Domaine visits

Jean-Marie Fourrier

Jean-Marie Fourrier calls 2008 a very difficult vintage. Because of the cool summer it was hard to get sufficient ripeness. A very severe triage was needed. High acidity levels caused long, slow malolactic fermentations. For a long time Jean-Marie doubted if the wines would become any good. But now that the malos are finished, much to his own surprise, the wines turn out to be really nice!

They are very lively wines, with lovely pure and clean fruit. Maybe not for long cellarring, but they will be very hard to resist in their youth anyway. Not to be missed!

Morey-Saint-Denis "Clos Solon" A bit understated nose. Lovely red fruit, round, supple. Good acidity. Soft, round finish with a spicy, earthy edge. Nice Morey!

Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Some reduction on the nose (malo finished only three weeks ago). A bit tight, quite some acidity, but nice rich fruit (cherries) as well. Good intensity and lenght. Very promesing.

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Cherbaudes Lovely nose, tres pinot. Great fruit, very pure, rich and succulent. Very fresh, intense and long. Lovely!

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Champeaux A bit more closed on the nose. More round and full than Cherbaudes. Seductive, sweetish fruit. Good freshness and purity. Great stuff!

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Clos-Saint-Jacques Super fruit! Sweetish, ripe, lots of complexity and finesse. Very long, minerally finish. Terrific!

Griottes Chambertin Very attractive, round cherryfruit. Very elegant, feminine style. Very good complexity, harmony and lenght. Delicious!

January 2010

Coralie and Benoit Ente

There was some sort of mix-up with the appointment. Benoit Ente and his spouse cleary didn't count on us coming to taste, because they were busy trying to get the wine press onto a trailer. To no avail, because the shopping cart wheels made the press go everywhere except on the trailer. But with the help of three Dutchmen the press got on the trailer unharmed.

With this problem out of the way, we could join Benoit and Coralie at their kitchen table to taste the '08s. A great range of wines! Another proof that Benoit (like his older brother Arnaud in Meursault) in a relatively short period of time has become one of the true stars of his village. I'm a big fan! 

2008 Chassagne-Montrachet A bit closed on the nose, some flowers. Good fruit, sweetish, fresh, a touch of caramel. Long. Very fresh, slightly minerally finish.

2008 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Champs Gain Little nose. More tight than the Chassagne. Juicy. Good backbone. Zesty, minerally. Long finish with lots of grip.

2008 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Referts Starts round, then tight acidity kicks in. Elegant and fresh. Applejuice and pear. Good balance; tight finish.

2008 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Hameau de Blagny Round ripe, a bit sweetish fruit. Very fresh and intense. Soft but intense finish. Long, with lots of grip! Already very approachable. Great!

2008 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Folatieres, En la Richarde Full, rich, quite concentrated. Not too expressive yet, but with nice rich fruit.

2008 Bourgogne rouge Very pretty red fruit. Ripe, juicy, supple. Pure fruit. Lovely vin de soif.

November 2009

Antoine Jobard

This domaine used to be called François et Antoine Jobard, but now that Antoine has taken over the lead of the domaine it's just Antoine Jobard.  The new name also means a new label, one that is more modern but still very stylish and tasteful. What hasn't changed (luckily!) is the style of the wines. They are refined, pure, mineral wines, not meant for early pleasure but rewarding some aging. They have nice richness of fruit, without being fat. Great stuff!

2008 Bourgogne blanc Floral nose along with some spicy white fruit. Very fresh and pure. Zesty. Good lenght, good body.

2008 Meursault "Tillets" "Lie" on the nose. Fresh and elegant. Tight. Minerally finish.

2008 Meursault "En la Barre" Full nose, richer than Tillets. Round, yet with very nice acidity. Well balanced.

2008 Meursault 1er cru Poruzot Round, full, elegant, quite soft. A lot of grip towards the end though. Goes on and on.

2008 Meursault 1er cru Genevrieres Rich, ripe nose. En bouche: fresh, tight, refined. Much more mineral than Poruzot.

2008 Meursault 1er cru Charmes A bit closed on the nose. Fresh, round. Full but not fat. Lots of finesse.

From bottle:

2007 Bourgogne blanc Very fresh. Nice acidity. Tight, but with good richness. Very gulpable. 

2007 Meursault "Tillets" Flowery nose, with peppermint and minerals. Round,  fresh and juicy.

2007 Meursault "En la Barre" More full and rich than Tillets. Very round and juicy. Very fresh, long finish.

2007 Meursault 1er cru Poruzot A bit closed on the nose. Rich, round and full, yet at the same time very fresh. Good length.

2007 Meursault 1er cru Genevrieres Full, round, very intense. Very well-balanced. Very long.

1994 Meursault 1er cru Poruzot Not much there on the nose. Very little evolved. Nutty. A little bit oak. Fresh, round, very lively. Good acidity. Still incredibly youthful.

November 2009

Denis Bachelet

Denis Bachelet was already one of my favourite producers in Burgundy (based on just a few bottles I drank), so for me it was a big pleasure being able to taste here (with Dutch importer Chris Janselijn). When meeting Denis Bachelet, you understand why his wines taste the way they do, the wines really reflect his personality. He is a very modest, thoughtful guy with a subtle, understated sense of humour. His wines are really pure, well-blanced, understated, with lots of depth. And the wines are not even that expensive (unlike the wines of some other "cult domaines" in the village). It's just that are not a lot of bottles available (Bachelet only has about 3,5 hecatares of vineyards, and yields -mainly from old vines- are low) so they can be hard to find. But they are defenitely worth looking out for! His Charmes-Chambertin could well be the best Charmes money can buy.

Like with all great domaines, the keys are: a lot of work in the vineyard, and low yields. Wine making is "low interventionist" (no artificial yeast, no filtration etc.), however Bachelet heats up his cellar in order to speed up the malo. So all wines we tasted from barrel had finished their malos.

2008 Bourgogne rouge 0% new oak. Pure, still a bit tight, nice fruit. Refreshing. Good lenght. Somewhat spicy finish. Very nice Bourgogne! 

2008 Côte de Nuits Villages Slightly animal and spicy nose. Great purity. A bit more refined than the Bourgogne. Very fresh. Already very approchable and very tasty.

2008 Gevrey-Chambertin vieilles vignes Full nose, spicy, textbook Gevrey. Lovely fresh fruit. Nice structure and balance. Fine tannins. Some spices and earth on the finish. Nice!

2008 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Les Corbeaux Lovely nose! Spicy and a bit floral. Ripe yet fresh fruit. Elegance and complexity. Very spicy finish, with tannins that are present but ripe. Lovely!

2008 Charmes-Chambertin 30% new oak. Lovely blackcurrant fruit. Ripe, round, pure and elegant. Slightly spicy. Lots of complexity. Very lovely!

November 2009 

Laurent Ponsot

Laurent Ponsot is sometimes being accused of making wines that are inconsistent. This may be the case, but his 2008's are probably the best range of wines I have ever tasted from barrel!

Ponsot is known to harvest late (always one of the latest of the village, if not the whole côte) and his wines indeed have lovely ripe fruit, but at the same time great freshness, balance and purity (Ponsot doesn't use any new oak). And, all wines reflect the individuality of their terroir. If these wines are still this good once they are in bottle, they are not to be missed!

2008 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er cru Monts Luisants blanc (100% aligoté). Malo not finished yet. Dark yellowish colour. A bit "musty" on the nose, nutty, flinty. Very ripe fruit. Minerally. Very intense.

2008 Bourgogne rouge Cuvée Pinson (from Chambolle-Musigny, "wrong" side of the Route National). Rather dark purple. A little bit of reduction, but very lovely fruit! Very charming. Super Bourgone!

2008 Chambolle-Musigny Cuvée des Cigales Ripe, full fruit. Tres pinot. Pure and elegant. Long, intense, with the softest of tannins. Mmmm!

2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Charmes Rich, pure, succulent fruit. A bit more muscular than the Chambolle village, but the same style. Nice, nice!

2008 Morey-Saint-Denis Cuvée des Alouettes Very spicy and peppery and the nose. Round, full fruit, very fresh and pure with a spicy accent. Good intensity, good structure, good lenght. Very good!

2008 Griotte-Chambertin Very seductive cherry fruit on the nose. Fresh, intense, elegant. Lovely fruit! Sexy! 

2008 Chapelle-Chambertin Rather dark colour. Spicy nose. Lovely lip-smacking dark fruit. Pure and fresh. Very good structure. Lots of elegance. Long. Lovely.

2008 Clos Vougeot Not much there on the nose yet. More earthy compared to the previous wines, slightly raw. Nice fruit though! Lots of structure. Very good lenght.

2008 Clos Saint Denis tres vieilles vignes Very charming nose, slightly spicy. Super fruit! Very, very deep and complex. Great balance and lenght. Already quite approachable (gulpable...). Very exciting wine!

2008 Clos de la Roche Animal, spices, black berries. Very pure fruit. Powerful. A bit more tight than the Clos Saint Denis. Very good structure and lenght. Great stuff!

November 2009

Christophe Perrot-Minot

Christophe Perrot-Minot made a name for himself when he took over the lead of the domaine in the beginning of the nineties by crafting very rich, oaky, highly extracted wines. A couple of years ago he changed his ways, and decided to pursue more purety and finesse in his wines. His wines are still very concentrated, but this is mainly achieved by getting very, very low yields from his vineyards (a lot of which are planted with vieilles vignes). In the cuverie Christophe took his foot a bit of the accelarator, and he lowered the use of new oak.

In the 2008 vintage Christophe did a very severe triage: 30% of the already tiny yields was discarded at the sorting table, in order to get only the very best fruit in the cuves.

2008 Bourgogne vieilles vignes (from a vineyard in Morey-Saint-Denis) Purple colour. A bit animal on the nose (reduction). Very pure, intense. Fraicheur. Very spicy, peppery finish. Good lenght. Very good for a Bourgogne tout court.

2008 Morey-Saint-Denis "Rue de Vergy" Tres foncée. Very spicy nose. Refreshing acidity, intense, minerally, very spicy! Stony finish with strict tannins. 

2008 Vosne-Romanée  (from Chalandain) Slightly animal nose. Deep flavoured. Firm. Lots of acidity, lots of freshness. Spicy, minerally, stony.

2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Combe d' Orveau Not too expressive on the nose yet. Refined. Very fresh, pure fruit. Very long! Fine tannins, minerals, licorice.

2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Richemone Earthy nose, beefy. Dark fruit. Full, energetic, concentrated fruit. Solid structure. Big (but ripe) tannins.

2008 Chambertin Clos de Beze Spices and ripe fruit on the nose. Ripe, sweetish fruit, concentrated yet fresh. Lots of depth. Finishes spicy, minerally, stony. Long!

2008 Chambertin (Production of only 3 barrels). Very minerally and tight. Massive wine, lots of structure. Really long, persistant finish with severe tannins that mask the fruit. Impressive but very young.

November 2009

Laetitia Dugat

Harry Waugh, the late British wine merchant and writer, was once asked if he had ever mistaken a Burgundy for a Bordeaux. "Not since lunch," he quipped. I can imagine, if the Burgundy happened to be a wine from Claude Dugat. His wines are really dark in colour, and have black fruit rather than red. They are very rich and concentrated, and have a lot of depth. This is achieved by getting tiny yields, mainly from very old vines. The grapes are usually picked quite early in order to retain freshness. Dugat doesn't make wines for early pleasure, they clearly need time in bottle (unfortunately I have yet to taste an aged Dugat...). Claude Dugat is rightfully one of the highest regarded wine makers of Burgundy!

