One of the perks of having to kill time en route from NY to Boston by car is a stop at Mt. Carmel Wines in Hamden. The selection is not what it used to be in the pre-WineSearcher era, but its still fun poking through a ton of older burgs, nearly all in good condition (where else can you find a 1983 Clair-Dau for sale at retail?). In the end I was picking b/w a 1996 Bouchard Beaune 1er, a 1999 Potel Savigny 1er, and a 1999 Bouchard Vosne-Romanee, all b/w $30 and $40, all as fresh as the day they were born. I went with the Vosne-Romanee.*
It was a good decision. I haven't had too many wines from Vosne, but this seemed to have a lot of village character- spicy, a tasty mix of red and black fruits, a touch of caramel (hard to tell if it was the age or the oak or a little of both). A nice little forest floor thing going on, with just a whiff of mushrooms adding some final complexity. Velvety mouthfeel and resolved tannins.
Ready to drink and very delicious-not quite the equal of the cheapo 2001 Bonnes Mares I had a few weeks back but not too far off either.
*But I was really tempted by a Domaine Chezeaux 1994 Griotte for $70. Anyone have any experience with this? On the one hand, its an off vintage. On the other, it's a GC, its Ponsot, and its $70.