残念なブル~マルサネ・シャン・ペルドリ2022(ドメーヌ・クレマンセイ) A Disappointing Burgundy – Marsannay “Champs Perdrix” 2022 (Domaine Clemancey)
最近は滅多にブルゴーニュを飲まなくなってしまったので、このようなややマイナーな銘柄に対しても期待値が大きくなってしまう。しかし、どうひいき目にみても、これはイマイチだ。ピノの良さが全然でていない。濃厚なルビーの色調で透明感はあまりない。エッジはまだ紫。香りはスモーキーで、黒い果実や土っぽい香り、丁子ナツメグなどのスパイスに混ざってロースト香が支配的。味わいはまず酸がキツく、結構スパイシー。ピノに求めたくなる透明感やクリアな感じは希薄で、まだ樽の要素がかなり強いことを差し引いてもバランスが悪い。数年寝かせれば多少は変わりそうな気もするが、大化けしそうな予感はないし、そもそもこのクラスのワインを長期間寝かせるのも難しい。福袋に入っている銘柄は、自分の守備範囲外のものに出会える楽しさはあるが、好みのジャンルにおいては物足りなさが目立ってしまう。「週末セール情報」を更新していると、ブル以外の地域などで安くて面白そうなピノを見かけるので、そうしたものをチマチマ買って試してみるのもよいのかなと思ったりもする。Lately I’ve hardly been drinking Burgundy at all, so even a somewhat minor label like this tends to raise my expectations. Still, no matter how generously I try to judge it, this one is underwhelming. It simply doesn’t show what Pinot can do.The color is a dense ruby with little transparency, the rim still tinged with purple. On the nose, smoky notes dominate, layered with dark fruit, earthy tones, and spices like clove and nutmeg, along with a pronounced roasted character. On the palate, the acidity hits first and feels quite sharp, with a noticeable spiciness. The clarity and transparency one hopes for in Pinot are largely absent, and even allowing for the fact that the oak influence is still quite strong, the balance is off.It might evolve somewhat with a few years of aging, but it doesn’t feel like a wine that will dramatically improve—and in any case, it’s not easy to justify long-term cellaring for a wine at this level. Wines included in “lucky bags” can be fun in that they expose you to things outside your usual range, but when it comes to styles you care about, they often end up feeling a bit unsatisfying.Updating my “weekend sale picks,” I often come across reasonably priced and intriguing Pinots from regions outside Burgundy, which makes me think it might be worth picking up a few of those here and there and giving them a try.