Starting with the 2006 vintage, Dugat is also offering a few negoce wines. These are labeled "La Gibryotte" (a combination of the words Gibriacois (the inhabitants of Gevrey-Chambertin) and Layotte (a historic name for the women who used to do the work in the vineyards). They are bought in as wine (not grapes), and as Dugat's own wines they are only from the village of Gevrey-Chambertin.

The domaine is a real family business. Claude works together with his wife, son and daughter. With the latter, Laetitia, we tasted the following wines:

Tasted from bottle:

2006 La Gibryotte Gevrey-Chambertin Slightly spicy, earthy nose. Pretty fruit. Some minerals on the finish.  

2007 La Gibryotte Gevrey-Chambertin Fruity nose. Flatteur. Easy, fruit driven wine.

2007 La Gibryotte Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru  Attractive nose, a bit floral. Fragrant on the palate. Not too long, spicy finish.

2007 Gevrey-Chambertin Smoky, animal nose. Lots of matiere. Solid structure, especially for the vintage. Quite tannic. Very deep and concentrated.

2007 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Lavaux St. Jaques Very dark. Reminds of Bordeaux. Earthy. Black fruit. Good complexity as well. Nice acidity. Very solid.

2007 Charmes-Chambertin Bordeaux-like nose, animal. Nice concentrated rich fruit. Refreshing acidity. Tight. Robust. Tannic, dry finish.

Tasted from barrel:

2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Bit of reduction on the nose. Dark fruit. Tight acidity. A bit hard and angular. Corsé. Long.

2008 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru  (from Craipillot and Perrieres) Dark fruit. Fleshy. Fresh fruit. Lots of concentration. Long finish. 

2008 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Lavaux St. Jaques Some reduction. Spicy. Concentrated. Lots of intensity. Very long.

2008 Charmes-Chambertin Dark fruit, floral nose. A lot of concentration and depth. Solid structure. Quite some acidity. Really long.

2008 Griottes-Chambertin Closed on the nose. Very fruity, elegant, lovely cherry-fruit. Fresh, pure and intense. Great!

November 2009

Emmanuel Rouget

Emmanuel Rouget got well-known as the nephew of the great Henri Jayer. But I think he is now making a name for himself. Are his wines now as good as his uncle's? I wouldn't know because I never tasted a Henri Jayer wine (if one of my dear readers is going to open a bottle: feel free to invite me over!). All I know is: Rouget's wines are really good. They have good, rich fruit and are pure and intense. The Cros Parantoux is one of the really great wines of Burgundy.

Rouget still follows his uncle's principals of wine making. In short: low yields, total destemming, long cold soaking before fermentation, lots of new oak, no filtration. In 2008 this resulted in a very good range of wines (not all wines had already finished their malo; the passe-tout-grains hadn't even started, Rouget was racking it into tank in order to heat it up). I was very happy to be able to taste them, visiting with Rouget's Dutch importer Chris Janselijn.

2008 Bourgogne rouge Charming nose, nougat, strawberry. Bright red fruit on the palate. Good structure. Nice Bourgogne!

2008 Cotes de Nuits Villages From a parcel in Corgoloin. Ripe, savoury fruit, spicy. A bit more full and round than the Bourgogne. Good lenght.

2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges  Some reduction. Good depth of fruit, pure and fresh. Minerally grip. Quite soft and ripe tannins. Nice.

2008 Vosne-Romanée Normally this wine gets 50% new oak, for this vintage Emmanuel gave it 100% because he thinks the wine has enough structure to handle it. The new oak is noticeable, but not dominant on the nose. Full, ripe, concentrated, spicy. Good freshness. Good lenght.

2008 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Beaumonts  Malo almost fini. Spicy nose, lovely fruit. Fresh, pure, rich, lots of complexity. Full and round. Very good!

2008 Echezeaux (Georges Jayer) From one year old barrel. Ripe fruit, fresh and pure. Medium bodied, with good depth and good length. Fine tannins. Nice.

2008 Echezeaux From a new barrel. Not that different from the previous wine. A bit more round on the palate, a bit more tight on the finish. Tannins a bit more present. Just as nice.

2008 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Cros Parantoux Full colour. Ripe candied fruit on the nose. Lovely refreshing fruit, nice acidity, lots and lots of intensity. Mouth-filling. Very, very long. Very pure and fresh. Superb!

Tasted from bottle (at the request of Stephen Tanzer, who was also tasting here with us):

2007 Vosne-Romanée  Very spicy nose. Nice elegant fruit. Light-footed, but with good intensity and good grip towards the finish. I like this.

2007 Echezeaux Quite full colour. Dark fruit on the nose. Full and sweetish on the palate. Very elegant. Light structure. Good balance, good lenght. Very nice.

2007 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Cros Parantoux Intense, spicy nose with a floral touch. Solid structure, but with lots of elegance, finesse and complexity. Round and full. Great acidic backbone. Really long, spicy finish. Great stuff! 

November 2009 

Blair Pethel

American Blair Pethel is a man of multiple talents. He was an actor, a concert pianist and a journalist before finding his vocation: vigneron. When living in London in the 1980's he discovered Burgundy (both the wines and the region) which ultimately resulted in Blair attending the Lycée Viticole in Beaune in 2004. Here we was a classmate of David Clark with whom he now shares some equipment.

Blair produced his first vintages (2004 and 2005) renting space at a befriended winemaker's place. In 2006 he moved to his own cuverie in Savigny (bordering Beaune and Chorey-les-Beaune) which is a former shed that Blair transformed into a state of the art winery. Next door is a gite (holiday house), which looks like a great place to stay: right in the middle of the vineyards, yet close to Beaune.

Blair owns a few vineyards himself, but most of the wines he produces are from bought-in grapes. But he does all the vineyard work himself, even in the vineyards he doesn't own. Blair is very serious about attention to detail. Not just in the vineyard but also in the winery: he has his own little laboratory to do all the technical analysis, and he filters all the water he uses in the cuverie!

It will come as no surprise that the wines "du Blair" are very well made:

Les blancs:

2007 Puligny-Montrachet Ripe, expressive nose of white fruits and flowers. Soft and round on the palate, with a little sweetness. Soft acidity. Very refined and elegant.

2007 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Peuillets An oddity in white as 95% of this vineyard is planted in red. Rich nose with minerals and citrus. Full, juicy, supple. Polished. Long, lingering, minerally finish. Nice.

2007 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Chaumées Very full, rich nose. Nutty. Lots of intensity and richness on the palate. Well-balanced acidity. Very long. Impressive!

2007 Chablis grand cru Preuses Ripe nose with flowers, stony minerals and a sprinkle of oak. Good weigth and intensity, good acidity. Minerally finish. Tres Chablis!

2008 Bourgogne blanc (from barrel) Refreshing acidity, good intensity and concentration, some minerals on the finish. Very promising.

Les rouges:

2007 Savigny-les-Beaune From a vineyard next-door to the winery. Very pretty nose! Ripe, soft red fruit, strawberry and raspberry. Juicy, fresh, slightly spicy. Very soft tannins. Very pleasant.

2007 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Rouvrottes Richer nose compared to the regular Savigny. More intensity and concentration. Jammy, yet very fresh and gulpable. Long lip-smacking finish.

2007 Volnay 1er cru Les Pitures Ripe, fragrant nose. Soft, rich, concentrated. Some sweetness. Good length and good grip. Seductive.

2007 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er cru Blanchards Earthy nose with dark fruit. Ripe fruit. Quite refined, yet with good intensity. Rather long finish with minerals and soft tannins. Nice!

June 2009

David Butterfield

Canadian David Butterfield initially came to Burgundy to work for his father, who organizes bicycle tours. But being bitten by the wine bug, after a while he decided to attend the Lyceé Viticole in Beaune. After that he gained experience working with Pascal Marchand and Alix de Montille, and then decides he wants to make his own wine.

His first vintage was 2005, starting with just two wines (Meursault and Beaune premier cru). He was able to take over the wine making facilities and cave in Monthélie that Alix de Montille used before to make the Deux Montille wines. By now he has managed to expand his portfolio a bit. David does not own any vineyards, so all wines are from bought-in grapes. David knows the growers who supply the grapes very well, which makes it possible for him to tend the vineyards in question exactly the way he wants.

Wine making is as "non interventionist" as possible: e.g. no stirring of the lees, no filtering or fining, not too much new oak . The resulting wines are very convincing! They are intense, stylish and persistent, and at the same time showing purity and complexity. I liked them a lot, and I heartily recommend them!

2008 Meursault (from barrel) David produces 18 barrels of this in '08. A blend from 5 different parcels. Malo already finished. Sweetish, ripe, intense and persistent. Lovely freshness. Very promising!

2008 Meursault 1er cru Charmes (from barrel) 5 barrels of this made in '08. Rich and round, intense, nice fruit. Tight towards the end. This will turn out well.

2008 Corton blanc (from barrel) Lots of power! Very persistent. Lovely concentrated, ripe, sweetish fruit. Great potential.

2007 Meursault Bottled last November. Full nose, with just a pinch of well integrated oak. Full, round and pure. Quite soft acidity in the context of the vintage. Good intensity and concentration, good lenght. Lovely.

2007 Meursault 1er cru Charmes Barrel sample; wine was going to be bottled in July (I visited in June). Minerally nose. Solid structure, with quite a lot of zesty acidity. Long, tight finish. Needs time, but very promising indeed.

2007 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Folatières Bottled last April. Softer compared to the previous wine. Lots of elegance and finesse. And lots of complexity. Long mouth-coating finish, lots of minerals. Terrific!

2007 Beaune 1er cru (rouge) A blend from Boucherottes (on the Pommard side of Beaune) and Bressandes (on the Savigny side). The '08 will also contain some Teurons. Lovely nose, textbook pinot. Fresh, pure, energetic, with good concentration and intensity. Tight finish, very spicy and peppery. Excellent Beaune!

2006 Beaune 1er cru (rouge) A bit less expressive on the nose, compared to '07. Rounder, softer on the palate. Succulent fruit, a little sweetness. Lots of intenisity. Long finish with ripe tannins.

2006 Corton Pougets Lovely, open nose. Massive wine, full-bodied and concentrated. Earthy. Very long. Tannic, but not harsh. The great potential is not difficult to spot.

June 2009

Arnaud Ente

Arnaud Ente gained experience working with no other than Coche-Dury. In 1992 he began his own domaine, renting vineyards from his father-in-law. Today he belongs, as far as I'm concerned, to the Big Four of Meursault (the others being the usual suspects Comtes Lafon, Coche-Dury and Roulot), even though the domaine is quite small (a little over 4 hectares) and Ente doesn't have a lot of premier cru's in his line-up.

Ente is a perfectionist. He works his vineyards meticulously (en bio, but not officially certified), yields are low. His aim is to make pure, mineral wines. He therefore uses very little new oak, for his Aligoté, Bourgogne Blanc and part of the regular Meursault he uses big 600 liter barrels.

Ente's new Dutch importer and I tasted the following wines from bottle:

2007 Aligoté Ripe, spicy nose.  Good intensity, pleasant little sweetness, round, soft acidity. Good length. Very good Aligoté.

2007 Bourgogne chardonnay From parcels in Meursault and Puligny. Round and fresh, floral, lots of zesty acidity, good body, juicy, good length. Excellent for this level.

2007 Meursault Blend from two parcels: En l'Ormeau (60%) and Casse Têt (40%). Zesty and nutty on the nose. Starts round, than lemon-like acidity (but soft and refined). Rather long, minerally finish. Almost "salty" minerals. Really good.

2007 Meursault Clos d' Ambres From a special parcel in En l' Ormeau, 77 year old vines on a cailloux soil. Richer than the regular Meursault. Juicy and pure. Elegance and finesse, yet with great intensity. Tight finish. Lovely.

