June 19, 2023 - This bottle showed the best of the three. Could be because LSG, even in a off-vintage, needs plenty of time to reveal itself. Or, could be because I decanted this one right before serving it, and it did bring out the best in the aromatics - they really popped about 20 minutes after decanting. Spices, bright red and black fruit, a savory soil and mineral sense, just a complete and very attractive nose. On the palate it showed that spherical and seamless-ness that I love - a harmonious and balanced wine. There were 30-45 minutes of great, and then the wine began to tail off so, you know, plan accordingly.
November 9, 2020 - Opened and poured a taste, left in bottle for a half hour and decanted off the sediment as dinner was put on the table. This is a very good wine, perhaps not a great Les Saint Georges, but an absolutely lovely wine. The nose, especially after a half hour in the decanter, is wonderfully harmonious and spherical - something I remember from other vintages of this wine. It’s possible to pick out aromas of bright red currant-like fruit and also darker fruit, like plum. Also savory things like soil, menthol, and under-wood. But the overall sensation is one of balance and harmony. This follows through on the palate too, which shows vibrant acidity and is very lively, and also an unmistakable grace and delicacy. It’s just a delicious wine, and a classic example of how red burgundy can be so beguiling in its power without weight, in its grace and harmony and focus. I got none whatsoever of the 2004 green taint here, I’m happy to say.
July 14, 2020 - An odd wine with slight effervescence and funk on top of an otherwise elegant structure with dark fruit and resolved tannins. Not offering a rating, but not certain it was flawed. Starting to brown on the rim.
January 12, 2020 - Evidence of very slight leak. Mature and open with a bright acid edge, good depth and concentration. Put on some weight after a couple hours. No real evidence of underripe fruit. This turned brown after a day, but still retained most of its character. Possibly not a representative bottle, but seems like it is closer to the end than the beginning of its drinking window.
August 8, 2019 - This wine seesawed between showing signs of 2004 character initially being marked by notes of green meanies and even pyrazines (ladybird taint). After 30 minutes these largely blew off leaving a very complex mature wine with strong pain d’epices but still some fruit. I have had a lot of bottle variation and the bad bottles are very bad, but this one turned the corner and was excellent.
August 6, 2019 - Slow-ox 30 minutes, tasted over 1.5 hrs, bottle from secondary market
-murky dark red mild bricking
-expressive enchanting rich full warm earthy cherry tomato faint oak
-med/med+ acidity gives an almost citrus orange peel tang on the finish, med weight enveloping full palate with faded cherry iron earth sousbois, med/med- tannins that are thankfully not dried out like many '04s, faint oak on moderately long finish
-robust complex virile solidly old school and satisfying drinking beautifully now square on its mature plateau
April 9, 2017 - Very drying on the back end. Disappointing for a Chevillon. Perhaps more reflective of the vintage than the producer or the vineyard.
October 16, 2016 - Straight from the bottle this showed a surprisingly mature deep brick core fading to a clear warm rim. Initial fugitive wafts - bacon fat? mint? parted to reveal dark ripe berries and consommé. In the mouth a joyously luxurious satin texture passes the weightless wooded fruit through every part of the palate: the fascinating play of flavours sings for minutes. After about an hour all traces of vapourousness had gone, the wine had put on weight and richness and yet still rewarded continual interrogation. One of the greatest NSGs I've had. Drunk to César Franck at G's birthday.
August 23, 2016 - Garnet color with a ruby rim that seemed advanced for this vintage; Blind I might have guessed this to be a 80-90s Burgundy with no hint to the vintage or vineyard. Dried strawberry fruit. There is no hint of the vintage greeness that ruined several of our other Chevillon wines. This seemed a bit advanced and dry for its age. Decanted about an hour with good results and followed from the opening.
February 3, 2016 - Deep garnet with minimal to no clouding. Expressive nose of young red cherries and strawberry with new leather, developing into dried cherry and cranberry with more air time. Textural with big tannins. Underbrush and damp soil emerge on the nose and palate with gravelly minerals. Notes of spent coffee grounds and sweet espresso. Faint spiciness, dried ginger. Pleasant surprise, great drinker.