Corton Charlemagne..... Clos de Beze.....

Corton Charlemagne	1989	L. Jadot

7/99. Acquired in auction, Jan-97 for $100.
This was fourth bottle I have tasted of this very wine, although I haven't had it for more than two years.
COLOR: Medium golden color. Looks fat and fullish.
NOSE: Rich and mature, with minerals and buttery notes. Nothing overpowering here, just complex classy bouquet with ripe northern (white) fruits aromas.
TASTE: Mouth-filling and chewy on the palate. Ripe, viscous and concentrated. A bit clumsy perhaps, but good acidity and long finish gives this fully mature wine the right grip it needs.
LENGTH: Long aftertaste that is pleasant enough though not developing.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied, mature and ripe white Grand Cru. Plenty of expression both on the nose and in the mouth, though perhaps not the most elegant Corton Charlemagne I have tasted. Rich, concentrated and very well balanced.
OVERALL: Superb! Somewhat better than what I remember from previous bottles. At its peak now.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

Chambertin Clos de Beze	1991	Bruno Clair

7/99. Bought in New-York, Oct-96 for $49.
Bruno Clair is a producer I respect very much for his honest winemaking. 1991 is not considered a good vintage in Burgundy but I very much enjoyed a bottle of this wine less than a year ago.
COLOR: Medium-light color, noticeable clearing towards the rim. Heavily sedimented bottle.
NOSE: Rich, expressive nose of semi-ripe red fruits, wet forest floor, raw meat (that's what we had for main course tonight!), and an enticing - albeit a bit rustic - version of the 'Bourgogne Nose'.
TASTE: Multi-flavored and very tasty. Breadth-wise concentrated rather than depth-wise (i.e every sip develops into a myriad of different flavors rather than a show-piece of jammy fruit). Very good backbone with nice acidity and soft but discernible tannins.
LENGTH: Very long and reverberating aftertaste (just as the taste itself).
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A medium-full bodied wine that is very much in tune with the Chambertin terroir. Manly, rustic, but with a wide-spectrum of fine flavors and nuances. Beautifully balanced and approaching its peak now.
OVERALL: Superb! A fine example of a really good wine from a somewhat off vintage.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.