Everybody needs some Pol Roger 1996 in their cellar.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2001, Château de Chambolle-Musigny/J et F Mugnier: One of the star performers in the 2001 vintage, this is a really refined and elegant Bonnes-Mares. £73 from Howard Ripley.

Champagne Pol Roger 1996: This is a brilliant, tightly-bound Champagne of great intensity. Quite lovely and will age very well indeed. £41.60 from Ten Acre Wines.

Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens 2003, Domaine de Courcel: One of the great successes of the vintage in Burgundy. This is a big tannic monster, but it is jam-packed with rich, ripe fruit. Huge cellaring potential. £32 from Howard Ripley.

Vosne-Romanée 1999, René Engel: Snap up this great village wine whilst it lasts, no more will be coming from chez Engel. £22.25 from Howard Ripley.

Riesling Rudesheimer Kirchenpfad Auslese 2004, J. Leitz: 2004 was a classic vintage for most German Riesling, good acidity with nice fruit. This is a good Auslese. £18.95 from Berry Bros. and Rudd.

As part of the humorous 'taste crap wines' weekend that included the quite worryingly disgusting Blue Nun we also purchased a bottle of Frascati. It was quite an expensive bottle of Frascati as far as the supermarket's selection went: a whole fiver. It had some fruit, a degree of bitter-almonds character and alcohol. It wasn't bad, but it was sub-interest.

I was almost impressed when I first tried it; I didn't feel immediately sick. However, I was incredibly bored by it. It was characterless, bland and incredibly one-dimensional. There was nothing beyond the the simplest of flavours there. It was so dull it wasn't even refreshing.

Wines like this will always be sub-interesting, no matter how well-made or expensive they are. The last bottle of Burgundy I opened was sub-interest because it only had big, slightly unripe tannins, and nothing else. There was no earthy complexity or charming fruit. It was just a dull, tannic monster.

This does not mean that actively unpleasant wines (like the Blue Nun) are not sub-interest because they are so aggressively horrible that they are interesting. I'm not interested in nasty things, and nor should you be.

Dugat-Py are quite well thought of, on my occasional tastings of their wines I have often wondered why they are so popular and so expensive. They are not really beautiful, lovely Burgundies.

Gevrey-Chambertin Tres Vieilles Vignes Coeur de Roy 2000, Bernard Dugat-Py
This is a very dark wine. It smells more like an oaky Syrah or Cabernet than lovely Pinot. The nose is certainly that of a big wine. The palate certainly has big tannins, but it doesn't have much for to balance this out. It is very drying, not terribly complex and certainly not lovely. As I've thought with previous wines of theirs that I have had, they are just far too extracted and lacking any real charm. I won't be buying more of their wines, far too expensive.

Purchased for a laugh, to remind ageing memories of what wine used to be like. All I can say is: By arse, this is disgusting.

Blue Nun Original 2005, H. Sichel Sohne
Has some odd, confected, artificial fruit on the nose. It also reeks of wet animal hair. In the name of all that is evil, this tastes disgusting. It is like sucking on an incontinent, diabetic rat. I can manage two tastes of this for the purpose of writing this note, no more will pass my lips.

I am a big fan of the wines of Jean-Marc Roulot; they are elegant, refined and beautiful. They are also very easy to drink. We brought this back from our cellar in Burgundy

Meursault Les Tillets 2001, Domaine Roulot
This has a restrained nose of flowers and minerality. It smells very elegant and polished. The palate has good acidity, is very gently oaky and plenty of lemon fruit. It has very good length with fruit and minerality persisting on the finish. This is quite delicious and shows that these Meursault deuxieme crus are well worth seeking out from good producers.

We celebrated the birthday of my partner at a farmhouse eating establishment. It was quite a lot of fun. Lovely beef.

Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1988, Pol Roger
Really toasty, cocoa nose. It is really fully developed. Broad and powerful with great acidity. This is really excellent.

Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile Vendanges Tardives 1989, Trimbach
Rich, mineral nose. Quite botrytic, quite petrolly. Nice citric fruit. Richness and minerality on the palate. Lovely acidity. Very harmonious and balanced. Lovely fruit. This is superb.

Richebourg Grand Cru 1972, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
F'ing triple-A nose of soft red fruit and extraordinary complexity. This is muy excellente. The palate is a tiny bit dry, but enough fruit remains. For an old bottle this is excellent. F'ing quadruple-A, in fact.

Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2001, Domaine des Lambrays
Lovely nose of fresh red fruit: cherries and strawberries. Very mineral. The palate is very mineral too. Lovely fruit and and real length. No wonder I like Clos des Lambrays. This is quite yummy.

