Germain Isabelle & Philippe Beaune 1er Cru En L'Orme

Cool menthol nose. Palate has good fruit, excellent palate energy, minerality and balance. Very clean. Drink now or over next few years.

2016 Domaine Gilbert et Philippe Germain Beaune 1er Cru En L'Orme was perfumed and layered. The developing Beaune Pinot Noir was medium ruby in colour without any sediments. Two hours of in-bottle aeration brought forth expressive notes of fresh dark cherry, bramble and violet, followed by earth and wet stone minerals. The mouthfeel was dry and medium-bodied, balanced with medium-high level of fresh acidity and medium level of finely grained tannin. There were flavours of wild berries, forest floor and …

2016 Domaine Gilbert et Philippe Germain Beaune 1er Cru En l'Orme Monopole was ripe, evolving and structured. The youthful Beaune Pinot Noir was clear and medium ruby in colour with traces of fine sediments. There was a noticeable purple hue, which indicated extended maceration compared to typical Burgundy Pinot Noir. Freshly uncorked, there were aromas of ripe dark cherries, hawthorn, blackberries and vanilla oak spices. It took two hours of in-bottle aeration to gain sophisticated bouquet of forest floor, smoke …

Big and concentrated, this reminds me of a hearty Gevrey - dense, with black cherry and wood on the nose. It’s quite tannic but still has lots of acid, yet a bit one-note and unyielding without much of a finish. Not sure if it would benefit from more time in storage but it may soften the edges a bit.