The Vine Clive Coates février 2012

Clive Coates février 2012

Clos Vougeot 2010 : medium-full colour. Very lovely, gently oaky fruit on the nose. Medium-full body. Concentrated, fullish and vigorous, with excellent grip. Classy tannins and very fine stylish fruit. Lots of depth and distinction. Minerally at the end. Very fine.

Richebourg 2010 : rather more concentrated and less together than the Clos Vougeot at present. A lot of depth here. Fullish. A little tight. Some tannin. Yet very ripe and with very good grip. A great deal of energy. More body and more dimension. Splendid finish. Excellent.

Clos Vougeot 2009 : good colour. Rich, luscious, potentially velvety nose. Fresh, ripe and generous. Medium-full body. Good ripe, classy tanins. Lots of vigour and lots of depth. Harmonious and very long on the palate. Excellent.

Richebourg 2009 : good colour. The nose is rather more closed in than the wine above. But it has more volume and quite a lot more tannin. Fullish body. Very lovely succulent fruit. Splendid energy. Needs time. A great wine.

Clos Vougeot 2008 : medium to medium-full colour. Fragrant nose. By no means a heavyweight. Medium to medium-full body. Most attractive balanced fruit. Just a little tannin to soften. Harmonious and delicious. But quite forward.

 Richebourg 2008 : medium-full colour. Rich nose, quite meaty for a 2008. fullish body for the vintage. Some tannin. Very fresh. Ripe, complex, elegant and profound. There is quite a bit more to this than the Clos Vougeot. Very long and very lovely.

Clos Vougeot 2007 : Medium colour. Soft nose. Some of the flavours of maturity. But fresh. Medium body. Ripe and succulent. Stylish, long, positive and msot attrative. Now just about ready.

Richebourg 2007 : Medium colour. Rather more backbone and vigour here. But it doesn’t show as well. there is a certain astringency with dominates. The softer Clos Vougeot seems better balanced. Yet there is plenty of energy here. We’ll see.

Clos Vougeot 2006 : medium to medium-full colour. the nose is a bit earthy, but the wine has good volume and richness. Goodd concentration and depth with a touch of mocha. Rather more attractive on the palate than on the nose. Good grip. Good energy. Long. Fine.

Richebourg 2006 : medium to medium-full colour.Rich, full, vibrant nose. Rather firmer and more positive than the Clos Vougeot. Fullish body. Very concentrated. Very classy indeed. Splendid Fruit. Real vigour. Delicious.

Clos Vougeot 2005 : medium-full colour. Still youthful. Very lovely nose.Concentrated, precise, very complex, very classy. Medium-full body. Fresh and succulent. Composed and subtle. Long and profound. Very concentrated. Excellent.

Richebourg 2005 : Fullish volour. Much more closed in than the above. Splendly concentrated, aristocratic fruit. Fullish body. Still some tannin to resolve. A really profound, muti dimensional wine. Splendid energy and marvelous class. Magnificent !

Richebourg 2004 : medium colour. Good fruit on the nose. But not much depth or class and a bit earthy and astringent as it developed. Medium body. Better on the aftertaste, but not the usual Richebourg distincation.

Clos Vougeot 2003 : fullish colour, but not exaggeratedly so. Rich, cooked nose. Ripe and fat and succulent. Fullish body. Very good acidity for a 2003. Long and seductive. Still Youthful. Ready but will last well.

Richebourg 2003 : fullish colour. Full, rich luscious nose. Very ripe. Most attractive. Even more seductive and opulent than the wine above. Full body. Very good grip. Very lovely. Not a bit like an average 2003 because no lack of class. And long and complex. Delicious.

Clos Vougeot 2002 : medium-full colour. Some touches of maturity now. Smooth, ripe, subtle, harmonious nose. Medium-full body. Ripe and fresh. Just about ready. Very well-balanced. Stylish fruit. Very good vigour. Lots of depth and class. Very fine.

Richebourg 2002 : fullish colour. Rich concentrated, still backward nose. Great energy and depth here. Very fine tanins and very fine grip. This still needs five years. but it is really excellent. Marvelous follow through.