2007 Meursault Petits Charrons In the past this used to be blended in the Meursault villages. Rather closed on the nose. Tight. Lots of dry, stony minerals. Grapefruit. Long, intense finish. Very promising.

2007 Meursault 1er cru Gouttes d'Or Not too expressive nose yet. Rich, round, seductive. Lovely fruit. Soft acidity. Delicate minerallity. Lots of finesse and complexity. Long, lingering finish. Tres bien.

2007 Meursault Seve du Clos Another special parcel within En l'Ormeau, vines over 100 years old. Juicy and round, lots of power, lots of intensity. Beautiful pure fruit. Very, very long minerally finish. Very impressive.

2007 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Referts Lots of minerals on the nose, along with white fruits. Lots of finesse, elegance and purity. Minerally. Lovely acidity.  Very persistent finish. Terrific!

2002 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Referts Lots of complexity on the nose. Round. Great intensity. Dried fruits, nuts, mushrooms. Lots of depth. Great!

2002 Meursault Seve du Clos Fried bacon on the nose. Starts round, but than gets very intense, with lots of grip and power. Minerally. Great lenght. Wow!!

June 2009

Richard Bos

JanotsBos was founded in 2005 by Thierry Janots and Richard Bos. Hence the name of this maison. Richard Bos is Dutch. He owned a café in Nijmegen for ten years, but -being a Burgundy lover- during this period he went to Burgundy a lot of times. In 1996 he attended the lycée viticole in Beaune where he met Thierry Janots. Janots then worked for several well-known producers in Burgundy, last as cellar master at Domaine des Comtes Lafon.

In 2005 Richard Bos sold his company in The Netherlands, moved to Burgundy, and joined forces with Thierry Janots to start their own negociant business. How cool is that?

With Richard Bos I tasted all 2008s from barrel. All malos had just been completed. I think the best thing about these wines is that they don't have a "JanotsBos style". All wines taste differently, and they all show the character of their appellations. Real true-to-type wines. Highly recommended!

Bourgogne rouge Les Champans Their only red wine. From a parcel in Puligny. Expressive red fruit on the nose. Very fresh, clean pinot fruit. Nice, gulpable Bourgogne.

Bourgogne blanc We tasted wines from two seperate parcels, that will be blended together before bottling. The first is from a plot called Fermelottes, located between Puligny and Meursault, close to village vineyards. Pretty nose. Fresh, quite ripe, some sweetness. Refreshing finish. La Combe is the name of the second vineyard, which is in Puligny, just below village vineyards. Full nose, and more full-bodied on the palate. More mineral. Tight finish. This should make a nice blend.

Pernand-Vergelesses From Clos de Bully. Floral nose, along with some aniseed. Elegant and fresh, and a bit spicy. Long, tight, zesty finish. Good Pernand.

Santenay 1er cru Beaurepaire Lovely nose, very minty. Juicy, round and elegant. Very pleasant, soft acidity. Very refined wine.

Saint-Aubin 1er cru En Vermarin A bit nutty and minerally on the nose, along with crust of baguette. Very lively, almost prickly. Nicely ripe fruit. Soft finish, with a little refreshing acidity. Nice.

Puligny-Montrachet From three different parcel: Les Nosroyes, Les Rechaux and La Corvée des Vignes. Very fine nose, flowery, zesty and mineral. Good structure. Tight, with lots of minerals. Long, tight finish. Lovely.

Meursault From several different vineyards, like Les Tillets and Les Grands Charrons. Ripe nose, tropical fruits, but with a lot of fraicheur. Full and round on the palate, but crisp at the same time. Not too fat or buttery. Good acidity. Refreshing finish. Really good.

Chassagne-Montrachet From Le Champ Derriere. Quite big, rich and full-bodied. Starts round and soft, followed by soft zesty acidity on the mid-palate. The finish is more tight, with stony minerals. Great!

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru La Grande Montagne Rich, complexe nose. Very tight. Lots of minerals. Lots of depth. Very good acidic backbone. Very long. Tight, minerally finish. Beautiful!

May 2009

Thiebault Huber

Thiebault Huber was born in Alsace, where he studied at the lycée hôtelier in Strasbourg to become a sommelier. He worked for several high-end restaurants. In 1994, after studying at the lycée viticole in Beaune and gaining working experience with Jean-Marc Bouley (his cousin), he regained his parents vineyards. Those had been rented-out because his parents lived in Alsace.

At that time the surface of the vineyards was less than 3 hectares, but Thiebault managed to enlarge the domaine to 8 hectares. In 2001 he started working organic, and today the domaine is certified bio-dynamic.

This domaine is still very much "under the radar" but judging by the quality of the wines this will not be the case much longer. These are lovely, pure wines. Worth looking out for!

2007 Bourgogne Aligoté Green apple on the nose. Refreshing acidity, good fruit. Pretty aperitive wine, even without creme de cassis.

2007 Bourgogne blanc Grapes from the plain near Meursault, on the good side of the Route National. 40% aged in big (350 litre) barrels. Refreshing wine, open and fruity. Good lenght. Attractive wine at this level.

2007 Puligny-Montrachet Les Levrons First parcel below the premier cru Les Referts. Aged for 14 month in barrels, of which 30% new oak. Nice nose, rich, good complexity. Nice acidity, nice minerality, nice lenght. Very good Puligny!

2008 Puligny-Montrachet Les Levrons (from barrel) Richer, even a bit sweeter style compared to 2007, but with good acidity to match. Promesing.

2008 Volnay 1er cru Fremiets (from barrel) Malo only just started, so still a lot of acidity. Very nice, pure red fruit, strawberry and cherry.

2008 Pommard 1er cru Bertins (from barrel) Solid, earthy. Nice rich fruit. Firm tannins.

2007 Bourgogne rouge From two different parcels, one in Volnay and one in Meursault. Aged only in cuve. Very fruity, round, fresh. Easy drinking. Great summer red.

2007 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune From a very steep, stony vineyard in Bouze-les-Beaune, planted with 10% pinot beurot. Vinified with 40% whole clusters. Aged for 12 months in big barrels (500 litres). Indeed, a bit stemmy on the nose. Spicy. Some pepper. Solid structure, nice fruit, good acidity. Good lenght, some (ripe) tannins. Nice.

2007 Volnay From five different parcels, all located on the Pommard side of Volnay. Both old and younger vines. Aged in used barrels only. Lots of clean red fruit on the nose. Soft and fruity, lively, with refreshing acidity. Slightly tight finish. This is textbook Volnay.

2007 Volnay Robardelles On the Meursault side of Volnay. Old vines, planted in 1942 by Thiebaults grandfather. Richer nose compared to the "normal" Volnay. More concentrated. Full, ripe fruit. But still very fresh and pure. Good grip on the finish. Nice.

2007 Volnay 1er cru Fremiets Rich fruit, round, fresh. Good structure and complexity. Solid finish with finely grained tannins. Well done!

2007 Pommard From 5 different parcels, 4 on the slope, 1 in the plain. Mostly old vines. Expressive nose, ripe dark fruit. Spicy and earthy. Nice, cool fruit. Solid finish. Nice Pommard, not at all rustic or harsh. 

2007 Pommard 1er cru Bertins More tight and full-bodied. Nice dark fruit. A bit earthy. More tannic finish. Still rather elegant for a Pommard. Nice.

May 2009

Bruno Clavelier

Bruno Clavelier took over his families vineyards in 1987 and slowly but surely made his domaine one of the best in the village, and a couple of years ago he completed the conversion to bio-dynamic farming. He also extended the domaine a bit, but with a little over 6 hectares it is still rather small. His latest acquisition was a parcel of Corton (Rognet) in 1999; his first grand cru. Starting from 2008 he will also be offering some Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Noirots from a rented vineyard.

Bruno is not only a talented winemaker (and a trained oenologue), he is also an amateur geologist. He studied the soils of all his vineyards, and I'm sure this helps him to craft wines that really express the different terroirs. Bruno uses little new oak, and practices low-intervention winemaking. His wines are very pure and honest. Great wines without any make-up. This is Burgundy as it should be... 

2007 Vosne-Romanée Combe Brulée Clean red fruit on the nose. Very pure, lovely fruit, refreshing acidity. Light-bodied but with good intensity. Lots of stony minerals on the long, tight finish.

2007 Vosne-Romanée Hautes Maizieres More spicy, earthy nose compared to the previous wine. Richer fruit, a bit more full-bodied, yet still very pure and fresh. Minerally and a bit earthy finish.

2007 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Aux Brulées Tight, a bit closed, but with lovely fresh fruit. Minerals. Very long, lingering finish.

2007 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Beaux Monts More solid compared to Aux Brulées. Stony. More masculine style, but with finesse. Firm tannins. Very long.

2007 Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Combe d' Orveau This parcel is located straight above Le Musigny (Petit Musigny to be precise). The soil and exposition are almost simular. In fact, in the old days it was classified "Tête de Cuvée" just like Musigny itself. After the phylloxera, Bruno's grandfather Joseph didn't apply for the Grand Cru status (all his wine was sold to the negoce at a fixed price, so he wasn't interested in having a Grand Cru, it would only mean paying more tax...). It is very unlikely this parcel will ever be promoted to Grand cru; at least the wine will stay more affordable that way!

A bit closed on the nose. Very nice, pure fruit. Light structure, but lots of intensity and depth. A bit austere on the finish, needs time.

2007 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Corbeaux Very attractive spicy nose. Juicy, fresh fruit. Good structure. Again, very pure. Long, somewhat earthy finish.

2007 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Aux Cras On the Vosne-side of Nuits. Quite rich, ripe fruit on the nose. Very round and soft on the palate. Lots of elegance for the appellation. A bit more muscular towards the finish.

2007 Corton Rognet A bit closed on the nose. Quite rich fruit, tight, a bit austere. Good lenght. Tight, tannic finish. A powerful wine, but with finesse.

May 2009

Nathalie Lamarche

Ancestors of the Lamarche family were already established in the village of Vosne-Romanée in around 1740. Since the end of the 19 th century the estate has grown bigger over the years: Henri Lamarche, a cooper, married Marie Grivelet from Chambolle-Musigny and founded the estate at the beginning of the 20 th century. He produced, matured and already sold his wines directly from the estate.

Their son, Henri Lamarche, born in 1903, took over the estate. He inherited la Grande Rue in 1933, the year of his marriage to Aline Demur (la Grande Rue would become a grand cru for the INAO in 1989, the decree being passed in 1992). They would have four children, including François and Geneviève.

François took over the 'reins' of the estate when his father died in 1985. Today, Nicole (François's daughter) is in charge over the viti-vinicultural part (2007 was the first vintage she vinified solo), under the watchful eye of her father, and Nathalie (Geneviève's daughter) the sales part.

The vineyards are worked "en lutte raisonnée". The grapes are hand-picked, brought to the cuverie in small casks, sorted and destemmed (partly or completely,  depending on the vintage) but not crushed. A cold soaking of the must takes place before the fermentation (5 or 6 days).

The elevage lasts 15 to 18 month, and takes place on oak barrels (60 to 100% new oak), after which the wines are bottled without fining or filtration.

With Nathalie Lamarche I tasted the following wines from bottle:

2007 Vosne-Romanée Very pretty nose, ripe, sweetish red fruit. Quite rich and concentrated, especially considering the vintage. Ripe and sweetish (though there was no chaptalozation). Very attractive wine.

2007 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Les Chaumes Same style as the Vosne village, quite sweet and rich, but tighter and with more complexity. Longer finish, with very fine tannins and some minerals. Nice.

2007 Vosne-Romanée 1er cru Malconsorts Rather closed at this stage. Good structure, long finish wih good grip, though for drinking now I would prefer the Chaumes.

2007 Clos Vougeot Very rich nose, dark cherries, black berries and some earth. Soft, full and ripe on the palate. Lots of clean fruit. Very approachable already. Soft tannins. Good length. Very nice Clos Vougeot!

