Nicolas Potel Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Derrière La Grange

It's been 9 years since my last bottle. After a positive experience with a 2005 de Vogüé Chambolle Musigny that was surprisingly open and firing on all cylinders in early September, I was hoping that this might also be in a place where i could enjoy. Unfortunately this is a wall of not-giving-much-at-all. With 30 minutes in the decanter it started giving a little with some scents of earth, notes of kirsch and raspberry linger on the palate but the …

Monthly Tasting Group HWS #095; Pinot Noir: Côte de Nuits vs Côte de Beaune (By AH) : The bouquet is not really expressive, but shows some red berry fruits, spiciness and oaky flavors. Same on the palate, some sweet spices, minerals, chocolate, rustic flavors, good acidity and sticky tannin. Give this wine some 4 – 6 years of ageing, so it can show its potential. 89+ for tonight.

Now almost 18 hours later (with no decanting and half the bottle left over night) the wine has finally started to open up. The nose is so very expressive and open offering up beautiful aromas of roses, earth, and vibrant red fruits. The wood has subsided and is no longer in the spotlight...This will be a wonderful wine in another 5+ years and should hold well for 10 or 15 more years to follow with good storage.

Color: dark ruby (dense and foreboding...) Smell: earth, underbrush, oak, and dark fruits. Taste: raspberry, sour cherry, dark cherry, and chewing tobacco Overall: Dense and still quite tight. This wine is in balance in all the right places. Yet it feels like it needs to be forgotten for about 5 or more years.

Nicolas Potel 2005s with the Confrerie (The Harbour Grill and Oyster Bar, Hilton Singapore) : Oakey nose. Fresh cherries and ripe fruit on the palate. Slightly tannic.