2009 Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
This bottle is in a lovely spot for enjoying now. Attractive perfume... delicious balance of classically styled fruit and acidity that is just right. Will continue to develop favorably. This was decanted for aeration for about 90 minutes, then poured back into bottle. No sediment to speak of.2009 Brovia Barolo
Importer's notes:
"...Brovia’s formidable Barolo "Brovia" epitomizes their classically built yet elegant house style and expresses the full breadth of their enviable holdings. While its composition varies slightly each year depending on yields, it always comprises the following sources: (1) From their holdings in Castiglione Falletto, Brovia produces but one single cask of each cru-designated wine per vintage, directing any extra volume into the Barolo "Brovia." Accounting for 20-30% of the wine's final blend, this spillover comes from vines exceeding 50 years of age in the crus of Rocche di Castiglione, Villero, and Garblet Sue. (2) 70-80% of the Barolo "Brovia" comes from holdings in Serralunga d’Alba, primarily in the cru of Brea with smaller amounts (beginning in 2020) in Gianetto, an east-facing cru which is a natural extension of Brea and yields a wine of similar character. These vines are 20 to 30 years of age on average, the oldest parcels of Brea being used for the single-cru bottling. The Barolo "Brovia" undergoes spontaneous fermentation in a variety of vessels—cement, open-top wood, and stainless steel—and is raised 24 to 30 months in oak botti between 30 and 100 hectoliters in capacity. Afterward, the wine is assembled in a combination of steel and wood for an additional year, being bottled no sooner than 40 months after harvest. This aging process, which is longer than that of the crus (aged solely in 30- to 40-hectoliter casks and bottled after 30 months), allows for a wine slightly more open-knit upon release by design..."
This bottle showed beautifully. It was slow-o'd for several hours and opened wonderfully over dinner being poured from bottle.
A word about drinking these wines side by side. My early favorite was the Burgundy. Over the course of several hours, I gravitated more to the Barolo, with the main reason being the lengthy, very tasty and complex finish. In the end, I even preferred the Barolo with my main course of grilled branzino over the Burgundy... go figure. I'm not taking anything away from the Burgundy.... it was indeed one of the most elegant 2009 vintage Cote de Beaune wines I've had recently. I suspect that additional cellar time for the Burgundy will be favorable for tertiary development and increasing complexity on the finish.
These wines were enjoyed at a pre-show dinner for Railroad Earth, which is one of those bands that's best appreciated at a live performance. A joyous concert.