Clos Vougeot 2001 : medium colour. Soft, ripe, charming nose. Medium body. Good fruit. Good grip and structure for the vintage. No weakness. Vigorous at the end. Most enjoyable.

Richebourg 2000 : medium colour. Mature nose, but no great depth, size or energy behind it. A pleasant, quite fresh, fruity wine. But one-dimensional. not a patch on the 2001.

Clos Vougeot 1999 : fine, full, vigorous colour. Only barely mature. rich, ample, concentrated nose. Fullish body. Ripe and round and succulent.Vigorous but a point. Balanced and complex and long on the palate. Perhaps not the greatest finesse but delicious.

Richebourg 1999 : similar colour. The basic difference is sheer class. this is a little fuller and more concentrated. Perhaps a bit richer and more vigorous. But the breed here is remarkable. Quite brilliant.

Clos Vougeot 1998 : medium colour. Soft, fully mature nose. Medium body. No great weight or vigour here but fresh and pleasantly fruity. I’va had more complex and more concentrated 1998s.

Richebourg 1998 : medium-full vigorous color. This has more to it than the Clos Vougeot. Ripe, energetic, complex and stylish. Finishes positively. But fine rather than great.

Richebourg 1995 : Full colour. Just about mature. Rich, vigorous nose. Quite a backbone here. But rich and opulent. Not a trace of astringency. Just lots of energy and sumptuous fruit. Very lovely. very fine. Lots of life ahead of it.

The Vine – Clive Coates – N° 198 – Juillet 2001

Richebourg 1998 : Fine colour. Sumptuous nose: rich, fat, concentrated, oaky and very lovely. An intense wine. Full bodied and full flavoured. Full, firm and youthful. Quite tannic. Excellent grip. This is very promising. Vigorous and powerful. Very, very long. Excellent. 19,5 Richebourg 1997 : Fullish colour. Very lovely intense, quite oaky nose. This is most impressive. Full-bodied for a 1997. Very intense. Very fine grip. Lots of dimension and very, very lovely fruit. Very long indeed. Excellent for the vintage. 2007-2020. 18,5 Richebourg 1996 : Fullish colour. Not as big as A.F. Gros’. On the nose it is a bit closed-in. But there is very lovely pure, intense, very fresh fruit as well. A marvellous example. Very laid-back. Full body. Very intense. Excellent grip. Very high quality, concentrated fruit. Lots of dimension. Still very young. Very lovely. Richebourg 1995 : Very full colour. More substantial than the 1996. Bigger, more concentration, more power and less advanced than A.F. Gros’. Marvellous masculine, very classy fruit. Full body. Very good tannins. Marvellous concentration and intensity. Multidimensional. I don’t think 1995s can go much better than this. A great wine. 2009-2029. 20,0

Clive Coates Février 2000

Bourgogne Blanc 1999 : Stylish and gently oaky. Lovely balanced fruit. Very good. From 2001. Bourgogne Blanc 1998 : Stylish and gently oaky. Lovely balanced fruit. Very good. From 2001. Bourgogne Rouge 1999 : Ready for bottling, en masse, SO2 adjusted. It seems plump, stylish and balanced. From 2002. Bourgogne Rouge 1998 : Ready for bottling, en masse. SO2 adjusted. It seems plump. Stylish and balanced. From 2002. Chambolle 1999 : Very elegant and poised. Lovely fruit. Balanced and complex. Very good indeed for a village example. From 2004. Chambolle 1998 : Very elegant and poised. Lovely fruit. Balanced and complex. Very good indeed for a village example. From 2004 Vosne Romanée 1999 : Concentrated and intense and splendidly poised. Really classy. This is very lovely, especially for a village example. Very fine for what it is. From 2004/2005. Vosne Romanée 1998 : Concentrated and intense and splendidly poised. Really classy. This is very lovely, especially for a village example. Very fine for what it is. From 2004/2005. Clos Vougeot 1998 : Quite reserved on the nose. Firm. Very concentrated. Masculine. Backward. Splendid concentration, indeed power on the palate. Marvellous fruit. Gently oaky. Real grip and intensity. Very fine. From 2007. Richebourg 1999 : Marvellous depht and harmony, power and distinction. Great fruit. Impeccably balanced and intense. I can’t fault this. Indisputably great. From 2009. Richebourg 1998 : Marvellous depth and harmony, power and distinction. Great fruit. Impeccably balanced and intense. I can’t fault this. Indisputably great. From 2009.

