. Fresh and subtle with citrus, apple, white flowers and saffron. On the palate this wine shows much more expressive and complex with layers and layers of fruits as well as honey notes. The hot year shows with that sweetness which is still well balanced by a nice minerality, herbs and some spices as well as a nice lift from a good acidity backbone. Clearly broader, fatter and sweeter than the almost perfect 2017 in the next glass but still an impressive wine. But it just paled in comparison.

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