Riesling Clos St. Hune 1990, Trimbach
This has been exposed to a bit too much heat during its lifetime. It seems a bit flat and lacking the excitement it should have. I was disappointed.

Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2000, Mommessin
Raspberry fruit on the nose. The tannins are quite noticeable for a 2000. Is there a hint of greenness there? I think so. It is pretty big, and quite extractive. The fruit is good, though, and there is nice complexity. Not bad at all.

That completes ten days of tasting and drinking. What a lot of fun it was.

It was a lovely view. How I wish I owned some of those vines.

Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2002, Domaine Albert Boxler
Lovely fruit and very good acidity. Nice concentration. Quite lovely.

Vin Gris 2005, Domaine de Triennes
Light, fruity nose. Light, fruity palate. A reasonable summer drink.

Bourgogne Rosé 2005, Château de Puligny-Montrachet
It is a bit prickly. Nice strawberry fruit. Good acidity. This is a quite grown up rosé.

Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru les Brulées 1996, Rene Engel
A complex nose of soft old fruit. Seems quite ready for drinking. Very soft and charming palate. I think this is rather good.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Combes aux Moines Vieilles Vignes 1999, Domaine Fourrier
The nose is still a bit oaky. Real old vines richness and complexity. Nice elegance and refinement. Very good length. Lovely.

Echezeaux Grand Cru 1990, Domaine Dujac
Really lovely perfume of soft fruit. Very complex with nice earthy tones. A very good soft palate of lovely fruit and minerality. This is fully mature and delicious.

Insignia 1995, Joseph Phelps
Very ripe and blackcurranty. Rich palate of dark fruit. It is pretty tannic. Nice enough, but still doesn't convince me about the point of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Champagne Grande Rosé, Gosset
Corked, bugger!

Riesling Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Spatlese no. 23 Auction wine 1996
Really pure, limey nose. Very racy and exciting. Frighteningly acidic, very linear. But great fruit and very long. This is special.

Saint-Aubin Premier Cru en Remilly 2004, Bernard Moreau et Fils
Nice, pretty fruit, some minerality. Quite light bodied, nice acidity, reasonable length. Pretty good.

Morgon 2004, M. Lapierre
Lovely bright red fruit nose. No bubblegum. Soft fruit palate. Nice and drinkable. Pretty good.

Meursault Premier Cru les Bouchères 2004, Deux Montilles
Peachy fruit, some good, creamy minerality. Very good length. It is really good, focused Meursault.

Le Montrachet Grand Cru 2004, Comtes Lafon
Quite tight and backward, but it has some real fat and charm. Incredible minerality, huge length and stunning complexity. Excellent, grand vin!

Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru les Suchots 1971, Leroy
Lovely, ripe, mature, soft fruit. Lovely aged complexity. Yum. The palate is charming and soft. Quite lively for its age. Completely lovely.

Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg Vendanges Tardives 1995, Domaine Marcel Deiss
Rich, earthy nose. Orange fruit. Very complex. Quite sweet, but it has good acidity and rather nice minerality. Candied orange peel on the finish. Quite nice. Better than the crap he makes these days.

Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1996, Pol Roger
Very tight palate with great acidity. Really weighty, it is almost tannic. This has both scale and precision. Excellent.

Bandol Rosé 2003, Château de Pibarnon
Quite fruity, quite refreshing, quite nice.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Chevenottes 2003, Bernard Moreau et Fils
Very ripe nose, but it has some minerality. It has quite a lot of weight on the palate; it is reasonably balanced, though. Quite nice.

Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru les Saints Georges 1995, Gouges
Ripe nose of dark, rich fruit. Very rich, structured palate. Tannins seem a bit tough at this stage of maturity, but it is really rather good.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Fuées 2001, Frédéric Mugnier
Beautiful nose of ripe red fruit. Really pure. Completely lovely palate, ripe and soft. Real complexity. Very long. Sloo++.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru aux Combottes 1978, Domaine Dujac
Properly mature. Really lovely. Excellent wine.

Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkapsel 1995, Joh. Jos. Prum
Quite petrolly, quite mineral. A nice botrytis character. Good and rich. Screamingly acidic, but the fruit is delicious. Very long. Very stylish. Quite lovely.

Sauternes Château Suduiraut 1989
Very botrytic, apricots and cream. I suppose it has reasonable length, but it really tastes like a a glass of apricot nectar. Hmmmm...

I cannot pretend to be terribly objective about Domaine Dujac wines, not only are they my favourite producer in Morey but they are also made by a friend from university. Moreover, I was staying there for most of the time I was in Burgundy. Lovely people, lovely wines.