Clive Coates Mars 1999

Bourgogne Blanc 1997 : Fouryears old vines here. Bottled in August. Quite rich. Spicy. Fat. Lacks a little zip. Gently oaky. Quite good. Drink early. From 2000.

Bourgogne Rouge 1997 : Very lovely, round, ripe fruit here, and surprising elegance for a generic. This is luscious. Very well balanced. Very lovely. Very fine for a basic. From 2001

Chambolle 1997 : All the soft red fruits here. More so than the Bourgogne above. Lots of strawberries. Not any more structure. Very lush. No hard edges. Very soft. Quite forward. Good plus. From 2002.

Vosne Romanée 1997 : Quite different from the Chambolle-Musigny. More structure. More black fruit. A little more oak and spice. Rich and profound. Medium full. Harmonious. Very long. Very classy. Very fine for a village wine. From 2003.

Clos Vougeot 1997 : This is rather more backward. On the nose it is a little tight, but the follow-through is very elegant and very concentrated and subtle. Lovely, slightly spicy fruit. Long. Distinguished. Very fine. From 2004/2005.

Richebourg 1997 : Very fine nose. One of intensity and splendid concentration. A huge essence of fruit here. Full, very long and very classy. This is a great wine. Absolutely magnificent. It goes on and on and on on the palate. From 2006.

Clive Coates Mars 1998

Bourgogne Blanc 1996 : young vines. First year of harvest. Pretty, gently oaky. Not bad at all. From 1998. Bourgogne rouge 1996 : Lovely fruit. Round and rich and with sophisticated tannins. Fat and ripe and very attractive. Another fine generic example. From 2000. Chambolle Musigny 1996 : Village appellation contrôlée again. Splendid colour. Lovely nose. This is quite substantial for a Chambolle. Fragrant, balanced. Very good tannins. Very elegant and very long. Excellent fruit here and nicely fat and plumb as well. Even better than the above. Very good plus. From 2003. Vosne Romanée 1996 : Good colour. Lovely nose. Pure and elegant. Well structured but no hard edges. Very good depth. Just the right sort of oak. Very long. Very stylish. A fine example of a village wine. Very harmonious. From 2002/2003. Richebourg 1996 : Very fine colour. This is closed-in, backward, quite substantial. Excellent tannins. Marvellous aromatic fruit. Lovely balance. Above all the sort of intense, creamy richness which you only find in really great wines. Full-bodied. Totally complete. Fabulous quality. Grand vin ! From 2006.

Clive Coates Mars 1997

Bourgogne Rouge 1995 : Very good colour. Slightly tight and raw on the nose. Fullish. Good tannin. This has lots of depht and is quite substantial. The finish is rich and fine. But it will need time. From 2001. Chambolle 1995 : Good colour. This again has plenty of depth and substance. But it also has a good fragrant Chambolle fruit and good grip. Good long finish. Very good. From 2003. Vosne Romanée 1995 : Fine colour. This is a very impressive example. Lovely rich profound nose. Full, tannic, concentrated and backward on the palate with splendid fruit on the follow-through. Long. Fine. From 2004. Clos Vougeot 1995 : Fine color. Backward concentrated nose. A super example. Very rich and old viney. Very fine with lots of ripe tannin. A wine of structure and depth. Fat, opulent. Very fine. From 2005. Richebourg 1995 : Fine colour. Very backward. Very concentrated. This wine has a weight, an intensity and a quality rarely present in the Côte D’Or this year. Indisputably grand vin ! Marvellous fruit. The structure impeccable with very ripe tannins. Very very long. Very very elegant. From 2006.