Stunning wines at Domaine Roulot, a style that emphasises lightness and elegance.

Bourgogne Blanc 2006
Reasonably ripe and buxom on the nose. Light, stylish palate with lots of fruit and a very vivacious character. Nice.

Meursault "les Tillets" 2006
Floral perfume, highly scented. Smells pretty complex to me. A really mineral palate with a buttery sophistication. Really damned good.

Meursault "Meix Chavaux" 2006
A lovely toffee apple character with a let of minerality. Despite its weight it gives an impression of lightness and elegance. Really beautiful.

Meursault "Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir" 2006
A ravishingly beautiful nose of melon and lemon surrounded by a wonderfully integrated oakiness. The palate is super elegant. Really harmonious, tits delicious.

Meursault Premier Cru Perrieres 2006
Fresh, lively fruit on the nose with a delicate mineral creaminess. Super complex. The palate is totally beautiful, refined and oozing with classy style. Dig that minerality, man.

Clos de la Roche 1988, Domaine Dujac
Soft and scented with lovely fruit and a nice earthiness. This is very good indeed and up for drinking.

Saint Aubin Premier Cru Champlots 2006, Pierre-Yves Colin
The nose has nice fruit with a hint of oak. Palate is light and fruity with reasonable length. Nice enough.

Nuits Saint Georges Premier Cru Clos des Forets Saint Georges 1993, Domaine l'Arlot
Lovely blackcurrant fruit on the nose, really earth too. Smells up for fun. Palate has good structure and nice length. Quite tasty, really.

Riesling Grand Cru Pfersigberg Vieille Vigne 2001, Domaine Bruno Sorg
A pretty nose of baked apple and creamy minerality. There are real flashes of style about the nose. The palate is refined and elegant, with a fruity/mineral richness that is really pleasing. Pretty damned good.

Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile 1997, F. E. Trimbach
A rich nose of citrus fruit and petrol. There is some classy mineral action here too. The palate gives a remarkable sense of fat and density even though this is as delicate as a rose petal. Real class and complexity. Top stuff.

Chateauneuf du Papes 1995, Chateau de Beaucastel
A profound nose of spicy, rich fruit. Very dense and expressive. There is a good perfume to it. The palate has plenty of fruit and is rich and warm. Not unbalanced, though, very tasty, in fact.

Top quality from Christophe Roumier. The general opinion is that his 2007s are a bit better than his 2006s, but both are quite lovely.

Chambolle-Musigny 2007
Lovely Chambolle fruit. Reasonably stylish. Nice soft palate with lovely fruit and soft ripe tannins. Quite tasty.

Morey Saint Denis Premier Cru Clos de la Bussiere 2007
This also smells quite stylish with good fruit and nice earthiness. Good tannic structure and nice complexity. I think this is really pretty and charming.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Combottes 2007
Truly lovely fruit which is very Chambolle. Real depth of character on the nose. The palate has fruit driven power and good complexity. Very good indeed.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Cras 2007
Now this has a deep, complex array of aromas on the nose. Same on the palate. It is very lively and packed with minerality. This is proper wine already.

Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2007
Now this is tits out for the boys. Lovely, lovely perfume with flowers and charming fruit. The palate has some pronounced tannins, but they are ripe so are quite alright. Utterly delicious.

Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2007
A rich density of fruit that is very expressive. Malolactic fermentation not really started of the palate is a touch angular, but the raw materials are there to make a fine wine.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Amoureuses 2007
Now this has a really beautiful nose; great perfume and real style. There is a real concentration of flavours on the palate. Tits, man, and I do mean TITS.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2007
A profound nose of spice and ripe fruit. Again this is really expressive and the nose is extremely pleasing. The palate is multi-dimensional with layers of flavour that persist for a long time. Freaking triple-A.

Chambolle-Musigny 2006
Nice purity of fruit on the nose. Silky smooth palate that has a good degree of style.

Morey Saint Denis Premier Cru Clos de la Bussiere 2006
Bramble fruits on the nose. Quite Morey in style. Palate has some good earthiness and nice structure. One of the best Clos de la Bussiere I've had.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Combottes 2006
Fleshy nose with plenty of fruit. Nice Chambolle fruit on the palate. Reasonably vigorous tannins and acidty. Pretty good.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2006
Tobacco and spice on the nose. We are talking serious complexity here although I get the feeling this is going through a closed patch. Really sexy and stylish palate with fruit, spice and silky tannins. Real density and concentration too. Not as good as the 2007 but undoubtedly excellent.

Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2006
Rich, play-dough nose, very mineral. Good density and fat on the palate. Very mineral, very stylish. I like this a lot. Charming Corton, who'd have thought it?

I'm back from my sojourn in Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne. As I indicated in my last post I will not be putting all the notes up instantly, rather two entries per day until I've caught up. Here is the general drinking from Sunday night.