Morey St. Denis 2005
In the full flow of malolactic fermentation, it smells a bit bacterial. Underneath that there is excellent fruit and a dense tannic structure. There is plenty of fruit. Top Morey villages.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru aux Combottes 2005
A bit reduced on the nose. Nice Gevrey fruit, though. Really quite complex. Again it has quite a dense tannic structure. It seems very complex and charming. I am a fan.

Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru aux Thorey 2005
This is the only vintage this wine will be made at Dujac. A dark fruit nose that is really Nuits, but it shows refinement. A good, elegant palate with nice, ripe tannins and very good fruit. This is a charming Nuits. I want some.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Gruenchers 2005
Very fragrant nose that is deep and rich. Very concentrated palate with refined tannins and nice length. Quite lovely.

Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru les Beaux-Monts 2005
A bit malo-y but lovely exotic fruit here. Good fruit on the palate, too, with a real depth of flavour and good length. Serious Vosne.

Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2005
Rich nose of quite lovely fruit. Very complex. Lovely rich palate of fruit and earth. This is terribly charming. I love it.

Echezeaux Grand Cru 2005
This is really ripe, almost chocolaty. Nice fruit complexity. The palate has good concentration and nice balance. This is very good indeed. Sloo!

Clos St. Denis Grand Cru 2005
Still a bit gassy, but this has a really pretty, charming fruit character. Good concentration, too. This is a really grown-up wine. Lovely fruit on the palate with great complexity. Yeah baby!

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2005
Dense, concentrated nose of dark, ripe fruit. Real style and complexity here. The palate has great fruit and complexity. This is ace - and I don't mean ace-hole.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2005
From the newly acquired vines: The fruit on this is really good, complex and stylish. It has a degree of masculinity. Seems up to standard.
From the Domaine vines: This smells richer and more powerful. Has great complexity. Super sloo!

Chambertin Grand Cru 2005
Profound nose of dark fruit. Very complex. The palate has some good fruit, very good length and great complexity. Wow, top effort for a first vintage. There are only five barrels on this made, I wonder how much I can score for my cellar.

Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 2005
Wow, really exotic fruit on the nose. Very complex. This is really long. Another top effort for a first vintage of this wine.

Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Malconsorts 2005
Good Vosne fruit character. Muy complexity! This has a lot of concentration and very good length. The fruit is just lovely. Dujac hits the spot again.

Morey St. Denis 2004
Nice ripe fruit. Palate shows a hint of greenness and the acid is a bit higher than the '05. It is a nice drink, though.

Morey St. Denis Premier Cru 2004
Ripe nose with good minerality. Quite good concentration with juicy fruit and chewy tannins. Very Morey. Good balancing acid and nice length. A goodie.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru aux Combottes 2004
A pure expression of fruit and minerality on the nose. Silky tannins on the palate along with very pleasing fruit. Good balancing acidity. Yum.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Gruenchers 2004
Refined and elegant fruit that shows old vine concentration. Really pretty palate with lovely fruit. Most delicious.

Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2004
Really lovely fruit on the nose, charming and complex. The palate has good complexity too. It'll age really well. A goodie.

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2004
Ripe, dense nose of complex fruit and earth. Profound. Nice complexity on the palate with lovely cherry fruit and good, ripe tannins. This is fine wine already!

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2004
Wow, powerful, masculine nose. Dark, brooding fruit. Palate is very complex with a lovely mineral character. This is seriously grown up wine.

Morey St. Denis Blanc Premier Cru Mont-Luissants 2004
Fresh, lemon fruit on the nose. It is also quite nutty and shows some good minerality for such young vines. Good acid. A nice, refreshing drink.

Clos St. Denis Grand Cru 1997
Very perfumed with sweet, ripe fruit. Really earthy and mineral. The fruit is quite lovely. Delicious.

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 1988
Sweet, mature fruit. Nice and earthy. Really complex on the nose. That palate has slightly high acid on the finish, but for an '88 this is soft and charming. Lovely.

Riesling Berncasteler Doctor Auslese 1998, Wwe. Dr H. Thanisch - Erban Thanisch
Nice and limey. Mineral and direct. Linear and citric. Pretty good.

Chablis Grand Cru les Clos 2000, J-P Droin
Quite nutty, a bit oxidised, but it seems mature rather than past it. Nice mineral palate. Good length. Pretty concentrated. Not bad at all.

Chablis Grand Cru les Clos 2000, Fevre
Very strong mineral nose. It has real focus, good acidity and nice length. It is a real step up from the Droin. Terribly good Chablis.

Chablis Grand Cru les Clos 2000, R et V Dauvissat
Very tight and linear. Very mineral. Perhaps a bit less concentration than the Fevre but it is a nice drink and very enjoyable.

