The Verticals Tasting at La Paulée 2016
The Fairmont, San Francisco
Tasted Friday, March 4, 2016 by drwine2001 with 889 views
Introduction
Most but not all of the wines poured today are recapped below in the order that they were shown by the producers. In most cases, this meant tasting the youngest vintage first. I have tried to include the format of the bottles when magnums were opened. For anyone curious about the producers I did not or could not try, they were Frantz Chagnoleau (Saint-Veran), Bernard Moreau (Chassagne-Montrachet), Domaine Matrot (Meursault), Domaine Ballot-Millot (Meursault), David Duband (Nuits-Saint-Georges), and the Hospices de Beaune Mazis-Chambertin "Cuvée Madeleine Collignon". After all, there's only so much a palate can take...
Flight 1 (72 Notes)
Closing
This was extraordinarily interesting and educational, as it is every year. My take aways regarding the vintages that were most frequently represented:
2012-Disappointingly fat for whites, and much more variable than I thought for reds
2011-Some surprisingly good wines in both colors. In particular, the whites often had welcome acidity compared to 2010 and 2012.
2010-The exoticism of some of the whites and openness of the reds in general were unexpected.
2009-I need to keep an open mind about this vintage since there is sometimes more acidity than was apparent initially.
2008-Some of the whites have lower acidity and verve than I thought.
2006-Reds continue to drink well although they generally don't reach the heights of lightness or finesse.
2005-While some of the reds have shown a crack of daylight, many others remain grumpy and light years away from maturity.
And as for individual producers, real overperformers included Hubert Lamy and Jean-Louis Dutraive. Drouhin's line up of Montrachets was superb, and in red, it was hardly a shock to taste great wines from Dujac, Hudelot-Noellat, and Fourrier. Additionally, individual wines from Chandon de Briailles, Chateau De La Tour, and Camille Giroud provided somewhat less expected strongly positive impressions. On the other hand, not a great showing for Fèvre, and Grivot was more or less a bust for my taste.
2012 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Magnum. Pale green, herbal scents. Low pitched orange fruit, some wood. Broad like many of these '12's. Good.
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2010 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Magnum. Yellow. More tropical nose of pineapple. Richer, rounder, and lower acidity than the 2012. Little Chablis character until some late citrus. Just not enough structure here.
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2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Light yellow. Some pineapple as well, but much more elegant weight than the '10. More saline, floral, and nice ending minerality. The best of these 3 wines by far.
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2012 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Pale. Herbal, lemon nose-promising. Medium body, noticeable oak. Rich, ripe citrus fruit, too woody, not nearly enough grip.
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2011 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Pale greenish tint. Lime. Medium weight. Brighter citrus and more mineral than the 2012 with much less cumbersome wood. Surprisingly, I preferred this to the 2 other vintages. Very good.
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2010 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Slightly deeper color than the younger wines. Riper citrus aromatics and orange fruit on the palate. Nice combination of some creamy intensity and airiness. Acidic finish which sticks out. Could be much better if/when it integrates, but today, behind the '11.
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2011 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Light color. Floral, refined aromatics with the barest hint of oak. Light to medium weight. Nice light, tart citrus, excellent feel, and good minerality. Delightful, above class.
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2009 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Pale greenish color. Bright, forward orange scents. Light to medium weight, restrained light wood, orange oil, glycerine, and herbal complexity. Bigger than the 2011, but excellent underpinning of structure for 2009.
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2008 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Light yellow. Bitter citrus. Medium weight, vanilla, some real creaminess. Broader than the other 2 vintages, less acidity, and the fruit is relatively subdued in comparison. Excellent soil on the finish. Still very good, but I was surprised that this 2008 was looser than either the 2011 or 2009.
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2010 Domaine François Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Yellow. Toasty pineapple. Ripe entry, quite a bit of acidity behind it though. Better in the mouth than it smells, but this is ultimately plagued by too much wood.
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2009 Domaine François Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Yellow color. More citrus and less oak than the 2010. Round, overtly sweet, low acid. Sorry, but this could have been a Mâconnais Chardonnay. Undistinguished.
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1999 Domaine François Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Full yellow. Slightly musty, tropical nose. Nevertheless, clean and creamy in the mouth with a woody base (no surprise after tasting the younger ones), a good amount of remaining fresh citrus, and excellent length. Surprisingly good, and the best of the bunch, but it is hard for me to love this style.
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2012 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Yellow. Toasty nose. Broad, lush, woody, tropical fruit, a hint of lemon, frankly low in acidity. Poor balance. This would have been inconceivable 20 years ago, when the Jobard wines were so lean and crisp.
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2010 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Light yellow. Flintier and more floral than the '12, much less wood showing. Light, lively, lemony, some cinnamon. A relief after the younger vintage and so much better than that wine.
