11/98. Bought in New York, Oct-96 for $45.
1991 was not a great vintage in Bourgogne, especially after the hard-to-follow act of the glorious trio years of '88 '89 and '90. However, like in almost every vintage, some sites and some producers did excel. The top Grand Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin are considered the best wines of the vintage, and the like of Leroy, Rousseau and Bruno Clair made stunning wines there.
COLOR: Medium light red, pretty unimpressive even for a (B) Grand Cru. Quite a lot of sediment attest to the no filtering philosophy of B. Clair.
NOSE: Medium strong nose of pronounced earthy tones mingled with good fruit. Very authentic if a bit rustic and burly.
TASTE: A true expression of the Chambertin terroir. Rich, masculine, multi-layered and complex. Good (though not overwhelming) amount of fruit and winyness, refreshing acidity, plenty of tannins. Excellent grip.
LENGTH: Very long vibrating aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Sturdy wine, generously endowed. Refined though more on the rustic side than delicate. Superbly structured with excellent balance. Still some harsh tannins that will take a few more years to soften.
OVERALL: Superb!! A real surprise from a vintage I thought will show light or feeble wines.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.