Crozes-Hermitage 1995, Alain Graillot
Berry fruit and cheap cologne nose. Lots of fruit on the palate. Some real depth of character. Good acidity and nice length. A rather good Crozes.

Volnay Premier Cru 1999, Michel Lafarge
The nose is very pretty, lots of red fruit. A good mineral tang to it as well. Nice and elegant palate with plenty of fruit. Great minerality and lovely acidity. This is delicious.

Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Clos des Forets St. Georges 1998, Domaine l'Arlot
Bright red fruit nose. It has some depth and real complexity. Stylish, too. Very good fruit on the palate. A very nice drink.

Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto Alto TB 1997, Tomasso Bussola
Lawks, this is quite acetic. Really heavy and ponderous. The fruit is really congealed and rancid. No way, this is simply awful.

Christophe Roumier is a charming chap and his wines are charming too. His wines are personal favourites of mine and are usually worth seeking out in any vintage. Roumier and Mugnier are the best sources of Chambolle.

Chambolle-Musigny 2005
Very pretty fruit, but it is not short on concentration. The palate is lovely and charming. Very good indeed for a village.

Morey St. Denis Premier Cru Clos de la Bussiere 2005
Darker fruit on the nose. It is quite ripe. Nice tannic structure. A good wine.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Cras 2005
A dense, brooding nose of ripe fruit. Nicely structured palate with a lot of cherry fruit. This has the balance to be a very good wine indeed.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Amoureuses 2005
Very ripe, dark fruit nose. Intense and brooding. The palate has very good concentration but it does not lack finesse. Very long. An excellent premier cru.

Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2005
Very intense nose of ripe cherries. Very earthy and very complex. The palate is quite delicious with plenty of ripe fruit and a lovely structure. Quite delicious. Yum yum.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2005
Red soil cuvée: Really powerful nose of dark fruit. It is almost meaty. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich with fruit. This is a bit of a butch wine, but quite delicious nonetheless.
White soil cuvée: The nose is a bit more closed, the malolactic fermentation is less advanced. This shows as some gassiness on the palate. This seems more vivid and lively than the red soil cuvée. Still delicious, though. These two cuvées will be blended to make the final wine.

Musigny Grand Cru 2005
Christophe does not make much of this, so it was a rare treat to try it. Smells really beautiful with a lovely perfume. Beautiful structure with real complexity. Very long. This is a brilliant Musigny.

Chambolle-Musigny 2004
Nice fruit, pretty fruit. This is a nice, stylish, light-bodied Chambolle.

Morey St. Denis Premier Cru Clos de la Bussiere 2004
Denser, darker fruit. The tannins have a hint of greenness, but it is not distracting. It has got reasonable length. Nice enough.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2004
Dense nose of ripe, dark fruit. The palate is quite powerful, but it has a good backbone of minerality and acid. Nice balance. Delicious.

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2005
Very fruity and very mineral nose. Tres Corton. Very mineral palate, quite dense and buttery. Very long. Considering its youthful state this is quite impressive.

Cyprien Arlaud seems to be making better wine each year. This is quite good as his wines are very affordable. A good address.

Morey St. Denis 2005
Quite a pretty nose of fruit. It is a bit reduced. The palate is nice, though, with good fruit and reasonable length.

Chambolle-Musigny 2005
Prettier fruit and the Morey. Again it is a bit reduced. Palate has really good fruit, nice acidity and a charming finish.

Gevrey-Chambertin 2005
Good concentration of fruit on the nose. Sexy tannins on the palate, quite sophisticated for a village wine. Nice.

Morey St. Denis Premier Cru Blanchards 2005
More concentration than the village wines. It has good complexity. Nice length. Very Morey. I like its vineyard character.

Morey St. Denis Premier Cru Millands 2005
This is really Morey-ish as well. Very perfumed with lovely, clean, pure fruit. Good tannic structure and nice fruit on the finish. Very nice.

Morey St. Denis Premier Cru aux Chezeaux 2005
This is quite a pretty wine, almost Chambolle-y. Nice length and the fruit, tannins and acidity are in good harmony. Nice.

Morey St. Denis Premier Cru Ruchottes 2005
Lovely perfume of dark, ripe fruit. Smells yummy! Great fruit integrated with lovely, ripe tannins. This is quite a serious premier cru.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Noirots 2005
Now this has a pretty, charming nose. It is quite mineral too. It has a light, refined palate that shows good fruit. Nice Burgundy! Pretty Burgundy!

