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Clos de la Roche..... Musigny.....


29-April-98

Israel 50th Independence day


We celebrated our country's 50th birthday with our good friends Amihai and Dafna at their house. Watching the central hoopla on TV, sipping a delicious 1989 Veuve Clicquot with various appetizers, indulging on some serious wines with outstanding spare-ribs and BBQed steaks, and then watching Harrison Ford in Air Force #1 from a laser disk on their huge screen. Got back home at 4 am...


Clos de la Roche 1992 Dom. Ponsot

4/98. Bought at the winery on May-96 for $40.
Clos de la Roche is Domaine Ponsot flagship wine (apart from a negligible quantity of Chambertin). The Domaine's rigid winemaking philosophy can turn out outstanding wines in years where mother nature co-operates. Much less convincing in less than perfect vintages. 1992 (together with 1994) is the least impressive vintage in Bourgogne since 1987.
COLOR: Very good color for this diluted vintage.
NOSE: Surprisingly profound. Clean 'Bourgogne Nose' and discernible red forest-fruit. A bit rough and angular nose but much better than I expected.
TASTE: Even more surprising, this wine was anything but diluted! Highly concentrated on the mouth, with plenty of fruit and winyness on the palate. Very weak tannins for such a young Clos de la Roche. Again, far from elegant and lack in delicacy but, with its very good grip and mouthfilling richness this wine is both serious and very tasty.
LENGTH: Medium long aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A strange combination of a full bodied and rich wine in a weak vintage. The elements are all there though not well integrated. The analogy of a house with good foundations but loosely knit finish seems appropriate.
OVERALL: Excellent-plus. As if this needed another proof, once again we see that in Burgundy, a good vineyard and good vigneron can overcome almost all the pitfalls of a vintage.
MARK: 17.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


Musigny 1985 Comte de Vogue

4/98. Bought in auction on July-98 for $150 (imported for $169 net).
If I had to name one wine where all the qualities of a great (B) are (or rather, should be) always on display it would probably be Comte de Vogue Musigny.
This great Domaine had a sluggish period from the late 60s to the early 80s, but have come back in force since then. There are few wines in the world that can match the classic combination of grandiosity and the silky elegance of a great Musigny.
COLOR: Medium-deep color with noticeable clearing toward the rim.
NOSE: Fresh cherry and cassis aromas, the most elegant of 'Bourgogne Nose'. Beautiful and enticing though perhaps a tad lacking in punch.
TASTE: If I have a tiny reservation about the nose, there was nothing but a pure nectar in the mouth. Real depth and concentration, plenty of vigor and multi-layered flavors. All that in a harmonious, elegant and classy mouthfilling way. Extraordinary!
LENGTH: Very long aftertaste. The red forest-fruit is felt in the mouth for a full minute after each sip.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-bodied, silky, classy wine with a great presence. Alcohol, fruit, wood, acidity and tannins are all there in the right proportions. Perfectly harmonious with excellent balance.
OVERALL: Superb-plus! Just a tad short of being truly extraordinary. This wine is a living proof that not all the 1985s are on the decline. A Point now but will hold for years to come.
MARK: 18.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.