1998 Patrick Lesec Gevrey-Chambertin “Combe aux Moines”

This is a negociant I’ve never heard of. But Combe aux Moines is a long-favored vineyard- I particularly love Rene LeClerc’s versions. But the Lesec was bargain priced, so… OK, mixed bag here. On the one hand, one can sense a nice Gevrey character to this wine: a firm structure, black fruit, and a pronounced earthiness. On the flip side, it’s heavily wooded, the finish falls off pretty fast, and the middle palate has a certain lightness, something missing. The missing element is NOT tannin! Not a terrible wine, but a bit disappointing. My rating: Shemp.

SY (11/00)