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Sentiers 2005
Nice fruit and whilst it shows good density it remains elegant. This is quite delicious.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru aux Combottes 2005
Very ripe fruit on the nose, clean and pure. It has good minerality, very good concentration and some refinement. A really good Gevrey.

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2005
A really super-concentrated nose of ripe fruit and minerality. The palate has density too. Very ripe fruit is there. This is really delicious.

Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2005
A really charming nose of ripe cherries. It is quite mineral too. A really pretty palate of lovely fruit. It has concentration and length, but it is very charming.

Clos St. Denis Grand Cru 2005
Much concentration here, but the fruit is really very pretty. Very fragrant. The palate shows real concentration of fruit and is very long. Top bunny Clos St. Denis.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2005
A very powerful, expressive nose. Loads of dark fruit. This was tasted from a new oak barrel, but it has the density of favour to hold the oak well. The palate is very dense and concentrated. Good acid and nice ripe tannins. A serious wine.

M. Mugnier makes some of the most beautiful wines in Burgundy. He has one recipe he uses for wine making every year, it doesn't change with vintage variations. It seems that recipe is a pretty grown-up one.

Chambolle-Musigny 2005
Lovely, pure fruit nose. Quite intense and ripe. The palate is very silky with lovely fruit. Quite delicious for a village wine (although a large proportion of this is declassified Premier Cru).

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru les Fuées 2005
Delicious fruit on the nose. Very elegant and refined. This has a bit of malo activity still happening so it is a bit spiky, but it will be smooth and complex. Clearly a fine wine.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2005
Again this is very fruity but it has a rich earthiness. Very elegant palate with good intensity. The palate is very round. This is quite excellent.

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Amoureuses 2005
Beautiful nose of fruit and minerality. Smells gorgeous. The fruit! The harmony! The refinement! This is simply magic.

Musigny Grand Cru 2005
Super earthy complexity here, it is really polished and refined. Very mineral. Extraordinary depth of flavour, fruit and minerality. Lawks! This is super-grade top bunny.

Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Clos de la Marachel 2005
Darker fruit on the nose, but it still has elegance. Quite a dense palate, but it is very refined for a Nuits. This is a terribly good Nuits.

Chambolle-Musigny 2004
Good depth of fruit on the nose. Pure red fruit. Tannins are a bit present, but they don't seem intrusive. Plenty of fruit. Yummy for a village.

Nuits St. Georges Premier Cru Clos de la Marachel 2004
Dark Nuits fruit on the nose with a pleasing earthiness. It has good structure with interwoven tannins, fruit and acidity. Quite a serious drink.

Musigny Grand Cru 2004
The nose is quite exotic, but has real definition and finesse. The palate has loads of elegant fruit, great minerality and a soft, elegant structure. Incredibly long, with fruit and minerals persisting. It is an intense experience. Extraordinarily good.

Musigny Grand Cru 1989
Soft, mature fruit on the nose. It is quite earthy. Also quite ripe. It has very good complexity and great intensity. Up for drinking. Very charming and deeply delicious.

After visiting Moreau we went to a one-star in Beaune and drank the following wines with dinner.

Riesling Grand Cru Muenchberg 2001, Andre Ostertag
Good mineral nose, nice and ripe. The palate is pleasingly mineral, but is quite light-bodied. This is a pretty Riesling.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Caillerets 2004, Marc Colin
Nice minerality, good focus. Very Chassagne. A real purity of expression here. This is top bunny.

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2002, Rene Engel
Very fruity nose; bien loché. It has a good earthy character to it. The palate has a real density to it. Lovely fruit. Very long. Good complexity. Excellent Clos de Vougeot.

M. Moreau makes very classic, typical wines; they don't have the same kind of house style as Dancer and Roulot.

Bourgogne Blanc 2005
Nice fruit and a hint of oaky character. It has some style for a Bourgogne of Blanc.

St. Aubin Premier Cru Sur Gamay 2005
Smells like a baby Puligny. Pure fruit, very classic. Perfectly drinkable.

Meursault 2005
Quite nutty and quite mineral. Reasonably complexity for a village wine. Again it is quite classic.

Chassagne-Montrachet 2005
Classic, typical Chassagne nose - flat Champagne. Delicious palate this is really typical for Chassagne. Very good indeed for what it is.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Maltroie 2005
Quite a mineral nose, flat Champagne too. Some real complexity on the nose. This palate is very finely balanced by nice acid and good minerality.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gains 2005
It is pretty ripe, but there is a nice minerality to the nose. The palate is also quite big, but it has the acidity and minerality to manage. Nice.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Chenevottes 2005
Reasonably weighty nose, it is quite floral. The palate is a bit lighter than the previous wine but it is not lacking concentration. Perfectly drinkable.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot 2005
Quite a fat, but mineral nose. It has plenty of lemony fruit. The palate is most pleasing, fat but with a really good mineral finish. Yummy, this is quite nice.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Grand-Ruchottes 2005
Really mineral on the nose. On the palate too. It has weight, length and plenty of style. I love its minerality. Very good indeed.

Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2005
Very pure red fruit. The fruit on the palate is quite yummy. For a village wine this ranks as 'sloo'.

Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Premier Cru Cardeuse (part of Morgeot) 2005
Nice ripe fruit and it has a purity of mineral expression. It has some good weight and nice structure. This is a good Chassagne Rouge.

M. Dancer has only been making wine since the 1996 vintage; he seems to have got very good at it very quickly. Like Roulot his wines have a definite house style, polished and very detailed. This was the first time I tried his wines and I hope to be able to do so many times in the future.

Meursault Corbins 2005
Very ripe nose. The palate is quite round, but has good acidity. It is quite balanced for a voluptuous wine.

Meursault Grand Charrons 2005
Very mineral nose. Again the nose seems quite round and fat. Real complexity here. Very stony. Nice length. This is quite a grown up village wine.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot 'Tete de Clos' 2005
A very rich, stony nose. Real concentration and intensity. Rounder than the Meursaults. This is lovely. Long, round, intense and charming.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru la Romanée 2005
Again this is quite a dense, intense wine. It also seems quite detailed and precise. This is a bit special.

Meursault Premier Cru Perrieres 2005
Still fermenting. Difficult to judge but it seems quite mineral to me.

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2005
Really mineral nose. It smells very detailed. It is very concentrated and detailed on the palate. Very long. Real complexity. Very stylish. Excellent.

Bourgogne Rouge 2005
Nice fruit, seems ripe enough. Good tannins. Even some length. Perfectly drinkable.

Beaune Rouge Premier Cru Montrevenots 2005
Bright and fruity, but good concentration for young vines. Shows a bit of heat-stress, but it is a nice drink.

Pommard Perrieres 2005
Village-level wines just below the Clos des Epeneaux and you can tell it by the fruit and slightly spicy character. Nice structure for a villages. It is pretty good.

Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Premier Cru Morgeot 2005
Lovely fruit and a good mineral character. Very clean. It is quite complex with good length. This is really quite good.

Pommard Premier Cru Pezorelles 2005
Very clean, fresh fruit. It is nice and ripe. It also has a good spicy character to it. Good complexity. Good length. Good wine!

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2004
Again this has real definition and focus. It smells really complex. It tastes really complex, too, with brilliant length and a lovely, detailed texture. This is superb. Brilliant Burgundy.

One of my favourite producers of Pommard. The winemaker, Benjamin Leroux, is a very thoughtful chap who seems very committed to making the best wines. He speaks perfect English and is a charming fellow. From the 2001 vintage the Domaine became entirely biodynamic. This seems a good thing as the wines since then are damned good. Here is a picture of the winemaker (left) and me:

Volnay 2005
This was tasted from a new oak barrel, so it is a bit oaky. Good cherry fruit, nice depth of concentration. The palate is dense with good length. Good Volnay, alright.

Volnay Premier Cru Fremiets 2005
Lovely fruit nose with real concentration. The palate has some big tannins, but also lovely fruit. It is very long. Quite charming.

Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru 2005
Not yet finished malolactic fermentation. Nice fruit on the nose - blackberries. Still quite acidic. Good tannins. Shows real potential.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2005 - young vines
This is normally declassified to Pommard or un-named Premier Cru. Quite a dense nose. Lawks, it is tannic. It has reasonable fruit and some good length. Not bad for young vines.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2005 - 35 year old vines
There is some real density here. Powerful fruit and ripe tannins. This seems really good, but typical, Pommard.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2005 - 50 year old vines
This is even more dense and concentrated. Very good old-vines complexity and concentration. No shortage of tannin. This is a serious wine. Excellent.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2005 - 60-75 year old vines
Incredible richness on the nose. Great concentration. Very tannic, but the tannins are really ripe and in balance. Fantastic length. The cat's arse, alright. Wehay!

Pommard des Dames de la Charite 2005 - a Hospice de Beaune wine
This is made from Pommard Premier Cru Rugiens and Premier Cru Grand Clos des Epenots. Some density, but it seems a bit light for Pommard. Really quite nice, but the Clos des Epeneaux is the way forward.

Beaune Cuvée Nicolas Rolin 2005 - a Hospice de Beaune wine
Charming red fruit nose. Palate is reasonably fun and fruity. Quite round and voluptuous. It is alright.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2002
Nice ripe nose of clean fruit, quite Côtes de Beaune-y fruit. The palate is delicious - great fruit, balanced acidity and really ripe tannins. This is really excellent, top banana!

