Burgundy 2011 A-B

Bought-in grapes. Very light in aroma and on the palate but refreshing and gently creamy. A bit insubstantial. (JH)

A little more intensity than the straight Montagny. Limey citrus, touch of mushroom. More savoury on the palate. Again, not much substance. (JH)

A touch woody (not oaky) on the nose. Bright, light and breezy. Refreshing without great depth though it does linger. (JH)

Some oak in evidence, lightly creamy and nutty. Tight, lively but on the light side and a nice dry finish; very light, with a slight grip at the very end. (JH)

Slightly odd nose: doesn't really smell of Chardonnnay. Doesn't really smell of much. Soft, creamy, a bit bland. (JH)

Touch of struck match on the nose. Not much else. Pretty lean and eyewatering. (JH)

Odd, sort of nutty aroma. Woody (cedary) and tart. (JH)

Refined with a classic burgundy stony aroma hinting at depths underneath. Firm citrus fruit. Lithe and lively and with a nice textural finish. (JH)

Delicate fragrance, mostly lemon but also a touch floral and the merest hint of oak. Rather more oaky on the palate. Firm, dry, a baby but already revealing an underlying power and length. (JH)

Peppery and darker fruit. But there's also a touch of the 2004 pyrazine effect on the palate though the fruit swings back in on the finish. (JH)

Deep crimson. Lots of dark fruit but a slight stemminess too. Richer on the palate. Firm and dry and balanced. Tasty. (JH)

Not very much on the nose, some red fruit, a touch meaty and a slight leafiness. Dry and firm on the palate, the tannins quite strident at the moment, giving a drying finish. (JH)

Ripe cherry allied to a certain stemminess. Chewy but moreish. Then a bit drying on the finish. (JH)

Mid cherry. Gentle cherry aroma. Slightly meaty taste on the palate. Rounded and fresh. (JH)

Ripe and slightly meaty dark fruit. Meaty on the palate, too. Firm tannins, pretty dry and young but that meatiness worries me at this early stage. (JH)

A touch fresher than the Corton. Then pretty dry and firm on the palate, lacking the fruit to fill out the frame. May take on flesh but I wouldn't pay this for it. (JH)

Lime/lemon fruit and a touch of blossom with only a hint of oak, opening up to refined fragrance. Oak much more in evidence on the palate in a mealy creamy texture and some spice, less delicate and more intense than I expected from the aroma. (JH)

Much more toasty on the nose than the Macherelles, even a hint of smoky char. Full in the mouth though drops away a little at the end. Slight bitterness on the finish. The oak seems a little heavy handed but may well come into better balance. (JH)

Restrained first impression, giving almost nothing away. Refined and more mineral than fruit on the palate, though there's some citrus lapping at the edges. Tight and long and well defined with a minerally finish, the oak eaten up by the wine. (JH)

Oak a little more evident on the nose than on the Vergers but more in a creamy oatmeal aroma than toast or char. Delicate hint of orange flower water. Mouthwatering and zesty on the palate with a fine mineral backbone and creamy oak spice. Lovely fresh length. (JH)

Fine citrus aroma and something very very lightly floral as well as creamy to add complexity. Softer on the palate than I expected, quite gentle in the mouth but persistent, if not especially powerful, with a mineral finish. (JH)

Mid cherry. Bright peppery red-fruit aroma. A touch green on the palate and not particularly generous in fruit. (JH)

Ripe and fresh red fruit. Just a hint of exotic spice. Then a bit slight and dry on the palate with a bit of a hollow in the middle. (JH)

Mid cherry red. Red fruit, light pepper. Tight and refined and on the slim side but just in balance to give an elegant whole. (JH)

Watery cherry red. Pretty lean on the palate with a stemmy dryness. May take on weight but it is always going to be on the slight side. (JH)

Light cherry red. Rich and sweet and flattering at first and then pretty dry finish. Bumptious and easy. (JR)

Smells like damp webbing – a not unfamiliar phenomenon. Lots of jewelly fruit but overall a bit sharp. (JR)

Lightly gamey and a hint of liquorice. Chewy finish. A bit angular for a Chambolle. (JR)

Dark crimson. Rich and ripe on the nose. A slightly mousy note overlays it, oddly. But there is no shortage of flavour! Very sweet and almost soft. Clean finish. (JR)

Round and flattering. Transparent fruit. Attractive combination. Quite racy. (JR)

Bright ruby. Very intense nose. Sweet and winning. Very cuddly wine that may be a bit too sweet for purists but should seduce neophytes. (JR)

