ankitmehra

Tasting Notes

• 1995 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)

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  4/24/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Perhaps an imbibed decision to open this after a bottle of Morey-Saint-Denis at dinner, but after reading about the vinification changes Château Branaire-Ducru have undergone since the 1990s, I was eager to try a bottle from that period. Enjoying many of the bottles I've tried from the 1995 vintage, it was a no-brainer when I saw this bottle for sale and that confidence was rewarded after a 30 minute decant last night. The 1995 Château Branaire-Ducru opened up wonderfully, drinking younger than anticipated and boasting a lot of power over the course of two hours. The nose medlied lots of classic Bordeaux qualities as blackcurrants, cigar box, pencil shavings and a hint of smoke all came together. The fruit was singing as the upfront was packed with blackberries and even a hint of rhubarb before the mid-palate moved into a backbone of cedar wood, licorice and a hint of earthiness. The power of this bottle was well represented in the finish as notes of crème de cassis and meatiness came across an elongated finish that boasted racy acidity.

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• 2008 Gérard Raphet Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes

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  4/24/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine: 92 Points

  This was a wine I thoroughly enjoyed tracking over the course of the night. My first experience with Gérard Raphet as a producer, I was eager to try this the day I got it, but waited a month until I opened this bottle up. The wine immediately came off a little thin, but I persevered and allowed it to slow oxidise for about two hours before dinner.
  
  What a difference two hours makes.
  
  The power of the wine began to emerge the moment we poured it into our glasses, boasting a nose consisting of blackberries, leather and tobacco. The palate opened up with an upfront that pushed a balance of raspberries and a funky sous bois note. The mid-palate continued on with that funk as a hint of blackcurrant medlied with a mossy / vegetal note that eventually became subdued. The finish was really powerful as notes of iron, leather and spices all medlied together across some well integrated acidity. This was a wine worth letting open up.

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• 1998 Domaine Jean Tardy et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots

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  4/15/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Wow. One of the best examples of wine from Nuits-Saint-Georges I've had the pleasure to try. Domaine Jean Tardy works across five hectares of land for all their offerings and you can tell the refinement of their wines off of the first sip of one of their bottles. This 1er Cru from 'Les Boudots' was in such a magnificent place on the night - the type of bottle you never want to see the bottom of. The nose gave off hints of advancement as aromas of leather, herbs, tobacco and a light vegetal quality all came together. In contrast, though, the palate boasted so much life as the upfront had a sexy morello cherry note balanced out perfectly by sous bois. The mid-palate showed off Les Boudots' proximity to Vosne-Romanée as those lovely Vosne spices came into the mix, aided by the power of a meaty note as well. The tannins felt perfectly integrated across some good acidity, amplified by a lovely, silky herbaceous finish. I'm writing this three days after drinking the bottle, still thinking about the wine.

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