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2001
This is also quite ripe, harvested late according to M. Leroux. The palate is a bit like a very good, ripe Premier Cru Nuits St. Georges. This has a real depth of character that is very charming. This is a wine for long term ageing. It will be great.

Hermitage 1997, Domaine du Colombier
A warm, peppery nose with some beetroot hints. Quite earthy, too. The palate is quite weighty, with plenty of mature fruit and reasonable acid levels. Not the most complex Hermitage I've had, but it seems like a good 1997.

Riesling Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Spatlese 2001, von Schubert
A very pure, lime fruit nose. It smells very focused. The palate has stunning amounts of acidity but has the ripeness to balance it. Very fresh and invigorating. This is really rather good, but I think it has a long way to go before maturity.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru les Referts 2000, J-M Boillot
Quite a nutty, oaky nose. The palate is quite full-bodied and concentrated with some nice acidity and fruit. Seems as ready to drink as it ever will be. Nice enough, but by no means brilliant.

Barolo Nei Cannubi 1997, Luigi Einaudi
Fresh, red fruit nose. It smells reasonably mature. The palate has loads of acidity, but enough fruit to balance it. It is reasonably complex and quite long. A pretty good, modern-style Barolo.

Volnay Santenots du Milieu 1997, Comtes Lafon
Very Côtes de Beaune nose, red fruit and elegance. It is quite ripe. The palate is lovely and smooth with good fruit and balancing acidity. This is up for drinking and is really rather good. It is not a typical Volnay, it is far too dense, rich and sweet for that, but it is an f'ing triple-A wine.

My favourite producer of Meursault. Jean-Marc Roulot is also a lovely chap as well as making great wines. His wines are made in quite a reductive style, so they don't normally have the problem of premature oxidation that some white Burgundies show. We tasted some 2004s from bottle and some 2005s from cask.

Bourgogne Blanc 2004
Lots of fresh lemony fruit. Good fruit on the palate. Nicely balanced. A bit simple, but alright in its way.

Monthelie Premier Cru Champs Fulliots 2004
Nice fruit and good acidity. Not much more complexity than the Bourgogne. It is a bit more oaky, though, and I think it is a bit more concentrated. A nice drink.

Meursault les Vireuils 2004
Lovely fruit on the nose, great minerality too. It has a really long finish of minerality and fruit. Very well balanced and stylish.

Meursault Tillets 2004
This seems a bit oakier, but the creamy minerality dominates the nose. The palate has impeccable balance and harmony, it sings a song of balance and deep loveliness. Good concentration and great complexity.

Meursault Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir 2004
Seems a lot oakier but it is still balanced with the fruit. It is very mineral with great concentration and a bucket load of finesse. Quite beautiful, quite lovely.

Meursault Premier Cru Charmes 2004
Much riper and bigger on the nose. The palate is quite big too, but the balance is just superb. This is not heavy or ponderous in any way. Real complexity here, real style too. Crivens!

Bourgogne Rouge 2004
Light nose of red fruit with a hint of greenness. Nice fruit on the palate. It is quite light. Nice enough for a Bourgogne Rouge.

Bourgogne Blanc 2005
Still a bit malo-affected. Quite ripe and fat. It has got a bit of gas still. For a Bourgogne Blanc il y a du monde au balcon!

Meursault Tillets 2005
A bit reduced and gassy. Smells quite ripe. The palate has good ripeness, but still seems very balanced. Still quaquaversal, but I am impressed.

Meursault Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir 2005
Very gassy still, but there is plenty of fruit underneath. Good ripeness and acidity on the palate. It shows good minerality as well. This is going to be really good.

Meursault Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir 2001
Very peachy nose, quite ripe and powerful. It still has a great minerality and lovely acidity. It is very harmonious and has great length. For a 'deuxieme cru' this is superb.

Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese 1995, Joh. Jos. Prum
Quite petrolly, but with a very pure lime flavour. The palate is nice and concentrated with quite frightening acidity. Real focus here. Lawks, this is a bit good.

Riesling Rudesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Spatlese 2002, Weingut J. Leitz
Smells slightly nutty. There is some grapefruit too. The palate is a bit closed, but there seems to be a reasonable amount of fruit and acidity. It is really rather Rheingau-y. Good, but for ageing.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru aux Combottes 2001, Domaine Dujac
Pure red fruit nose that seems very silky and smooth. It is very polished. The palate is very elegant and refined. Nice ripe tannins, fine balancing acidity and good fruit. Quite delicious.

