A Smattering of Burgundies with an Emphasis on 2008

• 2008 Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc Les Sétilles

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  Pale. Faintly lactic. Medium weight. Good citric fruit, acidity and intensity. A noteworthy Bourgogne that is an excellent value.

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• 2009 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bourgogne Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  Light greenish. Redolent citrus and slightly toasty oak. Clearly richer than the '08 Leflaive but well structured so that it does not present itself as too soft. Very nice entry level wine, especially for the vintage.

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• 2008 Domaine Maroslavac Leger Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers des Dents de Chien Blanc

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru

  Light yellow. Riper citrus/pineapple profile and some wood. Rich and oaky on the palate. Duller and not as zippy as the other '08s but not bad.

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• 2008 Jacques Bavard Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Pale. Refined, floral aromatics also containing some anise. Light, not at all fruit driven. Delicate, very pretty wine with good sense of minerality and a lingering finish. Excellent and a real find.

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• 2008 Ballot-Millot & Fils Bourgogne

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Very pale and anemic looking. Charred oak and flowers on the nose. All oak and little other flavor in the mouth. What were they thinking using all of this wood on such an insubstantial wine?

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• 2008 Domaine Laleure-Piot Côte de Nuits Villages Les Bellevues

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages

  After a corked example, the second bottle had a good mix of tree bark, bright red fruit and brown spice. Lively, light altogether charming small wine with some black licorice to add complexity. Good result for this level.

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• 2008 Maison Champy Chambolle-Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  Limpid, clear. Briary raspberry fruit. No apparent wood. Very light but clear fruit and persistent finish. Creditable village Chambolle but not for $47. I prefer the preceding Cote de Nuits at less than half this price.

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• 2008 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Champans

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Very light color belies a gorgeous nose of red fruit and flowers. Light, finely etched with excellent ripe red fruit with some sweetness and a touch of wood. For its weight, superb intensity and inner mouth perfume. Very well done.

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• 2008 Guillemard-Clerc Clos Vougeot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  Brooding, black fruit. Peppery flavors but some sap on top of its basically light weight. Underlying ripeness without a trace of sweetness, nice austerity at the end. Very good.

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• 2009 Evening Land Vineyards Bourgogne

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Full tint. Spicy, menthol aromatics. Berry like fruit on the palate but a good dose of earth. Quite substantial and tasty for a Bourgogne. Good wine.

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• 2004 Bruno Colin Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Maranges 1er Cru

  Light. Overwhelming wintergreen, camphor. Peppery and thin, devoid of fruit. Frankly poor. Unfortunate confluence of vintage and commune.

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• 2009 A. et P. de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey

  Translucent medium ruby. Attractive florality and cherries. Rich wine that is at once sappy yet has good cut and a genuinely earthy finish. Clearly above its class but not a screaming value.

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• 2008 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges

  Medium depth of color. Red fruit and scorched earth. Elegant, high acidity and earthy. Quite attractive at this early stage, somewhat unusual for this cuvee.

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• 2006 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

  Medium, slightly cloudy. Pretty, subtle wine that is very Vosne-earthy, black fruit, already fairly complex and entering maturity.

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• 2007 Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Medium ruby, perfectly clear. Bright, brambly nose that calls Savigny to mind. Good depth of red fruit that is crackling with energy. In fact, quite full bodied for a Volnay, especially in this vintage. Some oak in background. This was one of the better reds of the day and a nice surprise given prior experience with this branch of the Boillot clan.

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• 2008 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Pèzerolles

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Quite pale but wonderfully intense nose of earth and ripe red fruit. Very long, terrific palate coverage. This has none of the harshness I often get from Pommard. Really good.

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Although I can't say that these wines overly impressed, winners included the Puligny from Bavard, the Maranges from de Villaine, the Boillot Volnay and both '08 de Montille reds. Several of the low end '08 whites also represent good value.