Of Leprechauns and Hobbits
Cold-wise, there's been a distinct improvement. Discomfort has been minimised...although I suspect that my vocal chords in their current state would be better at communicating with rutting cane toads, rather than French wine makers.
But spirits are flying higher than those of especially well victualled leprechauns in the gloaming, quite possibly on St Patrick's day. Not sure of the relevance of the gloaming bit, but since leprechauns don't exist I thought it wouldn't do any harm to put it in.
The reason for these general feelings of well-being? The two visits that have made up our distinctly lazy afternoon schedule. For we have been tasting at Lafarge and Buisson-Charles and we have attained sartori.
Lafarge is kind of the way one would secretly want all Burgundy domaines to be: a hobbit warren of impossibly low-ceilinged tunnels full of ancient barrels and mould. And from this homely, yet faintly chaotic habitat come long-limbed, lithe and beautiful creatures with Pinot Noir for DNA. It is preposterous that one should find such fluids here; ridiculous that one could come so close to the divine in a hole in the ground in Volnay. Yet here we are, luminous, aristocratic, painfully lovely wine after painfully lovely wine passing over our tastebuds. What happy freakism. I am smitten.
And the smiting continues. Buisson-Charles. Are these my favourite Chardonnays? Quite possibly. Premature oxidation comes here not. Tradition lives in the winery's dark corners, yet progression is not left out in the cold street outside. These are wines that need time to age into perfection, yet are so transparently straight from the top drawer when tasted at any stage of their evolutions.
Here, today, we tasted (in addition, to the full range of 2011 wines, white and red) Meursault Les Tessons from '12, '11, '10, '08, '07 and '96. All rivetted one's attention and electrified the senses. I have been telling Tasting Buddy (a long-standing ex-Singapore client) to buy these for some years, have even managed to strong-arm him into buying a few cases. Yet after our visit he is a BC convert. He talks like a man possessed. I will have to ring-fence a part of my allocation for other clients, else he will have the lot.
So, there we are. Lovely, lovely wines. Now: a bath. Then we're out into the gloaming, whether there be leprechauns or not. For we have the best part of a bottle of '06 Meursault Tessons to enjoy with our dinner. Thrice hurray!