2007 La Grande Rue Very closed, both on the nose and on the palate. Best part of this wine at this stage is the finish, which is really long and tight with lots of minerality. Needs time.

2006 La Grande Rue A bit more expressive on the nose. Creme de cassis. Not much there on the palate. Again, this is showing it's real class on the very long, minerally finish.

May 2009

Richard Seguin

Olivier Bernstein is a new name in Burgundy, but one that already attracted some attention. Both Jancis Robinson and Allen Meadows wrote jubilant about Bernstein's first ever vintage, 2007.

Bernstein, a former businessman, is not a complete newcomer. In 2002 he attended the Lycée Viticole in Beaune and did a short internship with the late Henri Jayer. In the same year he bought a domaine in Roussilon (Mas de la Dévèze) and became a wine maker. But that was not enough, he wanted to make Burgundy. First-class Burgundy. Only Premier cru and Grand cru. As it is almost impossible to buy vineyards in Burgundy, at least at these levels, Olivier Bernstein became a negociant.

If you want to make first-class wine you have to pay attention to every detail. This is exactly what Bernstein does. His maitre des chais Richard Seguin, who runs the operation on a daily basis, frequently visits the wine growers that supply the grapes, to make sure that the grapes are grown the way Bernstein wants. The grapes are harvested by Bernstein's own equipe.

In the cuverie the grapes (after a first triage) are being destalked, and then a severe sorting of the destalked berries takes place. For 2007 100% destalked fruit was being used, for 2008 the best (ripest) stalks were selected and reunited with the destalked grapes in the cuve. Despite the severe triage, if after some time it turns out that the quality in certain barrels doesn't meet the highest standards these barrels are sold-off. In 2008 they started with 41 barrels, of which only 31 remained. Talking about barrels: 100% fût neuf is used, all custom made barrels from tonnelier Chassin.

Other wine making principles: only natural yeasts, no pumping, no fining, no filtering. Pressing is done with a very gentle horizontal press. The whites frequently get a battonage (stirring of the lees).

With Richard Seguin I tasted several '07s from bottle, followed by the whole range of '08 from barrel. I think the '07s were incredibly good! If Bernstein can continue to produce this quality level in the next couple of vintages (which I am sure he can) he will soon be one of the Big Names in Burgundy. A suivre de près!

2007 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Champ Gain Very ripe, full nose. Rich on the palate, surprisingly soft acidity considering the vintage. Some minerality. Very long!

2007 Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Les Lavrottes Caramel on the nose, along with dark fruit, some floral notes and some spices. Soft, very sofisticated. Fresh and juicy. Ripe tannins and some minerals on the finish. Nice.

2007 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Les Cazetiers Lovely nose, ripe fruit (dark cherries). Rich and full-bodied, yet at the same time soft and round. Very pure and fresh. Long finish with soft tannins. Very good indeed!

2007 Charmes-Chambertin Great nose, very complex. Starts a bit light on the palate, but then starts to unfold like a peacock's tail. Very lovely fruit! Lots of intensity and depth. Very long. Spicy and slightly earthy finish. Wow!

2007 Mazis-Chambertin Even richer nose than the Charmes, and a bit more spicy. Tighter, more minerally on the palate. Very pure. Lots of tension. Very, very long minerally finish. Different style compared to the Charmes, but just as nice.

All 2008's were still in various stages of their malos, but despite some inevitable reduction they were already showing very well. Very promising!

2008 Meursault 1er cru Les Charmes Rich, full structure but also soft and fresh, with nice acidity.

2008 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Champ Gain Good concentration and intensity. Very nice, zesty acidity.

2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Les Lavrottes Nice fruit, good structure. Refreshing acidity.

2008 Gevrey-Champertin 1er cru Les Champeaux Good fruit, quite a lot of intensity. Very pure and fresh.

2008 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Les Cazetiers Quite rich, dark fruit, yet again very pure and fresh.

2008 Charmes-Chambertin Creme de cassis and dark fruit on the nose. Lots of intensity. Pure, palate-staining fruit. Already very long, with lots of grip.

2008 Clos de la Roche More flowery nose. Fresh fruit, soft and full. Very profound and concentrated towards the finish.

2008 Bonnes Mares Earth mixed with clean and fresh fruit. Finishes very stony, minerally.

2008 Mazis-Chambertin Tight, very pure, with lovely fresh fruit. Nice minerally grip.

May 2009 

Bernard van Berg

Bernard van Berg is the first Dutch winemaker on this website. Although he never lived in The Netherlands and he doesn't speak any Dutch. He lived in Brussels for most of his life, until he moved to Meursault in 2001 after a career as a photographer. His objective: making "le vin le plus simplement". But making wine the way he does is by no means simple!

As always, it all starts in the vineyards. Bernard owns 8 parcels (2 hectares in total), mostly located in Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet (all wines are just labeled Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire). He works the vineyards organically, and he ploughs with a horse. But not just that: he doesn't use a tractor at all! Spraying the vines is done by walking through the vineyard with a small tank on the back! Yields are kept extremely low: 10 to 15 hectolitres per hectare.

Harvest is of course done by hand, as late as possible in order to have perfectly ripe grapes.  After a severe triage, only whole bunches are used. There is never any chaptilisation! Only natural yeasts are used. All wines are aged in 100% new barrels (chêne de l'Allier with a light chauffage). Elevage lasts at least 18 month. Bottling takes place without filtration.

Despite the use of all new barrel, the wines don't taste oaky at all. They are very pure, with lovely concentrated fruit. Really unique wines!

Tasted from barrel:

2007 Chardonnay from a parcel in Chagny called "Le Fourneau". Rich, ripe, fat, mouth-filling. Lots of intensity and grip. Good freshness. Very long! 

2007 Rosé. From a parcel of pinot noir in Meursault (54 year old vines). Bernard wanted to make a white wine (blanc de noirs) but despite immediate pressing the skins of the grapes gave a little bit of colour to the must. On the nose there is a hint of red fruit, but on the palate it tastes like a white wine. And a very good one! Very rich, intense and long. Lovely!

2007 Gamay Rich, ripe fruit. Very concentrated, but with a lot of fraicheur. Great Gamay.

2007 Pinot noir Harvested very late: 6 November! 14,5% alcohol. Very rich, concentrated, sweet. But with a lot of freshness and nice acidity. Very special!

Tasted from bottle:

2005 "En Busigny" Pinot noir from a parcel in Meursault. Some reduction on the nose, needs some air. On the palate: very intense and concentrated. Rich, but not at all heavy. Round, ripe, succulent. Lovely fruit. Very pure and fresh. Soft tannins. Very long.

Aurelien Verdet

Aurélien Verdet is a very busy young man. A few years ago he took over 4 hectares of family vineyards in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits (after a short but successfull career as a motorcycle racer, that he had to give up after a heavy crash) and he also works at Domaine David Duband. In order to offer a wider range of wines than just his Hautes Côtes, he also set up a negoce activity (Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges). And besides all that, he also finds time to construct a new cuverie.

Aurélien's father André was one of the first in Burgundy to work his vineyards organically. Already in 1971 he became an officialy certified Bio producer! Of course, Aurélien continues to work in the same manner. In the winery his approach is also as natural as possible: no filtration, no pumping, little or no collage, low intervention winemaking resulting in pure wines with nice terroir expression.

With Aurélien we tasted all 2006's from bottle. A most impressive range of wines!

Bourgogne blanc Twelve month of elevage with 50% wood (20% new oak). Touch of oak on the nose, but it's very well integrated. Nice, ripe fruit. Full, even a bit fat, but very fresh as well. Great wine at this level!  Poor man's Meursault.

Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits blanc More intensity than the Bourgogne blanc, rounder, more minerality and complexity. Very long. Grand vin!

Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits rouge "Le Prieuré" Lovely pure fruit, good concentration and ripeness. Good lenght. Nice.

Morey-Saint-Denis A bit earthy on the nose. Nice fresh fruit, along with some spiciness. Good intensity. Well made.

Chambolle-Musigny A bit closed on the nose. Very soft, seductive fruit. Very charming.

Gevrey-Chambertin Dark fruit on the nose, creme de cassis. Rich black fruit on the palate. Bigger, but ripe tannins. Very long. Very good.

Nuits-Saint-Georges A bit animal on the nose. Good structure, but quite some acidity and tannins. Very good lenght. Needs time.

Vosne-Romanée Some reduction on the nose. Starts soft and round on te palate. Beautiful pure fruit. Very spicy finish. Yummy.

Nuits-Saints-Georges 1er cru Aux Boudots Well structured, lots of intensity, yet with purity and finesse. Lovely fruit. Super length.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Damodes More Nuits character. A bit leaner, tighter. Good fruit. Lots of tannins. Nice, but still a baby.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Richemone Spicy nose, liquorice. Pure, intense fruit. Very long. Tres bien.

July 2008

Philippe Garrey

Philippe Garrey took over the tiny family domaine in 2002. He bought two additional vineyards (Clos Paradis and Clos de Montaigu, both premier cru) which results in a domaine of 3,5 ha. All vineyards are located conveniently close to the winery in Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu, just outside of the village of Mercurey. All vineyards are within the appellation Mercurey with the exception of a parcel of Bourgogne rouge, the grapes of which are being sold to the negoce. In 2007 Philippe completed the conversion towards bio-dynamics.  

I think the wines of Philippe are terrific, in my opion he is already one of the top producers of Mercurey!

2006 Mercurey blanc (from bottle). From 1 single parcel, +/- 2000 bottles produced. Refined nose. Full and round, soft and elegant. A minerally touch. Tense. Good length and freshness.  Very attractive white Mercurey.

2007 Mercurey blanc (from barrel).  A little bit of reduction on the nose.  Very fresh and elegant, a bit minerally.  Good body. Nice.

2006 Mercurey Vieilles Vignes rouge (from bottle). From 2 different parcels. Refined, seductive nose. Lovely sappy red fruit. Lots of elegance and intensity. Very pure and fresh. Long finish with really soft tannins. Delicious!

2006 Mercurey 1er cru Chassieres rouge (from bottle).  More richness on the nose.  A bit more tight and full on the palate, yet still good freshness. Some oak and minerals. Very good.

2007 Mercurey 1er cru Chassieres rouge (from barrel). A tiny bit of reduction. Full, pure and fresh cherry fruit. Long, refreshing, a bit prickly.  Very promising.

2007 Mercurey Vieilles Vignes rouge (from barrel). Very fruity, open, pure and elegant.  Already really lovely.

2007 Mercurey 1er cru Clos de Montaigu rouge (from barrel).  A bit more elegant style compared to the Chassieres, a bit more full-bodied compared to the Vieilles Vignes.  But just as lovely.

2007 Mercurey 1er cru Clos du Paradis (from barrel). Light colour, had just been sulphured. Very refined, clean. Refreshing acidity. Lots of depth. Very good!

July 2008

Philippe Guillemot

All wines tasted from bottle with young Philippe Guillemot (in his early twenties), son of Jean-Pierre who currently runs the domaine. This is nice classic Burgundy (even a bit old-fashioned, in the positive sense of the word) with good ageing potential, but the 2006's are really lovely and accessible already. Highly recommened!

2005 Savigny-les-Beaune blanc Made with 70% pinot blanc (a pinot noir mutant) . Round and quite full. Good intensity and harmony. Long, with good grip. Quite different from ordinary white Burgundy, but really interesting.

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune blanc A bit more zesty compared to the ’05. Full, nice balance and freshness.  Tiny bitterness on the finish.  Very interesting wine.

2006 Bourgogne rouge From parcels in Savigny, but outside the appellation borders. Really light colour. Fresh fruitiness. Soft tannins, yet good intensity. Light style, but good classic Bourgogne.