Volnay Clos de la Bousse d'Or 1995, Domaine Pousse d'Or
Really perfumed and scented with soft old fruit and a floral/Jasmine aroma. The palate is just beautiful. Loads of fruit with real elegance and refinement. Delicious. In the full flow of providing pleasure.

Vouvray Cuvee Constance 1995, Huet
Rotting wool, carrots and apricots on the nose. Very complex with a real earthy tang. The palate is painfully intense with incredible acidity, rich earthiness and lots of apricot fruit. Real Vouvray silkiness which is quite lovely. A tour de force from Domaine Huet.

Tomorrow I am off to Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne; oddly enough these are three of my four favourite wine regions. To dine we will be revisiting La Ferme de la Ruchotte and going for two meals at the best place I have ever dined, l'Arnsbourg.

Of course, there will be wine tastings: Roulot, Roumier, Lambrays, Dujac, Arlaud and hopefully Mugnier and Pernot in Burgundy. Only three tastings in Alsace, but we are super-high-grading: Trimbach, Sorg and Boxler.

All of these I will write up, along with the general drinking that will no-doubt occur, but it seems unlikely I'll be able to post these whilst I am away. I'll be back on Tuesday 8 July and will post two postings a day from my trip until the site is up-to-date

I've enjoyed the last couple of Prager wines, so when I saw this in Fortnum's I thought it well worth a try.

Riesling Smaragd "Stenriegl" 2006, Prager
A highly perfumed nose of wonderful apricot and peach aromas. There is a strong earthiness to this wine, that grounds its more expressive, floral side. This is perfectly balanced. It tastes absoutely fantasic, with its floral, fruity flavours in perfect harmony with is dense, mineral weightiness. This is really lovely, lovely balance and style.

But this is quite appealing.

Meursault Premier Cru les Poruzots 2002, Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet
Huge density of flavour on the nose; ripe lemons and stoniness. There is also a lovely floral perfume to the nose. The aromas are very well defined and work together to create a complex whole. The obvious weight combined with subtle complexity on the nose might lead one into thinking this is a Grand Cru white Burgundy, I don't think that'd be such a bad guess. Again there is weight and density on the palate, but the good acidity and soily richness keep this lively and very expressive. The sum of the flavours on the palate creates a sumptuous totality which is quite lovely. The finish is wonderfully charming and lively, with great acidity, plenty of fruit and a good mineral tang. This is damned good white Burgundy, especially if you like them bien loche.

Roman Niewodnicszanski often makes top Riesing, this is no disappointment.

Riesling Scharzhofberger "Pergentsknopp" 2005, Van Volxem
A lovely nose of sweet citrus fruit with a lovely savoury character.There is a hint of celery to it which is oddly appealing. It doesn't smell particularly botrytised, but there is plenty of ripe fruit there. The alcohol seems in perfect harmony on the nose (claimed 12%). The palate has truly lovely bastard-loads of fruit, with great minerality and a thrilling edge of acidity. It is not overly sweet, and the fruit and minerality make this thrilling. This has an obvious high degree of complexity, but is going through a bit of a closed patch. I would wager this would be a lot better in five or more years time, but it has a thrilling, nervous, edgy life to it now. Lovely stuff, and it is a relative bargain.

OK, I admit that very few Sauvignon Blancs do it for me, but this is horrible beyond my powers of description. I'll give being rude a go, though.

Sauvignon Blanc "Selection 94" 2006, Dog Point Vineyard
The nose is completely confected and contrived, clearly made from over-ripe fruit that has been cold-fermented. It is not all that clean, either. Utterly disgusting filth would be a fair description of the nose; it revolts in so many ways. I've had two mouthfuls and that is enough. It is blowsy and distinctly sweet, with truly horrible rotting fruit flavours. It lacks any balance, harmony, or even any nice flavours that would make one want even sip this wine gingerly. This wine is a slur on the good name of wine. How could anyone make this and, even more incredibly, expect people to pay money and drink it? I have been drinking so well recently that this wine is personally offensive; the winemaker generated this filth specifically to revolt those who like nice wine and I bet the bastard was targetting me in particular. I am eternally grateful that I didn't pay for this, but my bad mood at having tried it will last until someone punches the winemaker on my behalf.

This was quite delicious with the chicken I roasted earlier.

Chablis Grand Cru Preuses 2000, Domaine William Fevre
A lovely nose of earthy complexity and plenty of nuttiness. There is some lovely lemon fruit there as well. I am quite surprised by the degree of maturity displayed on the nose; this smells very much up for drinking. There is real density and weight on the palate, but the great minerality and wonderful acidity keep this well-balanced. The fruit is quite delicious and the finish is very long and pleasing. I don't think there is much point in keeping this wine any longer, I am under the impression it has peaked and will not get any better. It is quite tasty, though.

