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Burgundy 2000 En Primeur: 45 wines from John Armit 
January 31st 2002

The second of two tastings assessing the 2000 vintage in Burgundy, here I report on 40 wines from John Armit's. No generalized conclusions, no sales pitch, just a bunch of honest tasting notes that hopefully will help you make your decision as to whether to part with substantial wads of cash to buy these bottles. I've given two prices: the first is the in bond ex VAT price per case; the second is the calculated final bottle price including duty and VAT. Some nice wines here, but also some expensive ones that weren't that exciting.  

Marquis d'Angerville  (back to top)

Volnay 2000
Purplish colour. The nose shows attractive, bright cherry fruit with some savoury, herby complexity. Still quite primary and juicy on the palate: an open, fruity wine showing good balance that may develop nicely. Mid-weight. Very good/excellent (£160; £17.03)

Volnay 1er Cru Champans 2000
Quite lovely, expressive nose with some herby, slightly meaty complexity. Subtle, rich, juicy palate with some attractive medicinal complexity. Lovely stuff, showing great balance. Excellent (£260; £26.81)

Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs 2000
Tight nose of bright raspberry fruit with a savoury edge. The palate shows good density and firm tannins; quite a rich, concentrated style. Very tight now but potentially brilliant. Very good/excellent (£350; £35.64)

Robert Arnoux  (back to top)

Vosne Romanée Les Hautes Maizières 2000
This is verging on Bordeaux-like in its richness. The rich blackcurrant and raspberry nose is still very primary. The palate displays concentrated blackcurrant fruit, firm tannins and spicy, woody notes. Unapproachable now but with lots of potential. A ripe style. Very good/excellent (£230; £23.89)

Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Les Corvées Pagets 2000
Again, there's striking blackcurrant and berry fruit on the nose, which is very pure and rich. Concentrated and dense on the palate: lots of fruit, lots of new oak and some tannins. Needs time. Very good/excellent (£305; £31.24)

Patrick Biz(back to top)

Bourgogne Rouge Les Perrières 2000
Distinctive, slightly volatile cherry nose. Simple herb-edged fruit and high acidity on the palate. OK (£65; £7.74)

Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Aux Grands Liards 2000
There's a caramel edge to the nose with some savoury fruit character. On the palate there is an old-fashioned rustic edge to the brightly fruited palate. Good/very good (£120; £13.12)

Aloxe Corton Le Suchot 2000
Sweet caramel and herb edge to the nose. Good concentration of herb-tinged fruit on the palate, which is a bit primary with good acidity. Old fashioned, and quite interesting. Very good (£125; £13.61)

Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Les Marconnets 2000
Slightly closed, savoury nose has a touch of caramel with an undergrowthy edge. Chunky, savoury palate with good tannic structure. Potential here. Very good (£145; £15.57)

Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses 2000
Expressive, herb-tinged savoury nose with some medicinal character. Woody notes dominate the palate. Quite austere, with dry, firm tannins. Will the wood ever integrate? Very good (£155; £16.54)

Bourgogne Blanc Les Champlains 2000
Bright, rich lemony/herby nose. The palate shows a good concentration of bright citrus fruit with a savoury edge and good acidity. Nice, if a bit simple. Very good (£65; £7.74)

William Fevre  (back to top)

Chablis 2000
Fevre's wines have horrible labels, but they're all well made. This basic Chablis shows a lovely density of crisp, modern fruit, with an attractive mineral and lemon streak. Good acidity. Very good (£75; £8.71)

Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2000
Lovely expressive nose, with an attractive minerality to the pronounced citrus fruit. Quite savoury on the palate, which is crisp, clean and intense. Good concentration. Very good/excellent (£140; £15.08)

Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 1999
Subtle, restrained minerally nose. Clean, crisp fruit on the palate, which is currently quite tight knit and not showing much. Good acidity and nice texture. Very good+ (£240; £24.87)

Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 1999
Attractive mealy, toasty edge to the nose, which is dominated by subtle, creamy, mineral-edged fruit. Nice concentration on the palate which is currently tight lean and quite oaky. Very good+ (£240; £24.87)

Bouchard Père et Fils  (back to top)

Mersault 1er Cru Porusot 2000
Taut lemony nose is quite youthful, with high acidity. Good density of crisp fruit on the palate, which is not showing much yet. Good acid and the oak isn't overdone. Very good (£290; £29.77)

Mersault 1er Cru Genevrières 2000
Subtle, expressive nose with a minerally edge. Rich nutty edge to the attractive palate: good intensity here, an impressive, juicy, structured white wine. Very good/excellent (£330; £33.68)

Mersault 1er Cru Perrières 2000
Balance is the key here. The nose is tight, with crisp lemony fruit and some minerality. Lovely nutty palate already showing some complexity. Fair amount of wood, but it's classy. Very good/excellent (£350; £35.64)

Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2000
Nose already showing some class: complex and nutty, with rich, herby fruit and a smoky edge. Tight, concentrated palate is lemony, but lacks real intensity. However, this will no doubt put some weight on in the cellar. Very good/excellent (£980; £97.32)

Chatron Père et Fils  (back to top)

Rully 2000
Rich, expressive savoury nose is quite nutty. Good concentration of savoury fruit on the palate. Tasty stuff with good acidity, if a little chunky. Very good (£66; £7.80)

Pernand Vergelesses 2000
Good concentration. Attractive, crisp fruit on the nose: lemony, savoury and mineralic. Rich, chunky palate is quite intense and savoury, but I'm not overly keen on the style. Very good (£90; £10.18)

St Aubin 1er Cru des Dents de Chien 2000
Expressive lemony nose with some mineral notes. Lean, savoury, youthful palate has quite a rich texture of citrus fruit with good concentration and high acidity. May develop nicely. Very good+ (£135; £14.59)

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Pucelle 2000
Bright crisp, lemony nose with some savoury complexity. Concentrated citrus fruit on the palate with a bit of rich, spicy character (new oak?); veering towards creaminess. Youthful. Very good+ (£280; £28.79)

Domaine Les Clo(back to top)

Beaune 1er Cru 2000
Vivid colour. Attractive, ripe fruit on the nose. Good density of pure bright fruit on the palate: still very tight and youthful. Very good+ (£90; £10.18)

Beaune 1er Cru Les Arvaux 2000
Subtle, muted nose but there’s a nice savoury edge to the pure fruit. Good intensity of juicy, ripe fruit on the palate. Youthful. Very good+ (£110; £12.14)

Nuits St Georges Les Crots 2000
Restrained nose, but some complexity to the bright berry fruit, and a minerally edge. Nice density of minerally fruit on the palate with some spicy, savoury complexity underneath. Very good/excellent (£125; £13.61)

Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, Domaine des Burgondes 2000
Modern fruity nose with some richness and tanky boiled sweets character. Palate is crisp and clean, but a little too modern for my tastes. Good/very good (£92; £10.30)

Darviot Perrin  (back to top)

Bourgogne Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2000
Super stuff: expressive and joy-filled. Lovely rich savoury, herb-tinged fruit on the forward nose. There’s a lovely sweet edge to the ripe fruit on the palate, with some herby complexity. Not a big wine, but a nice one. Very good/excellent (£70; £8.22)

Monthélie 2000
Blast of ripe raspberry fruit on the nose with a nice, soft sweet edge. Palate is rich with lots of ripe fruit and a bit of spicy, tannic structure to hold it together. Very good+ (£90; £10.18)

Volnay Les Blanches 2000
Quite a tight nose, with pure focused fruit. Palate is richly fruited and currently quite woody, but with enough intensity to promise more in the future. Very good+ (£145; £15.57)

Michel Magnien  (back to top)

