WTN: 2006 Angerville Volnay; 2004 Ridge Monte Bello

2006 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay (Villages): Raspberry fruit, with a touch of waxy red fruit, almost like red licorice. Intensely floral nose- violets & roses ( and I know, because on V-Day, the flowers are around to compare against). Good minerality, and a fair bit of tannin- in fact, I'd say its a bit too tannic for the relative lightness of the wine- this is elegant and fragrant, but its not intense.

$42. Would buy again.

2004 Ridge Monte Bello: From half. Way too young, much better when we drank it alongside the steaks we cooked, but this has good fruit, a load of tannin, and the Ridge perfume lurking underneath. Infanticide, but probably great in the future.

Interestingly, on day 2, the Volnay was much fleshier- same profile, but much more fruit. Haven't seen that kind of evolution on a Burg too often. Very, very nice wine- really the best Burg I've had at this price-point in quite some time.

[David M. Bueker]

I have been reading that the 2006s are a bit lean/austere, but also reading that they will make good early drinking. I'm really not sure what to think, other than they are really expensive.

I have been reading that the 2006s are a bit lean/austere, but also reading that they will make good early drinking. I'm really not sure what to think, other than they are really expensive.

Are they really that expensive? Some Domaines/Negocients have really jacked up the prices, but not all, I don't think. As I argued a few days back, Angerville's prices are not much worse than they were for, say, the 99s (where the Volnay Villages was around $25-30, IIRC), if you adjust for inflation and a general increase in the prices for luxury goods- which, its safe to say that fine wine certainly qualifies as.
I guess if you're comparing to Riesling, you have a point. Donnhof's cheapest wine is a smidge under $20, right? But compared to other Pinot...are there really that many other options for <$40 that are superior? Certainly not from the US, outside of a very few choice producers.

[David M. Bueker]

From what I hear the ex-cellars prices were ok, but the prices in the shops around me (and on the net) are prohibitively high.

Drinking the 2004? Huh. last time I checked on my case of '93 it wasn't ready.

[David M. Bueker]

Drinking the 2004? Huh. last time I checked on my case of '93 it wasn't ready.

It never hurts to check a new vintage to see its profile.

Drinking the 2004? Huh. last time I checked on my case of '93 it wasn't ready.

It never hurts to check a new vintage to see its profile.

True, but I wouldn't dream of tasting a five-year old Monte Bello. Unless I was in imminent danger of dying.

Drinking the 2004? Huh. last time I checked on my case of '93 it wasn't ready.

It never hurts to check a new vintage to see its profile.

True, but I wouldn't dream of tasting a five-year old Monte Bello. Unless I was in imminent danger of dying.

Pure intellectual curiosity. I'd never had one less than 10 years old. It was from half, and I got it on super-sale, so, why not?

[David M. Bueker]

That's one of the (several) reasons I buy a selection of half bottles of top wines. Peeking in on them is fun, but the full bottles get the rest and respect they deserve.