Gewurztraminer is one of those grape varieties one either loves or loathes. This is a damned good example that is up for drinking now.

Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Altenbourg "Cuvee Laurence" 2002, Domaine Weinbach
This has a lovely nose of banana fruit and rich spiciness. There is some real earthy complexity here, which raises this wine above the normal Gewurztraminer simplicity. Even though the fruit is very ripe this is no booze-tastic horror; it is perfectly balanced. I love its mineral charm. On the palate the fruit reminds me very much of those foam banana sweets, a wine for those in touch with their youthful-side. The palate is surprisingly, and pleasingly, dry. OK, there is plenty of fruit and a hint of alcohol warmth, but these don't detract from what is a very pleasing palate. This is not a bottle of Zind-Humbrecht tart-fuel as so many people expect from Alsace Gewurzt. There is a real degree of complexity and style here. I admit I don't drink Gewurzt that often, it rarely provides as much pleasure as this,  but I am enjoying this wine greatly. I have simple needs, I am easily satisfied with the best, and this wine is satisfying me no end. I'd drink it within the next few years. The Weinbach ladies are lovely people (bien loché, if I am honest) and they make top bunny wines. Well worth looking out for any of their Grand Cru offerings.

We tried this at the London Wine Trade Fair last week and our case was delivered this morning. It is bursting with youthful charm.

Riesling Spatlese Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck "Old Vines" 2007, Leitz
This has a completely lovely nose of grapefruit and creamy minerality. There are hints of cucumber and mint there as well, which smell a lot more attractive than they sound. The nose is very complex and pleasing, with that wonderful 'puppy fat' character that young German Riesling often displays. The palate has lots of delicious citrus fruit and perfectly balanced acidity which makes this burst with youthful exuberance. The sweetness is very harmonious with the fruit and acid; this is a proper Spatlese not a de-classified Auslese as many of these wines tend to be from really top vintages. It is very long, with real old vines concentration of flavours and wonderful, wonderful complexity. OK, the Prum Spatlese from a few days ago may be a slightly more refined, elegant drink, but this is a superb example of Rheingau Riesling at a deeply reasonable price. It is not short on style or class, indeed it is quite delicious. Marks and Spencer tell us this wine should be drank within the next two years, and I think that is probably correct. Leitz wines are lovely when young but I have not had an older example that I think provides as much pleasure.

Madeira Boal Reserva 1968, D'Oliveiras: Excellent Madeira that is quite a lovely drink now. Read the note here. £58 from Waitrose Wine Direct.

Hermitage 2005, Domaine du Colombier: Affordable Hermitage and it is good, too. You just have to age it for it to show its best. £38.70 from Tanners.

Riesling Smaragd "Achleiten" 2005, Weingut Prager: One of the best dry Rieslings I've had in, oh, a period of time. The note is here. £28.50 from Waitrose Wine Direct.

Riesling Spatlese Rudensheimer Berg Roseneck "Old Vines" 2007, Leitz: I tried this at wine London Wine Trade Fair; it was an excellent, characterful, delicious wine. Well worth the money. £16.20 from Marks and Spencer.

Riesling Spatlese Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg 1999: A lovely wine from the Ruwer, bursting with life and, let us be honest, acidity. This a a great, refreshing drink that would be perfect to drink over the summer. £12.50 from the Wine Society.

Insomnia is plaguing both the partner and myself. He suggested the following guest article.

10	The Rolling Stones "Paint it black"
9	Tom Waits "The piano has been drinking (not me)"
8	Lemon Jelly "'79 (aka. the shouty track)"
7	Noël Coward "There are bad times just around the corner"
6	Divine Comedy "Death of a supernaturalist"
5	The Smiths "There is a light"
4	Pink Floyd "Nobody home"
3	KTU "Absinthe"
2	Morrissey "How could anybody possible know how I feel"
1	Divine Comedy "Through a long and sleepless night"

I love Cote-Rotie and Clusel-Roch make properly beautiful wines. Considering this comes from a really ripe vintage it is completely harmonious and deeply charming. It may be a tad over its claimed 12% alcohol, but such is the classy fruit and refined minerality that you will not be harassed by any awfulness.

Cote-Rotie "Classique" 2005, Domaine Clusel-Roch
Quite dark in colour. The nose has plenty of fruit which, whilst largely dark and ripe, is very elegant and refined. There is some great earthy complexity on that palate. Some people have said they find 2005 Rhone wines to be too tough and hard work, but there is no hint of that on this wine. The palate does have some big tannins, but they are ripe and give this wine great structure and personality. The length and complexity of the finish are quite delicious. If this wine is so good I can only imagine how the Grand Places (Clusel-Roch's prestige cuvée) would be. It does need a few more years to be showing at its best, but I feel it'll be well worth the wait.