This bottle started off where my bottle 17 months ago left off, that is, starting to open, some flavor seeping through the still ample tannins, but not really at its best. Over three nights, it improved steadily, developing into a really interesting wine with engaging complexity and depth, good balance, and still that bit of austerity and restraint. There was a bit of cherry in there, no doubt, but my main impression was of coffee and almost a bit of chocolate, which is unique in my experience of Burgundy so far. Tannins were still durable and ample, but it didn't really matter because the other interesting characteristics stood up to them. Really the most satisfying bottle I've enjoyed in a very long time.
Both this bottle and the 2002 Karthaeuserhaus Spaetlese I opened at the same time, are object lessons in the compensations of buying wines to cellar for 10-30 years. Unless you're willing to put down quite a lot of money at restaurants with deep cellars, or are adept at auction scouting, there's no other way to get these flavors into your life. A good couple of nights with these two bottles.
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Rolled the dice on a bottle of this, based on the last two posted notes. The first day I thought it was too acidic and rough for real pleasure. But it smoothed out, becoming more elegant with time. Not a lot of fruit aroma or flavor, but a pleasing tension, texture, and - if you cite this as a virtue in a red Burgundy - austerity. Very different than the Pernand 1er profile I get from Rollin and Jadot, which is dense, almost meaty, with fine, sandy tannins. Very good with food; as a sipper, more interesting than pleasing. Better the second day than the first. An apt, streamlined illustration of the house style.
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Pale red with a touch of brick orange on the edge. From the color I would've assumed oxidized...and yet on the nose it was a lovely bouquet of red fruits, spices and that unmistakable perfume that only stems bring. Medium light on the body but there is an alluring intensity of more red fruits and spices with a nice lengthy finish. This is the total opposite of a fruit bomb, and may not please those who look for more body and fruit, but it's my preferred style of wine and just lovely right now. Even the empty glass was amazing to smell after the wine was all gone... 2nd day (kept with argon) it showed even more fruit and intensity, which suggests still more life ahead, though I think it's drinking wonderful now already. That fragrance...bravo!
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A surprisingly evolved, pale ruby with orange around the edges. Also surprisingly evolved on the palate, with gentle acids and soft, pretty, dried fruit. Firmed up a little on the second night, which led me to believe there is perhaps more left in the tank than I first thought, but I would still err on the side of drinking this sooner rather than later.
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I liked this best with a short decant; out of the gate it really did show a lovely Pernand profile, full of red fruits and minerality. With time it took on a bit of a Savigny-like blood/tomato kind of thing which was nice in moderation but eventually detracted from the fruit. An excellent value.
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This is basically like staring at a construction site when the only thing there is the foundation. There is a lot here to build on, but nothing else is really evident. At the moment it is basically a showcase of the techniques used to make it, primarily the whole-cluster treatment -- with its pale, translucent color and a mouthfeel that's linear, precise, and tensile, it's about as perfect a textbook example of what whole clusters do to a wine as you could ever hope to find. Within that frame the fruit has a fairly gentle touch and a chocolatey oak aroma dissipated with airtime. And that's pretty much all I can say about it.
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Nice showing for this wine; however, it was overshadowed by the previous '99 Rousseau "Clos de la Roche". This offers aromatics of red cherry, spice, floral and funky earthy notes. The medium bodied palate shows good balance with a somewhat shortened finish. This very good wine lacks the overall harmony that would make it outstanding. This may benefit from a few years of additional bottle age.
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1/11/2022 - fitzi wrote:
This bottle started off where my bottle 17 months ago left off, that is, starting to open, some flavor seeping through the still ample tannins, but not really at its best. Over three nights, it improved steadily, developing into a really interesting wine with engaging complexity and depth, good balance, and still that bit of austerity and restraint. There was a bit of cherry in there, no doubt, but my main impression was of coffee and almost a bit of chocolate, which is unique in my experience of Burgundy so far. Tannins were still durable and ample, but it didn't really matter because the other interesting characteristics stood up to them. Really the most satisfying bottle I've enjoyed in a very long time.
Both this bottle and the 2002 Karthaeuserhaus Spaetlese I opened at the same time, are object lessons in the compensations of buying wines to cellar for 10-30 years. Unless you're willing to put down quite a lot of money at restaurants with deep cellars, or are adept at auction scouting, there's no other way to get these flavors into your life. A good couple of nights with these two bottles.
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8/17/2020 - fitzi wrote:
Rolled the dice on a bottle of this, based on the last two posted notes. The first day I thought it was too acidic and rough for real pleasure. But it smoothed out, becoming more elegant with time. Not a lot of fruit aroma or flavor, but a pleasing tension, texture, and - if you cite this as a virtue in a red Burgundy - austerity. Very different than the Pernand 1er profile I get from Rollin and Jadot, which is dense, almost meaty, with fine, sandy tannins. Very good with food; as a sipper, more interesting than pleasing. Better the second day than the first. An apt, streamlined illustration of the house style.
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12/17/2019 - James1977 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a magnum. Drinking beautifully now. Very fruity nose. Cherry and strawberry with the age showing as mushroom with subtle white pepper
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7/22/2019 - ricemanhk Likes this wine:
Pale red with a touch of brick orange on the edge. From the color I would've assumed oxidized...and yet on the nose it was a lovely bouquet of red fruits, spices and that unmistakable perfume that only stems bring. Medium light on the body but there is an alluring intensity of more red fruits and spices with a nice lengthy finish. This is the total opposite of a fruit bomb, and may not please those who look for more body and fruit, but it's my preferred style of wine and just lovely right now. Even the empty glass was amazing to smell after the wine was all gone...
2nd day (kept with argon) it showed even more fruit and intensity, which suggests still more life ahead, though I think it's drinking wonderful now already. That fragrance...bravo!
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8/30/2016 - David_K wrote:
A surprisingly evolved, pale ruby with orange around the edges. Also surprisingly evolved on the palate, with gentle acids and soft, pretty, dried fruit. Firmed up a little on the second night, which led me to believe there is perhaps more left in the tank than I first thought, but I would still err on the side of drinking this sooner rather than later.
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5/15/2016 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
I liked this best with a short decant; out of the gate it really did show a lovely Pernand profile, full of red fruits and minerality. With time it took on a bit of a Savigny-like blood/tomato kind of thing which was nice in moderation but eventually detracted from the fruit. An excellent value.
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7/14/2013 - Lizizwhereitiz wrote: 75 Points
Peppery. Dry.
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5/10/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 89 Points
This is basically like staring at a construction site when the only thing there is the foundation. There is a lot here to build on, but nothing else is really evident. At the moment it is basically a showcase of the techniques used to make it, primarily the whole-cluster treatment -- with its pale, translucent color and a mouthfeel that's linear, precise, and tensile, it's about as perfect a textbook example of what whole clusters do to a wine as you could ever hope to find. Within that frame the fruit has a fairly gentle touch and a chocolatey oak aroma dissipated with airtime. And that's pretty much all I can say about it.
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4/16/2011 - sehill wrote: 88 Points
Nice showing for this wine; however, it was overshadowed by the previous '99 Rousseau "Clos de la Roche". This offers aromatics of red cherry, spice, floral and funky earthy notes. The medium bodied palate shows good balance with a somewhat shortened finish. This very good wine lacks the overall harmony that would make it outstanding. This may benefit from a few years of additional bottle age.
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5/28/2010 - blancdeblancs wrote:
peppery, old roses, earthy, pretty aromatic. super-delicious, lots of acidity and purity. light in color---strawberry.
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