Gerard Raphet Clos Vougeot

Clos Vougeot (Chambolle/ Northside) Tasting (Chicagoland IL) : Smelled great when opened at 4:30, but tired when finally tasted at 7:45. What started as woodsy, later seemed dirty. I will pop-and-pour my remaining bottles.

Clos Vougeot - Northside / Chambolle-side Tasting (Chicago) : Fairly tired earthy fruit that comes across as dirty. Time to drink up.

Mature red cherry and berry start-to-finish with meat and earth notes. Clearly showing Grand Cru density with plenty of vibrant acidity. Impressive length. This is drinking much better now vs a decade ago, and I expect it will easily drink well for another decade. 91+ points.

Acker 2019/05 (Zuma) : Acid is surprisingly good, although unbalanced. 90

Popped and poured. I initially wondered if this was slightly corked, despite rich underlying fruit. Drank nicely for 5-10 minutes, then incrementally more and more corked.

Discussion on Clos Vougeot on WB instigated opening this, what was, very reasonably priced GC. Starting to see some browning in the otherwise bright red colour. Complex and vibrant aromas - bramble, sous bois, violets, spice, black cherries, truffle. On the palate still very primary with great detail and acid cut which I like, nice oak integration with potential for it to be fully resolved as there is ample fruit sweetness. Good wine, expansive on the long finish, and what …

Tried next to JM Millot 04 Clos de Vougeot. Limited nose, appearance as you would expect, medium-ruby, watery rim, sweet red fruit on the palate, a little herbal. Short finish, good amount of grape tannin. I think this actually has a way to go before it turns tertiary and I enjoyed it but passed it by for other things.

Lots of lean red fruit on nose with modest spice aromas, with the 100% new oak completely integrated. Palate shows a bit more fruit density than I expected based on aromas. Long, energetic finish. Lots of concentration, but the fruit is not perfectly balanced yet with the wine's tannins and acidity. Hold for another few years and try again.

Just heading towards garnet all around. Quite a pretty nose of earthy beets, cherry & soil. Light in body, with a subtle tannic grip. Lacking in depth of flavour, but follows the nose nicely. A little hint of sweet spice on a medium finish. This needs a little coaxing for the nose to really sing, but the palate is a little underwhelming. Nice & tasty, but probably not going to improve. Not the best QPR, but such is Burgundy some …

Violets, smoke, beetroot and meaty aromas. Palate is simple and lacks depth but it did taste quite good anyway.