Domaine de la Vieille Fontaine 2005 Tasting Notes

Aligoté de Bouzeron 2002
Bourgogne rouge 2002
Rully blanc 2003

This year David’s Aligoté and Bourgogne rouge come from the outstanding 2002 vintage that was successful throughout Burgundy for both red and white wines.  Quality was good but yields were down and consequently the wines are in short supply.  A cold spring gave way to a hot June and a sunny July before a wet and stormy August. Happily, the weather preceding the harvest in September was magnificent.  The resulting crop had high levels of natural alcohol and very good concentrations of natural sugar: perfect for what is now regarded as a classic burgundy vintage.

The Aligoté is fresh, light and clear with bags of citrus-fruit freshness, pleasing minerality, gentle acidity and excellent length.  Although this wine is the usual basis for kir we strongly recommend that you don’t mask the character of your wine by using it thus.  Lightly chilled on a warm summer’s day it is a deliciously different apéritif, or an excellent accompaniment to the local burgundian speciality jambon persillé (this is similar to a Lincolnshire delicacy called chine), shellfish or goat’s cheese.

The light, fruity Bourgogne rouge has a bouquet of fresh strawberries that leads on to a delicate palate of ripe red and black fruits with a hint of pepper.  Perfect with grilled steak, casseroles or hard cheese, this wine has slightly more body than the rain-affected 2001 vintage.  Although it will continue to develop in bottle for a couple of years, our advice is to enjoy it in its youth.

This year’s Rully blanc St Jacques is from the heatwave vintage of 2003.  The exceptionally hot, dry weather following late spring frosts resulted in a very low yield and the grapes have a high concentration of natural sugars and flavours coupled with low acidity.  2003 is completely different from the ‘classic’ 2002 vintage, but for relatively early drinking it is outstanding.  It has been aged for a year in stainless steel cuves before bottling and is ready for drinking now.  The white-flower and sherbet bouquet is this year enhanced by some tropical fruit aromas and leads to a rich fruit-salad palate of good length.