April 29, 2018 - A lazy Sunday afternoon gathering –All Burgundy (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Amy’s bottle served blind. A hint of green/pyrzine but a beautiful mature Burgundy nose. My guess is the 04 Rousseau Chambertin. Beautifully mature nose displaying sweet black fruit, blackberry, black cherry, sweet spices, tree bark, sous bois and earth. Very good concentration, very good concentration of black fruit, slightly rough/coarse, medium acidity, strong earthy mineral and a medium finish with earth and a hint of green at the end. Despite a hint of green, the nose is really enjoyable. The palate is slightly rough and coarse. Nice showing.
January 2, 2016 - My Birthday lunch at Les Amis. First of 4 reds. This wine evolved quite drastically over the duration of 2 hours. On first pour, a brilliant red, very primary, with an incredible bouquet of wild blueberries, fresh red roses, violets and a burst of intense ripe red fruit. The palate matched up with a melange of flavours - red kiwi, pomegranate, cherries, plums, grilled meat and beef broth. However, with extended time, this gained secondary characteristics, perhaps identifying and showing the true character of a Ruchottes - austere, lean, more mineral than fruit driven, yet with an underlying elegance. There was quite heavy bricking in appearance, with truffle, earth, minerals, meat, black tea and smoke, with some hints of sour plum, raisins and coffee. Very engaging wine, but not something for the long haul, although it was very interesting and intriguing to experience the evolution.
February 20, 2013 - Fine burgundy dinner (Alyn Williams at the Westbury): Green again, but this died down. Savoury, meaty. Good
October 27, 2012 - Gevreys with friends (Chez Jane): Perhaps my expectations undermined this. I was very conscious of some green in this. Gamey and animal, and not as sweet or pretty as past bottles. But round the table, this proved a favourite. [just seen my preceding note from July and am struck by how similar this one is]
July 26, 2012 - Medium weight, tangy and gamey, but shorter on fruit than past bottles and much less pretty, and reminded me of the Bachelet villages. Nice, but disappointig in comparison with past bottles
May 14, 2012 - A burgundy lunch (La Trompette, Chiswick, London): A bit of stalkiness here in amongst the sweet, gamey fruit, fresh and tangy - I love this
August 24, 2011 - Lovely light style, soft cherry, Coche?
August 23, 2011 - Eclectic mixture tasted blind (Medlar, Chelsea, London): Pretty nose, red fruits on the palate, high acid, a touch of green, but showing clarity and luminosity - chosen to show the sort of wine that wows me. And it did wow me.
August 23, 2011 - Ian S's Blind at The Medlar (The Medlar, London): Mid garnet, slightly dull. One sniff and it has to be burgundy. Late 80s to early 90s C de Nuits. Pretty high acidity with some underlying ripeness. This lacks a bit of generosity. ***1/2
July 30, 2011 - NadNash dinners: Absolutely stunning yet again (our fourth bottle in as many months) - deep, mysterious, silky, fresh, this has it all seems way better than the CSJ and the Chambertin in this vintage.