Quarts de Chaume 1995, Domaine des Baumard
Damp, wet wool nose. It also smells quite earthy, mineral and botrytic. The palate is really quite rich, with heroic acidity. It is balanced, though. Nice length. Seems pretty good to me.

Sunday's general drinking saw an increase in pace. The football was on, I suppose.

Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvée St. Catherine l'Inedit 1998, Weinbach
Weighty nose, ripe and concentrated. Palate is weighty with good acidity and lovely fruit. Really concentrated, ripe and stylish. Great long finish. Lovely.

Clos St. Denis Grand Cru 1985, Domaine Dujac
Soft and earthy nose. Lots of soft fruit. Smooth, silky and soft palate. Really elegant. Good length. Very nice indeed.

Oloroso Viejo, Hidalgo
Aggressively dry. Strong flavours of preserved prunes. Really concentrated and full bodied. Quite nice.

Riesling Scharzhofberger Spatlese 1999, Egon Muller
Pure, focused nose of minerals, lime and petrol. It smells really lively. Utterly delicious palate of fruit, acidity and minerality. Nice and ripe. Great length. Completely lovely.

Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg L31E 2004, Domaine Albert Boxler
Really mineral nose with some lovely ripe fruit. The palate is nice and ripe, with good concentration  and a great mineral character. Quite lovely.

Cornas Cuvée Prestige 2001, Domaine de Tunnel
Dense, thick nose of dark, ripe fruit and earth. It smells big and concentrated. The palate has very good structure and nice ripe fruit. Good length, too. It is rather nice, but typical, Cornas.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos St. Jacques 1999, Domaine Sylvie Esmonin
As far as fruit goes: Il y a du monde au balcon! It also has a nice minerality and good structure. It was really lovely, a terribly good premier cru.

The first general drinking entry from my stay in Burgundy. This is what we drank on the Saturday of our arrival.

Grüner Veltliner Ried Lamm 2000, Brundlmeyer
Ripe, powerful nose of white pepper and alcohol. Why do all these Austrian winemakers strive to show how ripe they can get their grapes? Big, weighty palate, but it has good acidity and a nice mineral character. Nice, but a bit hot on the finish.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Demoiselles 2000, Michel Colin-Deléger et Fils
Smells rather tired to me; quite oxidised. It has an odd aniseed character. It is quite tired and just a bit odd.

Verdelho-Bual Meio Seco Reserva, Barbeito
A strange Madeira in that it is made from a blend of noble grapes. Reasonable, but lacks the excitement and life of Barbeito single casks. Just a bit dull.

I've managed another bottle, even though I thought they'd be no wine until tomorrow. This is really yummy fizz. I still find myself thinking 'Sloo' when I have something tasty even though it is a very long time since I was at primary school.

Champagne Grande Réserve NV, Gosset
This has a very toasty nose that has very strong overtones of cold cocoa. It smells very Pinot influenced. This has a very dense, powerful palate of fruit, toasty flavours and weight. It is really delicious for a non-vintage Champagne, sloo.

The first New Zealand wine to be reported on in this spume of drivel. I just purchased it because I thought it would be vaguely interesting; it is actually quite nice. One of the neighbours I am drinking this with is from New Zealand, so he appreciates that I've got a native wine for him.

Brightwater Pinot Gris 2005, Neudorf
This smells really fat and buxom; I'd guess they did a reasonable amount of skin contact. It holds its 14.5% alcohol quite well. The palate is very dense and heavy, but it has a reasonable amount of acidity. I quite like the peachy fruit character. It is not terribly long, but it does taste nice. A good drink for a balmy summer evening with some friends.

I leave for Burgundy at the crack of dawn tomorrow, so there will be no more entries until I return. I am really not sure I can be bothered to fight with a French keyboard, so all producer reviews and general drinking comments will appear here when I get back.

Keep drinking!

There will not be many, or probably any more, entries this week as I am completely out of wine. If I can manage to freeload a bottle from the neighbours I will, of course, write it up, but it is looking like quite a barren week for me as far as wine consumption goes.

I do have some wine in the flat, but that is for ageing and I am taking it to my cellar in Burgundy when we head off on Saturday. The trip promises to be a real laugh. There will be tastings and general drinking, all of which I shall write up either whilst I am there or on my return.

I've been practising my French for the trip; it is still hopeless, alas. All I hope is that we try a wine that I can describe as 'bien loché' (meaning 'nice poonts') and one where I can use the phrase 'il y a du monde au balcon' (meaning 'well stacked' if one makes the appropriate gesture). Yes, my French speaking ability just about stretches to phrases about tits, but not much further I am afraid.