Méo-Camuzet's 89 Richebourg, 85 Clos Vougeot + 93 Giaconda
Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 9:27 am
1985 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos de Vougeot
Light red with hints of perspicuous brown. Like the Richebourg insofar as hazy and lacking clarity. Bouquet is largely clean, with very little development. Very new world in style, with hints of spice, strawberries, cinnamon and chocolate. Good but not outstanding. Palate still remains relatively youthful given its age. HasnÂ’t evolved and is singularly uninspiring. A good wine but pretty boring. Good length with nice balance and very quaffable. Clearly not going anywhere and hasnÂ’t travelled very far despite its physical age. Seems at its peak with good primary fruit, spicy overtones, round flavours and medium bodied. Little oak or tannin and the whole package is well integrated.
Very Good 17.0 / 20
1989 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Richebourg
Super long 5.5cm cork! High expectations given Clive Coates considers this one of the finest parcels from the Richebourg vineyards. Only 30 old vines used to make the wine by Jean Méo. Mid to light red with some brown/orange tints. On first opening, very sweet and perfumed cinnamon and spice, with some salami and red berries. With two hours decanting, the nose closed up: tight and restrained. Overall, deep but not profound. Palate has superb length and concentration. A step up from the Clos de Vougeot. Great power but also held tightly. Changed remarkably over 3-4 hours. At first, the primary fruits flavours flourished, with beautiful balance with barely a hint of tannins, oak and alcohol. After decanting for 3-4 hours, less yielding, perhaps closing up or even fading slightly. Clearly excellent but no epiphany this night. Where’s the excitement? Very well made (no argument here) but too clean with little secondary development. Second day – no change. Again, quite new world in style with less oak – much like a top quality Bass Phillip Reserve but more charm. Lacking the complexity and myriad nuances of the stunning and powerful 1985 Domaine Philippe Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe Aux Moines had 3-4 months ago. 13.6% A/V.
Excellent 18.0 / 20
1993 Giaconda Pinot Noir (Beechworth, Victoria)
My brother came over at the last moment with this so the timing was perfect. Light red with plenty of brown. The nose is mature, with subtle pepper and “red winey†characters (hard to describe!). Nowhere near as perfumed or intense as the Méo’s. The wine is clearly past its best albeit still drinkable. But the acid and tannin overshadow whatever fruit is left. Would’ve been better at least five years ago but those who like old pinots may find some interest. I didn’t. Giaconda hasn’t really hit its straps until around 5 years ago in my mind. From 1999-2002 the wines have been excellent, especially the stunning recent addition, the Warner Vineyard shiraz.
Good 16.0 / 20
Light red with hints of perspicuous brown. Like the Richebourg insofar as hazy and lacking clarity. Bouquet is largely clean, with very little development. Very new world in style, with hints of spice, strawberries, cinnamon and chocolate. Good but not outstanding. Palate still remains relatively youthful given its age. HasnÂ’t evolved and is singularly uninspiring. A good wine but pretty boring. Good length with nice balance and very quaffable. Clearly not going anywhere and hasnÂ’t travelled very far despite its physical age. Seems at its peak with good primary fruit, spicy overtones, round flavours and medium bodied. Little oak or tannin and the whole package is well integrated.
Very Good 17.0 / 20
1989 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Richebourg
Super long 5.5cm cork! High expectations given Clive Coates considers this one of the finest parcels from the Richebourg vineyards. Only 30 old vines used to make the wine by Jean Méo. Mid to light red with some brown/orange tints. On first opening, very sweet and perfumed cinnamon and spice, with some salami and red berries. With two hours decanting, the nose closed up: tight and restrained. Overall, deep but not profound. Palate has superb length and concentration. A step up from the Clos de Vougeot. Great power but also held tightly. Changed remarkably over 3-4 hours. At first, the primary fruits flavours flourished, with beautiful balance with barely a hint of tannins, oak and alcohol. After decanting for 3-4 hours, less yielding, perhaps closing up or even fading slightly. Clearly excellent but no epiphany this night. Where’s the excitement? Very well made (no argument here) but too clean with little secondary development. Second day – no change. Again, quite new world in style with less oak – much like a top quality Bass Phillip Reserve but more charm. Lacking the complexity and myriad nuances of the stunning and powerful 1985 Domaine Philippe Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe Aux Moines had 3-4 months ago. 13.6% A/V.
Excellent 18.0 / 20
1993 Giaconda Pinot Noir (Beechworth, Victoria)
My brother came over at the last moment with this so the timing was perfect. Light red with plenty of brown. The nose is mature, with subtle pepper and “red winey†characters (hard to describe!). Nowhere near as perfumed or intense as the Méo’s. The wine is clearly past its best albeit still drinkable. But the acid and tannin overshadow whatever fruit is left. Would’ve been better at least five years ago but those who like old pinots may find some interest. I didn’t. Giaconda hasn’t really hit its straps until around 5 years ago in my mind. From 1999-2002 the wines have been excellent, especially the stunning recent addition, the Warner Vineyard shiraz.
Good 16.0 / 20