Creamy lemon/lime with an attractive, delicate grip. Refined and fresh. GV (JH)

Polished with a certain sweet sleekness. Very solid wine that should be rewarding. Substantial beginning, middle and end to this wine. Violet cachous on the finish already. But I can't see much point in extended ageing. (JR)

Floral nose and lots of substance. Lots of acidity and no richness but no shortage of density. Good balance and structure; it just looks a bit expensive… (JR)

Easy and relaxed. Maybe not the freshest but with lots of ripe fruit. Dry finish. Crowd pleasing. (JR)

Lively cherry fruit on the nose. Dry and a bit skimpy in the fruit department. (JH)

Bright cherry red. Slightly harsh acidity. Solid. Not the most charming. (JR)

Mid crimson. Very rich and sweet and jewelly. Maybe not for purists but hedonists might like it… (JR)

Sweet and quite rich and flattering. Quite juicy. Firm finish. Satsifying even if not earth-moving. Sandpaper finish. But lively. (JR)

Dense and drier than most of the wines from this domaine. But very concentrated and solid. Convincing and not too manipulated. (JR)

Bright crimson. Quite brutal and chestnut skin-like. Is this one of those Bourgogne vinified as though it were a grand cru...? Concentrated. (JR)

A bit light and unassuming, especially after the liveliness of the Hudelot Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny. Good, though rudimentary. (RH)

Rich and sumptuous. Lots of pleasure. Round (compared with the Méo-Camuzet wines I have just been tasting). Very flattering and chock full of rather sweet fruit. Great for hedonists. (JR)

Lots of fruit at the beginning. Then pretty tough. A sort of braggadocio wine. Lots going on there but it's all a tad brash. Tough finish. (JR)

Fragrant, but slightly withheld fruit. Light body. Tight structure. Not mean, but not generous. (RH)

Lots of excitement here. Real lift and richness. Good ageing potential too. Exciting. Energetic. (JR)

Big and bold and dry on the end. Tastes as though there were long extractions here. I'm not totally convinced. Bitter finish. (JR)

A little subdued after the Nuits Procès. All tucked in for the future but a bit demanding for the moment. Lots of sleek succulent fruit on the finish. (JR)

Solid but with enough fruit to distract from the tannins. Solid but not quite enough pace for a Vosne, I feel. (JR)

Big, bold and a little cheesy on the nose. There is some transparency here and this wine is clearly superior to the rest of the range. Dry finish but lots of rich, reverberant fruit on the way there. (JR)

Lightly smokily reductive aroma pierced by clean-cut stony citrus. Good intensity and a light grip to the texture. Refined, subtle but still has a definite personality. (JH)

Mid cherry red. Lots of bright, red fruit – lovely fruit depth, rounded and welcoming but serious too and finishes with freshness. Delicious. GV (JH)

Deepish cherry. Again, lovely fruit with a slightly more savoury aspect than the Marie Ragonneau and slightly more structured by the tannins. Very very slight leafy taste adds freshness. Both fruity and refined. GV (JH)

Mid to deep cherry. Fragrant and red fruited, closer to the Marie Ragonneau on the nose. Rich, juicy and still refined. Fine, firm but velvety feel to the tannins. GV (JH)

Textured, aromatic, herby red burgundy on the nose. Lightweight palate with a LOT of acidity. (JR)

Bright crimson. Perfumed ripe fruit but a bit rustic in texture. Still lots of tannin. (JR)

Liqueur-like on the nose. Very lively. Lots of energy. A little burly and coarse on the finish. (JR)

A little lighter than the Marsannays, in colour and fruit weight. A little more leafy/stemmy but not overly so and full of energy and freshness. Fruit lingers on the finish. Good length. (JH)

Very bright ruby. Juicy fruits at first in a sheath of tannins and some oak. Not very sophisticated but well meant. (JR)

Blend of casks from Gevrey. Pure fruit, almost cassis in expression. Fresh and harmonious. Lots of fruit! (JR)

Quite high up the slope above Brochon. 30% new oak; I’m tasting half and half.
Very easy, round, fresh fruit with direct appeal. Not very intense nor persistent but lots of charm. (JR)

75-year-old vines. 1.5 ha in total.
Real complexity on the nose. Mossy and autumnal. But relatively light and fresh and fruity on the palate. Because the wine is quite light, the acidity seems quite marked. Racy and easy on the palate, although I expect it will take on weight. (JR)