2004 Savigny-les-Beaune rouge Vegetal, herbal nose. Green peppers. A bit tight and unripe on the palate. Fresh. Tight tannins. Typical 2004. Not my wine (like most 2004 reds).

2005 Savigny-les-Beaune rouge Very different from ’04, obviously.  More richesse on the nose. Crème de cassis. Closing down now, but the structure is nice. Solid (but ripe) tannins.

2005 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Les Serpentieres Rich, ripe nose. Dark fruits. Very fresh and pure. Lots of intensity. A bit austere tannins. Really nice, but made for the long haul.

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Les Serpentieres Beautiful, fruity nose. Very elegant, fresh and pure. Tannins are much softer compared to the ’05. Lovely.

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Narbantons Softer and even more accessible than the Serpentieres. Cherry fruit. Quite some tannins, but they are soft. Nice. 

2006 Corton Parcel acquired in 1998. Very rich nose. Ripe, vibrant, long. Powerful. Massive tannins. Great Corton, but will need a lot of patience.

1995 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Les Serpentieres Ripe on the nose. Still very youthfull and fresh on the palate. Lots of fruit and acidity. Massive, dry tannins that will need a lot of time to integrate with the wine. If ever...

July 2008

Juliette and Caroline Chenu

My first encounter with this domaine was at this years Grands Jours. I liked the wines, so I decided to visit the domaine with a good friend, newborn wine importer David Bolomey.

Although Louis Chenu is not (yet) a well-known name, the domaine was founded in 1914 already. But until recently they sold everthing to the negoce. A few years ago sisters Juliette and Caroline took over the family domaine, and decided to change things radically.

They now sell two third of their production under their own label (and a pretty label that is, too!) and they started the conversion towards working organically. Also, a new vineyard was bought (premier cru Les Lavieres). The vineyard holdings of the domaine are now about 9 hectares. Caroline, who is responsible for the winemaking, changed the character of the wines towards a more fruity and accessible style.

A propos winemaking: harvesting is done by hand, and after a severe triage the grapes are completely de-stemmed and crushed. There is just a short pre fermentation soaking of the must. Pigeage is practiced once a day. Elevage takes place in barrels (of which about 20% new) and lasts about a year. After that the wines are kept in cuves for around six months.

All this results in fruity wines with lots of elegance, that I can really recommend.

Tasted from bottle:

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune blanc Made of chardonnay and (around 10%) pinot blanc. Elevage in barrels (20% new) Bottled september, just before the harvest. Fruity on the nose, a little bit tropical along with a rustic touch. Supple, fresh, easy.  Small bitterness towards the end.

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune rouge Vieilles Vignes From 2 parcels, 40 to 60 year old vines. Light strawberry colour. A bit closed on the nose. Pleasant, light fruitiness. A little bit spicy. Finishes a bit tight with slight tannins.

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Aux Clous Lots of fruit on the nose. Some minerals and spices. Supple, round and fruity. Quite light, but with good intensity. Easy to like.

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune  1er cru Les Lavieres Cherry-like nose. A bit earthy and spicy. Less fruity for now compared to the Cloux, but more intensity and length.

2006 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Haut Jarrons On the Beaune-side of Savigny, so different style. Really attractive nose! More full-bodied, yet still round and fruity. A bit earthy. Refreshing acidity. The fruit is richer, the tannins are more present.

Tasted from barrel:

2007 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Aux Clous An assemblage made on the spot from 4 different barrels.  Little bit of reduction; no soutirage. Very pure and fresh fruit. Cranberry and sour cherry. Very pleasant already.

2007 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru Les Lavieres Again, assembled from 4 different barrels.  Starts a little bit prickly. Round fruitiness. Fresh and elegant . Destined for early pleasure.

2007 Savigny-les-Beaune blanc A touch of wood on the nose, but this will integrate. Sappy, fresh, elegant. Zesty acidity. I like this more than the ’06.

July 2008

Oronce de Beler

Which Burgundy lover doesn't dream about moving to the area, and making his own wine? Oronce de Beler made this dream come through. This young Parisian came to Vosne-Romanee, and moved in to one of the oldest buildings in the village, the 13th century "Maison Romane". His core buisiness: ploughing vineyards by horse. He is doing this for several prestigious domaines: Clos de Lambrays, Thibault Liger-Belair, Domaine des Epeneaux, Comtes Lafon -amongst others. But he also attended the Lycee Viticole in Beaune, and -as a negociant- started to make his own wine: Oroncio, viniculture classique.

Because of his ploughing jobs he has a lot of contacts with wine growers, which enables him to buy good grapes. In 2006 he made a white Pernand-Vergelesses, Nuits-Saint-Georges rouge, Gevrey-Chambertin, Corton-Charlemagne, and red and white Bourgogne called "Star Terre" (bought in as wine, not grapes). He rented space with another vigneron in Vosne-Romanee to do the vinification, and did the elevage in the small cellars below his Maison Romane. He uses hardly any new wood and avoids pumping. Bottling is done by hand, without fining or filtration.

Due to tiny quantities almost all 2006 is sold out, but I was still able to taste the following wines (from bottle):

2006 Bourgogne chardonnay "Star Terre" Although labeled as just Bourgogne, this is actually from Saint-Veran. Full, rich, ripe and a bit sweetish. Good intensity and length. Crowd pleaser.

2006 Gevrey-Chambertin "Billard" Opulent, sweetish fruit. Rich and ripe, but also very pure and silky soft. Very nice!

Starting with the 2007 vintage, his portfolio will be different. There will be a Chambolle-Musigny and a Pommard 1er cru. Part of the deal of obtaining this grapes is that Oronce ploughs the vineyards for free: this gives him a great opportunity to observe the vineyard and check on the quality of the grapes several times per season. Also new in the 2007 vintage: a Pouilly-Fume... No, it's not a typing error: a Loire wine! Oronce bought a barrel of must right after the pressing. And that's not all: he also will be offering a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, also bought in as must right after the harvest.

Tasted from barrel:

2007 Pouilly-Fume Nice expressive Sauvignon nose. Lots of intensity and tension. Ripe and sweetish, with nice acidity to balance. Very promising!

2007 Chambolle-Musigny "Les Foucheres" Only 30% of the grapes destemmed.  Very elegant, pure and fresh. Very Chambolle; soft and silky. Good length. Lovely!

2007 Pommard 1er cru Largillieres Also made of mostly whole bunches. Spicy nose. Ripe, pure dark fruits. Very soft and elegant, no sign of Pommard rusticity. Nice ripe tannins. Very long. Really nice!

Last but not least: you can rent a nice gite (holiday appartment) in Maison Romane. Great place to stay, in the heart of Vosne-Romaneé.

June 2008

Etienne Grivot

We were very lucky to be able to taste here now, because they were busy bottling. We were tasting with Etienne Grivot standing between the cuves in which the wines were assembled, ready for bottling. Although Grivot has a reputations for making wines that age well, all 2006 wines were surprisingly accessible already. It was great fun tasting with Etienne. He is a very passionate winemaker, but he is also a very funny guy. And his wines were as great as can be aspected from one of the top winemakers of Burgundy!

2006 Vosne-Romanee Ripe red and black fruits on the nose. A bit spicy. Quite full, ripe, intense and a bit sweetish. Long finish, minerally. Fine tannins.

2006 Vosne-Romanee  1e cru Les Brulées  A bit closed on the nose. Nice black berries. Full, elegant, lots of freshness. Lovely pure fruit. Good structure. Very long, lots of grip.

2006 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Aux Boudots  Bottled the day of our visit. A bit animal nose, along with lots of ripe black fruit. Full, round, ripe, sweetish. Quite concentrated, yet elegant and fresh. Slightly earthy finish.

2006 Clos Vougeot A parcel that runs from the Route National (on the Vougeot side) all the way up to the Chateau de la Tour. Nice nose, earthy and spicy. Quite sweet dark fruit. Spiciness. Solid structure, but good balance. Big, but ripe tannins. Lots of intensity. Great length.

2006 Echezeaux A nice, still a bit restained nose. Crème de cassis. Pure, juicy, elegant. Lots of complexity. More feminine style compared to Clos Vougeot. Soft tannins. Very long.

2006 Richebourg Really terrific nose! Complexity is an understatement. So many layers!. Silky soft, pure, incredible depth. Lovely fruit. Lots of energy, lots of finesse. Amazing lenght. Mon dieu!

April 2008

Jean-Marc Roulot

This domaine was built by Guy Roulot at the end of the fifties and in the sixties. After the premature death of Guy in 1982, the domaine experienced a roaring period. Guys son Jean-Marc didn't feel like taking over the lead of the domaine, because he wanted to sustain his career as an actor. In 1983 the Roulot family made the remarkable dicision to appoint Ted Lemon as their new winemaker. A Californian!

Well, this was actually not so strange as it seems, because Lemon got his education in Burgundy, and gained working experience at several Burgundian producers, i.e. Dujac. It was Jacques Seysses of Dujac who recommended Ted Lemon to the Roulot family.

I don't know if Lemon became homesick, but in 1985 he already returned to California. His succesor was Franck Grux. But not for very long, because in 1988 Grux changed to Olivier Leflaive (apperantly in the middle of the harvest period!). At this point Jean-Marc decided to give up his acting career and return to the domaine (in his youth he had already been working with his father). Jean-Marc made the domaine, that is now about 12 hectares, one of the superstars of Meursault. A richly deserved status, judging by the following wines that Daniela and I tasted (from bottle) with Jean-Marc:

2006 Bourgogne blanc  From several parcels all close to the border of appellation Meursault.  A sprinkle of wood on the nose, along with white fruits. Refreshing acidity. Small bitterness towards the end. Good Bourgogne blanc with Meursault character. 

2006 Meursault Les Narvaux  Quite expressive nose, flowers and dried fruits. Juicy and elegant on the palate. Not very complex, but really pleasant.

2006 Meursault Les Vireuils  More tight and focused than Narvaux. Good structure, elegance, minerality. Very fresh. Quite long finish. Nice.

2006 Meursault Les Meix Chavaux  Oak is a bit more aperant, but it’s well integrated. It starts round and full, after that it’s very elegant and fresh. Good complexity. Long, tight finish. Tres bien.

2006 Meursault Tesson "Clos de Mon Plaisir"  A flowery nose, with some oak and hazelnuts. A bit of sweetness on the palate, nice ripe fruit with lots of freshness. Round and elegant. Long, refreshing finish. A beauty!

2006 Meursault 1er cru Poruzot  A new vineyard for Roulot since 2003. Some new oak on the nose. Quite tight and vegetal. Not very rich. Still a bit closed, needs time. Some bitterness on the finish.

2006 Meursault 1er cru Les Perrieres  Rich nose with lots of complexity and beautifully integrated oak. Lots of freshness, richness and complexity. Very long finish with minerally grip. Great!

2004 Meursault Tesson "Clos de Mon Plaisir" A bit of reduction on the nose. Roulot would recommend decanting this two hours before serving. Very tight and minerally. Lots of grip and intensity, yet quite elegant. Very long finish, very tight and refreshing. Lovely!

April 2008

Jean-Philippe Fichet

Fichet is a relatively new name. Jean-Philippe started as a grower in 1981, but because of short-term contracts he had to rebuild his domaine in the nineties. He now has several long-term fermage and metayage deals, and also started a small negoce activity.

Jean-Philippe practices long elevages (18 month) but with little new wood and little stirring of the lees. He makes very pure wines, with lots of minerality and finesse. The style of his wines reminds me a bit of Roulot. Jean-Philippe will defenately be one of the future stars of Meursault!

2006 Hautes-Côtes de Beaune blanc  A tiny bit of –well integrated- wood on the nose.  Round, fresh, a bit spicy. Good length.

