Happening Now Tasting 12: Domaine Charles Audoin Marsannay Les Favières 2005

Tonight - once again I'd like make a bold move. Just a bold move for my persona, of course. Normally, as I have stated it at several occasions, I choose not to write about Burgs. The reason for that might be eclectic and totally boring. Anyway, once again I refrain from my self-imposed omittance and try to shoot out one of my insignificant tasting notes. As if you'd expected something solid this time ….!? My excuse for my bold move this time is my recent (excessive) activity to find purchasable 2005 Burgs on the market. I don't want to humor you with my limited success. Today I just would like to drink a recently bought, as a matter effect bought today, 2005er “in public”. I have been lucky enough to find a Marsannay Les Favières 2005 from one of my preferred (and pretty underrated – like the entire appellation) Marsannay producers Domaine Charles Audoin. Let's check it out how this one is doing right now …

6:09 pm (popped and poured)

Colour: classical ruby Pinot hue, perhaps a bit darker, slightly watery corona with minor visual indications of aging – very mildly red-brown

Nose: super dark and pretty tart cherries, hay, high voltage chocolate (very dusty one), incinerated bread, pretty obvious limestone characteristics (I hope Les Favières has limestone soil after all), a few traces of animal sweat (gentry class cattle – naturally) and some moist forest floor; right now a pretty multi-layered and gravely earnest Pinot nose, not super elegant, strong mineral characteristics, a bit shy fruit; there is more to come – for sure!

Taste: not a lot of aging has happened in the years since bottling, the acid seems to be relatively civilized – still a very tangible, the tannins are still rather hard and a bit crude as well, the mineral characteristics are calling the shots, the dark cherry fruit is super shy right now; like the nose … there is more to come … right now very reserved

7:28 pm

Nose: still really tart, perhaps even more lime'y, dark cherry fruit is gaining some ground, slightly more gentle(-like) smoke is evolving

Taste: strangely the acid seems to getting a bit (even) more vivid, the body is not too bulky and the cherry fruit, yes some indications are evolving, is not super-ripe and a bit cola'ish right now; still very reserved and tart fellow, however gaining balance … hence heading the right direction, I suppose!

9:01 pm

Nose: the tart characteristics are loosing bit by bit a bit ground, overall more balance and harmony, the fruit is still relatively shy and a bit unwilling to perform, the fragrances of moist forest floor in combination with traces of old wood are getting more elaborate and cunning

Taste: the tannin structure and acid is still snappish and wet behind its ears, however the trail to more harmony is obvious, even the dark cherry flavours are more refined and present, the mineral characteristics seem to shift a bit – away from rocky limestone-plenty to more earthy / forest'y autumnal flavours (only a minor development so far)

10:14 pm

No significant movement is happening right now. Still a rather tart and juvenile Pinot with ambitions, but no real upholding. I guess it is getting a bit boring. I will continue tomorrow at lunchtime … ผัดคะน้าหมูกรอบ will join! 

12:22 am (following day)

Nose: today the nose seems not as austere and tart as it presented itself yesterday evening, it seems more polished and refined, the dark cherry fruit appears more lively and much more spicy, the autumnal characteristics, a bit more green today, are holding up; all in all a much more appealing and elegant nose compared to yesterday's impressions

Taste: still full of hard and crud tannins, the acid tamed a bit, actually on the palate there is not so much of a significant change noticeable, the fruit is still highly austere and reserved

Apart of the nose the Les Favières 2005 is still far too young and slightly “repellent” on the palate right now. I hope the body will hold up over the coming years. I am getting a few mixed signals, however the acid seems promising for a long life and good potential. At the moment the Marsannay Les Favières 2005 is a decent **** Pinot Noir. Probably a bit difficult to understand and to handle. I guess, I prefer the more simple and always more accessible Cuvée Marie Ragonneau 2005 at the moment. This one was pretty open a few months ago. By the way, the mild, a bit fatty and mint'y herbaceous pork flavours from ผัดคะน้าหมูกรอบ does absolutely not go along well with this Marsannay. Who would have thought that ...;-)