Clos de Vougeot				1985	Gros Frere & Soeur

2/96. Bought in auction Oct-95 for $73 (imported from Chicago for $84 net).
Tonight for Friday night dinner of shrimps tempura, beef fillet in balsamico vinegar with 'rushti' potatoes, fresh melon.
A Clos Vougeot from one of the best parcels, bordering that of Le Musigny in Chambolle. 1985 being of course a superb vintage.
COLOR: Beautiful full and healthy red color, hardly any clearing towards the rim.
NOSE: I guess everybody has dipped his nose into an extremely fruity glass of wine at one time or another. Well, this Clos Vougeot surpassed everything we ever experienced! The bouquet is that of jam or marmalade. Tons of cassis, red & black forest fruit. A confiture... I could almost say too much concentrated fruit. Although this wine spent a long time in new wood, the oak is hardly felt. The 'Bourgogne Nose' took some time to express itself too. The fruit is just overwhelming!
TASTE: As sweet and as fruity as the nose. Very tasty of course, but lacks somewhat in complexity. Relatively high alcohol, some acidity, and receding tannins. I have never encountered a (B) fruit bomb before, but here is one...
LENGTH: Moderate length, with a bit of a hollow touch to the finish.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Sweeeeeet! Medium body, high alcohol, soft tannins and... fruit. I hardly believe I am saying it, but this wine had just too much fruit and too little complexity for balance...
OVERALL: An unusually exotic wine. If it was a touch less sweet and a bit more complex, this Clos Vougeot would be an extraordinary wine. Still a superb+ experience. This wine has quite a few more years in store.
MARK: 18+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.