Wine, for me, has been an acquired taste, or rather a series of acquired tastes that continue to accumulate the more I drink. Funny thing is, an acquired taste can be the most stubborn, displacing attractions that, at first, feel easier and more natural. So it is with Pinot Noir in general, and Burgundy in particular. I'm far from the most erudite taster, yet my first smell of this wine had the same effect as (for me) the smell of a Hunter Semillon, or a Coonawarra Cabernet. In other words, at least at first, the recognition of something familiar has as much to do with one's pleasure as the absolute quality of the aroma. The accumulated experience of tasting makes the smell of this wine the summation of all the Pinots I've smelled. It is most curious to me, and something I'd like to explore further. If only I knew where to start.
Domaine Robert Sirugue & ses enfants
Price: $A65
Closure: Cork
There's a burst of flowers, bright red fruits, vegetal funk, dusty vanilla oak and some volatility on the nose, and it all strikes me as absolutely varietal. There's another layer too, deeper and quite meaty with denser berry fruit. Altogether complex and cutting as an aroma profile. I keep sniffing this wine and getting more out of it.
At first, there's overwhelming acidity on the palate that makes tasting this wine quite challenging. It's the sort of acidity that has enormous impact and that seems to transform, at some point along the line, into a spray of chalky, drying tannins. So, structure from end to end. There's fruit too, joyously bright and crunchy, though lacking weight at this stage. Bright red berry fruit and a bit of crushed leaf register about half way between entry and middle palate, where the flavour spreads out a little but never becomes weighty or generous. It's quite complex and etched. Things move towards the back of the mouth with admirable thrust, adding a caramel twist along the way. A fine, long finish.
I'll definitely leave my remaining bottles for a few years before retasting, to give the structure a chance to relax. Will the fruit gain weight over time? I'm not seeing a lot of movement in the glass, but its intensity suggests it has the potential to add flesh as acidity falls back into the fruit. I'll check in tomorrow and report back.
Update: on the second evening, noticeably more rounded in flavour profile, with a lovely Turkish Delight type of edge, but still highly structured. I reckon this will age a treat. My next bottle will be cracked in about five years' time.
Domaine Robert Sirugue & ses enfants
Price: $A65
Closure: Cork
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