Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Very pale gold robe with hints of lime juice, bright and luminous. Tender, fresh and poetic nose; a myriad of small, fully opened and expressive white flowers from daisy to lily of the valley, from white carnation to freesia – they’re all there. Subtle, delicate aromas of white fruits, from pear to white peach and from grape to Golden Delicious – candy-apple style. Electric green grassy freshness just after a light rain; subtle Gâtinais-style honey with a touch of citron honey, lavender, blossoming apple trees, anis de Flavigny sweets and a hint of meringue.
Fully mature palate, with opulent and generously spiced fruit coulis; spiced pear, saffron apple, curried orange, mandarin saturated with Sichuan pepper; rich nourishing retro olfaction; aromatic plants and herbs with sage, a quite peppery verbena, and celery generously accented with salt.
Rather impressive finish at this stage; it’s hard to believe what’s on the label; the wine is tense, precise and very long; pronounced acidity gives it clear structure and direction – and it certainly delivers; citrus is very present with pronounced lime notes that linger on the palate, accompanied by a generous pinch of sea salt and Espelette pepper. A conservative score of 92 – I might have rated it 93 if I hadn’t seen the label.
Cold fish with lemon-pepper mayonnaise, from hake to salmon, salads such as Piédmontaise, Russian or Macédoine; chilled brown crab with Espelette pepper mayonnaise; for hot dishes, try scampi or whiting ‘en colère’ and in two years, calf’s head with gribiche sauce – time to let the boat out!

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

A very luminous robe with particularly pronounced green highlights. Here, the fine herbs are in command – chervil, dill, verbena, marjoram; cold vegetable soup, potatoes, leeks, turnips, cauliflower, somewhere between Crème Du Barry and Vichyssoise soup, pear mixed with potato, apple mixed with parsnip, a note somewhere between aniseed and mint brings a certain freshness; then, the white fruit turns to compote; again, a note of quince.

The palate is fluid – a juicy and expressive mouthfeel, with spiced apple and pear coulis and, again, a touch of apricot and apricot jam, followed by a seriously peppery marmalade, an orange salad with spices (paprika and Espelette pepper), lemons marinated with cloves; cardamom, liquorice, root ginger and juniper berry.

Great intensity on the finish and an elevated level of spice – pepper, particularly Sichuan pepper, a little saffron, chilli pepper; a very long finish.

Razor clam gratin with parsley butter, pan-fried scallops with parsley, pan-fried cockles and clams; in two years’ time, fish pie with cod or saithe.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Bright, light-gold robe tinged with a delicate green hue. Nose evoking the spring – lawn grass and tall grasses, small white flowers, but also daffodils; a watering hole surrounded by trees in blossom – from weeping willow to acacia to poplar; a delicate honeyed note filling the air – broom in blossom comes to mind, or freshly turned wetland, clay; a note evoking gunpowder, probably coming from the ground; reminiscent of certain chenin wines from the Vouvray region.

A silky, velvety and gourmet mouthfeel: plenty of fruit, layer upon layer, and a lot of citrus in particular – slightly bitter, lying somewhere between Outspan and Malta oranges; clementines – the flesh, peel and seeds; a hint of pomelo; liquorice stick; sucrine lettuce, an intimate blend of apple and pear coulis; marmalade; and a hint of apricot jelly.

Here, also, the finish has substantial length without losing any of the fruit; a refreshing bitter note that lingers in the heart of an otherwise delicately sweet fruit; green cardamom comes to mind; the wine retains its flavour, even as it persists; very balanced.

Pairings comparable to those suggested for the aligoté; perhaps a little more pepper or spices could be added, such as cloves or cardamom, without going as far as Cambodian or Thai dishes, but inspiration could be drawn from them.