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2008 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Yellow. Sulfur and other olfactory funk. Heavier than the 2010, moderate oak. Plodding and dull until some slight uplifting citrus toward the finish. Another Jobard that left me scratching my head.
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2011 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Pale green. Orange scents. Medium weight. Pleasant mix of citrus and herb, fine acidity. Average depth, moderate length, wood dominated finish. This left me a little flat.
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2010 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Light yellow. Lovely citrus and spice nose. Medium weight, lightly woody base, good sappiness, intensity, and minerality, but strong vanillin oak asserts itself at the end and cuts off the wine. I preferred this to the 2011 but still didn't find it great.
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2009 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Light yellow. Bright orange aromas leap out. Very round, mouth coating feel, deep citrus pith flavors, and a lot of acidity to keep it fresh. Plenty of time in hand. The best of the 3 vintages of Goutte d'Or by quite a margin, partly since there is not the heavy use of oak to muck up the underlying material.
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2011 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Light yellow. Lovely lemony nose. Light to medium body with some vanilla oak through the mid-palate and finish. Elegant feel, good balance of fruit and herbs, very good acidity. Best of the bunch.
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2010 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Magnum. Light yellow. Woody, diffuse, creamy, some citrus, strangely dilute. I do not like the balance at all.
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2007 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Magnum. Medium yellow. Most floral of the 3 wines. Lighter weight, elegant, and lemony. More pleasing than the 2010, but it would be better still without the late arriving oak, which is overdone for an essentially delicate wine.
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2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bâtard-Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Pale. Bitter citrus on the nose and palate. Elegant weight, average acidity, gentle soil. Very good, but nothing about this shouts Grand Cru quality in terms of its depth or complexity.
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2009 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bâtard-Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Magnum. Impressively pale color. Mixed citrus and stone fruit on the nose. A touch of lactic creaminess that one does not find in the '11. Good acidity, soil filled finish. Very young and fresh. Excellent and more in the mold of Côte de Beaune Grand Cru.
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2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bâtard-Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Magnum. Slightly deeper yellow with glint of green. Deeply pitched citrus. Great balance of fruit and acidity with better texture than either of the younger vintages. Resonating, strong finish laced with minerality and acidity. Not the biggest example, but fine, fresh, and exciting.
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2010 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Yellow. Rich pineapple aromatics. Medium weight but terrific intensity. The ripe fruit is beautifully cut by excellent back end minerality. Outstanding length. Youthful and very classy wine.
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2008 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Yellow. Some churned butter and subdued fruit on the nose. Much more developed, lactic, and creamy than the 2010 with rapier-like acidity to snap it back together at the end. Entering early maturity. I tasted this out of 2 different bottles, and they were both superb and compelling. For me, this was the top white wine in the tasting.
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2006 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Deeper color than the 2 younger vintages. Rich citrus fruit. Lovely weight and balance for an '06. Excellent length. Also approaching outstanding, although it does not have magical concentration or complexity of the 2008.
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2012 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Medium red. Gamy, red fruit on the nose. Rich, sappy black cherry intermingled with soil, fine acidity. This is hefty for Volnay and a little straightforward, but plenty of flavor here and room for additional development and refinement.
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2011 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Light color. Stemmy and green. Light weight, not much concentration, but the fruit that is there is sweet/tart red berry along with green herbs. Cranberry finish with soil. Wow, what a difference between these 2 back to back vintages. Good quality.
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2008 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Pale color. Mostly soil tones. Slightly more weight than the 2011. Muted red fruit. Very terroir-driven wine. High acidity, tannic finish. Not bad at all, but you have to like this very classic, austere style to appreciate this one.
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2011 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Champagne Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie
Light red. Geranium and red fruit. Light but sappy. Green herb, dark cherry, light tannin, excellent soil. Lovely Fleurie.
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2005 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Champagne Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie
Medium red. Spicy, strawberry jam nose. Wonderful sap in this light weight wine. Sweet red cherry, excellent soil and persistence, still some dry, vanilla tannins to resolve. Superb Beaujolais that has wonderful balance and years of development ahead.
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2000 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Champagne Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie
Light red, some sediment. Volatile acidity. Sugary and relatively full for Gamay. Interesting-autumnal mixture of supple, smoky red fruit, good acidity, and soil. Hardly perfect balance, but this is still more than drinkable at this late stage. Great opportunity to try these older Dutraives.
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2009 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Magnum. Confected, sweet red cherry. Jammy, rich, round, some char. Perhaps the most New World wine at this year's Verticals. Hardly textbook Volnay in its power and size.
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2010 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Magnum. Lighter ruby than the '09. Much more complex aromatics that are much more driven by soil notes. Subtle red fruit and earth in the mouth, better acidity, lightly tannic. Fine, very elegant, and simply delicious. Shocking fidelity to the vintage differences between this year and 2009.
