Meursault 'Les Charmes'..... Mazis Chambertin.....

Meursault - Les Charmes	1990	Michelot-Buisson

4/98. Acquired in England Feb-96 for $42 (imported from London for $56 net).
My last bottle of three. For me at least, a good Meursault 1er Cru is capable of delivering pleasure far beyond any other white wine except perhaps the very top Grand Crus from Puligny and Chassagne.
COLOR: Golden yellow in color, this wine looks thick and fat.
NOSE: Fantastic! Profoundly perfumed aroma of apples and pears. Rich, luxurious bouquet of roasted almonds. Both young and mature tones. Measured use of wood supports the wine (and not the other way around like in so many wines).
TASTE: Top class on the palate! Has all the qualities of a great Meursault; Fat, viscous and buttery. Full of rich and contrasting flavors. From the steely touch of apples to the slight but discernible honey tones. Mouthfilling and multi-dimensional.
LENGTH: Lingering aftertaste that never let go. Few wines of substance can stand to the pungent flavors of Gefilte Fish. This Meursault did it with flying colors. Even its aftertaste could not be oppressed.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied white (B). As viscous and fat as only a good Meursault can be. You can chew on this wine almost as if it was food! All the wine's prime elements have married by now. Superbly balanced and at the absolute peak of its life.
OVERALL: Extraordinary! Some 'authorities' sneeze at Michelot-Buisson. I have never tasted a bottle from this producer that was less than wonderful. Anybody who drinks his top Meursault at anything younger than 7-8 years is simply robbing himself of a unique pleasure.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Mazis Chambertin	1983	Dom. Maume

4/98. Acquired in auction Feb-97 for $80 (imported for $90 net).
My second (and last) bottle of this Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru by the famous Domaine Maume from the problematic 1983 vintage.
COLOR: Very good color for a 15-years reb (B). Noticeable clearing towards the rim. Heavily sedimented
NOSE: Deep forward and intense. Mature black fruit, enticing 'Bourgogne Nose'. Not a hint of rot but not revealing the sweet prune-like aroma that many great mature red (B) do.
TASTE: Very profound and full of presence on the palate. Tastes and feels like a Cote de Nuits Grand Cru, but somewhat lacking in delicacy and complexity. A slight hollowness on the mid-palate indicates this wine may already be beyond its peak. Still, excellent class and very tasty.
LENGTH: Medium-long and vibrating aftertaste. Soft tannins still felt there.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied. Still very good grip and some tannins. No lack in fruit or 'winyness', but a bit short on finesse. Good acidity, structure and balance.
OVERALL: Excellent-plus. A middle-of-the-road 1983 Grand Cru. I have tasted many far better than this one, but there are many many more that are far worse.
MARK: 17.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.