2006 Bourgogne blanc Flowery nose. Good body and freshness. Zesty finish. Nice "simple" Bourgogne.

2006 Bourgogne blanc Vieilles Vignes From two parcels very close to the borders of the Meursault appellation. More richness on the nose. Full, round. Good depth and length. A very nice “mini Meursault”!

2006 Monthelie blanc  A new parcel for Fichet. Replanted three years ago; this is the first harvest. Elegant and fresh, with a touch of wood. Pleasant wine, but not a lot of personality yet.

2006 Auxey-Duresses blanc  From a parcel high on the slopes. This vineyard was struck by a thunderstorm two days before the harvest. I couldn’t quite keep up with Fichet’s French here, but apparently the lightning caused the grapes to ripen very fast (?), and as a consequence the grapes were harvested a bit riper than Fichet wanted. This wine has indeed a rich, ripe bouquet. It’s round and fruity, but it lacks a little bit of freshness and minerality.

2006 Meursault  From threee small parcels: Limouzin, Chaumes de Narvaux and Les Cloux. Nice floral nose. Round and suave, but also juicy and fresh. Zesty. Good tension. Soft, lingering finish.

2006 Meursault Meix sous le Chateau Richer, fuller nose than Meursault. Full, round, a bit buttery. Less freshness, more fat on the palate. But the finish is more tight and fresh, and quite long.

2006 Meursault Les Chevalieres  White, zesty fruit on the palate. Very fresh and tight. Lots of elegance, lots of intensity.

2006 Meursault Gruyaches  A vineyard (80 years old) just below premier cru Charmes. Very nice, complex nose. Very supple and round, yet with lots of grip and minerality. Very long. Very, very nice.

2006 Meursault Tesson  Rich, generous nose. Round and a bit fat, but also fresh and pure. Lots of grip. Very young and still a bit closed. Great potential.

2006 Meursault 1er cu Genevrieres  A new wine for Fichet in this vinetage. This wine had to be slightly filtered, although Fichet usually doesn't filter. At this point it is therefore not very expressive. But it’s got lots of grip, and zesty fraicheur. Needs some time.

2006 Puligny-Montrachet  1er cru Les Referts  Nice, juicy, lots of beautiful fruit. Great balance and complexity. Lots and lots of grip and minerality. Wow!

2002 Meursault Les Criots Rich, flowery nose. Dried fruits, pear. Juicy, round, soft. Nice!

2002 Meursault  Gruyaches Tight, complex nose, nice fruit. Lots of grip and minerality. Very, very long. Still very youthful. Great!

2001 Meursault Les Chevalieres  Rich, ripened nose, slightly honeyed. Both full and fresh. Ripe apple and minerals. Very long.

2000 Meursault Meix sous le Chateau Generous nose. Good intensity, juicy and still very fresh and youthful. 

April 2008

Bernard Raveneau

Domaine Raveneau came to life in 1948, when François Raveneau brought together several vineyards from his and his wife's (she was a Dauvissat) families. He then made it one of the leading domaines of Chablis (together with Dauvissat; see below). After the death of François his son Jean-Marie took over, who was soon joined by his older brother Bernard. The domaine is little less then 10 hectares. Just like at Dauvissat the key words are: lots of work in the vineyard, low yields, elevage in barrels (mostly used wood).

Nice reading: the story about Raveneau in Kermit Lynch's lovely book "Adventures on the Wine Route".

With Bernard we first tasted 2006. These wines were just assembled in cuves to be bottles, and were also quite cold. So they were a bit closed and difficult to taste. But still the class of these wines was obvious! After that we tasted 2007 from barrel.

2006, Chablis 1er cru Mont Mains

Pretty closed. Tight, lots of zesty acidity.

Good intensity and lenght.

2006, Chablis 1er cru Vaillons

More on the nose. Nice, floral.

A bit softer and rounder than Mont Mains. Elegant, fresh, very long.

2006, Chablis 1er cru Butteaux

Not much there on the nose now.

Very precise. Lots of acidity. Lots of minerality and grip on the finish.

2006, Chablis 1er cru Montee de Tonnerre

A bit floral on the nose. Tight yet elegant, minerally and steely.

Lots of grip, zesty and minerally.

2006, Chablis Grand cru Blanchot

Juicy, round. Fresh fruit. More richness here, and a little sweetness.

Finishes tight, a bit salty and with almost prickly minerality. Very long

2006, Chablis Grand cru Valmur

Somewhat stony nose. Tight, yet elegant and fresh. Again minerals and lots of acidity. More elegance than Blanchot. Long finish.

2007, Chablis 1er cru Mont Mains

Lots of fruit and flowers on the nose. Lots of acidity and grip.

2007, Chablis 1er cru Vaillons

A bit more roundness. Elegant. Tight, minerally finish.

2007, Chablis 1er cru Butteaux

Juicy, some bitterness. Pierre a fusil. Lots and lots of grip.

Already very nice, great future ahead.

2007, Chablis 1er cru Montee de Tonnerre

A bit prickly. Good grip and minerality.

2007, Chablis Grand cru Blanchot

Some reducion, difficult to taste. Good structure.

2007, Chablis Grand cru Valmur

Nice flower nose. Quite full and ripe, yet very fresh. Already a beautiful wine!

April 2008

Vincent Dauvissat

Does this domaine need any introduction? Well allright: Robert Dauvissat founded the domaine in 1931. He started with around 2 hectares, and he already bottled and sold the wines himself! 

His son René expanded the domaine, and made it one of the stars of Chablis, from 1989 with the help of his son Vincent (who now runs the domaine). 

Today the domaine consists of almost 12 hectares. The keys to success: lots of (biological) work in the vineyards, low yields and the well-proportionated use of wood (partly the traditional feuillettes). And of course Vincent's winemaking talents.

With Vincent we tasted the following wines in his cellar, mostly 2006's which were bottles last January.

2006, Petit Chablis
Grassy and a bit minerally on the nose. Quite full-bodied and rich, yet fresh and minerally. Relatively long finish. Although it's "just" Petit Chablis, this is already a very nice wine!

2006, Chablis
White fruit and some vanilla on the nose. Starts round. Then lots of intensity. Juicy. Finishes tight, with nice minerality. Very good!

2006, Chablis 1er cru Séchet
At first a bit closed on the nose. Then: richer than the Chablis, a bit of honey. On the palate: tight, dry, crisp. Very elegant and fine. Very complex. Minerality is almost a bit prickly. Very long finish. Very, very good.

2006, Chablis 1er cru Vaillons
Richer on the nose than Séchet. Spicy, floral, even reminds a bit of muscat. Less elegant than Séchet, but more body and richness. And also very good.

2006, Chablis 1er cru La Fôrest
Very expressive nose, spices and some dried fruits. Tight and fresh, yet with good weight. A very long "peakcock's tail" finish. Goes on and on! Stony, with lots of grip. Great!

Very nice to spot the huge difference between the three premier cru's. All just because of different terroir...

2006, Chablis Grand cru Preuses
Full and rich bouquet, lots of fruit and flowers. Starts juicy on the palate, round, full, yet elegant and fresh, even though it's still a bit restrained. Great finish, it almost "explodes" in your mouth! Lots of minerals, a bit smokey and even a bit salty. Very very long. Lovely!

2006, Chablis Grand cru Les Clos
This is an absolute baby. Very tight, already lots of intensity and minerally grip. Mouthfilling. Citrus-like acidity, some spiciness. So much potenial! Super length!

2001, Chablis 1er cru La Forest
Bottle is already open for 4 days, so it is  little bit "tired". A bit ripened on the nose, full, complex, some honey. Intense, round and ripe on the palate. Ripe fruit and herbs.

1987, Chablis 1er cru La Fôrest
Not a great vintage, but this wine is still very much alive! Incredible nose: pierre a fusil, coffee, almonds and some red cheese... Very fresh, fruity, refreshing zesty acidity. Good lenght. Unbelievable!

This has been a great tasting! First of all because of the quality of the wines: I'm glad some of Dauvissat's wines found their way into my Liebherr;-) But also because Vincent turned out to be a very friendly guy, and above all a very passionate winemaker who really enjoyed sharing his wine with us. Merci Vincent!

April 2008

Jean-Claude and his "magic barrel"

After the tasting of the Grands Jours de Bourgogne in Mercurey I was still in the mood for some more tasting, so I decided to visit Jean-Claude and Anna Brelière in near-by Rully.

This domaine has 7 hectares of vineyards all of which are in Rully. The domaine was founded in 1948 by Jean-Claude's father Rene. Since 1983 Jean-Claude and his wife Anna (of Italian origin) run the domaine. Half their production is white, half red.

In the cosy tasting room I taste 2006, after that I follow Jean-Claude to his cellar to try some 2007's from barrel.

The whites:

2006 Rully "La Barre" This vineyard is high on the slope, on the hills between Rully and Bouzeron. This wine is matured for 70% in oak, of which less than 10% new barrels. The grapes were harvested quite late, and some bunches showed a bit of pourriture noble. This still shows on the nose, that is ripe, flowery, and smells of grapes and orange peels. Yet on the palate the wine is dry.  It's fruity, juicy, with a nice, tight minerally finish. I like this!

2006 Rully blanc 1er cru Les Margotés This vineyard is on the southern end of the appellation, towards Mercurey. It's more full and rich on the nose compared to La Barre. It has a good body, with freshness and some minerality (not as much as La Barre though). It has a pretty, long, lingering finish.

The reds:

2006 Rully 1er cru Preaulx  Very fruity on the nose. Light-bodied, yet with good intensity, supple and fruity.

2005 Rully 1er cru Preaulx Very different from the '06, obviously. Rich, plummy fruit on the nose. Full, suave, concentrated. Tight finish, this needs some time (drink this after the '06).

2006 Rully 1er cru Montpalais Light colour. Small red berries on the nose. Supple and elegant on the palate, cherry and other red fruit. Refreshing acidity. Slightly minerally finish, with soft tannins.

2006 Rully 1er cru Champs Cloux Expressive raspberry nose. Bursting with fruit on the palate, full and juicy. Fresh, fruity finish. Nice wine, the most accessible of the three reds at this point.

2007

Although the malo isn't finished yet, it is nice to spot same difference between the two 2007 whites as in 2006. La Barre is showing it's mineral character, Margotés is richer and a bit honeyed. The red 2007 Preaulx is bursting with cherry, very nice and fresh.

Jean-Claude is satisfied with 2007. Weather has been pretty bad here (like in the rest of Burgundy) so the quality of the wine looks a lot better than expected. A lot of sorting has been done in the vineyard before the harvest, and this is really paying off!

Finally: have you ever wondered what it looks inside a wine barrel? Jean-Claude offers the solution. From one barrel he has removed the front and back-end, and replaced it by glass. That way you can see the lees on the bottom, and small bits of tartic acid on the sides of the barrel. Nice to see!

March 2008

David Clark

In 2003 David Clark gave up his glamorous job as a software engineer at the Williams Formula One team. He started working on a farm in Auvergne (thus improving his French) and after that he studied at the Lyceé Viticole in Beaune. In 2004 he bought his first vineyard as well as a former vintners-house (had not been used as such for 20 years, so it needed quite some refurbishing) in Morey-Saint-Denis and started making his own wine. A dream comes true!

Although he started with the humblest appellations (Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire, Bourgogne rouge), David follows all the rules of making great Burgundy: very low yields (well inside Grand Cru regulations!), organic viticulture, the use of a vibrating sorting table, no fining or filtration. He has very clear thoughts on the sort of wines he wants to produce: as pure, fresh and natural as possible. That's why he abandoned the use of new oak. He thinks using new oak is “cheating”, he doesn’t want to add vanilla-flavors or tannins.

