Four Santenays
I wanted to take a look at a few Santenays as, despite the rise and rise of quality in the region, not much attention is given to the village.
Santenay is a beautiful, prosperous village at the bottom end of the Côte d’Or. The wealth of the town is due more to its history and likely less to its current wine making focus.
Domaine Muzard Vieilles Vignes Santenay 2005
Light colour, bright and transparent, evidently not too much extraction. Spicy, lifted, floral nose, harmonious but not complex. A pleasing palate but I had hoped for more power, more acidity from this vintage. Acceptable but not special.
Roger Belland Gravières 1er Cru Santenay 2006
Dense oaky nose, closed and unyielding. Coarse, oak tannins, very bitter and totally unsuited to the fruit. Really disappointing.
Château de la Crée Clos du Château 2005
I’ve had this wine several times, the last time a year ago. Then, it was beautifully rich, with crisp crunchy acidity. Now, it has begun to evolve, the nose is more savoury, even with a hint of chocolate to it. The beautiful acidity is still there, mouth-puckering and irresistable. That said, I prefered the wine young with its beautiful fruit. We’ll see how it goes over the next few years.
Françoise et Denis Clair Clos de la Comme 1er Cru 2006
A good wine, well structured and long. The fruit is not as impressive as that further up the côte in 2006 but its still enjoyable. There is still a displeasing element of oak to the nose and palate which suggests that one could do worse than leave this in the cellar for two more years.