Vines mainly planted in the 1920s. Cold spot next to Mazis and Chambertin so usually a bit closed.
Scented and intriguing. Definitely more substance than the village wine with a bit of tannin noticeable for the first time. Very fresh and damson-like fruit. (JR)

Normally eight barrels produced; in 2012 they made three and a half. Coopers must have sold many feuillettes in 2012.
Muscular chestnut nose. Really quite rich for a 2011 and yet supple. Approaching richness, anyway, though low key. Very good for a 2011; a little muted overall. Trademark richness. Very clean and pure. He wanted to make wines for gourmandise and regrets that no English word exists. (JR)

A bit sweet and round and soft. Fine but not quite exciting enough. (JR)

Racy and lively, cool and well delineated. (JR)

Pure, zingy nose with a hint of honey. Very firm structure. Almost austere! But excellent for purists. (JR)

Clean and firm with good substance on the palate and lots of citrus – plus a hint of citrus peel. Just a tad stolid. (JR)

Exciting savoury nose with a whiff of reduction. Juicy fruit. Real substance as well as structure. For the long term. (JR)

Quite a broad nose. Lots to chew on, as with the Bourgogne, but clean as a whistle. Quite solid. (JR)

Refined and crystalline with enough fruit in the middle and the merest hint of something floral. Very marked acidity as well as good body. (JR)

Broad on the nose but tenser on the palate than many a Bâtard. Very youthful and definitely tight which few Bâtards tend to be. (JR)

Quite finely chiselled but with fresh fruit. A pretty wine without quite as much flesh as the Bourgogne Blanc but refreshing. (JR)

Jewel-bright fruit. A dry finish after rather an opulent hit of bitter cherry fruit. I can't see this as a long-distance runner. (JR)

Some Puligny vines but mainly from Les Grandes Coutures, below Meursault village.
Very tight and ambitious. Tightly wound, great stuff! Quite long. VGV (JR)

Below Volnay-Santenots. Racy and rich – a good and rare combo in 2011. Very satisfying and a fair price. GV (JR)

A little more restrained than the Criots but fine, chalky and chewy. (JR)

Quite meaty and full. Polished, dense and accomplished. It grows on the finish. It's not the best Perrières of the year but it is very good. (JR)

Racy, savoury, lively, and well defined. Very appetising. Long. Very good! (JR)

Excellent tension with good terroir expression. Racy with some citrus as well as the spring broom scents. Transparent. (JR)

A little low key on the nose and very edgy on the palate. Not quite charmes...! But well defined. Just fades a bit on the end. (JR)

Smoky and satisfying. Greengage fruits. Tingly finish. GV (JR)

Rich and also smoky. Lots of energy here. Doesn't really taste like Mâcon (much more concentrated) though it has a honey character. Chewy mineral finish suggests a relatively long life. (JR)

Lively, lean with green notes. Dry finish. Just a little low key. (JR)

Lively and tense with strong green notes. Hazelnut notes. Some tension. Crunchy. (JR)

Fine and tight and restrained. This should be really rather glorious eventually. Exciting but definitely Pouilly-Fuissé rather than Côte d'Or. (Nothing wrong with that!) (JR)

Broad and rich! So much delivery for the money. Precisely sculpted even if from broader fruit than on the Côte d'Or. Very well done. Neat. (JR)

Lots of acidity and structure. Very ambitious. Undertow of throat lozenge… (JR)

Mid crimson. Lots there. You really wouldn't be surprised to learn that this was a Chambolle. As usual this is a banker of the vintage – if the term banker has not become too demonised. Well done – great structure. (JR)

Lively – good energy. Dry finish but very solid and correct. Feet on the ground though. Bit dry on the end. (JR)

Subtle, almost hidden nose. Then lots underneath including dense fruit and tad more acidity than most. Rather dusty and mossy on the end. Needs time. (JR)

Pretty dark ruby. Sweet start and marked acidity. Hint of chestnuts but real life and animation here. Plus some relatively luscious fruit. (JR)

Firm and fine with lots of fruit and structure and a bit of tannin but quite enough fruit to trump it. Remarkably, this tastes more Barthod than 2011. (JR)

Fresh and silky. Dense and dry on the end. Slightly bitter notes. (JR)

Aromatic lift and density. An unusually long-distance runner. A bit dry on the end. (JR)

Light with crunchy fruit and the merest hint of sulphur – unusual nowadays! Loose. (JR)

Mid ruby. Lots of fruit and already some evolution. Rather indistinct, smudgy impression but friendly already. (JR)

Perfumed with very flattering fruit. Some fresh acidity – true to terroir rather than big. Fine boned. (JR)