In 2005 David managed to acquire a tiny parcel of Morey-Saint-Denis village (only 0.1 hectares, producing one barrel of wine) and in 2006 he bought a 0.47 hectares vineyard north of Brochon (Côte de Nuits Village) from Regis Bouvier. His vineyard holdings are now about 2 hectares in total.

I hope that one day David will be able to lay his hands on some nice Premier Cru (or even Grand Cru) vineyards, because what he has achieved so far in his lowly appeations is truly exceptional!

First we tasted '06. These wines were racked into tanks, and ready to be bottled. This will probably happen before Christmas.

2006 Passetoutgrains Light purple color. On the nose it’s very pleasant. Animal, spicy. Fresh, ripe, sweetish. Bursting with fruit. Some spiciness. Very pure and fresh. Great thirst quencher. 

2006 Bourgogne rouge Bright cherry red. Lots of strawberry and cherry on the nose. Lovely fresh, crisp fruit. Good ripeness and balance. Very, very good at this level! 

After that we went to David's nicely renovated cellar to taste '07 from barrel.

2007 Pinot noir Destined for the Passetoutgrains. David vinifies Gamay and Pinot noir separately this year. For this particular barrel he didn’t use any sulphur. He is experimenting with this now, and would like to ban sulphur altogether. He believes this will reduce this risk of reduction. Indeed there is no sign of reduction in this barrel. Lots of raspberry-like fruit, very clean and fresh. 

2007 Cote de Nuits Villages New wine for David in this vintage. Some “malo-flavors” on the nose. Ripe, rich and pure fruit. Slightly spicy finish. Full and round. Very promising! 

2007 Morey-Saint-Denis Just one barrel made. The nose is marked a bit by the malo. Lots of beautiful ripe, candied fruit. Crisp, fresh, juicy. Great potential. 

2005 Bourgogne rouge “Au Pelson” From a vineyard in Chambolle-Musigny on the “wrong” side of the Route National. David bought this vineyard, that is planted with both Gamay and Pinot noir, from Christophe Roumier. The gamay is used for Passetoutgrains. David used 50% new oak on this, but only for four month. After that he racked the wine to used barrels. Still he thinks this is too much, so for 2006 he only works with used barrels. Lucious, ripe, fresh fruit. Some sweetness. Nice, refreshing, medium-long finish. Very good! 

2004, Pinot noir Floral nose, a bit smokey. Soft and round. Fresh fruit, good ripeness. Tannins a bit more present.

December 2007

Michael Ragg

Burgundy purists might be a bit skeptical about Mischief & Mayhem. A funny name, a New World-ish Cellar Door, stylish bottles with back-labels intending to “demystify Burgundy”. But I can assure you: the contents of the bottles is real Burgundian!

You can find all there is to know about Mischief & Mayhem on their excellent website (http://www.mischiefandmayhem.com) so I limit myself to just describing the wines (all 2005) that we tasted with Michael Ragg.

Chablis Although it is labeled as "just" Chablis, the grapes for this wine are from the Premier Cru vineyard Côte de Lechet. It is vinified without barrel-treatment.  Very fresh, open nose. Lemon, green apple. Good structure and intensity, crisp, some minerals. Medium-long finish. Very fine Chablis!

Bourgogne Chardonnay A blend of grapes from Maconnais (50%), Saint-Romain (15%) and parcels in Puligny-Montrachet and Pommard. No barrel treatment for this wine. On the nose it is more round and rich than the Chablis. Soft mouth-feel with good weight and freshness. Hints of nuts and honey. 

Meursault Fourteen month on barrels, 20% of which new oak. More yellowish colour. Very intense nose, honey, vanilla but also citrus. On the palate it is full, fat, a bit creamy, but also really fresh. Nice balance. Long, solid aftertaste. Nice.

Puligny-Montrachet Same barrel treatment as the Meursault, although it has been in barrel 6 weeks longer. Quite rich style for a Puligny. Butter, flowers, vanilla on the nose. Ripe, full, sweetish, but not overly so. There also some freshness and some minerals. Long, full finish that is marked a little bit by the alcohol (14%).

Bourgogne Pinot noir Fruity, cherry-ish nose. Very juicy and pure on the palate, red berries, the acidity sticks out a bit. Good structure and lenght, a little bitterness towards the end.

Gevrey-Chambertin 20% new oak, 80% one or two year old barrels. Very beautiful nose! Lots of dark cherries, a bit peppery. Full, spicy, ripe fruit yet very fresh. Long finish with soft tannins. Very good.

Pommard 1er cru Clos Blanc Raised on 25% new oak, the other 75% being one or two year old barrels. Very nice bouquet, direct, with cherry, creme de cassis and some nice eartyness. Round, full, ripe, very fruity. A bit spicy. Long, refreshing finish. Very smooth tannins. Very nice Pommard, not the least bit rustic like Pommards can be.

Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Petits Monts Michael had opended the other reds a few hours in advance, but this Vosne-Romanee was popped on the spot. That's probably why is was pretty closed on the nose. Yet on the palate it was very nice. Mouthfilling ripe fruit, a bit sweetish and spicy. Soft texture. Long finish with lots of soft tannins and minerals. Nice. 

December 2007

Tasting with Guillaume Tardy

The history of the domaine begins in 1920, when Victor Tardy starts working for Domaine Camuzet. 25 years later Etienne Camuzet gives him a few vineyards en metayage. In 1966 Jean Tardy takes over from his father, and he gets more vineyards (Clos Vougeot, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru, Vosne-Romanée 1er cru) from Méo-Camuzet, again under a share-crop agreement.

In 1981 Jean begins buying some vineyards, starting with generic appellations. After that he bought three village vineyards: Chambolle-Musigny in 1984, Nuits-Saint-Georges in 1989 and Vosne-Romanée in 1999. In 2002 a metayage-deal was closed for a plot of Echezeaux.

In 2001 Jean's son Guillaume gets in charge of the winemaking, after studies at the viti in Beaune and the university of oenology in Dijon and eight month of work experience as assistant-winemaker in Australia.

Guillaume keeps working in the same traditional way as his father, but makes some subtle changes towards his own (more modern?) style. Evolution, not revolution. Starting with the 2006 vintage he no longer crushes the grapes after destemming, in order to get even more freshness and fruitiness in his wines. Guillaume practices 18 to 20 days long vatting and maceration a froid. Barrel ageing lasts about 18 month, with around 25% new oak for the village wines, 50 to 60% for the premier crus and 100% for the Grand Crus.

Unfortunately, with the 2007 vintage the metayage agreements with Méo-Camuzet for Clos Vougeot and the Nuits and Vosne Premier crus ended. To (partly) compensate this loss, Guillaume acquired 0,42 ha of Fixin (first vintage 2006) and this year he also snapped up a parcel of Gevrey-Chambertin village and some Hautes-Côtes de Nuits vineyards.

With Guillaume we tasted all 2006's from barrel. Guillaume is very proud of his wines in this vintage. Rightfully so!

Fixin “La Place” First vintage of this wine for Tardy. The wine has not been racked, and is showing a little bit of reduction. On the nose there is red and black fruit, and some violets. On the palate it is spicy, brambly, with a lot of beautiful sweetish fruit. Very fresh and elegant. Ripe tannins. Guillaume thinks Fixin can often be rather rustic. He wants to make a Fixin “the Vosne-Romanee way”. I think he succeeded! This a very nice Fixin. 

Chambolle-Musigny “Les Athets” Lots of fruit. Lots of depth, lots of finesse. Lucious black fruit, cherries. Super soft. Lovely. 

Vosne-Romanée “Vigneux” Nice perfume. Full, round, fresh. Satin texture. Good length, ripe tannins. Very good. 

Nuits-Saint-Georges  “Bas de Combe” 45 year old vineyard, very close to Vosne-Romanee  1er cru Les Chaumes.  A bit more muscular than the previous wine, but still very elegant and fresh. Some spiciness. A Nuits with “Vosne-Romanee character”. Nice. 

Vosne-Romanée  1er cru Les Chaumes Nice cassis-nose. Starts very fresh on the palate. Fairly full-bodied. Good structure and balance. Really long finish. Ripe tannins giving good grip. Needs time, but will no doubt turn out great.

Nuits-Saint-Georges  1er cru Les Boudots 70 year old vineyard next to Malconsorts, and opposite to Les Chaumes. Quite spicy on the nose. Lots of very fresh black fruit. Ripe and round. Chocolaty tannins. Good stuff!

Clos Vougeot “Grand Maupertuis” Beautiful nose, lots of aroma. Fruit and nougat.  Precise, full, fresh. Finesse and complexity. Very ripe, seductive, sweetish fruit. Very long, velvety finish. Very, very nice! It’s very unfortunately that Tardy loses this vineyard… 

Echezeaux “Les Treux” Firm, more direct style than the Clos Vougeot. Full, complex, spicy. Very long, solid finish. Needs a bit more time than the Clos Vougeot, but it's just as nice. 

After the 2006's we tasted a 2004 from bottle (all 2005's were already sold-out):

2004 Nuits-Saint-Georges “Bas de Combe” Spices on the nose, a little bit vegetal. Quite a lot of fruit. Refreshing acidity. Spicy and elegant. Again more Vosne than Nuits. Not green or unripe. Very good in this difficult vintage.

December 2007

This is currently one of the most well-known producers from Chassagne-Montrachet. The domaine is run by Marc Morey's son-in-law Bernard Mollard. With Bernard's daughter Sabine we tasted some wines from different appellations and different vintages, which provided a good general picture of the quality of the domaine.


2006, Chassagne-Montrachet Nice flowery nose, with white fruit and a touch of honey. Good intensity, fresh zesty fruit. Some spiciness. Long finish. Nice Chassagne village.

2006, Saint-Aubin 1er cru Les Chaumois A bit floral nose with a lot of white fruit. Round, soft, a little bit sweetish. More weight than the Chassagne, but a bit less freshness. Easy. Soft finish.

2005, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Vergers A bit low-key on the nose. Ripe, tropical fruits. Good structure. Quite rich, but still displaying some freshness. Long finish, with some minerals towards the end.

2005, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Virondot Virondot is located just above En Caillerets, so quite high on the slope. More open and direct on the nose.  Crisp, zesty, white fruit. A touch of vanilla. Nice balance. White fruits, minerals. Long finish with good grip. Very nice wine.

2004, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Virondot A bit more vegetal and spicy on the nose. Starts very fresh. A bit lighter structure than the ’05, but good balance. Juicy. Very fresh. Green herbs. Very long, tight, refreshing finale en bouche.

December 2007

This weekend I was with friends that I met during this years harvest at Anne Gros. So it was a great experience for us to be able to taste the wines that we helped harvesting ourselves. But that was not all.. Not only were we tasting 2007, but also 2006 and 2005. This was a really remarkable tasting, being able to taste three consecutive vintages of one of the best winemakers in Burgundy (hence, in the world). A great opportunity not only to compare the different vintages, but also to identify the characteristics of the different terroirs.

Most 2007s were already more or less finishing their malo. 2007 is a very special year according to Anne, she has never encountered a vintage where the malo started (and finishes) so early.

The wines were very accessible, and were giving a good insight on the quality of the vintage. Anne is very satisfied with the 2007 vintage. It has been a difficult vintage, it was hard deciding on when to start picking, but Anne says she does not regret anything. Having tasted the 2007s from barrel I can understand this. 

2007 Bourgogne-Hautes-Cotes de Nuits rouge From a parcel high on the hills, above the village of Conceur. Another part of this vineyard produces Anne’s white “Cuveé Marine.” Anne is very satisfied with the quality of the grapes in this difficult vintage. Because of the high altitude of the vineyard and the exposition to the east there was always a lot wind drying the grapes, so there was no rot here. Fruity, spicy, a bit animal on the nose. Very fresh and elegant, minerally. Slightly tingling mouth-feel (malo). 