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2012 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Magnum. Light ruby. More soil than fruit on the nose. Sweet, sappy blueberry and cherry fruit, good acidity, some menthol, tannic finish. Excellent. Not quite as huge and sweet as the 2009, but not nearly as focused, fine, and subtle as the 2010.
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2012 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru Grèves
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Light red. Funk and earth. Very nice, elegant, seamless, lightly sappy wine. Light red fruit, soil, and a touch of herbal complexity. Lovely, open, and ready now.
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2010 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru Grèves
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Pale red. Lighter weight. More earthy with fruit in the background, good acidity, moderate wood. Not that exciting-I preferred the 2012 despite the slightly off aromas.
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2005 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru Grèves
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Very light red. Spicy, ripe red fruit on the nose. Beautiful light weight but wonderful intensity and persistence. Sweet red fruit and a twist of blood orange. Excellent, tangy acidity, a little less soil than the others, dry framing tannin. Outstanding Beaune just entering an early drinking window with the stuffing and balance to easily last another decade. The 2012 was awfully good but has nowhere near the long term potential of this wine.
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2009 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Corton-Bressandes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Magnum. Ruby. Pine needles and tar. Ripe fruit and licorice palate. Fine back end earth and austerity. Will improve but excellent now.
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2007 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Corton-Bressandes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Magnum. Pale red. Reticent aromatics. Much lighter weight than the 2009. Very pretty light red fruit with rising acidity and soil. Needs at least a few years. I liked this lighter expression of Corton.
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2006 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Corton-Bressandes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Magnum. Very pale. Herbal nose. Completely different than the '07-rounder, chunkier entry, backward black tinged fruit, spice, piquant acidity, and soil. In Corton terms, this is pretty fat; I enjoyed the drive and focus of the 2009 compared to this one.
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2010 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Light red. Smoky and earthy. Elegant light weight with modest sap, discretely sweet, ripe red fruit, light tannin, soil finish. Open, excellent length. Very fine with a light winemaking touch.
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2006 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Light ruby with browning. Lighter body than the '10. Nice sweet ripe fruit, some green, good acidity. Shorter, tannic finish. This is both clunkier and less complex and fine than the 2010.
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2005 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Youthful ruby throughout. Sweaty aromatics. Medium body. Deceptively supple entry, then earthy, complex, muted fruit, high acidity, and dry tannins. The initial burst of flavor shows that there is no lack of fruit underneath, but it needs plenty of time to emerge. This is much rougher going than the 2010, and I wonder if this will ever achieve the harmony you already feel in that wine.
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2009 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Pale red. Floral, fragrant, minty, some stems. Light, elegant, and just dances across the palate. Beautiful spice, soil, red fruit, and overall complexity. Feminine, full of finesse. One of my favorite wines of the entire tasting.
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2006 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Tawny. Much riper nose than the 2009, very slight stemminess. Cherry as opposed to the strawberry of that wine, menthol, soil, moderately tannic. Just doesn't seem to have the wafting appeal and laciness of the '09.
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2005 Dujac Fils et Père Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Pale center, light rim. Some stems and sweet fruit scents. Light but amazing intensity for its weight. Spice, baked red fruit, char, and a hint of green things. Bigger, dry tannins. Extremely elegant, fantastic drive, wonderful potential once the tannins (hopefully) recede a bit. Will it ultimately be better than the more seductive '09??
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2012 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Very pale. Utterly seductive nose. Supple strawberry fruit and a bit of sap. Absolutely lovely sweetness, back end acidity and soil in a disarmingly light weight package. It may not improve much from here, but so silky and gorgeous now.
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2011 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Light red. Perfumed, slightly funky aromas. Lush but light attack. Muted red fruit compared to the '12, higher acidity, overtly earthy finish. Seems very good for the vintage but can't compare with the 2012 for sheer enjoyment and joyfulness.
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1995 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Browning, some sediment. Green aromas. Slightly bigger than the 2 young vintages. Brown sugar, short finish, and the acid seems high and out of place. A second taste from a different bottle showed better balance and length, but the overall impression was not different-this is awkward, artificial, and probably over the hill. Totally different, more extracted style than currently. The oldest wine at the Verticals and certainly not the best.
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2011 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Limpid red. Great clarity of cherry aromas. Medium weight, some sappiness. Tart red fruit, a dusting of soil, very good depth, quite tannic finish. A proper Clos Vougeot with good potential.
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2005 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Light ruby. Game, woodsmoke, and funk. Dark red to black fruit. Excellent concentration. Backward, grippingly tannic, strong acidity. Classic. Put it under lock and key for another 10 or 15 years, that is how unready it is now.
