Chambolle - Les Sentiers	1990	J. Drouhin

2/98. Acquired from London Feb-96 for $38 (imported for $51 net).
Accompanying Friday night dinner at home: stuffed vine-leaves, chicken soup, smoked veal with herbs, cheese, ice-cream.
My first bottle of this specific Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru vineyard. From Drouhin's negoc production (not their own domaine).
COLOR: Very nice and lively brick-red. Only slight clearing around the rim. Small amount of sediment.
NOSE: First sniff had unbelievably concentrated aroma of fresh cherries. This however went away pretty fast. The nose was still attractive and pleasant but nothing special. A mix of riper fruit and middle-of-the-road complex 'Bourgogne Nose'.
TASTE: Awful! I don't recall ever getting such an over-doze of acidity with each and every sip. It was really a challenge to discern anything but acidity in the mouth. Oh yes, towards the finish tannins took over to add bitterness to the burning palate. Interestingly enough, the wine was not hollow or bad. It did have winyness and concentration, only the excessive acidity made it impossible to enjoy.
LENGTH: Very long sour-bitter aftertaste. Acidity (and some tannins) overshadowing every bit of winyness there.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: The most unbalanced wine I care to remember ever drinking. Funny thing is that I could swear this 'should' have been a good wine! Reasonably rich and pleasant nose, taste not lacking in fruit and concentration. But someone must have poured half a ton of pure acid to the barrel where this bottle came from...
OVERALL: I have drank bad wines before, but this one was not a bad wine, just bad winemaking! I wish Philippe Drouhin would read this and comment. I've never experienced such a bad effort from Drouhin. I sincerely think this wine was an accident.
MARK: 14/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.