2007 Bourgogne rouge One of the wines I helped harvesting, so it is hard to remain objective ;-) Less minerally, more fruity than the Hautes-Cotes. Very pure, fresh fruit. 

2007 Chambolle-Musigny “Combe d’Orveau” A bit smoky on the nose (because of the malo) along with red fruit and a few minerals. Ripe, sweetish fruit. Juicy. Raspberry and cherry. Refreshing acidity. 

2007 Vosne-Romanée “Les Barreaux” Black berries, dark cherries. High acidity because the malo has not yet finished, and this wine always having higher acidity because of the altitude of the vineyard. Lots of minerals as well. More body than the Chambolle, yet still very elegant. 

2007 Echezeaux "Loachausses” Anne calls this her “new baby” (it is a new wine for Anne in this vintage. The vineyard was leased for 50 years to Bernard Gros). I helped harvesting this one as well. Malo nearly finished. At the moment a bit restrained on the nose. On the palate lots of ripe fruit, lots of freshness, lots of minerals. Soft tannins. 

2007 Clos Vougeot “Grand Maupertui” Also harvested at the expense of a lot of back-pain for yours truly. Low-key nose for now. Full, round fruits. Black berries. Lots of depth, lots of finesse. Good grip. 

2007 Richebourg Not the best time to taste this wine now, it is showing a bit of reduction. There is also quite some gas and a bit smoky nose. The structure and depth are already present, so no doubt this will become a great wine.  

On to 2006. These wines are almost ready. The first wines (Bourgogne, Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits and Chambolle-Musigny) are already assembled in tanks, about to be bottled. 

2006 Bourgogne rouge Subtle, fruity nose. Very pure, fresh red fruit. Elegant. Some tannins on the medium-long finish. Nice. 

2006 Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits rouge A bit more earthy on the nose compared to the Bourgogne rouge. Very fruity, soft, a bit sweetish. Freshness and elegance. Nice.  The Hautes-Cotes is perhaps a bit more suited for early drinking. 

2006 Chambolle-Musigny “Combe d’Orveau”  Soft cherry-juice on the nose. Silky soft mouth-feel, fresh, a little bit spicy. Very elegant. Tres Chambolle. A bit higher acidity than the ’05. Very nice. 

2006 Vosne-Romanée “Les Barreaux” Ripe fruit, mouth-filling, fresh, lively. Wow! Very, very nice. 

2006 Clos Vougeot “Grand Maupertui” A bit flowery and earthy on the nose. Very pure, ripe, mouth-filling just like the Barreaux. A bit more richness and depth, yet still very fresh. Not the least bit harsh or tannic finish. Really nice. 

2006 Richebourg I don’t think I ever felt tears in my eyes before when tasting a wine. Well, this wine made it happen… So much depth, so much complexity, so much lovely fresh fruit. So long, it goes on and on. Just so yummy!! I start saving money to be able to buy a few bottles!  

And finally: 2005. We tasted this from bottles that were already open for a couple of days, but the wines still showed very well.  

2005 Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits rouge Flowery, cherry, raspberry. Round, fresh, soft and fruity. 

2005 Bourgogne rouge Even a bit more fruity than the Hautes-Cotes. Fresh. A bit more grip on the finish. 

2005 Chambolle-Musigny “Combe d’Orveau” This was already one of my favourite wines tasted this year. It was just as beautiful as the previous time. Why don’t I have a few cases of this at home? Life isn’t fair. 

2005 Vosne-Romanée “Les Barreaux” What I wrote on the previous wine is also true for this one. 

2005 Clos Vougeot “Grand Maupertui” Rich, attractive nose. Creme de cassis. A bit earthy. Splendid, mouth-filling, pure fruit. Lots of depth. Long, very soft finish. A true beauty. 

2005 Richebourg A tiny bit richer, but just as sublime as the ’06… Grande emotion.


November 2007

After our visit to Dujac we had a hearthy lunch in a small restaurant on the Hautes-Cotes. Good food, some wine and a comfy fireplace: now we are all ready for some more tasting! With Francois Millet we are going to try 2006 from barrel.

It is a pleasure tasting with monsieur Millet. He is a modest, softspoken man with a subtle, dry sense of humour.

Monsieur Millet says he is happy with the 2006 vintage after the much-hyped 2005. "2005 is impressive, 2006 is seductive. Seduction is like falling in love, you never forget that experience".

Chambolle-Musigny In this village wine the fruit of two premier cru parcels (Les Baudes and Les Fuees) is included. Medium cherry red. Flowers, stawberry, cherry. Soft, elegant, fresh. Cherryjuice, a little spiciness. Nice balance. Already pretty drinkable, but good structure for cellaring at least 10 years. Very nice wine.

Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru Les Amoureuses Medium cherry red. Expressive nose, flowers, all kinds of red fruits, some minerals. Slighty thicker structure than the Chambolle village, yet still very elegant. Silky soft. Lots of fruit, slightly spicy. Great balance and freshness. Very, very long, minerally finish. Great potential. Beautiful.

Bonnes Mares From a parcel close to the village, down the slope (terre rouge with more clay in the soil). Purple-ish hints in the colour. Straight, earthy nose. Very juicy, sappy, round. Rich texture. Already very accessible. Good freshness. Very long, earthy finish. Great wine.

Le Musigny Unbelievable, seductive nose. Very complex and elegant. On the palate: not just mouth-filling, it "explodes" in your mouth! Very, very complex, lots of depth. Full, suave, round, spicy, fresh. Tight tannins. Goes on and on. Although it is still a baby, it is already suberb!

These were indeed very seductive wines...


November 2007

It is very cold in Morey-Saint-Denis, so we are glad that we can wait in the cozy salon (nice painting of Amsterdam canals hanging here!) before we go the cellar with Martine Moreau-Sonntag. We are going to taste 2006 from barrel.
 
Morey-Saint-Denis  Light purple colour. Slightly spicy nose, raspberry, a bit animal. Fruity, fresh, with some spiciness and liquorice. Youthful finish, with soft tannins. Nice.

Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru Made from three different plots: Ruchots (60%), Millandes and Clos Sorbes. Darker colour then the MSD village. Spicy fruit, dark cherries. Suave, ripe, elegant, sweetish, very fruity. Fresh acidity. Soft, ripe finish. Very nice.

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Combottes Purple colour, with a pinkish rim. Spicy, plummy nose. Some traces of oak. Full, round, a bit earthy. More powerful than the Morey premier cru. Very long, spicy finish. Some astringency. Very nice.

According to Martine the Combottes vineyard (sandwiched between Grands Crus) is of Grand Cru quality. But because all owners of this cru are from outside Gevrey-Chambertin, it is not likely that the status of Combottes will ever change. 

Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Beaux Monts Cherry red colour. Ripe, fruity nose, with some nougat. Very soft, round, elegant. Ripe, fresh fruit. Very complex. Very long, very soft finish. Lovely.

Clos de la Roche Cherry red. Beautiful nose combining flowery and minerally notes, red fruits and stems. On the palate: WOW! Rich, supersoft fruit. Lots of depth and complexity. Really long finish, very soft tannins. Superb, elegant wine.

2006 is a really nice vintage chez Dujac! Frank, pure, fresh wines with lots of elegance.

Then Martine pops a half bottle for us to taste blind.
The colour has a orange glimpse. The bouquet is floral, vegetal (one taster mentioned a freshly cut potato...), there is also some peppermint and spices. On the palate it is tomatojuice-like, with very fresh fruit, high acidity. Long, herbal and acidic finish. A nice wine that is clearly a bit older. But how old? I guessed 1993. Wrong, it was a 1997 Clos Saint Denis. 


November 2007

The Chateau de la Velle originates from the 13th century. It is owned by the Darviot family since 1780. In 1973 the current owners, Bertrand and Bernadette Darviot (the 9th generation of winemakers), moved in. Before that, the domaine Darviot was located in Beaune.

Most of the domaines vineyards are still in Beaune, an exception being Meursault "Clos de la Velle" (right behind the chateau). The vineyards are worked "en bio" and of course the grapes are picked by hand.

With Bernadette Darviot I tasted the following wines (unfortunately not all wines where available for tasting, e.g. the Bourgogne Chardonnay and Meursault Clos de la Velle 2005):

2006, Bourgogne Aligote From a parcel located between Meursault and Puligny. Fresh, zesty nose. Starts full, round on the palate. Tasty. More body than the average aligote. A little (pleasant) bitterness on the finish. No need to "pimp" this with creme de cassis, this makes a nice aperitif on its own. 2004, Beaune Clos des Mosnieres (blanc) Very expressive nose, vanilla, flowers, just a whiff of oak. Starts juicy. Nice fruitiness. Elegant, round, fresh. Soft finish, quite long. No need to cellar this, it is very drinkable right now. 2005, Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets (blanc) This appellation is better known for its reds, but a small part of the vineyard has a type of soil (calcaire) that is better suited for chardonnay. Full and fat on the nose, some oak. Rich, fat on the palate, lots of body but it also has freshness and minerals to provide a good balance. Long aftertaste. 2005, Beaune Vielles Vignes de Saint Desiree (rouge) This vineyard is located high on the slopes, right above the well-known Clos des Mouches. Planted with vines that are over 40 years old. Lots of fruit on the nose, cherry and some kirsch. Youthfull on the palate, a bit austere at first, but very fruity as well. Cherry, blackberry. Freshness. Quite some acidity. Fairly long finish with lots of grip. Ripe tannins. 2005, Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets (rouge) Very perfumed on the nose, red fruits and a bit floral. Starts a bit sweet. Ripe, rich fruit. Full bodied. More structure and complexity than the previous wine. Long, full finish, with tannins that need some time to soften a bit.
 
 
July 2007

Last January I visited this domaine together with David Bolomey (who is the man behind the www.bordoverview.com website. But he also appreciates a good Burgundy). We picked the only wintry period this year in Burgundy for our visit. The icy roads in Chambolle-Musigny made it impossible to manoeuvre our car (still on summer tyres) through the gate of  Mugniers "Chateau de Chambolle-Musigny".
 

We were welcomed by monsieur Mugniers assistant Audrey. First she gave us a short tour through the newly renovated and extended vinification room. After that we descended into the cellar, where we got to taste all the 2005's from barrel. Due to the frosty weather the wines were pretty cold and a little hard to access, but still it was a remarkable "degustation". After the tasting we had the chance to meet monsieur Mugnier himself.

2005 Chambolle-Musigny Very fruity, round, fresh, some sweetness. Soft almost velvety mouthfeel. Long finish. Really good for “just” a village wine. 2005 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Marechale Darker colour than the previous wine. Spicy nose (but red fruits as well). More powerful and tannic than the Chambolle, but still elegant and fruity. A Nuits made “the Chambolle-way”. Very long finish! 2005 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuees More intense version of the Chambolle village. Thicker structure, more tannic, lots of fruit. Even longer finish. 2005 Bonnes Mares At the moment a bit stubborn compaired to the previous wines. Spicy. Good structure. Again: really long aftertaste. 2005 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses Beautiful nose despite the cold. Silky soft and concentrated. Mouthfilling. Soft, ripe tannins. Very elegant, and all the aspects of this wines are in the right place. Endless finish.  2005 Musigny More full-bodied than the Amoureuses, but just as beautiful. More concentrated, a bit more tannic, but very harmonious. Suberb! 2004 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Marechale When I told Audrey I have a few bottles of this at home, she immediately opens a bottle. The diffence with the 2005s is obvious. The nose is more floral and earthy. Chewy tannins. More acidity than the 2005. I know I will wait a few years before I start drinking my bottles.


January 2007