pre-event 1 • pre-event 2 • walk-round • dinner • gallery •
seminar 1 • seminar 2 • seminar 3 • seminar 4
Griottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
reporter: Nick Alabaster, photo David Pearce
A real pleasure this one, and thanks to Bill Nanson for going the extra mile to put on the show. Overall the first wine was the easiest to assess and enjoy now, but all have potential. I think the 2001’ haven’t settled enough to really express themselves, but the ingredients are certainly in place. Lovely wines on the whole, well worth keeping an eye out for, a laying down for a few years to let them fully express themselves. Above: Nick (seated) and Bill discuss the wines.
Domaine des Chezeaux, 2000
Beautifully pure fruit nose, not complex but disarming Burg nonetheless. Just a hint of earth which I’m sure will develop further, but very primary overall. (Doah, it’s just a baby!). Typical cherry, raspberry fruit. Lovely balance, good length but a light and elegant style. Overall a lovely bright Burg with elegant finish. Style over substance here, but none the worse for it.
Drouhin, 2000
Riper black raspberry nose; denser, more sweet oaky smokey hints albeit less new oak used. Fuller than the above, but fruit doesn’t seem more concentrated – beyond the effects of the oak extraction that is. Overall it shows more substance, with a long finish, some spice and less overtly fruit. Needs time to settle, but should be a lovely complex wine quite quickly and a nice contrast to the above (no need for them to start or end in the same style, is there? 😉
Fourrier 2000
Leaner style, closer to the Chezeaux. Good fruit to the fore, but less ripeness than either. Consequently seemingly more acid shows through on the palate although it comes across as earthy, complexing even. Goodish fruit on the palate, less pure and intense than the above, dryish finish. Need time, and more a traditional style which for me lacks the attractiveness of the perfectly ripe fruit of the Chezeaux. Still, pretty fine, just needs more time.
Domaine des Chezeaux, 2001
More ripeness still over the 2001 (neither necessary, or indeed more attractive I thought), but denser fruit. Fruit a bit more dense on the palate, almost more like dried than fresh fruit. Lovely balance and long finish. Not surprisingly, similar too the 2000, but more concentrated. Needs time to develop, indeed settle down from the bottling as it’s nose wasn’t as fragrant as the 2000.
Fourrier 2001
Less giving on the nose, indeed quite closed. Palate a little less dense than the Chezeaux, seemingly just as ripe but a touch of leanness, possibly just due to it’s recent bottling. Acid seems better integrated than the 2000 at this stage, but this wine also needs time to reveal itself, and again needs to settle down.
Back to SuperBOWL 2003 main page.