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2000 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Light red with browning. Menthol notes predominate. Light, elegant weight compared to the '05 with much less density. Faded red fruit, very earthy, puckery finish. The overall impression is one of barely adequate ripeness, and it seems beyond completely mature. Not very pleasing at this point unless you are an ultimate terroir hound.
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2012 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Light ruby. Little in the way of a nose. Relatively light bodied. Mostly soil on the palate with a bit of anonymous fruit. Not much here at all. A very strange 2012 if this bottle is representative.
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2009 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Light ruby core, very light edge. Spicy aromas. More volume and depth than the '12, some sap, cherry, and dry tannins. Better than the younger wine but still not terribly moving.
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2005 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Medium ruby. Curious aromatic mixture of perfume and stems. Dense, spicy black/red fruit and a boatload of soil. Dry, dry, dry tannins. Pretty brutal stuff right now. If it is ever going to come around, it will be decades down the road, and I don't expect to still be around to witness the transformation. Hands off and pray.
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2010 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Light red. Mint and soil. Light weight and surprisingly supple. This is gentle, earthy, complex, and not about the fruit, which is underneath and provides a sense of balance and flesh. I loved the length and complexity here, especially right on the heels of the curious Grivot wines.
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2009 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Light red to browner edge. Restrained, complex, earthy wine with brown spice, sweeter fruit than the 2010, and a more deeply tannic finish than that wine. This is truly excellent and dare I say very elegant for Clos Vougeot. Both of these vintages are amazingly approachable now.
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2008 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Light color. High toned. Light weight. Dominated by soil, acidity, and dry tannins, but there seems to be enough fruit to ameliorate this and provide enough texture. I enjoyed this one too in a much leaner style, but how long will the fruit stand up to the rest of the structure?
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1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Pale tawny color. Secondary perfume. Medium weight. Complex, some undergrowth, light sap, reddish fruit, and earthy. Punchy acidity, dry finish, moderate length. Difficult to read. Not great now and still has a lot of 1996 acidity to resolve.
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2006 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Light red with fading outer third. Roasted fruit on the nose. Medium weight. Forward candied mixed fruit, excellent acidity, deeply earthy, roundly tannic. Outstanding and drinking very well now, although I have no doubt it will improve for a long time. As generous as the '96 is lean.
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2012 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Ruby center. Astringently green nose. Big, round entry. Simple blueberry fruit followed by excellent acidity and soil, grainy tannins. Very, very primary. This needs several decades and was the most voluminous of all 3 vintages.
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2011 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Pale color. Aromatic red fruit and menthol. Light, wonderful feel, supple fruit, and more of the Gevrey earth than finishing tannin. Excellent length. A really good 2011, very Fourrier in its elegance and stylishness.
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2010 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Light red. Spice and herb more than fruit on the nose. Light body but a different level of sap, intensity, and acidity compared to the 2011. Gentle soil filled finish. Although it starts out pretty seductively, it is drier than it seems at first and would greatly benefit from an additional 5 to 7 years. This was my favorite wine at this great producer's table.
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2009 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Pale. Loads of soil. Very light weight. Gentle, sweet red fruit and herbs followed by high acidity and a dry, tannic finish. Not as forthcoming or impressive as the 2010 today.
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2012 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Light red. Charred wood and earth. Dark cherry, sap, woodsmoke, and an interesting herbal twist. Good length, clinging soil on the finish. Big Gevrey, completely different in weight from the Fourriers.
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2011 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Medium red color. Green herbs. Medium body, sappy red fruit, high acidity. This is too herbaceous with an underripe quality of the tannins as well and an earthy finish. Did not care for this.
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2010 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Light red. Spice and high toned camphor-like scents. Light weight. Subtle blend of earth and red fruit, lightly tannic finish. Outstanding balance, and the one vintage that is most evocative of real Gevrey weight and style. A beauty and much more finesseful than the somewhat freakishly large scaled '12.
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2011 Camille Giroud Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Light red. Mint. Round but not heavy. Fruit is more blue than red. Beautiful texture, sap, and a gentle, very long finish. This is outstanding and should continue to be over the intermediate drinking term.
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2006 Camille Giroud Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Light ruby with brown tinge. Aromatics of ripe, roasted red fruit. Slighter lighter weight than the 2011. Sweet fruit, good acidity, gripping tannins. This seems disjointed and grainy compared to that wine.
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2005 Camille Giroud Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Light ruby. Both herbs and confected red fruit on the nose. Medium weight but dense, backward, sweaty, and tannic. One of the most powerful wines tasted today. As opposed to the rigid 2005 Grivot Clos Vougeot, I sense that this has more than enough fruit and flesh to go the distance, but I think it will need a minimum of 15 more years of aging. Fantastic potential.
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