Morey St Denis Très Girard 2000
A delicious, ripe style of Pinot. The nose shows rich blackcurrant edge to the intense berry fruit, with some sweetness. Lovely ripe, almost sweet berry fruit on the palate with a nice mineral edge. Very good/excellent (£160; £17.03)

Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Les Seuvrées 2000
The nose shows rich, pure, ripe berry fruit with a creamy edge and some minerality. Ripe, juicy palate with good balance and some tannin. Delicious stuff. Very good/excellent (£190; £19.97)

Morey St Denis 1er Cru Chaffots 2000
Ripe and full, this is a concentrated wine with a striking nose of blackcurrant fruit with a mineral core. Delicious, ripe palate with lovely minerality, good acidity and some sweetness to the fruit. Superb. Excellent (£230; £23.89)

Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2000
Serious nose: intense berry fruit with some savoury complexity. Ripe and full. Chunky and ripe on the structured palate with lovely pure fruit. Very rich but balanced. Excellent (£450; £45.43)

Clos de la Ruche Grand Cru 2000
Lots of ripe fruit on the nose but with an expressive, savoury character. The palate is juicy and mineralic, with blackcurrant and raspberry fruit and fine grained tannins. Good concentration to this attractive wine. Very good/excellent (£450; £45.43)

Marc Morey  (back to top)

Chassagne Montrachet 2000
A tasty, forward wine. Tight, nicely complex nose displays crisp citrus fruit and some nutty, toasty notes. Rich creamy, mealy palate is quite elegant and full. Good balance. Very good/excellent (£140; £15.07)

Puligny Montrachet 2000
Attractive nose is quite forward, with fresh, toasty fruit. Rich palate shows classy new oak and a good density of crisp fruit. Nice balance. Very good+ (£160; £17.03)

Paul Pernot  (back to top)

Puligny Montrachet 2000
Assertive crisp, spicy nose with deep herb-tinged fruit and attractive oaking. Crisp citrus fruit dominates the palate which shows an attractive mineral edge. Quite lean in style. Very good+ (£195; £20.46)

Rapet (back to top)

Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Clos du Village 2000
Very lean, forward nose shows high acid and minerality. Lean, taut palate with lemony fruit and some underlying savoury richness. Very good+ (£135; £14.59)

Jean Rijckaert  (back to top)

Côtes de Jura Les Sarres 2000
Fresh lemony nose is very clean and modern, with crisp, clean fruit on the palate. Attractive stuff. Very good (£50; £6.27)

Bourgogne Blanc Le Praron Dessous 2000
Crisp stuff showing some slightly spicy, butterscotch-laced fruit on the nose. Attractive savoury, nutty palate is pure and mineralic. Quite rich. Very good (£58; £7.05)

Arbois Pré Leveron 2000
Deeper coloured, with a crisp, modern, savoury nose. Quite rich, ripe palate shows some spicy notes and a citrus edge. Nicely textured. Very good (£62; £7.44)

Viré Clessé En Collonges 2000
Quite deep colour with a distinctive nutty and butterscotch nose. Rich textured, savoury palate with a herby edge. A full-favoured style. Very good (£62; £7.44)

Santenay Le Clos Genets 2000
A chunky wine, with a savoury, nutty nose. Citrussy palate is chunky with a savoury, spicy edge. Good acidity; perhaps a touch lean. Very good (£89; £10.09)

Domaine Roulot  (back to top)

Mersault Les Vireuils 2000
Intense, youthful nose with a distinctive bright herbal edge. Lots of rich lemony/herbal fruit on the palate with bright acidity. Perhaps just a hint of volatility? Good intensity. Very good/excellent (£190; £19.97)

Mersault Les Luchets 2000
Full distinctive nose: smoky and mineralic with a cabbagey/herbal edge. Expressive. Rich, herbal fruit on the palate with good acidity and some complexity. Very good/excellent (£190; £19.97)

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